Feeling

With suspension that was already well established, the setup was fairly easy. A simple change of rear damper spring rate and then 86 psi upfront, the Fox really is an easy one to make right.

With some good bike time on some proper downhill courses this bike would soon have a good shake down. The first thing that was noticed was the slight lack of urgency that the Myst has, it seems to take some effort to get the bike up to speed.

At first I thought it was the tyre pressures or maybe some more setup was required but this was all checked and nothing was off. After a few laps and some comparison to a different bike the sizing really seemed to be the issue. The size L that was supplied has reach numbers of 445mm. This in my books would be classed as a medium. If you compare this to the Canyon Sender which has a 440mm reach for size M, the more cramped riding position did not help the feeling.

When talking about fatigue on a downhill bike it is slightly more interesting. Just think, you do not need the energy to climb back up the hill afterwards. This is an all-in, three-to-five minute thrash. Even in this short period though, the feeling of the chassis and harshness on big hits will sap energy. The Saracen Myst does cope with this well. The PRO brand cockpit has a great feel when taking big hits, match this up with a good set of Fox dampers then it keeps the points of contact high quality. The carbon chassis is stiff but the components make for the flex needed keeping the fatigue low. I’m not saying you will be feeling  fresh after sprinting this beast mind.

The Myst really is not a bad machine though – look at the spec that is given for the £5,699. Fox dampers, DT Swiss wheel set, Shimano Saint all round. Nothing to be changed here. The Saracen Myst does chew up the terrain when you do get up to speed, taking Revolution Bike park and Antur Stiniog at its leisure. This is mainly down to the rear suspension system. The same as you will find on its shorter travel stablemate the Ariel. This is a smooth and fairly simple design that just works well.

Limitations

With a parts selection like this it’s hard to find fault. The Shimano Saint brakes worked well with no technical issues. Even if it has been mentioned already, the size really is the only issue I see here. It seems that there are so many brands with bikes that size up on the smaller side of things. There are plenty of things that can be done to sort this but I feel if you are over the 6 foot mark then you will find the ride slightly cramped.

There was also a slight knock from the rear linkage that couldn’t be solved. There was no damage or problems but the noise was there.

Verdict

Sitting pretty in the mid-range downhill bike price with up market components this Saracen Myst could really be a serious but of kit but with the likes of YT, Canyon and even Intense now having close prices, there is plenty of competition. Take the size up from the one you would normally ride, get the setup dialled in, then this would be a great race bike or park lapper with some killer gear bolted onboard.

The added bonus of an offset headset is a great touch. Maybe if the XL bike was supplied and the offset fitted this would have made for a much better fit. Fast when you get it going but tiring to get there. All this being said the 29” version that we have all seen really will be something so this is on the hit list for the future.

Price: £5,699

www.saracen.co.uk

READ DIRT’S FEATURE ON THE 2018 SARACEN LAUNCH HERE