Fezzari Timp Peak 2.0 X01 Eagle Review

You may not have heard of the Salt Lake-based Fezzari Bicycles, and they’re not coming to a local bike shop near you. Their direct-to-consumer model doesn’t make it easy to build name recognition, but it does result in spectacularly spec’d bicycles at remarkably low prices. Such is the case for their Timp Peak 2.0 X01 Eagle, the second iteration of the Timp Peak line. Named for the 11,700 foot Timpanogos Peak which towers over Fezzari’s hometown, the Timp Peak’s towering 150mm of Fox suspension and 27.5″ wheels crushes technical descents while the lightweight frame and high-zoot components gives you a boost on the uphill.

2017 Fezzari Timp Peak 2.0 X01 Eagle Features:

• Fox Float 34 Factory 150mm fork
• Custom Tuned Fox Float X Factory shock
• SRAM X01 Eagle 1×12 drivetrain for smooth, reliable shifting
• SRAM Guide RSC brakes with Centerline rotors
• Oversized RaceFace 35mm clamp handle bars for better leverage and handling
• Reynolds Enduro rims for light weight, strength, and tubeless ready
• Maxxis DHF 2.3 front and Maxxis High Roller 2 2.3 rear Tubeless ready tires
• Lifetime warranty – view details
• MSRP: $5,899 as tested

You will not beat this deal

For starters, a bit about that ‘direct-to-consumer’ thing Fezzari’s got going on. For most of the bike industry’s lifetime, there has been a close partnership between your local bike shop and manufacturers. Your shop gets licensed to sell their goods and provide service for a particular brand, and you pay whatever the store asks for for the bicycle and service. There are plenty of perks to this model, and it’s held the test of time. For example, if you do have an issue with your new bike, many shops will quickly diagnose and service your bike for free to get you back on the trail. And besides, there’s also the dependable know-how of the folks who work at our favorite local bike shops.

Fezzari’s model takes a different direction. One of the realities of the old model is that the dealer adds on to the price of the bike so that they can take their cut, pay their staff and keep the lights on. The consumer picks up the tab on this one. By going direct-to-consumer, Fezzari eliminates the part of the pricetag that goes into shop overhead. This is a wonderful thing: it means that you can pick up a wonder-bike like the Timp Peak that I tested for $5k, instead of the $8-9k pricepoint that other brands occupy. But, there are some problems: you don’t have the relationship with a shop to take care of you when things go wrong, for example. And you’re often getting a bike sight unseen from UPS, unless you manage to find a Fezzari locally to demo (easy if you live near Utah).

Fezzari is working to solve some of the problems inherent in the direct-to-consumer model. For example, they have a 30-Day ‘Love It Or Return It’ policy that is just as good as it sounds. They also have super-responsive customer service; the Fox shock (which came used on my test rig) wasn’t holding pressure, and their customer service team sent out a brand-new shock and a label to return the old one. I was riding again within 3 days. Not bad, Fezzari.

Bits and Pieces

OK, enough of that! Let’s talk about the bike. Before jumping into the frame and how it rides, let’s take a moment to drool over the groupset. It all starts with the SRAM X01 Eagle 1×12 drivetrain. It really doesn’t get better than this drivetrain. Shifting is sublimely reliable, not to mention fast and accurate. The lever actuation is smooth and effortless, making it easy to horse the chain up and down the cassette. I never once had an issue with the chain dropping or skipping, even while shifting in wicked rock gardens. The range on the cassette is incredible, ranging from 10-50T. The 50T granny gear, more properly called a great-grandmother gear, can claw its way up the most obnoxiously steep, gravely climbs. It is truly capable, and you’ll get comments on how big it is, which we all know you’ll love.

The drivetrain powers two Reynolds Enduro rims. These babies retail for $2,500 (almost half the cost of the whole bike!) and are single-handedly responsible for some of the bike’s best characteristics. They spin up very easily thanks to their low rotational weight profile and the smooth hubs, Reynolds via Industry Nine, feature a 3 degree engagement. The 28mm base allows the tire to keep a wide, stable profile and you will particularly appreciate this if you push the bike hard through corners. Generally speaking they’re killer: they’re perfectly stiff laterally yet compliant to bumps and harshness in the trail. Overall they are one of the gems of this bike.

Fezzari’s cockpit components are an appropriate complement to the rest of the bike’s stellar kit. Most notable are the extra-wide, 35mm-rise Race Face SixC bars which provide an ocean of leverage and control for when things get dicey. At an 800mm total wingspan, you’ll notice the benefits at high speed, but if you’re more like me and tend to stick to twisty tight, tree-lined singletrack you’ll be white-knuckling between every set of trunks. The other salient point is, of course, the fantastic vibration damping from carbon bars. It’s held on by a Race Face Atlas stem, and Fezzari will customize the rise based on your fit parameters when you order.

The saddle is a WTB Volt, and it’s my least favorite part of the cockpit. They ship it with the Race-level saddle (second from the bottom), and it’s one area where it feels like performance was shaved off for the sake of cost. I quickly swapped it out with another saddle that suits my preference. Shuttling the saddle up-and-down is a Fox Transfer PS-E dropper post. It has the charming characteristics of infinite adjustability, a simple two-bolt clamp, moderate remote actuation and a stealthy bottom-routed cable. The main dislike, for me, is the noticeable lateral play. For the benefit of you all, my test rig came with all used components, so the Transfer has seen who-knows-how-many rides. I only found the play distracting when I was really squeezing the saddle in twisty turny technical stuff, but it’s not an issue when you’re just sitting and pedaling. Both lowering and raising the post happens at a moderate speed and it tops out with an audible ‘thunk’ to let you know it’s returned.

The Ride

After the first iteration of the Timp Peak, Fezzari has made some noticeable tweaks to the geometry and suspension of the bicycle. One of the most apparent changes is the lowered bottom bracket at 13.5″. It gives the bike a secure, swoopy feel that complements the relatively slack 67 degree headtube angle. Another major change is an updated suspension linkage that eliminates a previously required service interval; the new linkage is basically hassle-free, aided by sealed bearings.

On the way up, the Timp Peak shines. Much of this has to do with the fantastic range of the SRAM drivetrain and the easy-rolling Reynolds hoops; with a beefy tire and the 27.5″ diameter, they still maintain enough moment to get up and over tricky rock sections with careful pedaling. While these don’t speak to the performance of the bike’s geometry per se, they certainly remove some of the gross brainpower required to pedal a bike uphill. Since you don’t have to worry about the components, the frame does a good job at keeping up.

Nobody expects a 150mm trail bike to climb like a cross country bike, and the relatively relaxed riding posture afforded by the geometry can leave you feeling left behind on the sharpest of climbs. However, for technical climbing on moderate inclines, I was really impressed by how the bike handles – you do not feel like you’re too high off the ground. Water bars, rock steps and roots all disappear beneath the bike.

Pedaling hard on flat ground, you’ll notice one of the frame’s weaknesses. The fairly simple linkage design does only a fair job at mitigating pedal bob. More sophisticated linkages can maintain the wide-open feeling of a big-travel trail bike, but pedaling Timp Peak’s design reminds me of the bikes I was riding eight years ago when I started. The design (which looks most similar to a split pivot to me) makes up for its middling pedaling efficiency with being delightful active and responsive under heavy braking. So, what this really means is that Fezzari’s tuned the suspension to be most effective on the way down. That’s fine for some, a problem for others. Fortunately, the Fox Float X Factory Kashima has the old three-mode switch and a very good firm setting that lets just enough compliance into the system.

Pointing the bike downhill is a load of fun. I personally loved the feel of the lightweight carbon frame (I’m 5’11” and tested a M/L) and groupset. It was maneuverable and responsive whether in the air or in the rough, aided in part by that low bottom bracket, slack headtube angle and wide 800mm bars. Fezzari has taken the usual steps to make their bikes strong, including spec’ing a fork with Boost 15×110 mm thru-axles, a tapered headtube and offset chainstays. Thanks to the laterally stiff Reynolds wheels, there’s no weak spot in the system. The ride is consistent and predictable in all situations.

I love 150mm travel bikes because, if you’re like me and are working your way up into the big stuff, they have all the chutzpah you need to ride the stuff you’re comfortable with and enough forgiveness to bail you out when the learning process gets rough. That Kashima-coated Fox 34 is superb at small-bump compliance, and it’s also highly adjustable to get the perfect ride. And, like I said, the front end feels ultra-stiff.

The Good

• Normally I would be saying all of these great things about a bike that costs $3,000 more
• Reynolds wheels knock it out of the park and retail for half of the Timp’s total cost
• The SRAM Eagle setup is stupidly good and the wide gearing range covers a multitude of sins
• The frame feels good and stiff throughout
• Cockpit (minus the Volt) feels like you’re getting the all-star treatment
• Suspension design remains very active under breaking
• Lifetime warranty is hard-to-beat and adds extra confidence

The Bad

• Suspension design yields more pedal bob than other designs
• The Fox Transfer has more lateral play than I’d like
• WTB Volt retails for <1% of the bike’s cost; a saddle in the 2% range would eliminate my whining
• Tough to get ahold of one for a test ride, but don’t forget the return policy!
• Resale value will be a tough pill to swallow

The Bottom Line: Fezzari Timp Peak 2.0 X01

The Fezzari Timp Peak 2.0 is amazing for people who like going downhill, great for people who like going uphill and alright for people who like pedaling hard on flattish stuff. For a bike in the 150mm travel range, it can go head-to-head with just about any competitor and hold its own, particularly when you pocket an extra $3,000 to put towards unforeseen emergency room bills caused by overconfidence. If you’re interested, don’t be shy – their Love It Or Return It policy really is a safe bet, if you’re really to take the plunge on the promises of a direct-to-consumer bike.

Buy Now: Visit Fezzari.com