First Ride | Moustache Samedi 27/9 FS Race
Moustache goes colourful! Until now the French e-bike company was known for classy but simple frame designs in black, grey or white. The 2015 flagship shows up with an unaccustomed colourful look. With striking orange-red lines and different wheel sizes the Samedi FS Race is at least visually a real looker. We wanted to know however whether the bike performs technically and on the trail. We chased it over the autumnal trails and you can read about our impressions here.
Fresh out of the box the different wheel sizes – 29” at the front and 650b at the rear irritated us initially, at least visually. According to Moustache the bigger front wheel creates plenty of stability and has good roll-over characteristics whilst the smaller back wheel and shorter chainstays allow an agile and dynamic riding style. Furthermore the smaller rear wheel should allow for better acceleration on the trail. Those who have ridden a 29-er off road know the effect: the big wheels create bigger gear ratios and even the smallest gear appears relatively high on the climbs. It’s no different on an e-bike. As a smaller rear wheel and the right gear allows a lower overall ratio the motor can still accelerate the bike with great torque even at low speeds. We think it’s a good idea especially as the Samedi is fitted with a Bosch Performance motor, which only achieves full power at a decent rpm level.
Specification wise the Samedi can keep up with the best. The Fox Float CTD shock and Float Factory 36 Kashima fork make a great foundation for winning suspension action. The bike is slowed down by the new Magura MT 5 which we already like from previous test bikes.
The four cylinder brakes combined with a carbon composite reinforced brake lever offer good power and low weight.
The high end SRAM 11 speed X01 drivetrain gives the rider a wide enough gear range even without a front derailleur. We weren’t so happy about the external cable routing of the hydraulic dropper post. With a ticket price of Euro 5500 you shouldn’t have to worry about rattling cables. Otherwise the Kind Shock did its job flawlessly.
Enough about the technical aspects, we want to know how the Samedi feels on the trails. The 250 W Bosch drive does its job without problems as we are used to. Just the audible clicking when the motor engages and disengages was sometimes annoying. The different wheel sizes don’t achieve miracles but do make for fantastic handling. Thanks to the big front wheel the bike is pleasantly calm on the trail and your arms are less battered on rough trails than with smaller wheels. The smaller rear wheel and the well executed geometry create a balanced ride and high level of agility. On our test rides fast, flat flow trails were just as much fun as technically demanding ones.
The greatest enthusiasm was reserved for the excellent damping. Fine and plush on small bumps but never blowing through the travel on big impacts the rear end inspires confidence and has lots of potential for high speed descending. We could even continue to pedal and get the motor to accelerate riding through root sections.
Moustache has done a fantastic job with the Samedi 27/9 FS Race. It starts with a coherent look, continues with a high end spec and great geometry and finishes with outstanding suspension. The French company has created a bike which convinces us on every level.
The list price of Euro 5500 is high but fair.
More Info: http://www.moustachebikes.com
Text: Tobias Döring Photos: Christoph Bayer
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