Revisited: REEB STEEZL

Back in February I wrote in my full review of the REEB STEEZL that I was planning on using the frame as a test platform to swap review parts on and off of. I got along really well with the bike: it’s a great fit for the majority of the riding I do and I appreciate how easy it is to work on, along with its aesthetic. Now, four months later, it’s time to follow up with some more riding impressions, a new paint job, and an updated build.

A color change

I was not a huge fan of “Ectoplazm Green” my original frame came painted in - I’m just not a green guy. Luckily, I was looking for an excuse to put together a custom blingy paint job and graphics package anyway, so I stripped the frame down and handed it off to Patrick at Wild Style Paint Booth. We picked out a snazzy pink sparkle with a bluish undercoat that changes tint depending on the light, and Patrick went to town prepping the frame.

This was also a great opportunity to check and replace the frame bearings. The STEEZL doesn’t have the most robust bearing sealing around, and a few other riders had their way with the frame before I got my hands on it, so the bearings were due for a replacement. This was a mostly straightforward process - only one of the bearing sets lives in the front triangle, with the rest housed in the links, or press-in cups mounted to that front triangle. I managed to get them all replaced at home with a basic press and punch set.

While Patrick was busy spraying down the front triangle in a color reminiscent of another mountain bike media outlet’s eponym, I whipped out the trusty Cricut vinyl plotter and chopped up a sticker kit for the bike. I’m a big fan of Art Nouveau and Deco illustration flourishes and motifs, so I mashed up a bunch of elements and made some stickers.

We could have painted these designs directly onto the frame, but I appreciate the flexibility of a sticker kit. It’s easier logistically, and I can always change it up in the future if I feel like it.

Finally, because I am a dork, I took some Mothers Aluminum Polish to the rear triangle and links. They were a little scuffed up, and it’s really satisfying to make things shiny with Mothers compound.

This deep dive into the frame reinforced my impression that this is a bike I’ll be happy to live with and work on for years. The tolerances and alignment are excellent, and it’s a joy to work on.

Ride impressions

I love getting to try out lots of bikes, but there’s something really exciting about my bike, the bike I know really well, my default that I can hop on and always feel at home. That was the Steezl before the revamp, and it took all of one ride post-paint to get it back dialed and feeling good. The last few weeks have reinforced my love for this chassis. It’s super predictable, and gives me exactly the feedback I want from the bike.

I primarily ride the STEEZL on familiar trails, and it’s remarkable how much cleaner diving into corners feels and how much more confidently I can reach for landings on this bike than most review bikes. As I mentioned in the full review, it has fairly “normal” geometry, and that geo, paired with my familiarity with the bike, gives me a little extra edge of composure and pleasure on the bike. That’s not necessarily because the STEEZL is “better” than other review bikes, but it’s a great reminder that there’s a lot to be said with familiarity and predictability.

Current build

I’ve done a lot of swapping and experimenting with the STEEZL’s build, but the current setup should stay pretty static for the next few months with just some small changes. It’s primarily composed of parts I’ve reviewed already, so this is a great excuse to go back and give some long term updates to those reviews.

In retrospect, it’s a little hilarious how mismatched this build is. There’s no tire, wheel, or suspension consistency. I chose the build based on parts I like, not brand loyalty.

Small parts

My one frustration with the STEEZL frame was its stock seat post clamp. Luckily the Wolftooth one I replaced it with has been excellent, and more importantly, is purple.

The headset is also a Wolftooth affair. I went with their premium press-in headset offering. It does headset things, and has been creak free.

I mounted the same Specialized Zee Bottle Cage that’s been on every bike I’ve owned since 2015. It works well, and I’ve developed a weird bit of nostalgia for this cage - thanks Mitch. If I was proper bougie, I’d have some sort of bespoke titanium cage, but I’m not, and I like this one a lot. Under it is mounted a Jank Components “everything including the pump” bracket that lets me keep an AXS battery, Dynaplug, and OneUp pump with Climb Switch handy on the frame of the bike so I don’t need to wear a pack.

In the steer tube is a Specialized SWAT tool. I’m allergic to star nuts and this tool has moved from bike to bike with me for the last four years. In honor of the STEEZL’s new colorway, I polished the cap. I love this tool and its spring loaded carrier.

Finally, I added some VHS Tape to the chainstay to quiet down chain slap. The STEEZL’s stock pad was a little thin and loud.

Drivetrain

I still really like SRAM’s GX Transmission . It just does the dang thing. I have had a few really harsh crashes onto, or suspended by, another GX Transmission derailleur, and I’ve been really impressed by its durability. In one instance, I caught a stump with the derailleur as I dropped into a steep chute. I put a lot of force into the derailleur, and then went OTB, leaving my bike hanging on the stump. The Transmission derailleur rotated back on its mount, but was easy to reset, and has worked perfectly since. I’m a big fan.

Yes, my chain has two master links in it right now. I promise I’ll swap it out soon. My chain is also two links shorter than SRAM’s recommendation for the STEEZL, which helps quiet chain slap and has been working fine.

Pulling that chain is North Shore Billet’s Tallon Crankset in the 160 mm length. It’s still excellent, and I’m still sold on the shorter length. It also looks really good with that polished rear end. It’s spinning smoothly in NSB’s threaded bottom bracket .

The pedals are actually the part of this build that I’m least committed to right now. I’m using Tenet’s Omen V2 pedal, which has great grip and is made locally. However, I don’t have a great durability track record with these, and am excited to get on Deity’s new flat pedal options.

Brakes

I’m riding these super secret, yet-to-be-released Shimano brakes, they’re called the “Saint.” Wait, actually, these came out in 2013! All jokes aside, I’m working on a high-powered-brake roundup, and figured I needed to get time on a new set of Saints instead of the ten year old pair I’ve been riding. Turns out that Saints are still excellent. Spending time with them again is a great reminder of why they’ve been my default big bike brake for ages, and I’m excited to compare them to SRAM’s new Maven , along with the Hayes Dominion .

Of course, the finned pads rattle, and I haven’t gotten around to fixing that with mastic tape yet. But dang, Saints are still rad! They’re often available for a low price, and I’m pretty convinced that if Shimano released them now, in 2024, they’d still be worthy of a hype train. It’s wild how right Shimano got these brakes more than ten years ago.

I’ve got 203 mm rotors front and rear, because Shimano sides with Andrew .

Cockpit and seatpost

Tenet’s Nora stem clamps my bars to my steer tube. It’s classy looking, and made locally, which is always a plus. Those bars are Title’s 50 mm rise option, left at their full 800 mm width. I’m a big fan of the higher rise, and have been playing around with even higher bars on another bike. The ride quality of the Title bar is fairly neutral, not overly stiff or impressively compliant.

Tenet also takes care of the grips; their Icons are by far my favorite grips right now. They wear out relatively fast, but they feel too good for me to give up. Yes, I know, I need to try push-on grips again, but for now, I love these.

The most important item on the bars is the Spurcycle bell. I ride multi-use pathways to get to the trails, and it’s vital in communicating with other users. I held out for years, using cheaper bells, but it turns out the Spurcycle is worth the hype. It’s durable and looks and sounds really good. Now, I just need to save up and outfit the rest of the bikes in the garage with one.

Out back, I’ve got the KS Lev Circuit wireless dropper post. I’m reviewing it right now. I like how it looks, and how easy it is to install, but that’s about it. The clamp is not very good, and I don’t enjoy having to keep a proprietary battery charged. That said, it works just fine. I’ll probably go back to a wired dropper soon though, until BikeYoke drops their long-rumored wireless Revive.

On top of that post, there’s an Ergon SM Enduro Comp saddle. I got it years ago and it keeps my tender bits comfy. Yes, it’s pushed forward and pointed down… that’s a Cy problem, not a REEB problem. My saddles have looked like that for the better part of a decade and I’m not changing now.

Suspension

Up front I’m still running the Manitou Mezzer. I gushed about this fork in my review , but it bears repeating that I’m a big fan. Two things worth noting: I had some CSU noise pipe up a month or so ago. Manitou replaced the CSU through their regular warranty and support system in less than a week, for free. Yes, creak-free forks would be ideal, but I’m stoked that Manitou stands behind their product. I’m still digging the Mezzer at 170 mm, although the STEEZL feels a little more like an all-day trail bike with a 160 mm Lyric.

Second: this fork is really sensitive to air pressures. Initially, when I put it back on the REEB it was feeling very firm, and borderline harsh. I took just 2 PSI out of the main chamber and all was well again. Any time a brand gives riders more options to tune suspension, it also opens up more options to make that same suspension feel like crap. Read the instructions, and beware that small changes make a big difference.

Out back, there’s a RockShox Vivid. I was bouncing between a Super Deluxe air and a Super Deluxe coil, and decided to just split the difference. The Vivid does a really good job of doing that: it’s a lot lighter than the coil, but significantly more sensitive off the top than the Super Deluxe air. I’m running it with two clicks of HBO since I’ve had a couple of harsh bottom out moments on the STEEZL.

It’s set at 62.5 mm of stroke, for 155 mm of rear wheel travel. I considered running it at 65 mm for 162 mm of travel, but decided to stay short so that I can run 29” wheels in the future if I so desire. The Vivid also got a custom sticker treatment, just because.

Wheels and tires

Up front I’ve got a Forge+Bond AM 30 wheel mounted with a Schwalbe Tacky Chan in Super Trail casing and Super Soft compound. I’m still a fan of the Forge+Bond ride quality: it’s excellent, and most noticeable up front, under my hands.

The Tacky Chan is a very fun front tire on familiar trails where I know my cornering and braking points well. It rolls fairly fast, and grips well either in a straight line or fully on edge. However, it’s not a tire that responds well to half-committing to corners. You want to either be on edge, driving the cornering knobs, or upright. Between those two positions, the tire has a fairly large vague spot with inconsistent grip. That’s awesome for going fast on familiar trails, less so for working my way down steeper, more technical trails where I’m not sure what the terrain is about to do. I’m trying to consciously work on my cornering this summer, and the Tacky Chan does a great job of keeping me honest.

Out back I’m running a 27.5” Roval Traverse HD 240. This poor wheel has been through a lot and hasn’t flinched. No truing, no loose spokes, nothing scarry. I recently cleaned and lubed the drive mechanism, but that’s it, after almost a year of hard riding. I have a long-seated love for the Maxxis Minion SS as a rear tire, so I’m running that right now, in EXO casing. It’s wild how much quicker this light weight, fast-rolling tire spins along the trail than even something like a Dissector. Yes, it’s exciting on steep, loose trails, or in the wet, but it’s another great incentive to commit harder to corners.

I’m not running an insert, yet. Instead I’m pushing my pressures higher than usual (28 psi currently) in an effort to keep the sidewalls supported and avoid pinch flats. I may end up slipping an insert in at some point, or bouncing back up to a DoubleDown casing, but for now, I love the snappy ride quality this lighter tire gives the bike.

For now

So there you have it, my favorite bike, with (mostly) my favorite parts. Don’t call it a dream build, but I do get really excited every time I get to ride this bike. Now I just need to come up with a name for it…

Update: It's the Pink Pony. Duh. Of course. Happy Pride.