2022 Forbidden

Druid SLX

Forbidden Bike Co. has updated their Druid trail bike for 2023, moving to an inverted four-bar linkage for the new V2 version.

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Want short travel, agility and responsiveness or long travel control and confidence? Forbidden’s new Druid is designed to combine both even better than before, but did it put Guy Kesteven under its spell?

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One look at Forbidden’s currently unnamed downhill bike tells you everything you need to know about the direction the second generation Druid would take. Well, not quite everything, as not all of the features on the DH bike have trickled down to the trail bike, and for good reason. Need to know: Full carbon trail bike with 29 or MX wheel options Druid V2 switches to an inveredt 4-bar design Frame travel is 130mm and it’s coupled with a 150mm fork Size specify and proportional rear centre measurement and rise specific handlebars on all four frame sizes. New locking collet axles and oversized bearings for improved durability Three models available RRP for Druid V2 X0 £8,999 / $8,899 / €10,599 But let’s deal with the elephant in the room first. The new Druid uses an inverted 4-bar suspension design to achieve the desired 130mm travel. It’s referred to as inverted, as the main pivot and Horst link form what’s traditionally seen as the seat stay assembly, rather than the chainstays, like on a regular 4-bar. The fundamental reason for the shift, is that the inverted 4-bar allows Forbidden to retain the key features of its Trifecta suspension philosophy, while achieving a more rearward idler position. Where the new idler position instantly increases the how much the chain wraps around the chainring, without the anti-rise numbers skyrocketing. With more chain wrap, Forbidden has been able to ditch the lower chain guide to improve pedalling efficiency and reduce drivetrain noise. But has it worked? Yes, like a charm. In fact, you’d be hard pushed to tell you’re actually riding an idler bike without looking down at your feet. And for trail riding, that is a massive boon. Dig a little deeper and it becomes clear that the move to a 4-bar is more of a side-step than a complete u-turn, as the fundamentals that make the Druid a Forbidden are all still in place. It still has a rearward axle path, it’s now 94% rearward rather than 100%, where it goes forward every so slightly at bottom out so there’s less chain tug on the derailleur from the lower portion of the drivetrain. You still get a similar amount of chainstay/rear centre growth at sag too, which makes dynamic rear centre measurement on the size large is about 12mm longer than the static 452mm chainstay length. And, much to my surprise, the Druid V2 is relatively easy to manual, because the bike feels very well balanced and more dynamic than before. Anti-squat has also increased slightly and the progression rate has been modified too, to make the bike feel more dynamic. The overall leverage ratio has also been increased (slightly shorter stroke shock) which makes it easier for lighter rides running lower pressures to achieve a good set-up and gives Forbidden more shock tuning options in general. Add in the sag gradients on the RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate, and getting a good set-up was easy, even though the shock is partially obscured …Continue reading »

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