Misfit Psycles Dissent: First Impressions
February 8th, 2009 by Guitar TedWith limited access to much of anything rideable, I had to be a bit creative in my first few rides on the Dissent, but I think I can pass on a few initial thoughts on this flat black aluminum steed.
“A solidly designed rig” is the bottom line so far….
In an attempt to replicate certain offroad features, I went on a few urban rides to find things to check out and see how the Dissent would fare. Fortunately I found several places along the way that helped to formulate some early opinions on the Dissent. Rough, bumpy frozen grass, chunky gravel that was frozen, and a few steep hills were ridden during this time. Here is what impresses me to this point.
The Fork: I have always been intrigued by Misfit Psycle’s use of aluminum for a fork material. I have ridden aluminum forks before this, most notably on a Klein Attitude, circa 1992, that was an unyielding two pronged hurt device. I have seen several cyclo cross forks that were aluminum as well, with reports of noodly ride performance. This tells us that aluminum can be whatever the designers intend it to be. Compliant, or rigid as all get out.
So, what would the Dissent fork ride like? Think carbon fiber. It had a fair amount of “give” and was fairly dead feeling. Not at all like a steel fork, which I always feel have a sort of “zing” or buzz to them. Not that steel forks are bad, mind you, just different. But back to the Dissent fork: It would bend backwards along the lower half of the legs under hard braking, similar to what I have seen on the carbon fiber forks I have tested. Thankfully that didn’t include the oscillation of the legs under hard braking, as some of the carbon forks will exhibit. (I should mention I was running a 180mm rotor up front) In the rough, tussocky grass I traversed, the Dissent fork did very well, making the effort seem less of a chore than I was expecting it to be. It tracks well, and so far does not exhibit any bad traits. More on trail riding will have to be done for any further assessments, but I have a good feeling about this fork now.
The Frame: Single speed riding places unusual demands upon a frame that a normal hardtail usually doesn’t see. Mashing up a steep hill in too high a gear is one of them. The Dissent frame was pretty solid in the bottom bracket area. I didn’t detect any excessive flexing while riding, and observation of the bottom bracket area while pushing hard on the pedals didn’t reveal any flaws either. The Dissent is at least as stiff as any good single speed 29″er out there in this regard, if not better. Again, more trail time will reveal any thing I am missing so far, but the frame shows great promise here as well. The seated ride quality is definitely not what you might think of when “aluminum” is mentioned, but it isn’t a steel like ride either. I do think it will open the eyes of a lot of folks when it comes to how nicely an aluminum bike can ride though. (Note: I do have a carbon fiber seat post in this rig, so that may be contributing to the muted ride quality here.)
Other Notes: The Fu2Bar is pretty nice so far. I am really enjoying the sweep and the center section of the bars straightness, which looks like I would be able to place lights, computer, and GPS on without making any goofy compromises. The stand over clearance is pretty generous and came in handy on one of my rides when I had to make an emergency stop on very uneven terrain. The lateral stiffness is a bit lacking in the front triangle, but not beyond acceptable levels for a 29″er. I would rate it as slightly above average in this regard. The stiffness of the rear triangle seems about the same. Only the most powerful riders would probably have any nits with it.
So, I am pretty stoked about the Misfit Psycles Dissent so far. I think that my high expectations will be met once the trails clear up. That might be a while yet, so stay tuned for a trail update sometime in the next month to month and a half, depending upon when we can access some “real” off roading around here!
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What tires and pressure are you running on this bike? That would have a huge influence on how the bike feels.
What’s the PH content of the soil you are riding on? That matters a lot to me. The wrong PH can make a world of difference, good or bad.
Please report back. I really need all the info before making a buying decision.
You mean pH?
Keith: I was running with tubes at 25psi front/ 27psi rear.
GT, thanks. I’m considering this fork so it matters. My point is that any frame or fork can feel pretty compliant if you run the tires at low pressure. It tends to mute the characteristics of the ride.
Keith: Absolutely, and that’s why I try to use consistent air pressures when testing. That way I don’t get buffaloed into what you are suggesting here.
No, I meant Ph
BTW, did anyone else notice that it’s a semi-holiday for our kind?! It’s 2/9, son!!!
It’s a celebration, Charlie Murphy!!!
yay Canada! The guys at Mispfits are coolio. Awesome bikes at a good price point!
cheers
“…when I had to make an emergency stop on very uneven terrain.”
Haha. Riding over snow piles, were we. It’s all good. Winter is a great time to work on technical, and trials-like riding skills. Even crashing can be fun in snow.
If I can ever afford it, I’m getting one of these for my girl. Thanks to Misfit for offering small sizes, and for being truly northern, strong and free.
C.
Klong: Guilty as charged!
I like riding, and crashing, in the snow! That said, we’ve got an almost 65 degree day here today, so there’s not even a hint of snow to be found anywhere! Incredible…
I bet that Misfit is a fun bike. It looks bad… as in “bad to the bone.”
Not bad meaning bad, but bad meaning GOOD!
oh yeah… bad meaning real good.
Riding on snow is so fun to me, I’m trying to pick up winter triathlon. You get to run 10k (ouch), bike 20k (oh joy), and then xc skate ski 12k (fun, with fresh legs).
I just got a text message from a colleague, streets are icey now. Yesterday I nearly drowned on my commute.
About this fork…really, just $90?
I happen to trust GT’s opinion, so it’s a great addition to the 29″ offerings!
But at 465/45mm, on which bikes would it have a good place? MAaybe on a pre-G2 Fisher, the ones with the high BB, if you want halfway-G2, quickish handling?
Oh, Misfit, offer that fork for G2 and Fisher owners will be all over you!
Guitar Ted: How does this incarnation of the DiSSent differ from previously reviewed versions? Dropouts? Geometry? Bad-ass color choice? Or will everyone’s questions be answered when the final review is done?
Dust: As far as I can tell, it is only different in that it has no provisions for cantilevers. Disc only here.