Riding the Zula

The Zula and I continue to get better acquainted and I am struggling to find any weak points on the bike. It really rides very well. It is possibly not as supple over small stuff like many multi-pivot bikes but this is hardly noticeable when you are travelling the dirt roads of sunny South Africa at warp speed.

I had the chance to take the bike over some more challenging terrain this weekend, at Groenkloof and Fountains and I must say that this is where the bike really comes alive. I had forgotten how much fun a fast, light, manoeuvrable bike is in tight singletrack. My choice of a 120mm Reba XX is paying off, as the bike feels pretty stable and I feel that a 100mm race fork might have made the bike slightly more twitchy.

I also rode a 4,5 hour epic ride and I had no discomfort. The bike is the perfect length for me and my recurring shoulder pain seems to have disappeared aboard this bike.

The set up of the bike is as follows;

Fork: Rock Shox Reba XX 120mm

Shock: Fox RP23 BV shock

Handlebar: Ritchey WCS carbon low rise

Stem: 110mm Ritchey Matrix Carbon/Alloy

Seatpost: Ritchey Superlogic 30.9mm

Saddle: Ritchey WCS Streem Biomax

Wheelset: Ritchey WCS Carbon

Brakes: Shimano XT

Shifters: Shimano XTR

Grips: Ritchey WCS Foam

Front Derailleur: Shimano XTR

Crank: Shimano XTR (featuring crankskins)

Rear Derailleur: Shimano XTR Shadow.