The Banshee Spitfire falls in line with the growing number of bikes that have a little less travel than what you would typically expect to find on an all-mountain or enduro race bike, but with geometry that wouldn't be out of place on those bigger rigs. It's a concept that's gained traction over the last few years, but Banshee certainly deserves credit for being one of the early adopters of the idea – the first iteration of the Spitfire was released back in 2009. Its aluminum frame recently received an update, and the latest version has a longer reach and a steeper seat tube angle than before.
Spitfire Details• Intended use: trail / all-mountain
• Rear wheel travel: 140mm
• Wheel size: 26" or 27.5"(tested)
• Head angle: 66° - 67°
• Hydroformed 7005 aluminum frame
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL
• Frame colors: black, grey, yellow
• Weight (as shown, size L w/o pedals): 29.12 pounds (13.2 kg)
• MSRP: $5,449 USD. Frame w/shock: $1,899 USD.
•
www.bansheebikes.com /
@BansheeBike Our test bike came with the top tier Show build kit, a component package whose highlights include Race Face's Next SL carbon cranks, a SRAM X01 1x11 drivetrain, Guide RS brakes, and Spank Oozy Evo wheels. The Spitfire's 140mm of rear travel is handled by a Cane Creek DBInline shock, and up front there's a 150mm RockShox Pike RCT3. The complete bike retails for $5,499 USD, and the frame with shock goes for $1,899.Frame DetailsThe angular lines of the Spitfire's aluminum chassis give it a distinctive look in an era full of swoopy carbon fiber-framed bikes, like something an architect would come up with in between designing skyscrapers. There's a generous amount of standover clearance, and the uninterrupted seattube means there's plenty of room for running the longer travel dropper posts that are becoming more common on larger frame sizes.
Internal cable routing may be back in fashion, but the Spitfire bucks the trend and has the brake, derailleur and dropper post housing routed atop the downtube. Water bottles are also en vogue again, and it is possible to mount one on the Spitfire, but only on the mud-prone underside of the downtube. ISCG 05 tabs are in place for a chainguide, and a threaded bottom bracket helps keep the chances of annoying creaks to a minimum. It's even possible to mount a front derailleur, but given the popularity of 1x drivetrains it's unlikely you'll see too many Spitfire owners going that route.
These days, there aren't a whole lot of new bikes that are still compatible with 26” wheels, but that's still an option with the Spitfire thanks to Banshee's interchangeable drop out system. There are multiple dropout options that can be chosen depending on a rider's desired axle spacing and wheel size, everything from 135mm all the way to 150mm, with a 12x148mm Boost option said to be on the way. To go along with the dropout choices, there are also three possible geometry positions – low, neutral, and high – that are achieved by swapping out two chips on each side of the rear triangle. Banshee has certainly gone the extra mile to ensure that their customers can set up the frame to meet their needs.
Suspension DesignThe Spitfire uses Banshee's KS-Link suspension design, where two short links attach the swingarm to the front triangle. The swingarm has an upright on each side that joins the internally ribbed chain and seat stays, and two braces connect the drive and non-drive sides of the swingarm for additional stiffness. The main pivot rotates on two large cartridge bearings housed on each side of the frame, and the lower link is sandwiched in the box-like opening just above the bottom bracket. The Cane Creek DBInline is mounted directly to the swing arm rather than to a separate link, a design Banshee says helps limit the amount of side loading on the shock body.
GeometrySpecifications
Specifications
|
Price
|
$5499 |
|
Travel |
140mm |
|
Rear Shock |
Cane Creek DB Inline |
|
Fork |
RockShox Pike RCT3 150mm |
|
Cassette |
SRAM X01 10-42 |
|
Crankarms |
Race Face Next SL 175mm |
|
Rear Derailleur |
SRAM X01 |
|
Chain |
Yaban 11 spd |
|
Shifter Pods |
SRAM X1 |
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Handlebar |
Race Face SixC 35mm 10mm rise |
|
Stem |
Race Face Atlas 35 50mm |
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Grips |
Race Face Half Nelson |
|
Brakes |
SRAM Guide RS |
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Wheelset |
Spank Oozy Evo |
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Tires |
Maxxis Highroller II 27.5 x 2.4" |
|
Seatpost |
RockShox Reverb Stealth 125mm |
|
| |
3 Questions With the Spitfire's Designer, Keith Scott What was the original impetus for designing the Spitfire? When it first came out a shorter travel bike with geometry for aggressive riding was something of a rarity. Back in 2009 when the Banshee Spitfire V1 first came out, there were very few, if any trail bikes with geometry designed to be ridden really aggressively. Head angles were generally in the 69-degree range, bottom brackets were high for ground clearance reasons, and reach was on the short side. The old geo didn’t help put riders in an aggressive position or inspire confidence, which resulted in many people having a slightly passive (boring) experience of trail riding. Essentially most trail bikes back then took influence from XC geometry, and I came at it from a downhillers’ perspective. I caused quite a bit of upset (especially with some of our distributors, who couldn’t understand what I was pushing for) when I introduced a 66-degree head angle trail bike with 130mm travel, 13.0” bottom bracket height and stiff frame that could be ridden hard. Of course, nowadays this seems fairly standard for a trail bike as people have woken up to how much fun they are to ride, and my slogan ‘downhiller’s trail bike’ has been copied many times!
Over the years, the Spitfire has received slightly more travel, along with a longer top tube and steeper seat angle. What brought about these changes? We make a big point of trying to supply what our customers demand, and those changes - along with switching the whole system to run on fully sealed bearings - came directly from customer feedback. ‘Enduro’ type riding was starting to take off, and riders were demanding efficient and fast trail bikes that could handle slightly rougher high-speed terrain. We started to see a lot of Spitfire riders wearing full face helmets and body armour so I made changes to increase high-speed stability (longer wheelbase) while improving customer confidence when things got rough by increasing travel. The steeper seat angle is a crucial element to better balance a longer travel trail bike when climbing and lengthen wheelbase and reach without just stretching out the effective top tube… they all need to balance with each other for optimal weight distribution.
Banshee is well known for the use of replaceable dropout that allow riders to pick the wheelsize and geometry they prefer. Is this a feature you feel strongly about, or will we see bikes with non-replaceable dropouts in the future? I believe that giving customers the choice to ride what they want to ride is very important. I don’t want to dictate to a customer what wheel size or hub standard to ride, as I believe that should totally come down to personal preference, whether that be because of a budget for new parts, or riding style. I feel that with more and more industry ‘standards’ popping up every year, that customers have the right to stick with what they have or embrace a new standard if they want to. Who am I to tell them how to build their bike up? Also, it is important to remember that not only do our modular dropouts allow customers variation in wheel size, and dropout standards, they also offer multiple geometry options for each so that the customer can set the bike up the way that works best for them personally. We feel it is an important feature to offer customers and one that we will continue to do so.
ClimbingThe Spitfire's beefy look had me expecting a bike that wasn't overly eager to tackle long, steep climbs, but I was pleasantly surprised by its performance. The 29 pound weight felt reasonable, especially given the bike's intentions, and it feels livelier when heading uphill than the Rune, its slacker, 160mm relative. That being said, I'd still place it in the steady-roller category – this is a bike that will get the job done without putting up much of a fuss, whether that's spinning out the miles on a long fire road climb or winding through tight singletrack, but it also doesn't encourage deviating off the main line in order to find even more technical climbing challenges. The Spitfire's adjustable geometry does mean that it's possible to quicken up the handling by increasing the head angle to 67°, but that change still isn't going to give the bike the extra-sporty uphill manners of a more purebred trail bike, something along the lines of a Santa Cruz 5010 or a Cannondale Habit.
The DBInline shock's Climb Switch is in a convenient, easy to reach location, and I regularly flipped it on when I knew I wouldn't be facing any extended downhill sections in the near future. For those that aren't familiar with how it works, the Climb Switch lever does more than just increase the amount of low-speed compression damping - it also slows the shock's rebound, a measure that's meant to keep the rear wheel glued to the ground, increasing the amount of traction on tricky climbs. With the shock fully open, the Spitfire has a fair bit of rear shock movement during out of the saddle pedaling, but with the Climb Switch engaged it calmed down nicely. The meaty 2.4” Maxxis Highroller II tires provided plenty of additional grip to complement the shock's behavior, allowing the Spitfire to chug right along, up and over whatever slippery roots and rocks crossed its path.
| It's easy to get hung up on how much travel a bike has, but even though 140mm of travel might make you think 'trail bike,' the Spitfire's confident handling in steeper terrain places it right into the all-mountain category. |
DescendingWhen it comes time to give in to gravity's pull the Spitfire sheds its relaxed climbing manners like Clark Kent in a phone booth, emerging as a responsive and energetic trail machine. I tried both the 'neutral' and 'low' geometry settings, and found that I preferred the lower setting, which gives the bike a 66.0° head angle and 13.1” (333mm) bottom bracket height. Those numbers served to make the bike more of a cornering fiend, perfect for railing berms and sliding around loose corners. My feelings about the bike in the neutral setting were just that – neutral – but the lower setting gave the bike more character, and made it into a more exciting ride. With a reach of 455mm for the size large, the Spitfire's front center measurements fall right in line with what's currently considered 'modern' geometry, and combined with the wide bars and short stem the fit felt comfortable from the start.
On rougher, less manicured trails the Spitfire handled square edged hits extremely well – the rear end never felt like it was hanging up, even when plowing through multiple boa constrictor-sized roots in a row. Care does still need to be taken when things get really chopped up to avoid getting jarred off line – after all, this isn't a mini-DH bike – but there's a healthy margin for error that makes the occasional poor line choice easier to get away with, a margin of error that made it easy to feel comfortable carrying speed into particularly nasty sections of trail. Saying that a bike's rear suspension feels 'bottomless' may seem like a cliche, but the Spitfire is one of those bikes that can reach the end of their travel without any harshness. Although the DBInline's rubber o-ring regularly showed that every last millimeter of travel had been used, there wasn't any harsh thudding or clanging when that occurred. It's easy to fixate on how much travel a bike has, but even though 140mm of travel might make you think 'trail bike,' the Spitfire's confident handling in rugged terrain places it right into the all-mountain category.
There were a few moments, usually on extra-steep sections of trail when my chest was behind the saddle, when I found myself wishing for a 150mm dropper post versus the 125mm post the Spitfire is spec'd with. It may not seem like much, but it's amazing what a difference the extra 25mm of drop can make. Other than that small gripe, and the fact that you'll want to wrap or tape the chainstay to keep the chain slap noise to a minimum, the Spitfire is well equipped for diving into technical trails right from the start.
Component Check• Cane Creek DB Inline shock: The Cane Creek DBInline is one of the more time-consuming shocks to set up due to the number of available adjustments. The shock's high-speed compression, low-speed compression, high-speed rebound, and low-speed rebound can be adjusted with a 3mm allen key, and all of that is on top of the air pressure and volume band adjustments. It's a tinkerer's dream, but it can seem overwhelming for riders used to less adjustable shocks. To help make the process as pain-free as possible, Cane Creek offers suggested
base settings that take the guesswork out of dialing in the shock. I didn't deviate very far from those settings other than slightly speeding up the low-speed rebound to match my personal preference.
Unfortunately, the DBInline on the Spitfire only survived three rides before losing all of its rebound damping, a failure that required sending it back to Cane Creek. This isn't the first time we've experienced this issue on a test bike, and although the replacement worked without any further trouble for the remainder of the test period, I can't fully recommend the DBInline based on our past experiences with it. Luckily, the Spitfire uses a fairly common 7.875x2.25" rear shock measurement, which means there a number of other options that will easily fit.
• Race Face Next SL cranks: Race Face's high-end carbon cranks may be an unexpected sight on a rugged aluminum-framed bike like the Spitfire, but they help keep the weight down and are light, stiff, and strong.
• Spank Oozy Trail295 wheels: Spank's Trail295 wheels held up without needing any time on the truing stand, and even at lower pressures the tires stayed securely on the rim, without letting out even the smallest burp of sealant during moments of hard cornering.
• Race Face Half Nelson grips: I've praised them before, but it's worth mentioning again how comfortable the Half Nelson grips are. They feel perfectly broken in, with a nice thin diameter and a pattern on the underside for extra traction.
Pinkbike's Take:
| The Spitfire is the epitome of a shop rat's bike, and I mean that in the most endearing way. Most mechanics would rather ride than spend time futzing with their own bikes when the day is done, and they also typically don't shell out the little money they make for bikes that are more style than substance. The Spitfire may not have the flashy looks of the latest exotic carbon-framed bikes on the market, but that doesn't make it any less capable out on the trail. It's a versatile machine, one with enough adjustability to suit the preferences of just about any rider, even the card-carrying members of the 26" For Life club. - Mike Kazimer |
Visit the high-res gallery for more images from this review
About the ReviewerStats: Age: 33 • Height: 5'11” • Inseam: 33" • Weight: 155lb • Industry affiliations / sponsors: None Twenty years deep into a mountain biking addiction that began as a way to escape the suburban sprawl of Connecticut, Mike Kazimer is most at home deep the woods, carving his way down steep, technical trails. The decade he spent as a bike mechanic helped create a solid technical background to draw from when reviewing products, and his current location in the Pacific Northwest allows for easy access to the wettest, muddiest conditions imaginable.
If only industry would be run by Keith...
Here's a great shot of Keith with the first ever Spitfire prototype at Esher Shore bike park in Surrey, UK
ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb3996614/p4pb3996614.jpg
And now Keith should add removable shock mounts to accommodate metric standards ;-)
Sorry, but this isn't the same of putting 26 wheels on any other 27.5 frame.
thanks for telling this, i'm picking up my v3 Spitty this week and keep it 26" 'till the 1550exc wheels give which isn't anytime soon. BUT this bb heigt issue has got me worried, i'm desperatly searching for an external headset or let a mate machine a thicker crown race for me. with the v1 Spitty and the dutch "mountainbike" trails i've been hitting the ground quite allot(we need to pedal here!), sure this geo works really great but I wasn't expecting the dropout thing. it is going to be one sick build though, can't wait!
Good!
What the f*ck do you think we have been doing?
Do you think we ride 27's and complain they are not 26?
What do you ride Mike?
What does it matter? I voted with my wallet. Now go vote with yours.
Weight 13.3 kg
I had a Rune incidentally, judging by that the Spitfire will be an incredibly capable 140mm bike.
However, I wasn't focusing on my bike model, but on the locus of the discussion - amount of travel.
I think we might both be right. A lot of the big travel bikes don't suit me as I'm so light - I find they just barrel through their travel and I have a hard time picking them back up out of it, it makes them harder to manoeuvre through the trail for me. I certainly had that experience on my Rune on a great deal of trails - from locals to the Alps. It wasn't boring, but it was exceptionally capable at certain things, less so others. I wonder if that's why people riding slopestyle and dirt jumps go for less travel or none at all. I felt, after the Rune, that I had been marketed toward Enduro. I guess marketing works both ways.
That said, I would love to try a Transition Patrol - though that's only 155mm of travel ????
The industry is trying to convince you that you need 2 different bikes to ride technical trails. Don't believe the hype.
I owned two Banshee Rampants, which was only a 100mm bike, and easily the most playful bikes I've owned during ownership of 100+ bikes during my lifetime
short travel bike with great geometry and burly construction = playful
ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb3530643/p4pb3530643.jpg
Banshee Bikes is completely for their customers in every way.
If you are looking for a true one bike to rule them all, look no further.
All this makes me feel good about it. (:
Adjustable geo and drop outs is way rad.
Its a damn good feeling knowing you're not stuck to one option.
Thanks
better find my wallet.
FYI on the suppressor 170mm cranks are about 3 inches from the ground on bottom out. It's super low, but rails corners like an F1 car. I almost got left behind first ride the way it took off at the end of a berm.
Height / ett wise I'm suited to a medium, but going of the reach I'm suited to the small plus the lower seat tube length is preferred.
I'll be running 140 so I guess this will extend the ett a little bit.
A 140 might be under forking but wont be un-rideable I have a dual position pike on mine and the 160mm is nice on the downhill but it wanders a lot climbing like that. The 130mm position climbs nice but is a little nose down for descending. 140mm should be fairly balanced, maybe a little short depending on the particular fork and sag.
I could easily go to a large frame in both, but I generally like riding bikes a little on the compact side.
Comparing ETT means I should be on a medium for the Banshee, but if I compare reach (409mm) means a small would be perfect. I'll also be running the forks at 140 which again will (I think) increase the ETT.
Your spitfire looks sooo nice.
... Permanently?
@mikekazimer - 125/150 dropper comment - Do you ride DH bikes with the saddle slammed all the way down?
The bike industry has done a lot of profit based elimination of current standards in the last 2-3 year.
I believe that Banshee possesses the "courage" to try new ideas, that Richard Cunningham recently wrote an article about.
"27.5x2.35" DHR2 here and plenty of clearance for mud and s**t in the 26" drops. I don't think my 2.4" Ardent would fit, though."
Found in this thread...
ridemonkey.bikemag.com/threads/initial-impressions-2014-banshee-spitfire-v2-650b.266425
The spitfire is a very hard bike to compare to the competition with the only similar bike being the mondraker foxy in alloy and 140/160 form at least
That's what she said.
No.
It has been the same since 2013...
"We make a big point of trying to supply what our customers demand, and those changes - along with switching the whole system to run on fully sealed bearings - came directly from customer feedback. "