Seamus Allardice took BH Bicycles’ trail/marathon/all-rounder, the Lynx 4.8 Carbon 29er 9.9, into the mountains where he was blown away by its cat-like balance and poise. Photos by Ashlee Attwood.
First impressions as we all know, count. And the BH Lynx, especially in its top-end build spec with a 2 x 11 Shimano XTR drive train, makes a killer first impression. The clean lines of its red and black paint-job with white decaling is aggressive, the Kashima Coated Fox fork and shock are eye catching, and the shock in particular makes you look twice as it disappears into the seat tube for what BH have dubbed a Split Pivot suspension design.
Designed in collaboration with Dave Weagle, the driving force behind the split pivot design was the search for a full suspension bike that accelerates like a 100mm travel bike but corners aggressively like a 120mm bike. The advantage of the BH layup is the fact that the shock floats on linkages between the seat and chain stays, providing a bottomless feel to the travel and allowing for a super short control link and almost impossibly short chainstays. The initial concern when looking at the suspension design is that the stanchion of the shock is going to get damaged by grit thrown up by the rear wheel – not so say BH, but I’d suggest you implement a careful post ride regimen of bike washing and checking for signs of wear to nip any issues in the bud.
“It feels capable, light, and the geometry inspires confidence on technical terrain but doesn’t compromise your climbing comfort.”
The 2016 BH Lynx 4.8 Carbon 29er 9.9 model, which you should be seeing out on the trails soon, comes equipped with a RockShox RS1 fork and RT3 R rear shock rather than the Fox components on the 2015 model we tested, with the other notable change being DT Swiss XMC 1200 hoops rather than Shimano XT wheels. The drivetrain remains Shimano’s superb 2 x 11 XTR (I’m a convert – for stage racing there is no comparison with 1 x 11!) and the brakes are switched from Magura to the ever reliable and popular Shimano XT. You still get a KS Lev Dx dropper seat post though, which I thoroughly enjoyed. For me a dropper post is a virtual must on a trail bike and a bike looking to straddle the racing and trail markets, like the Lynx does, a dropper post is a signal of intent.
Ride-wise, the Lynx 4.8 Carbon 29er 9.9 really impressed. My initial observation was to note how exceptionally well balanced the bike is. It feels capable, light, and the geometry inspires confidence on technical terrain but doesn’t compromise your climbing comfort. When accelerating out of corners or when coming off the brakes it accelerates noticeably faster than the last few bikes I’ve ridden – making it feel exceptionally spirited. When taking on the Stellenbosch XCO track it floated through the flow features and tackled the short steep climbs with aplomb (a lot of that is down to the staggering 18.0 gear inches per revolution produced by the lowest ratio, 26 chainring x 40 cassette, of the XTR drivetrain). The combination of the light carbon frame, stable geometry and dropper post allowed me to take on the more technical aspects of the course (or those that I can manage at least) with more confidence than usual too.
My only complaints on the bike stem from the tyre choice; though the bike I tested is BH South Africa owner Ray Wilson’s personal bike, so it’s set-up for his riding style. For me, his choice of Vittoria Saguaro front and rear makes the front end a little loose when cornering. I would have preferred to test the bike with a more aggressive front tyre, like Vittoria’s Peyote or Barzo tyres. But for marathon or stage racing the Saguaro choice is probably a good one, offering super low rolling resistance, grip on hard packed surfaces and legendary durability.
All-in-all the BH Lynx 4.8 Carbon 29er 9.9 is a great do-it-all bike, with a slight bias towards the racing rather than trail riding – though if you set yourself up with more aggressive tyres that would change. I’m really looking forward to seeing how it goes against the big industry names in the #1BikeShootout we’re organising for the December/January bumper issue – I have a feeling it’s going to provide them with some unpleasant surprises. Or if you’re a would-be BH Lynx owner, a very pleasant surprise!
Sus the BH Lynx 4.8 Carbon 29er 9.9 Geometry
All measurements on a medium frame and in degrees or millimeters.
| Head Tube | 110mm |
| Top Tube | 414mm |
| Seat Tube | 440mm |
| Head Angle | 68° |
| Seat Tube Angle | 73° |
| Chainstay | 430mm |
| Reach | 600mm |
| Stack | 610 |
Price: R79 900 from www.bhsouthafrica.co.za
