Ghost - Eurobike 2012

Downhill 9000 The raw coloured Downhill 9000 sits at the top of Ghost's two bike DH lineup, and it shows with its top tier spec. A Kashima-treated FOX 40 RC2 graces the front of the bike, with a Cane Creek Double Barrel out back that makes for a no-excuses suspension package. Other highlights include SRAM's X0 DH cranks, and a very German set of Tune hubs. But the admittedly impressive spec is hung from an even more impressive frame - note the carbon fiber rocker arm - who's most obvious standout feature is the idler wheel that routes the chain high above the chain ring. This arrangement hasn't been done for appearances sake, though, with its purpose being to have torque from the drivetrain roughly inline with the bike's extraordinarily high main pivot in order to keep the suspension active and unaffected when the rider is on the gas.

• 200mm of rear wheel travel • Aluminum frame • Carbon fiber rocker arm • 63° head angle • ISCG-05 chain guide tabs • Cane Creek Double Barrel shock • Syntace X12 thru-axle • Sizes: small, medium, large

Why go to all that trouble when it would be easier to simply locate the main pivot a few inches lower and inline with the top of the chain ring? It's all about allowing the rear wheel to move out of the way of bumps as easily as possible, a trait that is greatly helped by employing a relatively rearward axle path (through at least part of the travel) that allows the rear wheel to move back and away rather than having to travel in a more upwards fashion. The idler wheel allows Ghost to design a bike that takes this approach to the extreme, but without the negative drivetrain feedback that would otherwise render the bike a dud - removing the idler and would not only result in a hell of a lot of noise (the chain would make contact with the chainstay), but it would also greatly stiffen the suspension under pedalling loads while forcing it jack up through its travel. But with the idler in place the bike likely pedals quite neutrally regardless of the pivot location.


2013 sees Ghost make two notable changes to the Downhill frame, one weight related and one intended to increase the bike' efficiency. They have managed to remove approximately 600 grams, that's 1.3lbs, from the frame, with most of the reduction down to a re-working of the forged, one-piece bottom bracket/ISCG-05/lower shock mount unit. On top of that, they have greatly reduced chain tension as well. The bike's idler wheel layout requires an MRP chain guide with a custom wide-spread boomerang to postion the upper and lower sliders in the correct orientation, with the 2013 version utilizing an even wider slider positioning that brings chain tension figures down to a more normal region.

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Cagua 6591 E:i It doesn't matter whether you want to call it 650B or 27.5'', the in-between wheel size looks to have enough momentum that we predict it will overrun the standard 26" wheel in the mid-travel category. Although Ghost's 26" wheeled Cagua is still present in the catalog (it gets more travel for 2013 as well), you'll also find an entirely new lineup of 27.5'' Caguas that is six bikes deep. The 160mm travel platform is centered around a well-executed aluminum frame featuring many of the same features found on the carbon platforms, including a needle bearing shock mount and an X12 thru-axle. The frame also sports ISCG-05 tabs for chain guide compatibility.

• 160mm of rear wheel travel • 27.5" wheels • Aluminum frame • 2:1 leverage ratio • ISCG-05 chain guide tabs • RockShox Monarch E:i rear shock • Syntace X12 thru-axle • Sizes: 16", 17.5", 19", 20.5", 22"

The 'E:i' designation at the end of the Cagua 6591's name refers to the bike's RockShox Monarch E:i rear shock. What exactly is going on, and why is there a battery bolted to the bike's down tube? The E:i system is all about anticipating bump forces at the rear wheel before the impact actually happens. A small capsule attached to the Monarch hides a tiny servo motor that alters the shock's compression damping between locked out and completely open within 0.01 of a second. But the real trickery is actually found elsewhere of the bike, though, with sensors hidden within the bottom bracket shell reading if the bike is being pedalled or if it is coasting. These sensors, teamed up with accelerometers located on the stem cap and the fork lowers, read the severity of impacts at the front wheel and tell the Monarch shock what is about to happen. We've ridden the E:i system, albeit on another brand's bike, and were happily surprised with how well it performed.

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AMR Lector 2995 E:i Ghost completes the wheel size triple with their big-wheeled AMR Lector series. At the top of the lineup sits their AMR Lector 2995 E:i, a carbon bike that features a no-holds-barred build kit. Shimano's XTR drivetrain and the RockShox Monarch E:i system (explained above on the Cagua 6591 E:i) mean that this steed likely sits in the dream category for many potential Ghost riders. Want the same 100mm travel carbon frame, but don't want to lay out for the 2995 E:i's asking price? The two models just below, the 2990 and the 2978, are both built around the same carbon front triangle. Aluminum can be found at the 2976 and 2955 level, rounding out the five bike AMR Lector 29 series.

• 100mm of rear wheel travel • 29" wheels • Carbon front triangle • 2:1 leverage ratio • RockShox Monarch E:i rear shock • QR rear axle • Sizes: 16", 17.5", 19", 20.5", 22"

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HTX Lector 2990
Looking for big wheels but less travel? Want to do some cross-country racing, or maybe just crush your riding buddies on the climbs? No, it likely won't pull at most riders' heart strings here on Pinkbike as much as the Downhill 9000 or Cagua 6591 E:i, but the sporty looking HTX Lector 2990 certainly has a place. There is quite a bit going on with its carbon fiber frame, including a nifty system that allows for both internal and external cable routing - but without the empty cable bosses when running the lines inside - as well a degree of flex tuned into the bike in a search for rider comfort. Rear suspension it is not, but it might be enough to take the edge off during a long ride or race.