DMR Sled - Review

Frame Details

DMR are well known for their steel hardtails, but the new Sled is made from aluminum and it rolls on 27.5” wheels. A custom 6061 aluminum tubeset is used for the main frame and swingarm, but the star of the show is the company’s own Orbit Link suspension - more on that in a bit - providing 160mm of rear wheel travel.

It’s not, of course, the company’s first full susser; that honour is reserved for the Bolt, a steel dirt jump bike from a few years ago. The Sled is a very different beast, though, and clearly taps into the trail and enduro bike market. Ensuring the frame delivers maximum stiffness, the front and rear triangles are integrally welded, there’s a Syntace 148x12mm bolt-thru rear axle, chunky suspension linkages and collet-style pivot hardware. The Sled is designed around a single ring, and there’s a Praxis chain guide fitted as standard.

Showing the company’s British roots, durability and reliability have been key design concerns. There’s an externally threaded bottom bracket, and the cables are also internally routed to keep crap out and all the pivots use sealed cartridge bearings. There’s clearance for up to 2.4” tires, but unfortunately, there isn’t space in the front triangle for a bottle cage, though there are mounts on the bottom of the downtube. Claimed frame weight for a large is 3.85kg (8.8lb).

The Infrared paint finish is a real delight, but a more muted black is also available. Considering this is the company’s first venture into this category, it’s an extremely well-polished bike and the quality is high.


Suspension Details

The Sled uses the company’s own Orbit Link. It’s a multi-link virtual pivot design with the lower linkage pivoting around the bottom bracket. The linkage arrangement was penned by David Earle, an engineer who has previous experience with Specialized and Santa Cruz, which should help settle any nerves about the validity of the design.




There’s a definite similarity to the later, but key differences, with a concentric main pivot around the bottom bracket, which is similar to what the DMR Bolt had. On the Bolt that meant it could be run single speed, but on the Sled it’s to enable anti-squat characteristics with a rearwards axle path in the first part of the suspension travel.

A two-piece rocker uses oversized collet axles for extra stiffness and drives a custom tuned RockShox Monarch RT3 Debonair shock. Up front is a 170mm RockShox Lyrik with the RCT3 Charger, but there’s also a Pike option as well, depending on what sort of riding you have planned for the bike.


Geometry










Climbing

Over the course of the last few months I've been able to spend some quality time with the bike, putting it through its paces to see how it stacks up and if it hits all the right buttons in a rapidly evolving sector of the bike market.

And first impressions pedalling away from the car park is that the Sled is a really good pedalling bike. The suspension remains very well composed, and there's virtually no pedal bob. As such there were few occasions when I felt I had to flick the shocks compression lever to firm it up, it’s that well behaved. While it’s no featherweight, the efficiency of the suspension is such that progress is as pain-free as can be expected, and it does go some way to hiding that weight on longer grinds.

This is true on the climbs too, where the steep seat angle helps to provide a good position and composure for scaling steep climbs. On long shallow gradient climbs where the weight is less of an issue, it’s a pleasantly comfortable bike for spinning your way to the summit. On more twisting singletrack the Sled is nimble and easy to move around thanks to the short chainstays, and the high bottom bracket provides good ground clearance when tackling rutted and rooty climbs. There’s copious traction from the suspension for scrambling up technical climbs and it’s easy to pop the front wheel over obstacles.

The SRAM GX gearing with a 32t chainring was adequate most of the time, but future stock bikes will come with an Eagle 10-50t cassette that will certainly be appreciated on the steeper climbs. I have to mention the DMR branded saddle, it’s a very comfortable thing to sit on for extended rides and contributed to the Sled being a good choice for day-long rides. It’s not a cross-country bike, but the suspension and geometry ensure the Sled can't only be used when there's a shuttle to take you to the top of the hill.




Descending

The Sled is a bike you can feel immediately at home on. The high-quality Deathgrips and 800mm wide Wingbar put you in a really commanding position for attacking the trail. The geometry might not be the most progressive on the market, but it hits a good sweet spot and the 65.5-degree head angle and 170mm Lyrik fork combine to offer great poise for nailing trails when gravity is on your side. My first impression on the descents was just how much fun it was to pin down my favorite trails.

It’s a bike that lets you really nail fast and swooping trails, and the stiffness of the bike is apparent when chucking it from corner to corner. It feels taut and direct with no sense of flex anywhere in the frame. The bottom bracket is on the high side, and it could be a bit lower when riding steep and twisting terrain. Some sort of adjustable geometry or a choice between high and low would be nice to see. The build kit on this bike was as solid and dependable as the frame they were bolted to, and with the exception of the too-short dropper post, there's nothing that needs changing before you go charging.

The rear suspension is impressive on small to medium impacts. There’s a nice sensitivity to the way the rear wheel reacts to the trail, it tracks smoothly over the ground. It’s progressive as you move through the travel, providing good mid-stroke support and it sits nicely in its suspension without wallowing.That progressiveness sees it handling big impacts well, but rapidly repeated big impacts at high speeds highlight a tendency for the rear suspension to occasionally become choked and stifled, with feedback noticeable through the pedals at times.

Overall handling is good; stay low and centred over the bike and you can point the front tire where you want it with accuracy. It’s agile at low speeds and stable at a more frantic pace. The Sled provides good momentum and picks up speed really well too. While it might not be the lightest or flashiest bike, it is stiff and bulletproof and is fun to ride.


Component Check

• RockShox Lyrik RCT3 fork: Offering a choice of either a 160mm Pike or a 170mm Lyrik is a smart move on the new Sled, but the Lyrik really suits the frame well. The RCT3 Charger damper offers superb damping and really gives the Sled provides superb capacity for being charged hard into rocks and roots, and the stiffness of the fork is well tuned to the flex-free frame.

• X-Fusion Manic 125 dropper post: It’s a shame DMR has specced such a short dropper post on the new Sled. I’d prefer more than 125mm of saddle height adjustment to make more use of the low slung top tube for leaning the bike over in corners and getting down steep chutes without being slapped in the arse by the saddle.

• DMR Wingbar 35 handlebar and Defy stem: I have no problem with a bike brand fitting their own components when they’re as good as this combo. The bar is a generous 800mm wide and the 8° of backsweep and 5° of upsweep makes it very comfortable.

• DMR Stage saddle: A comfortable saddle is important on any bike and I was hugely impressed with the Stage. The flat nose is comfortable on extended climbs, the padding is generous enough to look after you on longer jaunts, and it’s durable as well.

Pinkbike's Take

---

---

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Reviews Enduro Bikes Dmr Dmr Sled