KHS Flagstaff 29er Review

We took possession of the KHS Flagstaff 29er back in August. During my testing period, I’ve posted a first impression and an update. The Flagstaff comes with a decent spec sheet:

Frame: 29″ AL 7005 w/4-bar Horst bearing linkage, 3.5″ Travel w/RockShox Monarch 2.1 air shock
Fork: 29″ Rock Shox Reba SL 80mm, Dual Air, Motion Control, External Rebound, Internal Floodgate, Compression adjust to ‘Lock’
Headset: Tioga ZST2 Threadless, Zero Stack
Rims: WTB Speed Disc29 All MTN w/eyelets
Hubs Front: Alloy Disc Rear: Shimano Disc
Tires: WTB Exiwolf Race, 29×2.3, Folding
Spokes: 14G Black Stainless, 32°
Front Derailleur: Shimano Deore
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X-9
Shifters: SRAM X-7 Trigger
Chain: KMC Z9000
Crankset: Truvativ Firex Giga X Pipe, 44/32/22
Bottom Bracket: Truvativ GXP outboard cartridge bearing
Cassette: SRAM PG950 11-34, 9-Speed
Pedals: Wellgo W41 Clipless
Seatpost: Truvativ XR
Saddle: WTB Silverado Race
Handlebar: Truvativ XR 31.8, Triple Butted
Stem: Truvativ XR 31.8, 3D Forged
Grips: WTB Weirwolf Dual Density
Brake Levers: Hayes Stroker Ryde
Brakes: Hayes Stroker Ryde Hydraulic, 6″ rotors
Color: Flat Black
Frame Sizes: S, M, L

Although I’m not a SRAM fan, I was impressed with the quick and precise shifting of the X-7 shifters paired with the Deore in the front and the X-9 in the back. The 29″ Rock Shox Reba SL 80mm is perfectly matched to this bike, the fork is plush and its lockout feature a major plus when it is time to climb up the hills.

The Rockshox Monarch is very simple to adjust, simply pump your weight in PSI, get on the bike, measure the sag and do minimal adjustments. Although the rear shock lacks a lockout, the horst bearing linkage does an excellent job at minimizing bob. The only time I felt it was when I would get out of the saddle and mash the pedals.

I do have to mention a couple of nuisances about this bike; due to its frame design, there are no water bottle bosses because there is no room for a water bottle.

I also took the Flagstaff 29er to the Fullerton Loop, Santiago Oaks, Chino Hills and Southridge. The bike is an excellent recreational bike, it tackled all sorts of terrain and it was a blast to ride every single time.

I took the Flagstaff 29er one step further, I actually raced Super D on it. For those who are not familiar with Super D, it is basically a top to bottom run with some climbing and not so gnarly terrain as a downhill race.

While most Super D racers rode a four to five inch bike, I was the only one racing on a Full Suspension 29er. The Flagstaff’s weight is comparable to most all-mountain bikes, but where I felt that I had the advantage was on climbing. I simple locked out the fork and the front tire never left the ground. You hear that riding a 29er with 80mm of travel “feels” like a 5 inch travel bike. I couldn’t agree more. As I blasted the downhill, I never worried about doing an endo and the big tires did roll through everything.

So here’s the deal, the Flagstaff 29er is an amazing, fun and well balanced bicycle that not only you can do recreational rides with, it is also a very capable Super D racing machine. I would give this bike a 9.9 out of 10.

For more information, visit www.khsbicycles.com.