Banshee Titan Review (limited rides review!)

The Titan is Banshee's new kid on the block, but make no mistake it is not a thrown together boy band looking for quick number 1 hits... this thing is properly awesome for its intended crowd!

Now, I only have a few rides on this thing, I am but a lowly Punter, but i have noticed a few things, and it also unexpectedly surprised me with a PB on my second day out!
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Excuse the rear brake routing... she needs a longer hose, i just wanted to get out and ride this thing so bad!

If you have been obsessing over this bike you will know a few things...
Reach is not crazy long; 445 on the medium here, the chainstay is really long 452, and the BB is (from my previous rigs) a little higher. So I went in with some pre-conceived ideas about how things would handle out on my trails... I was a little right, pleasantly wrong and caught by surprise a few times!

Lets start with where i was right... which also leads into a few surprises (aka "oh damn" ,moments).
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Chainstay length should make this bike better at ludicrous speed!

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Damn right it did! Whenever the going got fast the back end never felt "Skiddish," almost as if there was more to be had out of this bike before I met its limits and went Plaid!

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Which leads me into what surprised me... how it launches you into the plaid zone without expecting it.
On a few occasions I recall myself yelling "Holy Fox" as all of a sudden the bike held speed where I expected it to hang up. Previous bikes in these sections would on a hit or compression loose a little speed and carry on its way. The Titan however didn't loose its speed causing that sensation of the bike taking off from under me, and in another situation  carrying so much more pace through some choppy rocks and roots I over shot the downhill corner running wide into the rock chunk. Luckily that Marzocchi Z1 took it with stride!

So... where did I get things pleasantly wrong?
I expected this bike to be a challenge in tighter corners and in getting it to pop in and out when I needed it too. However, this was not the case, despite that 452 chainstay I never felt like I could not coax out of the bike the reaction I needed. Maybe it had something to do with the reach and overall position on the bike, I don't know, I am like most of you just another Punter rider. I expected the reach to be a little short, but overall I felt like things were well balanced, poppy when needed and yet so composed in the high speed corners. Please note, I found running it with a 50mm stem gave the best front end feel.

i also can not go any further without mentioning how amazing this thing climbs. Its like a Billy Goat. Sit down, and pedal, this bike feels a lot easier to pedal up than my 130mm travel bike with the 74 degree seat angle... the steep angle on this machine is amazing.

 Another surprise was how the BB height felt, or should I say, what I didn't feel. I am use to riding very low BB heights and smacking pedals... A lot! At 344mm in the lower setting, that figure is high for me, but I never even noticed a difference. I did notice however, less pedal strikes!

Ok, so I have been glowing on this bike, but I have one gripe, which isn't really much of one at all. I bought this bike under the hopes that the differences this bike presented, longer chainstay, promise of balanced reach and position and new KS2 platform would help me improve my overall speeds and confidence as I take on some upcoming Enduro challenges and chase some racing ambitions. So far I feel like this is true, but, that is what the bike seems most apt to doing. Big lines, high speeds and massive fun! As a regular trail rider on flat trails it is a bit much. I will somewhat tie that to the seat angle. riding along flat trails with lots of tight corners the seat feels a little in the way and you sit a tab forward, that coupled with the head angle just makes it feel a little like a Titan in a small space. But, that is why Banshee has a whole host of other bikes of less travel and different geometry to fill that purpose, and this bike really has a focus on all things at Ludicrous speed!

In conclusion how do I  best describe this bike?
CALM
COMPOSED
and F%&king
CONFIDENT

If you are looking to get more speed and more awesomeness out of your big line riding, you'd be hard pressed to find much more out there as capable as the Titan is!

The INCEPTION SPEED SHOP is ready to help you realize your ambitions and guide you to building the right bike for you... and I have a feeling there is something in the Banshee family to help get you there.
​See you at the Bike Bar!

Now for some PUNTER Video content on the TITAN!