If 650B wheels, electronic suspension gadgets and groovy carbon framed bikes are your thing, this Zesty will appeal to you.
We first rode this bike at the super duper media launch in France this year, now it’s time to put it to the test at home, without Nico Vouilloz within eyesight making us feel insecure about our humanly average riding abilities.
For 2014 the Zesty platform splits into two, the AM and Trail. AM is 150mm travel front and back with 650B wheels, the Trail uses 29″ wheels and 120mm of travel.
We’ve yet to calibrate the e:i system entirely, our test demo came to us with the cadence sensor not pickup up pedal motion, so ‘auto mode’ doesn’t work, but it’s not the end of the world. So far ripping through single rack has been loads of fun, and memories of how much we loved tipping the 2013 model into a corner came flooding back.
The low bottom bracket may cause you to bang your pedals on rocky climbs, but the way it turns a corner is great. Coming off the Yeti SB66 this guy feels short in the top tube, so adding that to the very supple 150mm of zesty-ness we have found it climbs tricky ascents just as well as it bombs down them.
More of our thoughts to come as we keep this trail shredder close by.
Editorial Guidelines
At Flow Mountain Bike, we’re committed to delivering engaging and trustworthy content, from product reviews to destination showcases, news, interviews, and features. While many of the brands and destinations we cover may advertise with us, our editorial team operates independently, ensuring our content is guided by expertise and passion—not commercial influence. Sponsored content is always clearly disclosed, and we remain dedicated to providing honest and unbiased coverage across everything we publish. For more details, see our Transparency Report.