Riding the Neuron can sometimes be a case of biting off more than you can chew – and then just trying to savor the taste. Simply put, it isn’t the most capable trail bike – not by a long shot – but it does have an incredible balance that makes it feel so alive. It’s genuinely one of the most fun bikes I’ve ridden in a very long time. It’s raw, it’s fast, it’s sometimes slightly terrifying, but I really like it for these characteristics. You’re not separated from the trail, and to get the most out of it you have to be very much in tune with it.
How much of this is down to the geometry and how much down to the setup of the suspension? Well, I’d say it was a fifty-fifty split. While going back-to-back with a GRIP2 34 it’s clear how much this bike gets pushed around by the trail. When it gets rough it’s quite simply bullied by fast-paced and high-frequency hits. It puts up a fight, but ultimately it’s just a bit of a lightweight, which is something that funnily enough had me hooked. I actually spent a decent amount of time on this bike without any information on it other than the sticker on the downtube. I had a fun exercise where I wrote my guessed measurements down, and I was actually quite pleased with myself for how close I was. However, the one dimension I was furthest out from was travel – I thought this bike had 120 mm tops, paired with a 130 mm fork.
This does come back to you with dividends if you’re a rider that enjoys pumping both obstacles and turns for speed. The Neuron is so responsive to rider inputs and manages to accelerate out of rough sections or downslopes in a sheer, grin-inducing way that is impossible not to find satisfying.
Don’t compare this bike to a 130 mm bike like the Smuggler (although that’s exactly what I’m going to do in the next section) but rather see it as a downcountry bike with a bit more security. It’s slightly heavier, but rides light, and is more capable and comfortable than a lot of those offerings. If I compared this to some genuinely fantastic bikes like the 120 mm Trek Top Fuel or Rocky Mountain Element, this is a more surefooted descender, it also fits me better for climbs. It just so happens it’s not quite as light and perhaps not quite as efficient, but when we approach the compromise that way it makes far more sense than trying to make this bike hang with the new idler-equipped Druid. Simply, in its stock setup, it won’t, and you shouldn’t expect it to.
Braking on the Neuron is neutral, and it doesn’t seem to sink or squat. I think this characteristic blends in best with bikes that have a high front end as you can really brace against it. It was admirable on the brakes, and that stack height did a great job of also giving your body position a helping hand and keeping your heels dipped and eyes up. In fact, when things did get rowdy on this bike and I found myself trying to hit-and-hope my way out of trouble, the ability to really push off the bars and get into a strong, stable, and resistant position was a benefit.
