Magic hour. GW photo.
It’s a bike, made by a bike company, owned by a beer company, that makes great beer. While that’s certainly enough reason to pay attention; the REEB Sqweeb is also one very innovative, daring, full-suspension American mountain bike.
REEB takes pride in doing things their own way, in their own house and—according to Chris Sulfrian, their master fabREEBcator—for their own reasons. This 'my way or the highway' ethos shines through in the new prototype coil-shock Sqweeb AM/enduro bike.
Chris "Soul Train" Sulfrian. REEB Photo.
TGR has been fans of REEB for a while. We've tried a couple times to get their Dikyelous or Donkadonk bikes in for a review. So, when there were some rumblings about a new full-suspension bike, we reached out to them. We were putting together bikes for our Big Sky Bike Test and if at first you don’t succeed, keep trying, damnit.
We were met with warmth, eagerness and beer (more than we could drink). Chris agreed to weld us up a brand-new prototype (meaning we would get the second Sqweeb proto ever!!).
When we called Chris, our test bike looked like this. REEB photo.
While the Sqweeb didn’t make it in time for Big Sky, I did get the bike just after—and have been gleefully bashing it around since mid-July. If you're curious, the name evolved from SQWishy rEEB.
Specs
29" Stan's Arch M3 wheels w/Sram 900 hubs
7005 aluminum frame
Boost 148mm hub spacing
Horst link suspension
MRP Raze coil shock, 135mm travel
Raceface Cranks
Shimano XT Drivetrain
MRP Stage fork, 140mm travel
Head angle: 67° (103mm trail)
Effective seat tube angle: 75°
Chainstay: 434mm-17 inches (same as their Dikylous hardtail)
Stack: 629mm
Reach: 447mm
Front Center: 755mm
Effective TT: 616mm
Seat tube: 475mm
BB drop: 41mm (changing to a 29mm drop, 359mm BB height for production)
Wheelbase: 1187mm
Standover: 715mm
Frame weight (w/o shock) Large: 6.7lb
ESTIMATED MSRP - around $2200 frame only (builds will be offered)
Setup
The bike in its natural habitat. GW photo.
The Sqweeb came with some nice 26mm internal width Stan’s Arch Mk3 wheels shod with Maxxis Minion DHR 2.5" front and Forecaster 2.35" rear tires. It also has a crazy-cool 810mm wide handlebar mated to a stubby 45mm stem.
The powerplant and bash guard. GW Photo.
Raceface Turbine cranks and chainring hook up to a Shimano XT drivetrain and brakes. MRP's Raze coil shock, Stage fork and SXG chain guide provide the bounce. The frame is awesome-looking raw aluminum. I hope it stays that way—though I’m sure you’ll be able to get great paint on it.
The supremely capable MRP RAZE shock. GW photo.
MRP’s simple literature walks you through setting up the fork and shock's suspension quite well. It didn’t take too long to get spring preload and the many clicks of rebound and compression damping right. And a coil shock is a set-it-and-forget-it as it gets.
There’s a couple really nice features on the Stage fork, including the ability to quickly release just a few psi with the push of a button. Also, a 16-position ‘ramp control’ dial allows you to adjust its spring rate from progressive to linear with a quick turn. It does this by modulating a valve between the fork's lower and upper chambers. Those of you who fiddle with tokens and rubber bands will appreciate this.
The impressive ramp control and small, black PSI release button. GW Photo.
Because this was a prototype, and had a rough shipping transit, my LBS guys at Danny’s gave it a good once-over—re-routing the rear brake hose and tightening the bash guard. By the way, NOTHING scores you more cred than walking into an LBS with a prototype. It’s going to take me several months for my head to un-swell. Anyway, when all was said and done, I had a monster ready to unleash.
The Ride
So pretty. GW photo.
It’s Coilushious. It’s Coilrific. It’s bringin' coils back. It’s the leader of a Coilution. This is an enduro-ish bike, so let’s talk about descending first; I rode the Sqweeb mostly at lift parks, anyway. This bike absolutely shreds the downs. And it's fun. A lot of fun. More fun that other pure enduro descender bikes. I've never been on a bike that's encouraged me to jump like this one. It's so predictable going off transitions. I was always nice and straight in the air. And it lands like a pillow. And it's a 29er, so it loves rooty descents and rocky chutes.
The Sqweeb’s progressive Horst link suspension is a solid design choice and plays really well with the MRP Raze coil. Chris says he could even increase progressiveness of the travel curve a bit, because the shock is so plush and linear.
Horst link and coils. Mmmmmmm. GW photo.
Aside from the fun descending, the low bottom bracket (more on this later) helped make it one of the better cornering bikes I've ever been on. Cruising downhill on anything with your pedals level, dipping those ape-hanger bars side to side is awesome (I hope they keep that width as spec!).
The big ol' bars. Makes racing fun. GW photo.
I'm not a big jumper or wheelie guy, but I actually brought the front wheel up and did some wheelies (as best I can) for kicks on this.
The Sqweeb’s 140 front travel and 130 rear travel seems right on, though it rides so much deeper than that. It’s got an epic, burly quality, a bit like a Canfield Riot or some bike like that. The Stage fork soaks up chunder and hits with style and grace. I haven’t ridden MRP stuff before, if memory serves, and the last coil shock I rode was on a Kona Coiler back in the day. Man, I didn’t realize how much I missed them.
Reach and top tube length feel right, not too long. The wide bars help bring your torso forward and keep riding position active, so you're not just a straight-line cannonball.
The Sqweeb proto 1 getting its roll on. REEB photo.
The 67° head angle and short 17" chainstays are on par with other bikes in this category, so it feels instantly comfortable and predictable. Some might want a degree slacker, but I absolutely do not, I think it's just perfect—very agile and friendly.
On this prototype, the forward curvature of the seat tube could have been a little more pronounced. On bigger hits the rear tire would contact the frame, adding a bit of unexpected braking force. Though it didn’t cause chaos or a crash. If you buy the Sqweeb, that will be fixed and it won’t ever happen to you.
Climbing/Pedaling
With a tweak or two, it'll be smiles up and down. REEB photo.
In truth, the Sqweeb is not a terrible climber. It's not the bike's strong suit, but a 75° seat angle is pretty steep, so the front doesn't seem to wander much. The coil shock has no lockout and stays active at any speed, of course. I actually don't mind hammering up a smooth track out of the saddle.
Because the bike will be modifiable from REEB, if you were nuts to climb this thing, you could talk to them about using a coil shock with a climb switch, like the new Cane Creek Inline coil or a Push industries ElevenSix. Though the MRP Raze was fantastic. It’s a very solid choice for this bike and I’d certainly want to keep it.
Pedaling does bring me to mention the other drawback of the prototype I was on, which did significantly affect climbing as well as trail riding. The bottom bracket was way too low. It was a fabrication hiccup, Chris knew about it, and will raise it up at least half an inch for production, to 359mm. So, again, nothing you'll ever need to think about.
This kind of terrain was a bit tough on the BB. But won't be for the final bike. GW photo.
On three of the five sections of the Eastern States Cup enduro at Thunder Mtn, the bike CRUSHED it, the two pedal-y sections—not so much. But only because of that hiccup. I just couldn’t pedal it at all through anything other than non-angled flat sections. The pedals would strike anything with roots or rocks, or the uphill section of off-camber trails. Again, knowing it’s a prototype dismisses this sort of thing, because you’ll never see it. It’ll pedal just fine with a 359mm BB.
I don’t think the Sqweeb will ever be a carbon-like featherweight ascender. But the plushness of the suspension will win the day.
The Bottom Line
Word. GW Photo.
Though it IS a VERY capable all-rounder, the Sqweeb will most likely not be someone’s first bike. The Sqweeb buyer will be someone with a honed appreciation of bikes who knows exactly what he/she wants. In fact, Chris encourages buyers to reach out to REEB with questions or requests for customization.
Flair available. GW Photo.
Part of the REEB ‘do it yourself’ ethic means they take as much control of the product as possible to ensure speed and quality. Chris and co. already do all their own milling and lathing, but a full-suspension bike requires some specially shaped pieces so Reeb has acquired its own CNC machine to manufacture all linkage parts in their Colorado shop.
She's a beauty. REEB photo.
He’s also thinking of using some hydroformed tubing in areas on the final Sqweeb for both aesthetics and function. Though I’m a huge fan of the purpose-built utilitarian look of the bike now.
I could stare at these welds all day. GW Photo.
Chris says REEB can polish off a bespoke bike in a day or two, with CNC machining in-house. They will offer stock builds, of course, and I loved the one I was on. Raceface cranks, MRP fork and shock, Stan’s (wide) wheels, LEV dropper, mammoth bar. But they will also customize any way you like.
The Reeb Sqweeb should be up on reebcycles.com and ready for purchase orders in February or March of next year. I, for one, look forward to getting on the next prototype or, I hope, a finished one someday.
There’s a coil shock resurgence coming for all-mountain and enduro bikes, and the Sqweeb is on the leading edge of that movement. It's got just enough old-soul brawler in it to make you grin with joy.
If I paired this bike with beer it would be either Oskar's G'Knight or Ten Fidy - because it's smooth, but doesn't fuck around.
Jade Lo
January 20th, 2023
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