Counterweighting front and rear tyres on the M16C during a run requires practice, and it doesn’t take long, but it’s only when you compare to lower, longer size large bikes that it hits home that the geometry is slightly out on this bike. There’s so many more well balanced bikes on the market. On the days of testing we had a Giant Glory to use as comparison. The inch lower bottom bracket on the Glory (and taking into account less travel) highlighted the better rider position when the bike is at full extension (out of sag) entering corners and extending back from compressions. Cornering and steering on this bike lack the precision expected. The short front end doesn’t help matters.
Limitations
Apart from the steering issues the bike is also too small. This adds to the problem. A large is nowhere near big enough for a six foot rider and we had 5’ 10” riders complaining of the knee tight cockpit. The geometry numbers indeed reveal that it is one of the smallest size large bikes on the market. The bike also feels slightly wooden as a package in terms of chassis flex/stiffness compared to bikes such as the Giant Glory or Specialized Demo. The numbers are not middle of the road as many suggest but weighted more towards the smaller end of the scale, certainly in size large – an average size bike nowadays.
It will also be compared to the Santa Cruz V10, which has better forks, cranks, brakes and geometry, and lighter by a pound, although a few hundred pounds more, seems like a better deal when comparing the two.
