Rear: IRD Widget

Pros: Light, light, light! Very good climber, slightly better for seated climbing. Titanium frame takes the edge of f the sharp hits and large ruts that you don't float over. Geometry is well balanced and the bike tends to excel in most situations. Downhill takes a little more concentration to keep the tires tracking well due to the lightweight. Body weight distribution is very important on the downhill when using this bike to keep the tires biting when traction is needed. The XTR components work flawless and shifting is a mere thought. The front brake is powerful and stops extremely well. The rear is one of the best modulating(non disk) brakes that I have ever tried. The wheels are super-lightweight and accelerate extremely well. I must confess that I broke the first Bombshell I had, but had a good experience when working with Nuke Proof to get me a new hub. The hubs are light, stiff and some of the trickest looking hubs I have ever seen. The bike is easily whipped around in tight singletrack and handles difficult trails extremely well. To sum everything up, this is a great bike for almost any situation, but a beginner may find it difficult to control the lightness.

Cons: When I first started on this bike, it was difficult for me to control my descents. It takes some concentration before you get used to it. For some reason the Power Brake II cannot be used on the rear of this bike due to clearance problems. The fork is not the best fork in terms of suspension. However it is lightweight and looks trick. The new SID is just as light and handles a lot better than this fork. Basically this fork is a Mag 21 with a souped up exterior. A good fork for its time, but we all know its limitations. The alchemy is on the lower end of the price structure for headsets, but I have not had a problem with it yet. I do have to admit that an oversized aluminum frame is a little bit stiffer in the bottom bracket area and does not flex as much as this bike. However, the amount of flex is minute and I have not had a problem accelerating or sprinting out of the saddle. Mentally though, oversized aluminum or steel might give you an advantage in a sprint.