NEW BIKES
SWINGING A LEG OVER WHAT’S HOT THIS MONTH
FORBIDDEN DRUID V2 X0
£8,999 • 29in or MX • forbiddenbike.com
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.
But let’s deal with the elephant in the room first. The new Druid uses an inverted four-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 seatstay assembly, rather than the chainstays, like on a regular four-bar.
The fundamental reason for the shift is that the inverted four-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 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, it would be hard 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 four-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 ever so slightly at bottomout 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 means the 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.
It’s hard to tell you’re riding an idler bike
Anti-squat has increased slightly and the progression rate has been modified too, to make the bike feel more dynamic. The ov
