The Hummer Evolved
This is a first impressions review of my new Lynskey manufactured 2009-2010 Ti Cove Hummer. I previously owned a 2008 Litespeed Cove Hummer which I absolutely loved, so this is also a bit of a comparison review too.
The new frame has undergone a few modifications, compared to the 2008 Litespeed frame.
At first glance, the most obvious change is that the frame now sports a shinier, raw Ti finish and a new Cove sticker design, which I prefer. But then I would say that.
The 2009 frame also has a new, solid Ti plate where the seat tube meets the chain stay on the drive side, this effectively eliminates any chainsuck the 2008 model used to suffer. The plate is also stamped with the Cove logo, which is nice touch.
Because of the huge and much appreciated tyre clearance on a Hummer, if the chain rings weren't in good condition and well adjusted, bang on the 50mm chain line, chainsuck was quite common. But this modification puts a stop to that 'mare of having your cranks jam to a stop when swapping down to the granny on a steep muddy climb!
The new frame comes with replaceable mech hangers. Whether these are actually needed on a Titanium frame is debatable, but they're here now and I suppose it's good to know that I just need to replace the hanger if my mech gets smashed off at some point.
There is also a new, small, additional bracing strut between the seat stay and chain stay on the non-drive side by the rear axle. I suppose this is to help dissipate the loads & stress placed on the chainstay from the axle.
All cables are now routed under the top tube rather than on top, which I also prefer. But then I would say that too.
Gone is the Cove 'skull' head badge sticker, replaced by a lovely laser etched version.
But probably the most important addition to the new Cove 2009 frame, which was a serious omission from the 2008 frame, is a bottle opener on the rear brake mount! Oh yeah! It's Miller time!
So on to the ride characteristics: I loved the way my 2008 Hummer rode. Nothing else suited my riding style so perfectly. A possessed, singletrack animal. So quick to change direction at speed, it's as if it was hard-wired into my brain. The frame tracking the narrow line without fuss. Rooty steps and drops, sent and despatched with carefree, smile inducing, abandon. All the while the bike relaying every tiny message from the trail straight through my feet, legs, hands and arms. The Ti frame soaking up the worst of the hits, urging me to go faster and faster. But also letting me know, as if by premonition, that it's getting a bit sketchy, a quick dab on the brakes, release and pow! Instant acceleration into the next berm!
I was hoping the new frame would match these characteristics, but I needn't have worried. It's the same excellent frame it always was, after all the geometry has hardly changed, but the way it is produced has changed big style!
The old Litespeed frame was up-front, honest even, with simple and attractively clean lines, no mech hangers, or welded plates here. The new frame seems to have had the perfectionist touch, with the all the concerns about the old frame addressed using Lynskey's slick production values. The whole frame looks and feels much more professionally produced.
As I've said, I loved the old frame's trail attitude. It was a full on rock concert of a bike, every ride giving you that spine tingling, good all over vibe that left you wanting more when your legs couldn't give more. The new bike is just the same, just not quite so raw in it's attitude. The rear of the bike is slightly more compliant and has a drop more of that unmistakable Ti spring. The new larger Bi-Ovalised downtube adds more stiffness to the frame, making the bike more assured and unshakeable through the high speed twists and turns. So it's the same story, you know what you're getting with a Hummer. But although it's the same music, this time its production values have increased massively, giving a fuller, more rounded sound. Don't get me wrong, the edgy rock roughness is still there, just pushed further out to the edge. I'm definitely riding the trails quicker on this bike before it kicks and complains and I'm sure it's not just all down to 'that new bike feeling', but time will tell.
So sorry Jim, I do think this bike is better. But then I prefer Metallica as they are now, not the early years. But there are plenty of others that say the opposite, same goes for the Hummer.
Dobby
September 14th, 2009 at 8:52 am
Nice write up Dobby, you should try getting a job for a mag doing kit reviews
Oh and its not just you that thinks the new Hummer looks nicer, even Jimbo turned a slight shade of green whenever he looked at it
September 14th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
[...] night we met up at Whiteways, Dobby astride his new, very shiny, Hummer. No jealousy to see here, move along please. We spent a very enjoyable couple of hours doing all of [...]