Banshee Prime (2017) Frame

(discontinued)

Many moons ago, I was deep into the analysis paralysis zone of choosing a new bike to replace my Ibis Mojo HD. Eventually, I settled on the Banshee Prime after riding Banshee'sSpitfire a few times last summer. I had thrown a leg over a few plus bikes as well, and wanted a certain amount of future-proofing, which the Prime delivered - 27+, 29 and 29+ wheel setups were all doable with various dropout options. I knew what I liked from my previous bikes and also what needed to change, so I took the plunge and ordered up a large frame...

The Banshee Prime

For 2017, Banshee updated the Prime by hydroforming various frame tubes [top and down tubes are the most obvious recipients of this treatment], adding strength and stiffness while reducing weight slightly. Further changes to the frame included the elimination of the "high" geometry position, leaving "neutral" and "low" as options that can be easily set at the dropouts. With 135mm of rear travel and a 150mm fork in front, frame geometry is 66.5 degrees for the head angle and 75 degrees for the seat angle in "low" [full frame specs here]. If you haven't been keeping up with changes to frame design, this might seem a bit odd, but it's right in line with similar bikes from other high-end companies. The slacker front end provides excellent handling on the way down, while the steeper seat angle provides great weight distribution for the flats and climbs. More on that later...

Link to full review