Three years ago, Forbidden Bike Company burst on to the scene with their first bike - The Druid. Centred around their ‘Trifecta’ linkage design, this bike took the industry by surprise. Seldom seen in the modern era at the time, The Druid was a 130mm travel idler equipped, high single pivot 29er trail bike boasting a 100% rearward axle path and a front to rear sizing ratio which was maintained across all sizes. In a market flooded with Horst Link and dual link style bikes Forbidden came in swinging with a design which had a genuine point of difference. The Druid garnered praise not only for being different but also for taking a risk in what was Forbidden’s first offering.
Now, Forbidden are back with their new Enduro bike named the Dreadnought – and it carries with it all the buzz words and promises to get a gravity rider such as myself salivating. Longer travel, more capable, available in mixed wheel or full 29” – the team from Forbidden have ticked the boxes. But how does it stand up in the current market, and does it deliver on exceeding the expectations set by the Druid? Over the past 3 years we have seen quite a few other high pivot and virtual high pivot bikes come to the market such as the GT Force, Norco Range and
