| Big wheels roll over stuff better. Full suspension helps in | | | | end of the frame won't flex excessively leading to |
| the rough stuff. So how does it work when you put | | | | ghost shifting and chain line issues. The Rockshox |
| them together? The KHS Flagstaff is a 29" wheeled | | | | Reba fork and Monarch rear shock are a good match |
| full suspension bike for trail riding and endurance racing. | | | | to the suspension design. Both are tune-able for |
| KHS is known for having great valued bikes and they | | | | various riding conditions. The Reba is my favorite 29" |
| tend to get into new trends pretty quickly. The 29" | | | | fork. It's easy to tune and they are super low |
| wheeled mountain bikes are one of those trends they | | | | maintenance. The weight of the fork is reasonable and |
| have gotten into and have done a good job. It started | | | | the stiffness is good for most riders. |
| with a hard tail and then they added the Flagstaff. | | | | The geometry is balanced making for a quick handling |
| With 3.5" of rear wheel travel, the Flagstaff is aimed at | | | | bike that isn't twitchy. 29" are known for the stability |
| cross country riding but is burly enough for rougher | | | | that comes from bigger wheels and longer wheel |
| trails. The stock build is a middle of the road mix of | | | | base. The Flagstaff in confidence inspiring on technical |
| parts that are more aimed durability than light weight. If | | | | terrain and steep downhills but is still an able climber. |
| you want to make changes, especially to the wheels | | | | The biggest drawback ride wise is that it isn't a quick |
| you can get it down into the 25 lb range but the bike | | | | accelerating bike but part of that is the heavy stock |
| comes stock around 30 lbs. | | | | wheels. A light set of race wheels and tires will go a |
| The frame is aluminum with a horst-link pivot with a | | | | long way towards improving that flaw. As it is the bike |
| rocker arm activated rear shock. This makes for a | | | | takes a little more effort to get up to speed but takes |
| good pedaling design that when set-up correctly will | | | | less effort to keep it there, especially on rooty terrain |
| put the power to the ground, without pedal induced | | | | or loose uphills. |
| bob. Because the 29" wheels tend to smooth out small | | | | The complete bike is a good value the way it comes |
| bumps, you can set the suspension a little firmer for a | | | | stock, with SRAM drivetrain, Hayes Stroker Ryde disc |
| faster machine without giving up any comfort. All the | | | | brakes and Truvativ finishing kit. With some upgrades |
| pivots have medium to large sealed cartridge bearings, | | | | this can go from a good trail bike to a fast endurance |
| increasing lateral stiffness and improving pivot durability. | | | | racing machine. |
| This adds a bit of weight but is worth it as the rear | | | | |