Tested: 2008 Felt Redemption 1

PRICE: $5,000

Despite their longer travel, aggressive all-mountain bikes are still expected to climb as easily as their XC brethren. So pedaling efficiency is a big issue among this new breed, and manufacturers are feverishly working to build better suspension designs. Felt’s is the Equilink, and this year they’ve applied it to the 6.5-inch-travel Redemption.

While pedaling, the lower rocker plate pulls down on the slender red link behind the seat tube, which pulls up on the shock. This counters the pedaling force that would otherwise compress the shock. It’s not a new theory, but rather than rendering the shock inactive, the Equilink balances the forces, allowing the shock to react, keeping the wheel glued to any terrain, pedaling or not.

The Redemption 1 has a top-notch spec, which it should for five grand. The quick-travel-adjustable RockShox Lyric is a necessity on bikes like this. Equilink or not, anything designed to bomb downhill can be doomed to being pushed uphill unless its geometry can be dialed in for climbing, and its weight can be kept to a minimum.

That appears to be what Felt has tried to do by spec’ing Easton Havoc wheels. They are light and relatively stiff, but have only twenty-four thin, butted spokes. The front 2.35-inch Maxxis Ignitor tire was a little wispy as well, and I swapped it for a WTB Prowler.

But there’s nothing wispy about the frame. Despite its complicated linkage, it stayed stiff and silent. Each of the 12 individual pivots runs on bearings including four needle rings in the Equilink. Each dropout pivot sports two bearings, because the high impact and minimal motion can otherwise cause pitting.

The frame is far stouter than you’d expect from a company that’s synonymous with racing. The well-chosen 67.5-degree head angle is stable at redline speeds, but won’t fight you in the technical stuff, especially when things get steep. When it all goes sideways, the bike refuses to flex, even under my not-so-feathery weight.

Though the frame passed this test, the wheels barely squeaked by. Even after the spokes stretched, they needed attention and I had to turn down the fun to keep them round.

Speaking of fun, the Redemption’s most unique feature is all about climbing. The shock’s subtle motion during moderately heavy pedaling wasn’t bob, but a beautiful bump-sucking, traction-increasing activity, regardless of how much sag I set or what gear I was in. As things got steeper, however, and pedaling required more force, the shock developed a familiar, yet annoying bounce.

As I struggled to pedal more smoothly, I felt I was wasting more energy than the little red dogbone was saving me. But a fully active rear end is a welcome alternative to suspension designs that require you to find a sweet spot in the setup. I set up this bike soft for burly downhills and stiff for jumping and, unlike, say, a Santa Cruz Nomad, it never fought me. I wasn’t tied to a sweet spot. Being able to tune to different conditions is key on a bike that’s supposed to have such a wide range of uses and abuses.

HIGHS: Consistent climber regardless of suspension setup; capable and versatile downhiller; only 32 pound

LOWS: Under-gunned wheels; too active for some tastes; a little pricy

MORE INFO: 949-452-9050; FELTRACING.COM.