GHOST  SLAMR 2.9 29" Bike

I used to ride mountain bikes. It has been maybe 10 years since I rode last. I did not know this 29er thing exists! I only had 26" hardtail bike that was quite heavy. I also own a trek road bike. Now I own this Ghost bike and I have ridden it for a while now and know enough to review. First of all I really like the frame geometry. I am 5'8" and weigh 145lbs and got a Medium. It feels just right for me with my reaches but I feel like the stem is slightly too short for me. My ape index is +2.25". Maybe I should change it to 45mm from 35mm. The rear suspension does not move much while you pedal. The full suspension bike I rode 20 years ago went up and down as I pedaled. Things I like about this bike. -Good Components: Considering the price of the bike, it has really good components. Competitor price for the same quality/components is $500-$800 higher. -Full Suspension: Both suspension absorbs the shocks well. I feel like the front suspension should be softer for my weight. (Need to release air.) The rear suspension setting is spot on (25% sag when I stand on bike). Rebound is on the middle setting. -The dropper Post: It is great for going uphills when seat post is up. It is great for going down when dropped. What an invention! -Single gear crankset: I love the ground clearance. Chain does not come out! 12spd is just awesome. Very easy to adjust. No need for 30 speed. -The hydraulic Brakes: It has great stopping power. I am used to mechanical disc brakes (well, 10 years ago.) -The long wheelbase: Very stable -29inch wheels: Can go over obstacles easily. -30mm Wide Rims. I can put 2.8" size tires. -Good Tires: Tubeless ready tires came with the bike. I ordered tubeless conversion kit. (Rim tape, valves, and sealant). Things I am not impressed with this bike -Weight: Not the lightest at 15kg when compared to more expensive models. -Sram Shifter. It was confusing at first. I am used to pull and click with my index finger to make the gear heavier. Choosing heavy gears or light gears, both are operated by pushing by thumb. It shifts very smoothly, though. It took me a week to get used to it. Till then I had to think how to shfit. -Stem: It looks very cheap compared to other part of the bike. -Non adjustable brake levers: Well, they are not adjustable. -Bottle Cage mount: Useless. Maybe I will put a pump. I will need a hydration pack even for a casual riding on a greenway. or you can mount a bottle cage mount on a saddle. -The downtube: It does not have the frame protection. -Stand over height: It sits pretty height. Even the saddle is dropped all the way, My toes touch the ground barely. It makes it harder to restart if you stop in the middle of uphill. (But this is good for the ground clearance.) -The grips came with the bike are not good. Overall this bike is a great buy especially when it was on sale.

I spent over a month looking for the right FS Mountain Bike, and I'm sure you've seen that most bikes you'll come across when shopping for the right one are easily a couple hundred/thousand more than this bike. This bike in my opinion is great for an entry level FS bike, and I have had it for a little over two months now, and have had nothing but great things to say about it. It is a very comfortable ride and perfect for most every day trail riding; shifts very smoothly, the dropper post has been consistent, and the tires are tubeless ready for an easy conversion. Lastly, the all black is so sleek and overall a great looking bike.

The good news is that this bike met 99% of my expectations for the price and feature set. I ride around fifty miles per week over some very rough terrain and the Samr handles it very well. I did replace the saddle due to numbness but I think that may have more to do with being 53 years old than the stock saddle. The one complaint I have is the water bottle holder mounting placement. I purchased a standard size holder and a CamelBak Dirt Series bottle and there is not a chance of getting the bottle in or out of the holder. I understand that being full suspension limits real estate on the frame but it seems like they could have lowered the mounting point enough to get a bottle in and still have room for frame articulation. Not a deal breaker but still frustrating.

I am just now ready for my 6 months service. I am new to full suspension and 1x setups but I love the simplicity. My only concern or issue with the bike is the same as previously stated by other owners, namely problems with the rear brake housing. I had to place zip ties on the frame to prevent the cable housing from being nicked by the chainring. Additionally, the cable housing slides rearward and protrudes inward toward the rear wheel spokes. The cable becomes so tight in the front that it has already cut a groove in the steer tube. I am able to pull the slack out but it quickly slides back again. Hopefully the mechanic at REI can remedy the issue.

I purchased this bike during the spring sale, so it was $1700. At that price, you are comparing to Giant Stance (which was a no-go due to it's quick release rear hub), and a few that were unavailable: Polygon Siskiu T7, Vitus Mythique, and a few other online-only bikes. It handles everything I throw at it. I ride nearly every day, on blue and black diamond trails; and ride 75% singletrack / 25% jump tracks. The Maxxis DHF/DHR setup is great for trails near my house and for my style of riding. These tires are far better than the ones that come on comparable bikes. I would definitely recommend this bike to a budget-conscious, non-expert trail rider.

This was my first full suspension bike and I love it. I'm 5'11 and I got a large frame and it fits perfectly. The only issue I have with it is that after I rode it for the first time I noticed the pedal crank was rubbing on the derailer/brake cable casings. It's a really poor design in that aspect, the cords are exposed right next to the crank and pop out slightly. Every other bike I've looked at has that area covered by the frame, so I don't know why its designed that way. But I fixed by putting some tape over it and that seemed to work.

After some research, I noticed that this bike showed up in a few lists of best mountain bikes for under $2000. I bought the medium size (I'm 5'10) about a week ago and I've been very impressed with the handling and trail-riding. However after a couple of rides, I noticed that the rear derailleur cable keeps popping out and getting clipped by the chain ring. (similar to some of the other reviewers. I've tried using electric tape to hold it down but that's not working. Hopefully I can get a more long-term fix when I bring it in for my 20 hour tuneup at REI.

Really solid value for the money. Similar concerns to others is the Derailler Cable is run way to close to the chain ring and will 100% get snagged. Asked REI Bike tech to reroute the cable externally and zip tie out of the way and should solve the issue. Dont let this scare you away, its not a huge deal and there are a few easy fixes. Notable downside to the bike is the Fork is really soft with little adjustment, should be the first thing to upgrade but its usable.

Bought this bike in March, 2020 and have been riding the heck out of it all Spring, Summer and Fall... mostly on hiking trails along the Kettle Crest (PNWT) that are not bike specific and can be pretty technical: I was a little worried that the size of this bike (29er and XL frame) would be an issue, but after getting used to it, I would never go back to anything that didn't have 29" wheels. The bike will take on anything you can throw at it. I'm 65yo, so a little slower than I used to be, but this bike makes me feel young again. It does have it's issues as noted by others (cable routing at chainring notably), but easily fixed with cable ties, and it's worth noting that the chainring supplied by REI is a 34t, while the one specified by Ghost on their European version is a 32t: I went down to a 30t and don't need the cable ties anymore. I also replaced the SX shifter with a GX, and will eventually upgradet the entire drivetrain to GX or higher, but the SX works fine. Other than that the bike is great.

For the price point, you won't find a better bike in my opinion, a bike for 2000$ that comes with pretty decent hardware all around and rock shox front and back, its a beauty. Never ridden a bike that is 1×12 but holy cow, i have only had it for a few days, and already know I could never go back. Awesome bike and even more amazing customer service to boot. Keep up the good work REI