NS Bikes Fuzz 2 - First Look

Nov 16, 2014
by Paul Aston  
NS Fuzz 2


For those unfamiliar with NS Bikes, the Polish company's story begins in 2003 when their first hardtail frame, the Streetlegal, was launched. The Soda, their first full suspension bike, arrived in 2011, and the 26" wheeled Fuzz DH bike hit shop floors in 2013. For 2015, the Fuzz keeps its clean lines and low, central shock location, but takes on bigger wheels, even more generous sizing and a revised component package.

The 27.5" wheeled Fuzz 2 is built using a selection of components including in-house parts and items from NS' sister company, OctaneOne in order to keep the cost down without sacrificing quality. The frame has 203mm of rear wheel travel, and is built from AL6061-T6 and AL6066-T6 custom formed and butted tubes. Small, medium and large sizes are available and have roomy cockpits; the reach on the medium size is 440mm, and the large size is a whopping 470mm which will keep six foot and over guys happy. Cables can either be routed internally or externally using the bolt on cable guides, and the seatpost is fixed by a built in clamp.


Fuzz 2 Details

• Intended use: DH
• Fork: Marzocchi 888 CR w/200mm travel, 20mm axle
• Shock: RockShox Kage R coil
• 203mm travel
• 63.5° head angle, 447/432 mm chainstays
• Sizes: S, M, L
• Weight: 40.5 lb (claimed)
• MSRP: £2599 $3499 USD
Pricing is £2599 ($3499 USD approx) which makes the Fuzz one of the most affordable, raceable complete bikes on the market. The low price does come with a weight penalty, and at 18.4 kilos it's not the lightest ride around, but its price and spec does make it ideal for a first DH bike, or for somebody looking for simplicity, reliability and a good base to build upon. The first upgrade will probably be the SRAM X7 derailleur to a clutch type mech to keep things quiet. The frame is identical to its more expensive brother the Fuzz 1. The geometry is spot on and well balanced, with the long top tube adding plenty of stability, and good sizing for people 6 feet and over. Riders wanting to get more extreme numbers geometry-wise might be looking to anglesets and offset bushings, but unless you live in Champery, the stock angles should be just fine.

NS Fuzz 2 In-house bar stem combo

NS handlebar and direct mount stem combo, adjustable between 40mm and 48mm settings.



NS Fuzz 2 Shock Protection and Drive-side Dropouts

The RockShox Kage shock is a simple affair, with rebound and the spring rate being the only externally adjustable settings. The flip-chip dropouts allow you to change chainstay length between 447mm and 432mm. This may be a budget bike, but it includes the top of the range 800mm NS Evidence handlebars.



Rockshox Kage Shock Non-drive side dropouts and Bars headtube

The custom plastic cover keeps the RockShox Kage protected from the elements, although it does make adjusting the rebound very difficult, but it could easily be modified with a Stanley blade to ease access. The drive side dropouts are smooth, with the axle being enclosed from the outside.



Geometry

NS Fuzz 2

Medium Frame

Rear wheel travel 203mm
Reach 440mm
Stack 605mm
Front center 785mm
Effective top tube 615mm
Seat tube heightt 400mm
Chainstay 447/432
Bottom bracket drop +2mm
Head tube angle 63.5°
Effective seat tube angle 73°
Wheelbase 1230mm/1216mm
Bike weightt 18.4 kg w/o pedals



www.nsbikes.com

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech First Looks


Author Info:
astonmtb avatar

Member since Aug 23, 2009
486 articles
Report
Must Read This Week
Downhill Bikes of Sea Otter - Part 1
49923 views
Brian's Randoms from Sea Otter 2024
47852 views
Randoms Round 3: Dario's Treasures
46305 views
Pinkbike's DH Fantasy League: Get Your Team On The Line - Fort William is in 10 DAYS!
41603 views
Downhill Bikes of Sea Otter - Part 2
39545 views
Spotted: Frameworks Racing DH Bike with Electronic Fox Shock & Unreleased Enve Rims
39186 views
[UPDATED] Final Elite XC Results & Overall Standings from the Araxá XC World Cup 2024
38712 views
Even More Randoms - Sea Otter 2024
36605 views
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup

81 Comments
  • 133 3
 I'd buy one just to say I have some fuzz between my legs. Well, that and to huck at bike parks.
  • 75 5
 everyone goes thru puberty at different times, some just older than others. its ok to be a late bloomer.
  • 11 80
flag c4mtb (Nov 16, 2014 at 19:17) (Below Threshold)
 ^^^sarcasm it s a valuable skill... Wink
  • 128 1
 One that you should master
  • 13 4
 Biggest facepalm ever...
  • 83 3
 $100 more for the new 2015 650b giant glory 1, vivid R2C in the back, boxxer RC up front and full zee kit with schwalbe magic mary's. Suddenly this seems like less of a great deal... sick frame though.
  • 23 0
 NS makes such sick frames and components, but their completes are always specced with really cheap parts
  • 4 0
 yeah like the soda FR from last year had a shitty ROCO coil shock for the top tier build at $3500. Its odd because there frames alone aren't really that expensive...
  • 9 6
 you cant get the glory 1 in the US...
  • 32 4
 ^ I happen to live in canada
  • 23 36
flag Nobble (Nov 16, 2014 at 20:29) (Below Threshold)
 No shit, but a large portion of the riding community does not...
  • 19 1
 Order one to a Canadian shop and get them to send it to you. Pretty friendly folk up here, if you really wanted one I'm sure it wouldn't be that hard.
  • 9 2
 I bought a 2015 Glory 1 because I think it's the best value out there. However, I do feel for these smaller companies because I think it would be impossible to compete with a giant like Giant to offer the most competitively priced bikes.
  • 26 0
 Worlds biggest manufacturer of bikes, puts higher end components on their bikes than a small niche production company does? That can't be a surprise to anyone.
  • 3 1
 @Nobble the glory 1 is available in most countries, the US is the only large one where it isn't available. So it is a relevant bike. @bonfire nobody is surprised, I was just saying how this bike is not the best value for spec of a dh bike, and the quality of the product from giant would certainly be on par with this rig
  • 2 0
 Soda air, got an air shock with nearly no adjustments, which produces lots if questions in bikeshops....
  • 7 0
 it really depends on which side of the big pond you live.

In Canada it might not be the best deal.

But in Europe we pay 2600€ for the Fuzz 2 and 3500€ for the 2015 650b giant glory 1. Which makes quite a bit of a difference.
  • 5 2
 On the other hand we have Canyon and YT in Europe that easily beat NS for spec/price ratio.
  • 1 0
 Well not really as you get £60 handlebars and £60 stem and very good ns wheelset they spend money where people normally have to throw it since when has anyone bought a giant and not changed the bars and stem to rental. Not to mention the decent pedals that come with them
  • 2 0
 On the Giant website the 2015 glory 1 is $6600... am I missing out on an inside joke or something?
  • 2 0
 @hamncheez that is the glory 0, the glory 1 isn't available in the US, check it out on the Canadian website. It is the red white and black model. @MatthewCarpenter 3500 euros is $5000 Canadian, are you sure that is not the price of the glory 0?
  • 1 0
 Does the Boxxer RC still come with MoCo, or does it have the Charger damper now? Marz's CR is a much better damper than the MoCo IMO.
  • 1 0
 The RC has a motion control, but this bike doesn't have a 380, its a 888
  • 2 0
 Boxxer RC's MoCo IS and 888 CR's DBC dampers both have shimmed high speed circuits and adjustments for LS compression and rebound, so they're both capable gravity dampers. I'd rather have the 'Zocchis damper though because it's effectively a closed unit compared to the Boxxers more basic open (not open bath) damper. Therefore there should be way less foaming in the 'Zocchi.

I had a 55 CR for a while and really liked the damper (unlike the air spring) and the 888 should be no worse.
  • 61 11
 Nice Commencal...... oh shit sorry wrong bike.
  • 4 50
flag dougkorody (Nov 16, 2014 at 18:07) (Below Threshold)
 I was gonna say it looks like a sunday
  • 64 1
 looks like a sunday? are you blind????!
  • 15 2
 Commencal has a pivot above the axle in the seat stay the fuzz has it in the chainstay.
  • 4 24
flag dougkorody (Nov 16, 2014 at 18:30) (Below Threshold)
 yeah if the shock was vertical not at a slant. it does look more like the commencal. I do think alot of bikes look like the sunday though, like the trek session and giant glory. am I blind?????! nope I'm not blind, thanks!
  • 7 1
 haha, well it does actually look alot like the 2010 sunday proto with ICT instead of DW:

www.vitalmtb.com/community/Simon-Watts,13438/setup,19923
  • 34 2
 Dear companies... keep speccing marzocchi
  • 31 11
 1. "It looks like a _____ and it cost to mush."
2. "If you have to complain about price you're a weenie!"
3. "Why are the wheels ____? Why can't they be____?"
4. "F&*(&K yea a DH bike finally PB is getting there shit together!"
5. "Is that Enduro?"
6. "Bike Porn, That just gave me a boner!"
7. etc...
  • 25 4
 Thank you for reviewing an affordable bike. I'm sick of seeing reviews of bikes that I'll only be able to afford in 3 years
  • 29 9
 Wouldn't call this a "review"....but that's none of my business
  • 15 0
 With out reading the title it would be hard to tell it was an NS without all the bright yellow and green
  • 5 2
 I've got a 2014 and it is the most playful, fun bike I've ever ridden and its not hard to get the weight down. Mine sits at 37lbs 8oz if I remember correctly and should be shaving a bit of weight later this week also.

Also I'm 5'10" and got a small after comparing it to the geo of the medium Flatline I owned at the time and in glad I didn't get a med.
  • 1 0
 I'm just curious, what did you change to drop weight and do you know roughly how much it cost?
  • 1 0
 It was mainly my rims, inferno 31s are pretty light, run normal tubes and cranks.

I'm swapping my forks, bars/stem and maybe cranks in the next month or so and should loose a little more weight also.

Here is a pic www.pinkbike.com/photo/11460010 , you should be able to figure out most of the build from that.

As far as cost, it's a DH bike so, so much I don't really remember and don't want to think about it.
  • 1 0
 Is this the 27.5" version your talking about?
  • 1 0
 26".
  • 4 0
 I got last year's fuzz 2 that I built up with some saint parts and NS components and mine weighs 36.2. I guess my dorado is that much lighter?
  • 5 2
 For $160 more, i can get Torque DHX Flashzone.
Saint groupo (w/ E13 cranks), Deemax Ultimate, 40 fork, CCDB shock, Renthal stem & bar, etc.

But, i admit NS makes a good looking frame.
  • 2 0
 No mistaking who makes this then.They ought to put NSBIKES on it a few more times just to make sure people know it's NSBIKES. TBH doesn't seem that much more than any other maker , it just looks .......more. Maybe you'd have to shave it , if it was covered in FUZZ !!!!
  • 9 3
 £24599?
  • 1 0
 being selling the NS products for about a year and a half now --- starting selling the frames in 2013... really happy with their product. actually starting selling more of them after missing the bus on the Tr500 deal-e-o's. -- Typically never did pre-season orders with Transition so I missed out buying any of the new TR500's when they were first released. within the pricepoint, the Fuzz dh was the next best thing. bought one as a shop demo and love it --- it's super nice. very very happy with it. For stuff sold here at Pshop, KHS's downhill bike is very similar to the Fuzz but the KHS is sold only as a complete bike, we get the Fuzz only as a frame. we don't buy them complete. shown on the right --- www.pinkbike.com/photo/11481196 --- that's a 40lbs-er but, seriously, who cares about weight. you can hardly notice a 2, 3, 4 lbs weight difference when you're truckin' at full speed (for those who say you can, well...rrrrrrrright.. this the Fuzz DH, not the Fuzz ya smoke). The Fuzz's we have sold so far have been the 26" wheel'd model but we noticed that a 27.5 actually fits the frame as long as you're not putting a huge tire on the bike. speaking of weight, believe it or not, the bike actually climbs pretty well too. I'm not trying to concur 2, 3 hour climbs by at means but, for short, steep, couple, few hundred yard climbs, it does just fine. down hill, it just rips!! super fun bike
  • 1 0
 nice looking builds! i am building up a Fuzz this winter! cannot wait for next season
  • 1 0
 I have both the first production Soda and the 2012 Soda Fr. Broke the drivetrain on he brand new soda fr, that's what shitty x7's will do. Changed to clutch derailleur, slapped on familiar brakes and handlebars and was good to go. So basically if you want an NS. Be prepared to tweak a few things before you get comfortable with them. Trust me, 9 months later and I'm finally happy with the bike. Took 6 weeks to get a derailleur hanger, plus couldn't order 2 because they didn't "make enough" in Taiwan. Final words, buy local!
  • 5 1
 thats the sexiest bike for the price
  • 4 0
 I love the fork angle. That bike just looks ticked off and dominant.
  • 6 2
 Those green pedals are hideous.
  • 3 0
 40.5lbs!? My old Foes Fly with 3.5kg 888's weighed a pound n' a half less than that
  • 2 2
 Okay lets just quickly point out that this is literally a Commencal Supreme V3 frame. Linkage is f*cking identical, all the tubes are in exactly the same place. The only difference is that the tubes on this bike are more rounded. I'm bothered by this. Are Commencal and NS Bikes the same company or are NS just ripping off Commencal big time???
  • 4 1
 That looks great for 3.5k
  • 3 0
 40.5 lb's ! thing must be pretty beefy
  • 2 1
 It's the wheels
  • 4 0
 27.5 Marz 888?
  • 2 0
 Well seems like bike companies are getting it and making bikes that won't kill us, that much.
  • 1 1
 There have been bikes in the 2k - 4k range for years, but pinkbike usually only reviews the top of the line carbon dream bikes.
  • 2 0
 at least its not carbon fiber
  • 2 0
 Looks like a session, undead, and wilson combined
  • 1 0
 NS bikes makes the sickest looking bikes in the industry IMO. I wish the parts spec was at the same level though
  • 1 0
 FUZZ 1 has the higher end bits mate, maybe that one would float your boat
  • 1 0
 duh fuzz 2! oooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
  • 2 0
 That bike is nice
  • 1 0
 If only the spec matched the look!
  • 1 0
 The Bike is missing the name of the company (-.-)
  • 1 0
 Its OK but I'd still go for a giant glory
  • 1 0
 does any one know if the 888 cr decals are available from this model?
  • 1 1
 amazing commencal bike wait or synday or operator
  • 3 3
 Basically slapped together a Operator and Commencal
  • 2 2
 If you want a bike that works for "nothing"!! Great review
  • 1 1
 Looks nothing like a Session..
  • 1 0
 Ruktion crankset. FFS!
  • 1 0
 Love the gold
  • 2 2
 Session?
  • 3 4
 Dat weight though.
Below threshold threads are hidden







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv65 0.048943
Mobile Version of Website