I rode a Transfer for a long time (several years) with zero issues. Very reliable. It was slightly sticky when the temps got down to 30’s and 40’s F, but then I realized the seatpost binder was slightly over-torqued. Fixed the torque spec and fixed the problem. Whoops!!
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Put me in the Reverb AXS camp as well. Works flawlessly, super easy to swap out to a high post if you want to that day, and now I always have an emergency battery for my AXS derailleur.
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And the batteries are interchangeable with all Sram shifters - so almost impossible be stranded on a ride.
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I’m pretty into where “XC” is going…
Looks like a back country weapon - weights aren’t listed yet but this is probably a better race bike for me for the terrain I target.
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Very interesting looking bike! Looks svelte and capable! I love the look of it up to the head tube, I’m not jiving with that front end and HTA.
It’d be interesting to see how much it needs a lockout with the “revised kinematics” and greater antisquat.
With the fork down to 120mm and the HTA in the steepest setting it might be something I’d get down with. I really, really like the rest of it’s design.
As it sits, it looks like the perfect bike for some of those big XC races that head straight up great bit mountain roads/4wd tracks and then bomb back down single track for a long time!
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Just finally read up on this and researched it, wow definitely very light! Wish they would expand on terms of available travels like 150! Seems max travel is 100mm.
I thought of that too since the light weight forks are all maxed out at 120 any way… super interesting bike.
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I’m pretty dissapointed in this one. I thought they would change it up a bit but this is a totally different bike. I have a 2017 Element and I love it, super capable for a 100mm bike, especially with an angleset to get the HA to 68*. But this new one has almost identical geometry to my Ripmo AF, I think they went WAY too far. I’m looking for a do it all XC race bike, not a trail bike that climbs OK. I was hoping to replace my element with an element but now it’s looking like Exie or Blur since those are still XC bikes.
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that RM element bike with 65 HTA… how does that get around corners…??
I don’t think this would be the right bike in the mountainless flat Netherlands…
The main benefit for a slack bike like this is to bomb downhill right? And if there’s no benefit on flat courses, how big would the downside be for a bike like this?
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I see it as a bike that pedals well and has more to give on the downhills. For reference I’m riding and racing a carbon Ripley v4 with a 120 fork and you’re right this bike is even more aggressive. I’m not surprised they went this direction though. I put a premium on cornering as well and I’ve not been put off by these slacker HA, I think a key move is sticking with a 51mm rake fork.
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Just fine!
Slack head angle in combination with short offset forks corners really well!
Specially at speed, they corner amazing. It does however require that the rider uses good technique and keeps an appropriate amount of weight over the front wheel.
Yes the steering is quicker with a steeper angle, but also more nervous. The “lazier” steering with a slack head angle is only a problem at slow speed, on very tight switch backs. I
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It’s pretty long with that HTA too. 1265mm in XL.
Only 35mm longer than my Spark, but that already was a noticeable difference from my previous XC bike in the high 1100’s.
Not something you couldn’t get used to, but it’d be a pig through tight climbing tracks I think. a bike built for fireroad climbing and ripping long (and FAST) descents.
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Perhaps. But try a bike with this kind of geometry and see.
Here’s new, glowing review of one of the most extreme bikes on the market:
https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/mountain-bikes/full-suspension-mountain-bikes/pole-stamina-160-remastered-review/
TL:DR The reviewer is praising its cornering abilities. (wheel base over 1300mm, HA 63, size medium)
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We’re talking XC bikes though. It’s all well and good saying a Pole corners well, but it’s inherently cornering well for an enduro bike.
I have no doubt the RM can absolutely RAIL bermed corners, but I also have no doubt it would be a pig in the tight SingleTrack climbing.
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I think it will do any corner, with the exception of a tight switchback far faster than an XC bike.
Unless your riding consist of tight, 180 degree switchbacks, I think the longer wheel base, slacker HA is over exaggerated in terms of climbing. Can’t find the video right now, but Jeff Kendall Weed recently did a video where he was saying that his Ibis Exie was a great fast climber, but his trail bikes were better technical singletrack climbers
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We’ll have to agree to disagree here 
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I think it’s an excellent bike for certain parts of the world, but to me SingleTrack climbing is switchbacks, roots, trees, rocks etc. There’s no way the longer bikes are faster there. You can ride them fast no doubt, but same rider with the same familiarity with each will be faster on the XC rig I think.
Again, I really believe that the RM and it’s long WB and super slack HTA would be an epic bike for those in the mountains or wherever that climbs for an hour or two and descends down again. Not for what I view as XC racing.
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I know this is the 2021 Thread, but Canyon announced the new Lux and Exceed.
I can’t see geo, but it looks very conservative, very steep HTA. Optimised for lightweight with no dropper and carbon everywhere. Great looking bike, but not the bike for me who wants one XC rig for all my riding and racing.
I think the Lux Trail CF7 is the pick from Canyon for next year.
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fair enough!
I don’t think physics supports what you’re implying for rocks, roots and other obstacles. Slacker HA gives a better approach angle, just like 29er wheels gives a better approach angle compared to 26er wheels. Thus making square edge impacts less severe. My guess is XC bikes generally less aggressive geometry has more to do with placing the rider in an optimal climbing position for putting down power. And let’s not forget how stubborn pro XC & road riders are… Not exactly the fastest bunch of people to adapt!
I don’t mean physically clambering up these things, I mean navigating around tight techy trails with these as obstacles.
I take your point, but think if you’re looking for speed up tight climbs the more nimble bikes would be faster. As far as capabilities and just heading straight up and over things I agree with you 
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I’m no luddite, I ride a 67.5° Spark as my race and everyday rig. It’s considerably faster overall than my Anthem ever was and the capability of modern bikes is crazy good. It’s definitely giving some up in nimbility on the way up though for all that speed it gives me back on the down. I just think there’s a bridge too far, we did the same with tyres and wide bars. I’ve tried wide bars and 2.6" tyres, and if you aren’t looking for speed they are probably still fantastic and the sacrifices might be worth the return, not for me though, too slow.
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I’d avoid the Trail version because I’d expect it’s just a half step for them before the fully redesigned one is ready