At Crankworx last month I had a chance to catch up with the kind folks from Forbidden Bike Company. Rooted in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, the brand has gained massive traction thanks to its innovative “trifecta” high-pivot suspension platform. Recently, the brand let me ride the second iteration of the Druid on my local trails. This 130mm rear travel bike paired with a 150mm fork helped the company gain a lot of popularity due to its unique characteristics, and it lived up to the hype during my test.
Forbidden Druid V2 frame
The Druid V2 features an inverted four-bar suspension design as opposed to the single-pivot V1, conserving the idler pulley and rearward axle path. With refined kinematics, hardware, and a lighter frame, the Druid is designed to be an efficient all-day pedal bike capable of being pushed on challenging, technical trails. One thing I truly appreciate is the presence of common standards like a Boost rear end, threaded bottom bracket, press-in headset, and UDH compatibility.
As far as sizing goes, the boys in the tent recommended a S4 MX, (XL mixed wheel) . I am 6’2″ tall and usually bounce in between size L and XL. My initial thoughts were that the bike was going to be too long to ride. Once I started pedaling, I got used to it very quickly.
I rode a custom colorway, but the production bike is available in both the ‘spruce almighty’ and ‘stardust’ colorways which look very fresh in person.
Build kit
As far as components go, the Druid is available in three different build kits and as a frame only, ranging from $6,199 USD for the GX build to $8,899 for the X0 AXS build. I rode a custom build with familiar parts, but I also had a bounce on the X0 build, which comes basically ready to race right out of the box.
Riding the Forbidden Druid
Climbing
As soon as I started pedaling, I felt right at home. The steep seat tube angle was noticeable as I found myself in an upright and comfortable body position. The rear end was supportive and maintained good traction, even when pedaling off the saddle. The idler pulley dragging was my main concern when trying out this bike, and I was surprised to find a minimal noticeable resistance. Overall, climbing on the Druid was pleasant; I wouldn’t call it fast, but it was comfortable and fairly efficient.
Descending
Once pointed downhill, the Druid is hungry for chunky straights and big compressions. The long reach was easy to manage and made plowing steep chutes an easy task. It also took minimal effort to unweight the bike to float over rough sections of trail or jumping over roots. The rear end tracked the ground really well, even under hard braking, and it was also available for take-off at any point in its travel.
Cornering on the Forbidden Druid V2 was also fairly easy. It took me a couple of turns to get used to the bike’s length, but after a few minutes on the trail, I found the Druid to be fairly playful and lively on tighter sections of trail. This is all the more impressive considering how well it performs on rough straights and high-speed sections.
My time on the Druid V2 was limited so I would love to spend more time playing around with suspension settings and wheel configurations.
Bottom line
Looking back at the numbers, the Forbidden Druid V2 is a surprisingly capable 130mm travel bike. It may not be the bike for everyone, as its constant desire to plow steep chutes and be pushed hard may not be ideal for beginner riders. Advanced riders and racers will appreciate the stability and support of this high-pivot trail bike.
- Price: $6,199-$8,899 complete. $3,799 frameset.
- Buy from Worldwide Cyclery.
- MSRP: $6,199-$8,899 complete. $3,799 frameset.
- Check current prices at Worldwide Cyclery
