I bought my Superlight in March 2001 so I suppose this is a long-term test. It was purchased as frameset only so I will concentrate mainly on the frame, although noteworthy components (or bad ones) will get a mention, particularly if they are a good choice for use with the frame and the all day rides I like to do.
The frame is a medium size (17.5in) anodized blue and claimed weight is 5.3lbs. It came equipped with a Fox Float RL rear shock and I built it up with XT drive train, Hope mini brakes and Hope XC hubs with Mavic 317 Disc rims. Forks are SID 100’s. I feel the Superlight is definitely a XC bike, not a trailbike or a freerider and my component choices reflect this.
It’s the first full-suspension bike I’ve owned, having had hardtail Konas in the past and the fit is very un-Kona like. The top tube is short compared to most, especially as there’s a trend towards longer top tubes/shorter stems at the moment. I’d recommend a layback seatpost and a 100mm stem for a comfortable fit unless you have a seriously short torso. The longer stem will also aid keeping the front wheel planted on steeper climbs when you have to shift forward out of the saddle. However, the short top tube puts your weight right in the centre of the bike, making it nippy on the singletrack.
The crossover to full suspension was pretty painless really. Like any other full suspension design, it works better if you remain seated, so if your legs get tired, choose a lower gear. Standing up will make the front fork bounce up and down like a pogo stick anyway, thus sapping all your peddling energy. You’ll look silly too, so don’t do it. The Fox RL rear shock comes with a lock-out which I’ve never found necessary to use off road. It came in handy once on a long road ride from Avebury to Swindon. After spending a day riding the Ridge Way, a 15mile road ride to the nearest station on a full suspension bike with 35psi in the Trailblasters is not funny at all. The lockout eased the pain. The bike feels weird locked out. The geometries all wrong; the seat tube is too steep and the bike feels too tall. This is a good thing, however, as it means the bike is properly corrected to compensate for the shock’s sag. Only use the lockout to get you to and from the trail. The rear suspension doesn’t have this dreaded ‘bob’ thing that everyone fears. If it has then I haven’t noticed it. I haven’t felt the need to upgrade to a Fifth Element or a Romic as the frame’s design seems to give me all the low frequency filtering I could ever need. Only criticism I have about the bike’s suspension is a suffered by most bikes without a Horst link; it locks out under hard braking. Now if they could only develop a shock to filter that out…
Being a single pivot machine, The Superlight only has two sealed cartridge bearings, one each end of the main pivot axel. I haven’t had to go anywhere near them in the three years I’ve had the bike. The bushings that come with the Float shock wore out after two years and needed replacing. This is apparently common on Superlights and the bushings are designed to be the first part to go, thus protecting the shock shaft mounting and the bike’s swing-arm mount from wear. The shock also had cavitation problems. Sending the shock for a service cured both these issues.
I’m not pleased about the way it handles a 100mm fork. The suspension action feels balanced with the SID but the head angle feels slightly too shallow and gives the bike the turning circle of an articulated lorry. With a 5degree stem, 1inch riser bars and no spacers, the front feels too high. This is probably the SID’s fault as I offered up a pair of 110mm travel Marzocchi Z1s and the SIDs were about 10mm taller. I’d stick the Z1’s on but they weigh 5lbs. I recommend using a 80mm fork, or a 0degree stem/flat bar. A high front end makes the top tube effectively shorter.
The Superlight builds up as a 24lbs full suspension (with disc brakes and no XTR parts) XC dream. It’s light weight and smooth suspension has allowed me to ride further on rougher terrain and for longer periods than I ever did on my Kona. Did over 90miles of the South Downs way in 9 hours on it last summer. I was a bit saddle sore but had no back pain. This year I’ll do it again.
Last Updated 13-01-2004
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