Skylark Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 http://www.sicklines.com/gallery/data/534/morewood_mbuzi2.jpgHi Hubbers Need some help to crack the some deadly indecisiveness on the head!! My dream bike is a Shova (You got one to get rid of , meduim/large/any age? - PM me immediately!)Shova is the perfect balance between travel , weight and straight line usefulness But I can get a new Mbuzi frame for a very good price.So my question is can I use an Mbuzi for XC & AM? Before people pipe up - I am not too worried about weight - I'm more of a bundu basher than distance freak but obviously I will go up and then down so I cant be riding a DH tank , so it is something to consider. Most people tend to use Mbuzi's for lighter DH but after googling I found more than one forum thread discussing its usefulness up hills and moderate Xc distance and its extreme comfort PLUSHNESS IS AWESOMENESS! (In my books) So what you Hubbers & esp Morewood chaps reckon?
RossW Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 I'm in the same boat as you! I am looking at an Mbuzi but think Shova would be ideal. I'm just worried that having a bike similar (Shova) to my Santa Cruz Superlight may create a blurring of the lines. And when I say similar I mean going trail riding with mates stuff, obviously not racing similar.
Skylark Posted February 21, 2011 Author Posted February 21, 2011 Mmm one can never have to many bikes Got to say the Santa Cruz Superlight is very close to a Shova , but it would appear a Shova will definitely take more beating than a Santa Cruz Superlight :http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/superlight/index.php Maybe if you want something a bit tougher to chuck around and take a few drops then def the Mbuzi.I can only have one bike tho So I have to choose based on not having a back up bike.(I cant afford to just go buy the shova - and I have an opportunity to buy an Mbuzi)
MoreTrails Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 Skylark, I have seen the Mbuzi dressed for XC business and it works well. Obviously you have not so light starting weight, so choice in parts is critical. But you could use say a 150mm Fox32 fork as opposed to a Lyrik or Fox36 to drop weight. A light set of wheels and so well chosen parts and you are A for Away! Bonus is the Mbuzi comes with a DHX Air shock, so you can ride it plush but bump up the bottom out threshold for the bigger hits...
Wernervdmerwe Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 I have a Mbuzi that I use for AM and it is excellent. One of the guys from ROAM, think Darren Berrecloth, said that is his all-day bike. I have ridden it at Tokai as well, which has a lot of XC, with a nice climb to start, and it was more than adequate. So yeah, dress it light or dress it medium and you'll love it. It will not win a XC race nor provide you with a podium position, so if speed and efficiency is not your prime concerns, it will be a great bike - the slack HA will provide you with confidence, so you can hit the bigger stuff with more confidence. Depending on your fork (will not recommend you put a 130mm etc on as it will drop the BB), you might notice a bit of front wheel wander on the steep climbs. Feel free to drop me a PM or give me a call if you have specific questions. You looking at about 15kg built.
Wernervdmerwe Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 Oh yeah - also rather not dress the bike for pure XC, if that is what you going to ride, rather buy a Zula or Shova for trails.If you want to spend a little time in the air and do bigger drops, get a Mbuzi. I would strongly suggest buying the frame that'll suit your preferred riding style. The Mbuzi will be able to do most things, but it will never be a XC bike - so be honest with yourself and do your budget a favour - but the geo that fits where you wanna be.
Skylark Posted February 21, 2011 Author Posted February 21, 2011 I smaak slack Head Angles - the more relaxed seating position and not hunched over the bars as much. I love feeling like I'm riding a bit of chopper!(esp with wide bars) Speed and efficiency is not my prime concerns , but I have heard that morewood cross-over frames are very efficient relative to their geometries/suspension , ie they can't beat a true XC frame but for their brute weight and plushness they have an inordinate amount of speed & efficiency.Is that true with the Mbuzi? I like rushing over bumps and big mess's and taking a few drops , but I gotta be able to ride 15km's boring flat XC every now and then . Tried that on a Big Hit DH which is taking it abit to an extreme , the ride was kindof alright but the xc was not really possible. It also wasn't terribly whackable round any windy AM stuff. So basically the weight and geo's of the Mbuzi is good for a bit of non-competitive XC and anything else AM I may care to throw it at? (Incl mild DH) How does it actually pedal over slightly longer XC distances?What will your body say about its output relative to input after a Xc ride?(ie my body , with a nice plush ride that's not as pedal/weight efficient , will still be happy if the sacrifice in efficiency was made up with quality comfort/chuckability/useful functionality) Its that balance I'm interested in - A masterfully thought out frame that says throw me down the hillside like a mountain goat on acid and then surprises you how easily (relatively) it pedals up again or the 10km's to get back home.
dirtrider Posted February 22, 2011 Posted February 22, 2011 Ok so it is not a Mbuzi but on my Shova with 160mm front and DHX5 on back I did the DesertDash , 2 x S2C and a few other normal short 80km races . Like you said , comfort and style . Oooh and I also did a DH race with it once also in comfort and style . Like somebody once said , "It is all about the journey" , or something like that .
perp Posted February 22, 2011 Posted February 22, 2011 It all depends on how strong you are, my mate was ridding one of the scott freeride bikes as his all day everyday bike and then still did Dh with it. Things have changed so much over the years you can now get bikes like dirt rider which can do most disciplines of riding and you can build them pretty light.Budget dependent. The Shova to me would be leaning more to the trail xc side of things and the mbuzi the opposite way. From what I get from what you say your riding style is I would say get the Mbuzi, Nomad, Ibis HD and the list for longer travel bikes goes on.
Pappa Bear Posted February 22, 2011 Posted February 22, 2011 Yes to the Mbuzi..... I had one that I used for XC/AM weight was about 14/15kg with a Fox 36.
aka_flipper Posted February 22, 2011 Posted February 22, 2011 i've ridden shovas in various forms since 2003 ... i had 3 and loved them all. setup kinda dictates riding - but with a nice float 140 it could handle way more than most bikes of that travel range if you want to smash out drops or are a heavier rider the mbuzi setup light(ish) would be a good option too. but as for "one bike to rule them all" the shova is very close to perfect - light enough for all day epics, strong enough to race your mates to the bottom!cheersg
Wernervdmerwe Posted February 22, 2011 Posted February 22, 2011 +1 for aka_flipper - think the Shova is closer to what you looking for
Skylark Posted February 22, 2011 Author Posted February 22, 2011 Thanks People!! Excellent adviceThe shova would definitely seem to be the bike for my build (light) and riding environment (fast , bumpy and a few drops)But as many have pointed out the Mbuzi is not far behind in the AM/XC cross-over use-ability.As also mentioned if you are a little stronger/heavier the Mbuzi is fine for AM/XC cross-over and it's a definite option if you want to go a little bigger/harder on the drops. It could probably swing either way depending on the set-up. Dirt-rider summed up my philosophy on how I like the ride: "Like you said , comfort and style . Oooh and I also did a DH race with it once also in comfort and style . Like somebody once said , "It is all about the journey" , or something like that . "
Wernervdmerwe Posted February 22, 2011 Posted February 22, 2011 hehe - you remind me of a friend that is in the market for "a" bike, even though he already knows deep down what he wants.I get the distinct feeling you already decided deep inside that you want the Mbuzi, and are looking for reasons to convince the small voice of doubt that still exists http://media.thehubsa.co.za/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif Should that be true - then ride the Mbuzi once and go for it if you still want to. It is a great machine and your love and appreciation for the machine you are on bridges a lot of gaps!
Skylark Posted February 23, 2011 Author Posted February 23, 2011 Well its actually the other way round...I'm not currently mister money bags and there may be a Mbuzi for a good deal locally and for the life of me I can't find a Shova anywhere....So I thought well the Mbuzi is pretty close to a Shova so lets ask those morewood hubbers what they think Also decided I won't accept anything except a Morewood , so the suitable bike for me has got to come outta that thoroughbred stable! Which would appear to be a Shova or Mbuzi... I haven't ridden an Mbuzi and it appears to be a great bike for what I'm looking for , only problem being I'm only 65Kg so it may be a little heavy - not as chuckable as a shova for the matchstick arms and leg that my body is equipped with What you guys reckon? 1.85m 65Kg matchstick man on a Mbuzi?Would probably rid a medium as I prefer smaller frames or possibly a largeWhat kind of weight/inertia difference is there between the 2 if setup with similar parts?
Dirtbreath Posted February 23, 2011 Posted February 23, 2011 Morewood no longer making Shova or Mbuzi?
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