Tested: Foes 2:1 XCT 5

WHAT: FOES 2:1 XCT 5 (FRAME & SHOCK)
WHERE: foesracing.com
HOW MUCH: $2,500

Brent Foes has been doing things his own way for 15 years, so it’s no surprise that he’s taken an unconventional approach with a new 5-inch-travel bike he calls the 2:1 XCT 5. I rushed to pick up the frame on the eve of a trip that seemed to match the bike’s “trail/adventure” designation just right—a five-day traverse of Utah’s Wasatch range. The rush proved worth it. Knowing the ups would be as burly as the downs, I went with sensible parts, including a new Shimano XT drivetrain, Fox TALAS 130 RLC and Specialized’s 1,600-gram Traverse “Enduro” wheels trod with WTB Weirwolf 2.55 LT tires.

From the very first shakedown ride, the XCT 5 felt solid. No fancy-pants marketing here, just a tried-and-true single pivot with a swing link for lateral stiffness. The undeniable heart of the bike is its massive air shock with a 2-inch diameter piston and externally adjustable Curnuttt stable-platform valve. Such a large volume lets you run lower air pressure (eg: just 75 psi for a 220-pound rider), which translates to excellent small-bump compliance and traction with virtually zero stiction. The XTD (external threshold damping) version of the air shock I rode uses one big knurled knob to fine-tune a pedal platform. For $200 less, you can get a coil shock with built-in platform damping. Foes went to great lengths to build a 2:1 leverage ratio into the frame, giving that massive shock loads of stroke to do its job. But instead of constantly twiddling with shock adjustments I just rode the damn thing, and it handled square-edged hits, drops and climbs—yes, climbs—with admirable aplomb. I later mounted up a Fox TALAS 36 and turned the bike into the ideal steed for a favorite local shuttle—and still, it climbs.

The bike’s trail manners bely its not-so-svelte weight (8 pounds for frame and air shock). Refreshingly, Foes puts the emphasis on ride quality over weight savings, and the result is a butterysmooth ride that feels like more than 5 inches of travel when you need it and less when you don’t. For a go anywhere, made-in-the-U.S.A. bike, the XCT 5 is hard to beat.