Test Ride Review: Fezzari Timp Peak

Fezzari is a direct to consumer bike company. By selling solely through the interwebs, they are able to decrease costs by cutting out the middle man. This puts a better spec’d bike under you while keeping extra cash in your pocket. The Details from Fezzari RockShox Pike RCT3 Solo Air, Custom Tuned RockShox Monarch Plus …

Fezzari is a direct to consumer bike company. By selling solely through the interwebs, they are able to decrease costs by cutting out the middle man. This puts a better spec’d bike under you while keeping extra cash in your pocket.

DSC_0590
All photos by Michael Paul

The Details from Fezzari

  • RockShox Pike RCT3 Solo Air,
  • Custom Tuned RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 with DebonAir Spring and Rapid Recovery System
  • Reynolds 27.5AM Carbon Wheels
  • SRAM X.01 drivetrain with gearing optimized for the 27.5 wheels size
  • SRAM Guide RSC Brakes offer enormous stopping power, modulation and heat managment with the new Centerline rotors
  • Rockshox Reverb height adjust seatpost with Stealth cable routing
  • Extra Wide RaceFace Sixc35 carbon bar and Atlas35 Stem for precise stearing and stiffness
  • Maxxis Ardent 27.5×2.4, Tubeless Ready, EXO Protection

DSC_0594

The Fezzari Timp Peak is a 27.5″ carbon enduro-style bike, sporting 150mm of suspension. The demo bike I tested was built up with a Rockshox Pike RCT3 and a Monarch Plus RC3. The Timp Peak also sported an X01 drive train and Reynolds carbon wheels, with the bike mechanics claiming an impressive weight of sub-26lbs. While this bike was designed to be more than capable for technical descending, the geometry is designed to excel at climbing, too. This was accomplished with a steeper seat tube angle and a bit higher bottom bracket to give the rider a little bit more of an upright riding position, resulting in more efficient climbing.

DSC_0557

 

Reynolds Carbon wheels do not come stock, but are an extremely nice upgrade for the Timp Peak
Reynolds Carbon wheels are an extremely nice touch for the Timp Peak

The higher bottom bracket didn’t seem to compromise cornering that much and it definitely improved clearance over rocks. Also, this particular build on this demo resulted in a slightly higher bottom bracket than what is spec’d online.

At 438mm, the chainstay length was a bit longer than I typically prefer. The 27.5″ wheels help compensate for this somewhat with an overall nimble, playful feel.DSC_0603 (2)

The Timp Peak has a 67-degree head tube angle. While not horrible, it is steeper than most enduro bikes these days. In addition, due to the geometry of this bike, it actually felt a little bit steeper than claimed. Talking with the bike mechanics revealed that the Timp Peak is due for a redesign in the near(ish) future to slacken the head tube angle and lower the bottom bracket height. So if you’re looking for a more gravity-oriented Fezzari, make sure to check them out in the next year or two.DSC_0553

Fit

As a direct to consumer company, you’re not going to throw your leg over these bikes at your local bike shop. Fezzari is in the testing phase of putting together a demo fleet to help alleviate this issue for North America, with Outerbike being the test. The ability to provide test rides for consumers at events such as Outerbike is a large bonus for direct to consumer companies like Fezzari. At 5’6″, I typically fall squarely between small and medium on most companies. Though with long legs and a short torso, I tend to find myself too bunched up on most smalls and typically opt for a size medium. I tested a size-medium the Timp Peak. However, the geometry on the Timp Peak didn’t suit me as demo’d. The reach was entirely too long, and I would likely have to drop the dropper post in lieu of a setback seatpost. It also had a very high standover height as well. I had another writer test ride this bike out, and he had no issues with geometry besides the standover height. So if you’re not dis-proportioned like me, the standard bike dimensions should get you close to a well-fit bike. DSC_0592 (2)

Bottom Line 

The Timp Peak felt fairly nimble in corners, light on the pedals, and responsive for jumps and pedaling. It did feel a bit twitchy while climbing, which a longer stem may fix, but it may have more to do with the fact that the geometry didn’t fit me very well. Overall, the bike performed dependably. The only drawback I found for this bike was the geometry for my personal fit. I would have to make quite a few alterations in order for this bike to fit me comfortably.

MSRP: $6,199