Banshee's Prototype Legend 29er DH Bike - Crankworx Roturua 2018

Mar 22, 2018
by Mike Kazimer  
Banshee Legend 29

Banshee's getting in on the 29"-wheeled DH bike extravaganza, but they're going about things a little differently with their prototype Legend. Rather than coming out with a full range of frame sizes, they're starting off with an XL bike, one that's said to be designed specifically for taller riders. With 190mm of travel, a 63-degreee head angle, a reach of 477mm, and a wheelbase of 1299mm it's certainly not short, although those number are starting to look less and less extreme as more companies expand their sizing.

The bike pictured here is a prototype, but there are plans in place to bring it to production, albeit with a few final tweaks, including increased tire clearance. For now, try not to drool as you scroll through the images of this stunning machine.

Banshee Legend 29
Banshee Legend 29

Banshee Legend 29

Banshee Legend 29
Banshee Legend 29

Banshee Legend 29
The overall look of the new bike is consistent with the current Legend, including the use of the KS Link suspension design, where the shock is driven by the lower of the two links that connect the swingarm to the front triangle.


MENTIONS: @officialcrankworx @Banshee-Team


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80 Comments
  • 62 1
 Not hating 29ers (may consider a 29er as my next trail bike), but question: For people that own a DH, who would actually consider buying a 29er DH bike, if you are not purely racing? My DH bike already goes fast enough on 27.5...., and for doing laps in the park or shuttling more natural DH tracks, not sure I would want bigger wheels...
  • 56 1
 my buddy is 6'8 and 300 lbs, he got a chance to sit on a 29er v10 at crankworx and he says it fit him perfectly. me being 5'11 and 180lbs a 27.5 will be just fine for me. i think the money is on making large bikes for larger riders. look at minaar, hes like 6'6 or something and when he got his 29er v10 he said it was the first bike that actually fit him properly. and the smaller world cup guys are so far sticking to the 27.5 bikes
  • 18 3
 @moonunit: I forgot to say I am 6'5" / 196, still wouldn't see a reason to size up the wheels.
  • 14 2
 @MTB-Colada: have you ever ridden 29" wheels? I'm not badgering you, just curious. I'm only 5'9" and have been on 29ers since the original Banshee Prime, so 5 years now. I can honestly say I have zero desire to ever go back to a smaller wheel and I'd love a 29 DH bike. I can't even begin to imagine the truckability of a 29" wheel paired with a DC fork
  • 7 0
 @chunter: Yep, I have, and when pedaling a bike I would definitively consider it (hence my comment abt my potential next trail bike), but when purely using gravity forces without the need to maximize speed, I think I would prefer smaller wheels.
  • 3 1
 @MTB-Colada: Overall I like it and would want a 29 DH, but mostly because wouldn’t want to have a 29 trail bike and 27.5 DH bike. If you’re familiar with one, get totally confident with it and focus your skills learning whatever pros/cons it has. Now that I’ve been tuned into a 29 for several years, when I jump on a 27.5 (trail or DH) I’m swerving all over the place. I really like how stable the 29 is. Also, it’s hard to be a dick about wheel sizes if you own more than one wheel-sized bike!!!!
  • 2 0
 @MTB-Colada: I understand that logic completely. Just curious to see if you end up with a 29" trail bike and see the potential of the bigger wheels on the downs. Not trying to convert you, just enjoying the conversation
  • 5 0
 i wouldnt hesitate going 29. so much monster truck over all the things
  • 2 0
 Minnar is only 190cm..
  • 3 4
 @MTB-Colada: "My DH bike already goes fast enough on 27.5"
So you mean there's still a room to go faster on 29"? You're tall enough to give it a try, you shall go for it (if can, test bike or friend's new rig).

I'm 6f/183cm, have been testing 29" for few days and will be running them again this entire year to get a full experience (you can check my profile)
It has some potential but it's still your own preference at the bottom line.
  • 6 16
flag Obidog FL (Mar 23, 2018 at 1:51) (Below Threshold)
 @MTB-Colada: blah blah blah... whinge, moan, question, etc etc

Can't you just be happy that we have the choice?!
  • 12 0
 @Obidog: I am extremely happy darling, was just asking something.
  • 16 3
 "My DH bike already goes fast enough on 27.5"

my DH bike goes fast enough on 26....
  • 7 3
 I definitely don't want 29, I already feel 27.5 is a pretty big sail for jumps, 29 just wouldnt be fun, I'd probably stop riding dh if there was no options for smaller wheels which suck to think about but thats what I like to do, hit jumps.
  • 2 0
 This is the exact same conversation when 27.5 DH bikes started to pop up. People talked about how it might be better for racing, but were happy with their 26”.
Same thing will happen here. As companies move strictly to 29 on their DH bikes, the choices of modern 27.5 bikes (enduro or DH) will dwindle just like 26, until you’re not left with much of a choice.
I’m not saying this is good or bad, but certainly what I see happening.
  • 2 0
 If you are a DHer and the 29er doens't feel gumby and you're faster on a 29er than 26/27.5....then.... there's no question really.
  • 1 0
 @Obidog: where doesn't he seem happy with choice? Dude literally said he was thinking 29 for trail but sticking with 27.5 for Dh. Seems like a person who isn't opposed to choice.
  • 1 0
 @Bruccio: Bravo
  • 1 0
 @pinkdog321: Grazie
  • 1 2
 Not DH guy, but even though I love 29ers for trail riding, for scarier stuff I always feel more confident being closer to the ground and a low doesn't change the fact that your axels are higher on a 29ers. If I was really tall this might be different.
  • 1 0
 I am a gumbie, so yes I am all about the 29er revolution. Honestly this may be my next DH bike, as every 26 or 27.5 XL DH bike I have owned in the past has been too small. Or I may get one of the XXL bikes starting to hit the market, but I'm not sure if I have that kind of capital.
  • 2 0
 @JesseE: you do know that it's bottom bracket height that determines how high your feet are off the ground and handlebar height for your hands?
  • 5 0
 why the fuck is going fast everything, most people dont race, hitting jumps is way better either way
  • 2 5
 @MTB-Colada: Don't darling me you maple supping tool, this area isn't for asking stuff, it's for dicks hating on e-bikes
  • 2 0
 I'm 6'4” and have two Enduro bikes that I ride DH, one a 27.5 and one a 29er. The 29er always feels faster, but I am consistently and significantly faster on the 27.5 bike.

I keep saying it but I think my ideal bike would be a 27.5 back wheel with a 29" front wheel. Get the stack height (I need it) and the front wheel rollover, with a shorter chainstay and more maneuverability on the back end....
  • 1 0
 being a parkrat i didn't want to give up my 26 demo to go to 27.5 but try to find a decent new bike thats not 27.5 . the trend shapes the market sometimes .
every part of my 27.5 v10 is amazing and if a 29 v10 is that much better then why not . so as long as the market allows that to happen and it does just become limited supply / super expensive parts .

height aside some frame / geometries / designs just work better with bigger wheels . others dont
  • 1 0
 @MTB-Colada: 6' 5" 196? damn dude eat a burger or two! lol jk jk

im 6' 3" and recently got down to 198 at one point but I couldnt imagine being taller and weighing less.
  • 1 0
 @sethbuckner: Sounds like you're not very imaginative.
  • 20 0
 Happy Banshee owner (:
My Rune ain't a 24lb carbon, but it's longish, got 3 levels of slack and a standard proof dropouts.
  • 18 1
 Legend has it you’ll scream like a banshee ridin this thing downhill
  • 5 2
 Thats a prime comment!
  • 3 0
 i recon you could rune away with a win on this beast of a bike
  • 2 0
 @mattvanders: Pun posters are like phantoms after that one @cpeper21 Too good.
  • 2 0
 @mattvanders: don’t Rune it for me
  • 1 0
 You're a real wildcard
  • 27 13
 Spotted: [BIKE COMPANY]'s prototype 29er DH bike at [BIG BIKE EVENT]
  • 44 7
 Yeah I guess not posting any content would be better....
  • 7 2
 Next be like:
"An engineer accidentally left a prototype DH Bike at a Bar. A passerby took it home take some photos and upload them to pinkbike."

expect the Internet to EXPLODE the next few days even weeks.
Big Grin
  • 2 0
 @nik110: I'm actually incredibly excited that it doesn't say "spy shots" (with the real name of the undercover photographer in the lower right corner).
  • 13 0
 I don't need a 29 er DH bike. But I can appreciate this is a sexy beast of a bike!
  • 2 0
 Same here!! Don't want to ride it, but I sure do want to look at it!
  • 9 1
 Those welds are stunning!!!
  • 4 2
 in that the guy who did them should be stunned?
  • 8 0
 Looks nice for a 29er
  • 1 0
 I used to ride 24" wheels on all my freeride bikes including my banshee scream. I now ride 29", 27.5, 26x4.8
There all massive wheels but I get on fine with all these wheels. And tryed normal 26" and my old 24" I found the level of control was less on smaller wheels as you just ping off everything you ride on.

I only find this pinging great if I am riding tracks where I want to use the terrain to get lift or jump the bike.
And to a degree I can still get decent lift on all the other wheels with out loosing great rollover and bump compliance.
  • 1 0
 I'd rather skip on the whole 27,5 and go straight for 29er for DH. With Schwalbe 2.6x26 it is almost the same anyway. I do get stuck in roots more often than I'd like, and I would want to test a 29er for this reason. To go fast down a very rough surface terrain.
  • 4 0
 If this will ever be available in a Large with 450-460 reach, count me in
  • 1 0
 +1
  • 3 0
 @davidmcdias: the article on it on vital mtb says the company is only making them in an XL for taller riders as that's where they feel the market will be for the bigger wheels... maybe some larges if they get enough interest. There were no numbers posted but if they are gunning for us tall guys it's probably safe to say they will be long.
  • 1 0
 Has it got a tapered headtube? Would be a shame if it has as it rules the flexibility I think you need in a DH bike for angel sets and reach adjusters
  • 2 0
 44/56 zero stack tapered... angle set is an option if you want to make it steeper... doubt you want to go slacker than 63.0 degrees on a 29er... we tried and it got interesting.
  • 1 0
 @BansheeRiders: Yes I wans't really thinking properly lol. I've ran -1 on my Rune for yrs. I suppose it was more to get a full 10mm reach in there.
  • 1 0
 @BansheeRiders: could you explain by what you mean it got interesting with greater than 63 deg head angle. My Trek session 29 came stock with a 62 deg head angle, but I got cups to change it +/-1 deg. I was thinking of changing it to 63 deg. What do you guys think. I have not got a chance to ride the bike yet so I don't know how it feels.
  • 1 0
 Is it just me, or does rear tire clearance seem a bit compromised in the last picture? Sure this is the 29er rear triangle? Wink
  • 2 0
 "The bike pictured here is a prototype, but there are plans in place to bring it to production, albeit with a few final tweaks, including increased tire clearance."
  • 2 0
 @JorisW: Thanks! Always good to get support from someone who actually knows how to read, not just look at pictures, like I do...

Still, more tire clearance will mean making the bike even longer... impressive.
  • 3 0
 26, 650b or 29, Legend is still the best looking dh frame ever
  • 1 0
 how much does this pictured bike weigh. banshee makes ultra solid bikes but god damn theres sure as hell a weight penalty for it!
  • 1 0
 36.5lbs as pictured
  • 3 2
 Pinkbike comment section: where people who have never ridden a 29er will tell you everything that is wrong with them
  • 3 0
 That chainguide is sick!
  • 2 0
 Yeah I kinda dig it.
  • 4 3
 This bike looks more orange than a Orange lol. Correct me if anything wrong. I'm still learning the English. Smile
  • 2 0
 Good on Banshee,i like 'em and i'd love to try a big wheeled DH bike.
  • 3 2
 When will this be on display at the local AutoZone
  • 1 0
 You buy wagon wheels at Home Depot
  • 2 0
 Weld porn.
  • 1 0
 That thing looks like a bulldozer. Ah I bet she takes it rough.
  • 2 0
 #29er4life
  • 1 0
 Why shitty SRAM brakes on Fox equipped bike?
  • 1 0
 this is sick
  • 1 0
 "Its a man sized-inside"
  • 1 0
 Really legend for sure.
  • 1 2
 The green accent on the rear mech is a sticker, you can remove it, it doesn’t match the orange thema at all
  • 1 0
 Hot damn ????
  • 1 1
 So you have to have gigantism to buy a legend 29er? Wtf
  • 1 3
 Banshee's still making bikes? *slow clap* ...Good for you Banshee...Good for you...
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