Foldable Bikes Party: Heller Shagamaw GX1 first ride review

Sunday, 31 July 2016

Heller Shagamaw GX1 first ride review

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Heller's Shagamaw GX1 represents a new breed of nicely capable, non-race focused bikes. With a carbon frame, 130mm fork, and most importantly some big 27.5+ tires, this hardtail brings some not-so-serious, rowdy fun to the dirt.

Heller Shagamaw GX1 spec overview

Lightweight carbon fiber frame with dialed geometry
Internal cable routing for a clean look
Internally routed dropper post
Powerful 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes for more control
148x12 Boost spacing
WTB Bridger 27.5+ x 3.0 tubeless ready tires
WTB tubeless compatible rims
RockShox Yari 130mm suspension fork
SRAM GX1 1x11 drivetrain

Heller Shagamaw GX1 ride impression

My first ride impression of the Shagamaw was that this thing is sweet. I was as shocked as anyone having ridden a few 27.5+ bikes before and coming away with mixed feelings on the handling and performance.

The 68.5 degree head angle is on the steep side for all-mountain, but works well with the 130mm RockShox Yari fork. The fork is a bit of a budget item to keep costs in line, but it works well and is plenty stiff.

...the bike industry is finally switching from racer focused everything to creating bikes that everyday riders actually want to ride

The stem could be a tad shorter and wider bars would be welcome. But all that stuff is personal preference, what matters is the frame and the ride and that's where the Shagamaw surprised me.

Heller Shagamaw GX1 pricing and availability

$2,599 and in-stock now (UK and Australian pricing not available)

Heller Shagamaw GX1 vs the competition

The 27.5+ category is still relatively new and bike companies are still tweaking the formulas. The Shagamaw's carbon frame fares well against some of the other aluminum plus bikes out there from Specialized, Kona and others. No matter what brand, in my opinion it's fantastic that the bike industry is finally switching from racer focused everything to creating bikes that everyday riders actually want to ride.

Heller Shagamaw GX1 early verdict

The Shagamaw GX1 was a real surprise, honestly. I've played around with 27.5+ bikes before and was left wanting something more. The Shagamaw was fun; plain and simple. The short rides on it had me pondering how I could exploit the traction in the corners and made me wonder how fast I could romp through techy terrain before smashing on the brakes. A longer review might see me getting into trouble.

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