NS Bikes’ origin story is fairly typical: Company founder falls in love with bikes as a child and grows up to be a rock star in Poland, who wins national downhill races during his weekends off from being a platinum-album selling musician. Same old, same old, really.



What may, in fact, surprise some readers is NS Bikes’ recent push to broaden their bike range. While the company is still strong in the slopestyle world (the rig of choice for the likes of Sam Pilgrim), the past few years has seen them also debut downhill, enduro and trail bikes. The latest addition? The 29er full-suspension Snabb Plus.



NS Snabb Plus 1 Details

• Intended use: trail, all-mountain, enduro

• Rear wheel travel: 127mm

• Fork travel: 140mm

• Wheel size(s): 29-inch or 27.5+

• Clearance for up to 27.5 x 3.0-inch tires or 29 x 2.4-inch tires

• Internal dropper post routing

• Threaded bottom bracket

• Boost 110/148 hub spacing

• Sizes: S / M / L

• 6061-T6 aluminum front and rear triangles

• 30.6-pound/13.9kg complete bike (size Large)

• MSRP: €3,999 EUR/$3,999 USD/$4,499 CAD

• www.ns-bikes.com

• Intended use: trail, all-mountain, enduro• Rear wheel travel: 127mm• Fork travel: 140mm• Wheel size(s): 29-inch or 27.5+• Clearance for up to 27.5 x 3.0-inch tires or 29 x 2.4-inch tires• Internal dropper post routing• Threaded bottom bracket• Boost 110/148 hub spacing• Sizes: S / M / L• 6061-T6 aluminum front and rear triangles• 30.6-pound/13.9kg complete bike (size Large)• MSRP: €3,999 EUR/$3,999 USD/$4,499 CAD

Internal routing? External routing? In this photo the rear brake line is run externally, but the Snabb Plus frame also features cable ports in the front triangle for dropper post, rear derailleur and rear brake. Breathing room is a bit tight here with the 29x2.35 Schwalbe Fat Alberts. In a nod to durability, NS runs Enduro Max bearings throughout the frame pivots.

Frame Design

The general design aesthetic runs towards the stout end of the spectrum.

Four Questions with NS Bikes' Founder, Szymon Kobylinski

There are two Snabb Plus models for 2017. We’re testing the upper-end version, but you can save more than a thousand euros/dollars by going with the “Plus 2” version, which features the same frame, hung with a more affordable parts kit.According to NS, the Snabb is supposed to be the bike that can do a bit of anything, “A machine on which you can keep up with the guys on DH rigs in a bike park on one day and do an epic ride with your mates on XC rigs on the next.” That’s a tall order, but the market is loaded these days with capable, mid-travel 29ers (Stumpy 29er, Evil Following, Trek Fuel EX 29er, Santa Cruz Hightower, Pivot Switchblade,) that make a compelling case. The Snabb Plus has a lot of competition.The Snabb line (enduro and trail models) debuted in 2015, but the 2017 Snabb Plus is NS’ first attempt at a 29er. In point of fact, the bike can also be fitted with plus-size tires (up to 27.5x3.0), though it comes spec’d with 29er hoops and tires.NS makes no bones about it—their bikes all have a fairly aggressive, downhill-loving bend to them and the Snabb Plus is no exception. The aluminum frameset is a collection of tubes that are artfully shaped, but definitely lean towards the burly and boxy side of the design spectrum.Some brands aim to produce the lightest rigs possible, at all costs. NS follows more in the footsteps of brands such as Kona, that place more of their eggs in the “You can beat on this thing all season and you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to work on it” basket. The Snabb Plus, in other words, is less show horse and more work horse. To that end, each pivot is loaded with durable, easy-serviced Enduro Max bearings. Likewise, while there’s provisions here to run every line internally though the main frame, if you don’t feel like noodling your rear brake line through the front triangle, you can route it externally along the downtube. Once you hit the rear triangle, everything runs above-ground, so to speak, with both rear derailleur and brake lines zip-tied atop the chainstays. Bottom bracket? It’s threaded. Water bottle mount inside the front triangle? It's there.Most of NS' suspension models feature a Horst Link four-bar suspension design. Same drill here. For 2017, NS added a metric RockShox Deluxe Debonair RT3 to the mix, which is driven by a stiff, one-piece rocker arm. Geometry-wise, the bike follows the general "long, low and slack" party line. Head and seat tube angles are on par with the Hightower, Following, Switchblade and Stumpjumper 29er. The Snabb Plus, however, has a noticeably longer front center than most models. Font-center length for a size large Snabb Plus, by way of example, is just a few millimeters shy of that of an extra-large Hightower or Stumpy. Ditto, accordingly, for wheelbase. NS definitely took the "long" part of the modern-day geometry recipe to heart.

The Snabb Plus 1 pedals extremely well—better, I’m guessing than a lot of people would suspect from a bike in this genre. What were you aiming for when you were engineering the amount of anti-squat in this frame? And why?

Szymon Kobylinski:

When we first started working on the Snabb, 1X drivetrains were still not really that predominant and we noticed that most bikes had too little anti-squat in the large ring to avoiding having too much in the granny. We were in love with 1X from the very beginning and never even considered a setup with the front derailleur, hence the kinematics are optimized for a 32-36 ring. In theory, you can use a 24T granny, but the pedal kickback is a bit too big.Actually, we really don't believe that there is an "ideal" amount of anti-squat... suspension kinematics are really simple, but the interactions between the human rider and the bike and terrain are uber complex. That's why we strongly believe that. unless you test and measure if your new design is actually making you faster, basing decisions on questionable axioms is not a path that an engineer should follow.No mathematical models exist proving that less anti-squat is better than more, or that there is a perfect suspension curve. We actually have been trying to get a large government fund to scientifically prove how full of shit many of the claims and 'truths' out there are... kind of a 'suspension Mythbusters' thing. Maybe one day...In the meantime, we simply ride our bikes as fast as we can and base our designs on the feeling AND measured times. And even though we are a bunch of engineers, we don't try to apply reverse engineering to prove why it's happening. I'm sure the conclusions would be false.

The trend with new models these days seems to be erring towards even longer travel 29ers—I’m thinking of bikes such as the Enduro 29, the Wreckoning and the Slash 29. Why did you go about an inch shorter in front and rear travel on your first 29er full-suspension bike?

Szymon Kobylinski:

The Snabb Plus, being our first 29'er was meant to be the big wheeled equivalent of our trail /all mountain bike - the Snabb T. We felt that the amount of travel was spot on for this category. Adding more travel on bikes with big wheels has certain consequences and the bike just felt right for the application as it was. In fact we all concluded that it rides like a 150mm 27.5" bike even though it actually has way less travel. FYI, there will be bigger 29" Snabbs for more aggressive/gravity orientated riders coming out soon.

People tend to lump all FSR-style bikes into one category—as if that chainstay pivot made the bikes all ride identically. Obviously, that’s painting with a seriously broad brush stroke. But I am curious as to why NS has chosen to go with the Horst Link on the majority of its full-suspension bikes? Why Horst Link versus, say, a virtual pivot point-style design?

Szymon Kobylinski:

To be very honest, this simply stems back from the fact that historically all the bikes that I liked most had Horst link suspension. And since someone had to make a decision, that's what I chose as the base for development and we kind of stuck to perfecting it. Concluding - our internal opinion is that by changing the geometry of the frame, the position of the rider and the tires you can make way more difference to the character of the bike than by adding or subtracting half an inch of travel or by changing the suspension design. And what makes even more difference is having a bike that always works when you need it, and that's what were focusing on.

You’ve got a number of Snabb models in your line up. All of them have a reputation as burly bikes for aggressive riders. What does this 29/27+ “Snabb Plus” version do for riders out on the trail that your Snabb E or Snabb T don’t do? Or maybe a better way to put that is what kind of rider do you think would be better off riding a Snabb Plus instead of a Snabb E or Snabb T?

Szymon Kobylinski:

Specifications

Specifications Release Date 2017 Price $3999 Travel 140mm front, 127mm rear Rear Shock Rock Shox Deluxe Debonair RT3, 185x50mm Fork Rock Shox Pike RC 29"/27.5+ fork w/140mm travel Cassette SRAM XG-1150, 11 speed 10-42 Crankarms SRAM GX 1200 170 mm Boost Direct Mount X-SYNC™ 30t Bottom Bracket Truvativ GXP 73mm Rear Derailleur SRAM GX 11spd Chain KMC, 11 spd Shifter Pods SRAM GX 11spd (rear only) Handlebar NS Evidence Lite (762mm / 30” wide Stem NS Quantum Lite 31.8, 45mm Grips Octane One bolt-on, one-clamp Brakes SRAM Guide R, 180mm front & rear centerline rotors Hubs NS Rotary 15 Boost disc (sealed bearing), NS Rotary Cassette 148x12 Boost(sealed bearings) Spokes 14G-2.0mm w/ 14mm nipples Rim New NS Enigma Roll 29”, 32h (PLUS compatible) tubeless ready Tires Schwalbe Fat Albert Front & Rear combo, 29 x 2.35 foldable bead, SnakeSkin, TL-Easy Seat Octane One Rocket w/hollow cromoly rails Seatpost Rock Shox Reverb Stealth 150mm travel ( 170mm for L size) Compare to other All Mountain/Enduro/XC











Climbing

Descending

Component Check

The widely-spaced Fat Alberts aren't going to help you set speed records on the flats or climbs, but they proved tenacious in sloppy to moist conditions. It's the little details that matter. NS spec'd 180-millimeter rotors front and rear. Always nice to see rotors sized appropriately, given a bike's bias.

• 170-millimeter RockShox Reverb Stealth:

• GX Drivetrain:

• Pimpy Finish:

Good bang for your buck. SRAM Guide R brakes and GX drivetrain may not be top-tier, but on-trail performance is damn good.. Color me shallow, but the oil-on-water themed matching stem, spokes and hubs did it for me.

Pinkbike's Take:

Steely Dan The downhiller's 29er? A lot of bikes have been given that handle, but the Snabb Plus might be the most deserving of it. Long, low, slack, capable...NS has made a bike that is truly at its best when ridden hard and fast over technical terrain. It's not a super plush, "let's traipse lightly through the countryside" kind of bike. It's all hard and fast with this one. More like Slayer and less like — Vernon Felton

About the Reviewer

Stats: Age: 45 • Height: 5'11” • Inseam: 34" • Weight: 175lb • Industry affiliations / sponsors: None •

In 1988 Vernon started riding mountain bikes—mainly to avoid the people throwing cans of Budweiser at him during his road rides. At some point, roughly when Ronald Reagan was president and Hüsker Dü was still a band, he began loving mountain bikes on their own terms. Vernon Felton spends most of his time riding bikes, thinking about bikes, thinking about riding bikes and then riding some more around Bellingham, Washington. If it has a greasy chain and two wheels on it, he’s cool with it. Except for recumbents. Well, okay, maybe those too. Nah, forget it. No recumbents. Age: 45 • Height: 5'11” • Inseam: 34" • Weight: 175lb • Industry affiliations / sponsors: None •

The decision between a Snabb Plus and a Snabb T would be based solely on your preferred wheel size. It's best to have a go on both and make your own decision. Honestly though, since good 29" wheels and tires have become available, most of our team are leaning towards the bigger wheels nowdays.The Snabb E however is a bit of a different animal - much more travel, much slacker. A good example of the way these bikes work in a quiver would be to have the 27.5" Snabb E set up on big heavy duty DH tires and use it mainly for gravity riding (shuttles, lifts, bike parks) and then have the Snabb Plus on lighter wheels as a bike for simply riding up and down on your local trails. Doesn't mean that the E can't be ridden uphill though. FYI, I can kick the butts of my XC mates uphill on my Carbon Snabb E, it just needs a light setup, and good legs haha.I'll put it this way, I never felt the need to run the shock in anything but the Open mode. Not even on shitty, fire-road grinders. There is so little pedal-induced bobbing at play here that it sort of boggles the mind. Switching the Monarch shock into "pedal" mode only acts to reduce the bike's traction, it doesn't actually do anything worthwhile to improve efficiency. I tried it once or twice and then just left the shock in Open mode for the next couple of months. Bear in mind, I wasn't running the shock at 20 or 25 percent sag. I was running between 30 and 33 percent sag. So, yeah, efficient as hell. Personally, I think NS could have backed off on the anti-squat a tad. I like a bit more compliance out of the rear end when I'm pushing the pedals and would have been happy to simply switch the lever on the Monarch if and when I needed to add a bit of low-speed compression damping. But to each their own. If you dig bikes that pedal crisply, the Snabb has that going on in spades.That said, the Snabb Plus is not a rocket ship or scalded monkey or mountain goat or... insert your favorite/most-despised metaphor here. The Snabb certainly isn't bloated, but it isn't light enough to ever feel like it's levitating effortlessly up the trail. The bike moves uphill with a minimum of that annoying bouncy-bounce. Similarly, when you are muscling up a particularly rocky section of track, there's little in way the of backward tugging pedals. That's all good, but if your goal is to set some climbing record, well, that's just not this bike's mission statement. I was really happy the bike was wearing a 30-tooth chainring.The Snabb Plus is decidedly long, but NS kept the chainstays reasonably stubby (433 millimeters/17 inches). Those short chainstays and the bike's fairly steep seat angle make cleaning tight switchback climbs surprisingly easy. Nice.It's a monster. In a good way. The Snabb Plus mows through chunky bits of trail and, between the 29er angle of attack and a deep-feeling rear suspension, it does actually feel like more bike than the spec sheet lists. Time and time again I got myself intosituations, only to pop out the other end with a dazed, "Wait, I thought I was supposed to eat shit back there, but I'm still upright..." kind of sensation. Some people slag 29ers for making things easy. While the Snabb Plus is never going to clean sketchy sections for you all by its lonesome, it does have a way of muscling through choppy bits with a sense of calm that'd make a wizened Zen master look like the lunatics you see on street corners who hop around and scream at the angels only they can see.Or to be less pseudo-poetic about this whole thing, I'll put it this way...The bike's long wheelbase lends a shit ton of stability to fast, wide-open sections of trail. Not a huge surprise there. Combine that with a capable front end (it's hard to knock the RockShox Pike) and a rear end that doesn't seem to know the term "hard bottom-out" and you have a bike truly inspires confidence. Yes, I just said "inspires confidence" and I hate myself for resorting to that cliche, but in this case, it's apt.People tend to categorize bikes by suspension design and while there can definitely be similarities between VPP-style bikes or faux-bar bikes or single-pivot bikes, you can just as easily wind up with bikes that share similar-looking kinematics and very different ride qualities. I say this because Horst Link bikes have a reputation for being buttery smooth on small and mid-sized hits. I think that's more a factor of Specialized Bicycles achieving that sensation with their many iterations of the Horst Link than of any inherent attribute of the design. A Specialized Stumpjumper is not, by way of example, a Norco Sight or, in this case, a NS Snabb Plus. So let me put it his way, if you're looking for a velvety, magic carpet ride, the Snabb isn't the best choice. The bike's suspension doesn't feel as supple off the top as, again for example's sake, a Stumpjumper 29er. The Snabb Plus, however, has plenty of support for popping the wheels off the ground. It also has more noticeable suspension ramp than many of its rivals.NS position's the Snabb Plus as, in some ways, the 29er for gravity aficionados and the suspension feel is completely in line with that. The Snabb Plus feels best when pushed hard, brakes off, mowing through hacked-out terrain at speed. Those are the occasions when the Snabb Plus truly shines. This is a bike that's meant to be ridden aggressively and confidently at the edge of control. It's not, by contrast, as forgiving as some "plusher" bikes when ridden at moderate speeds. Whether or not that makes the Snabb Plus the right bike for you largely comes down to your own riding style and preferences.Finally, a word about geometry.... As front-centers continue to lengthen on modern bikes, so too do their wheelbases. The size large Snabb has an axle-to-axle spread that's approaching 48 inches. Even with the Snabb Plus' relatively tight rear end, that's a lot of length, which is perfect for wide-open trails and less awesome in deep-forest situations. The suspension is so well dialed and the frame stiffness is so on target that I still had a blast on singletrack where the corners keep coming fast and hectic. If, however, you're terrain is full of particularly tight singletrack and you are eyeing a Snabb Plus as a daily trail bike, you may want to size down.Most of the time I wind up wishing a test bike came with a dropper that boasted more drop. NS, however, equips the Large Snabb Plus with a 170-millimeter model. Nice. The Medium Snabb Plus wears a 150 Reverb Stealth.I tend to prefer the shifter feel of Shimano XT, but I walked away from the test impressed again by how solid and reliable SRAM's GX group proved to be. Yes, the triggers lack the adjustability of the brand's higher-end kit, but the actual shifts remain surprisingly solid and trouble free.Whenever I ran into people on the trail, they invariably pointed to one component: the stem. The stem? Not the fork, or the wheels, or trunnion-mount rear shock, or the swoopy downtube, or any of the noteworthy aspects of the bike. The stem. Well, while I feel shallow pointing it out, I have to admit that the finish on NS' house brand Quantum Lite stemkind of awesome. Is this finish any better than purple ano? Probably not. Then again, I liked purple ano back in the mid-90s, so I probably haven't gotten any smarter.