Tried and examined by Remi Thirion and Luke Meier-Smith, the Large Glory Superior has had an entire redesign, now boasts and unbelievable quantity of adjustability, and is able to race the UCI MTB DH World Cup season.
It first launched in 2006 with 26inch wheels and a burly alloy body. Through the years and varied incarnations, it’s taken many an athlete to victory, together with a World Championship title, victory at Purple Bull Rampage, and a number of World Cup podiums. Now, able to race on the UCI DH MTB World Cup at Lenzerheide, Large has unveiled the Glory Superior, a full carbon composite bike with adjustability to go well with the pickiest of riders.
Have to know:
- Run 29er or blended wheel, comes MX as customary
- Carbon composite frameset
- 3 geometry flip chips to change experience really feel and efficiency
- 200mm rear journey, 203mm entrance journey
- First time the composite mannequin has been obtainable to customers
And lest you be involved that this ground-up redesign messes with a profitable design, then you need to know that it’s already gained a nationwide title, taking Luke Meier-Smith to the highest of the rostrum on the Australian DH Nationwide Champs this 12 months on a pre-production mannequin.
Luke Meier-Smith pilots his Large Glory Superior to victory in Australia
Meier-Smith isn’t the one athlete that’s been concerned within the many-year redevelopment of Large’s downhill bike. Helping the engineers at Large have been the members of the Large Manufacturing unit Off-Highway Staff, with Remi Thirion placing in two years on the downhill circuit on prototypes, gaining a number of top-10 finishes alongside the best way.
Body design and adjustable geometry
The carbon composite body of the Large Glory Superior options three – THREE – unbiased geometry flip chips which suggests riders and racers have an enormous quantity of tweak-ability on supply to permit them to adapt the bike to go well with terrain, observe, circumstances and private preferences.
Flip chip one is positioned on the higher rocker arm, and is a three-position chip that controls dealing with by adjusting the underside bracket drop in 5mm increments (13mm, 8mm and 3mm) and the pinnacle tube ( 61.6 , 62 , and 63) and seat tube (78.4 , 78.8 , 79.1) angles.
The excessive place will increase floor clearance and steepness, making handline extra responsive and the bike higher suited to easy and quick tracks, and the blended wheel setup. Low slackens issues off, making it extra suited to steep and technical tracks, and a full 29er wheel arrange. Medium is probably the most versatile, and in accordance with Large is the setting that the Large Manufacturing unit Off-Highway Staff use probably the most in downhill.
Rear flip chip
Chip two is a 2-position flip chip within the rear drop out that permits riders to alter the wheelbase and rear centre by shifting the axle forwards or backwards. Shortening it offers a extra agile experience really feel for twisty trails and most flickability, whereas lengthy will increase the wheelbase and rear centre for icreased stability and management at excessive speeds.
Geometry flip chip on the headset
The third and last flip chip is one other three-position flip chip positioned on the headset which permits attain adjustment in 5mm increments. The quick at -5mm brings the cockpit nearer to the rider for higher management on tight and technical terrain, whereas the lengthy at +5mm is additional away for a extra planted really feel.
Suspension
The Glory Superior makes use of Large’s Maestro suspension system, which makes use of 4 pivot factors and two linkages to supply a single floating pivot level. This method, Large says, has complete braking independence and can keep lively even beneath full braking power.
Maestro affords 200mm of rear journey within the type of a 225mm Trunnion-mounted shock with a 75mm stroke. Trunnion shocks produce a decrease leverage ratio on compression for higher pedal and braking effectivity and likewise permits for shorter chainstays which supplies the bike a extra agile payment. The linear curve of the shock spring offers spectacular sensitivity and traction, with out packing up on repeated hits or bottoming out on massive ones.
203mm of chunky entrance journey
The higher rocker arm is cast carbon composite, which is – in accordance with Large – stiffer, lighter and stronger than aluminium. Pivot bearings are double-sealed for sturdiness whereas a single piece rear swingarm supplies a dependable stiff system on the again for better precision.
Up entrance, beefy forks supply 203mm of journey.
Wheels: go massive or combine it up
The Large Glory can roll with both a full 29er arrange or blended, with 27.5 on the again and 29 on the entrance. It retails with a blended wheel arrange although, so that you’ll need to fork out for a brand new again wheel if you happen to do determine to go full 29er.
The Legends Version Frameset
Large has a grand historical past inside mountain biking and downhill. From the heady early days when Rob Warner raced Large bicycles within the Nineteen Nineties to Myles Rockwell in 2000 and Danny Hart in 2011, massive names have ridden Large with massive tales and outcomes to match.
The Large Glory Legends Version Frameset
Capturing the essence of the heady classic days of downhill is the brand new Legends Version Frameset. Retro-bright in yellow, purple and blue, it harks again to the classics whereas providing the very newest bike tech beneath that eyepopping paint job.
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