Ghost's H AMR X Adventure Bike - Crankworx Whistler 2016
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And now for something entirely different from Crankworx: Ghost's 140mm-travel H AMR X is a bike-packing machine that's built around an eighteen-speed Pinion gearbox and comes with enough frame bags to head off into the bush until the zombie apocalypse wanes. Ghost knows full well that the H AMR X is an ultra-niche bike in a niche sport, but also that it might appeal to people wouldn't normally consider mountain biking to be their go-to activity. For example, picture climbers who have a long approach to the bottom of their ascent, or fishermen who want to get to a backcountry lake that would take days to reach on foot.
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Made it to basecamp and want to shred? Ditch the bags and the H AMR X turns into a normal mountain bike that happens to have a gearbox.The 140mm-travel frame, which can accept 29'' or 27.5+ (shown) wheels and tires, is a down-sized version of Ghost's 160mm FR AMR platform, including a similar but different four-bar suspension layout. What's changed? The inclusion of Pinion's P1.18 gearbox means that Ghost has gone with a slightly different location for the main pivot, and the H AMR X's suspension design is said to put an emphasis on braking performance to keep things under control when you're coming in hot aboard a fully-loaded but capable mountain bike.
It also comes equipped with Cane Creek's new DBcoil IL, which isn't a surprise given Ghost's penchant for coil-sprung shocks.
I haven't been shy in the past about pointing out why gearboxes, while certainly interesting, are kinda silly for a performance mountain bike. That said, I can certainly see the appeal when it comes to pedaling a bike out into the backcountry (or across a country) on a multi-day, week, or month-long adventure where reliability trumps any other concern. And with little to nothing that would require adjustment, the P1.18 gearbox would also make sense for someone who isn't a diehard rider or handy with tools. Know how to tie an alpine butterfly bend knot but don't know what a B-tension screw does? Can you do a cack-handed cast in your sleep but mountain bike drivetrain maintenance doesn't extend past lubing your chain? Then derailleurs might not be for you.
Pinion's P1.18 offers eighteen gears and a wide range.
A Boost-compatible dynamo hub feeds power to a USB port up at the stem's top cap.
Plenty of room for your climbing and fishing supplies, or all of your ''prepper'' gear.All of the bags pictured on the H AMR X are included, and Ghost is also selling them separately. The Cordura fabric is waterproof, as you'd hope, but the seams don't get the same treatment. Instead, separate dry bags are found inside each, with the idea being that you would use these to keep the contents completely dry so nothing gets wet when you bring them into your tent at night.
The massive seat bag detaches quickly and can be strapped to a backpack to allow the dropper post to go through all of its travel, and the bike also sports a neat dynamo front hub with Boost spacing that's wired up to USB port at the top cap. Need to charge up your phone, light, or GPS unit? Not a problem.
It kind of makes me look forward to the zombies.
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For long excursions on a bike do you really want that much travel? And isn't a gearbox 10% more drag/ less efficient?
Aside from that, I like the idea.
Had this happen (not with 100's of miles to ride) in Whistler Bike Park, coil shock damper failed (Manitou) but managed to slowly ride down the mountain
When an air shock fails, the bike bottoms out and is unrideable, especially if loaded with bags. Had an air shock fail before and a long 10 mile walk out of the woods....not wishing to repeat!
cyclingindustry.news/ghost-dips-into-bikepacking-with-luggage-line-my17-bikes-debuted
Saying all that I know a lot of Discos that keep the bags, albeit reinforced ones, and go on some incredible adventures across Europe and into Africa
More than any other suspension bike, this bike is probably going to be used under widely varying loading conditions. Rider with backpack or without, with or without bags, rear bag only... It is much easier to adjust shock pressure for these different conditions than to swap out springs during your trip.
I think if it is just about covering the distance (like the aforementioned climbers and fishermen) a hardtail fatbike with a Rohloff is probably the most reliable choice. If you want to have it all (also have a nice trailbike when the cargo is off) then this seems great. But I'd argue that anyone riding a 140mm trailbike doesn't mind working out how to do some basic maintenance on a conventional drivetrain.
Where I live it rains ALOT. If you want to ride in the winter you WILL go through drivetrain components quicker than dryer places like Arizona. I end up replacing every piece of my drivetrain every year. For this reason, and my rate of derailleur destruction I mentioned originally, the initial cost of a gearbox isn't as big of a deal...
That said, I still think gearboxes are the future precisely because they are too expensive to be the present. In other words (and as every other technology has shown) it's often years before a technology can be made cheaply enough for wide spread use.
Until then, I'll stay 1x10 with a wide ratio cassette.
i'll have something like this in a few years.
And BTW, you and I both know there is no difference between a fanboi and a zombie.
Instead, when someone challenges them on it, they can't answer without revealing an internal flaw. Cognitive dissonance at it's best. So on PB, they just down vote and be done with it.
I agree with you on the issues surrounding gearbox acceptance. It needs some standards and maturation. It's not bad at all.
That said, I don't think the derailleur get's hate as much as a lot of people just want to see it go. A lot of people can see the future of a gearbox and see it being in the way.
A better and less argumentative way to look at this is to just simply say if/when gearboxes become cheap (or at least much cheaper) and more efficient we'll see them used more. Until then, it's that cute little derailleur that rules the roost. :-)