How to Choose Mountain Bikes

This product is not available.
With a stiff, strong hydroformed aluminum frame and go-anywhere blend of cross-country and all-mountain performance, the GHOST SLAMR X5.9 bike sets the bar for long-travel 29er MTBs.
Shop similar productsImported.
Best Use | Mountain Biking |
---|---|
Frame | Ghost AMR aluminum |
Mountain Bike Style | All-mountain |
Bike Suspension | Full Suspension |
Fork | RockShox 35 Gold RL 29 150mm |
Fork Travel | 150 millimeters |
Rear Shock | RS SUPER DELUXE Select +, RT, DEBONAIR, 145mm travel |
Crankset | SRAM Descendant Eagle Dub, 32t chainring |
Bottom Bracket | SRAM Dub Pressfit |
Shifters | SRAM NX Eagle |
Rear Derailleur | SRAM NX Eagle |
Rear Cogs | SRAM PG1210 Eagle, 11-50t |
Number of Gears | 12 |
Brake Type | Hydraulic Disc Brake |
Brakes | TRP Quadiem, 180mm rotors |
Brake Levers | TRP Quadiem |
Rims | DT Swiss M502, 32h |
Front Hub | Alloy disc sealed boost, 15 x 110mm |
Rear Hub | Novatec alloy disc sealed boost, 12 x 148mm |
Wheel Size | 29 inches |
Tires | Front: Maxxis Minion DHF 29 x 2.5 in. 3C MaxxTerra, EXO; Rear: Maxxis Minion DHRII 29 x 2.4 in. 60tpi, folding, EXO/TR/WT |
Tire Width | 2.5 inches 2.4 inches |
Handlebar Shape | Riser Bar |
Handlebar | GND51 35mm bore, 15mm rise, 780mm wide |
Stem | GND51, 35mm |
Seat Post | JD dropper with remote |
Dropper Post | Yes |
Saddle | Ergon SMD20 Comp Stealth |
Pedals | Not included |
Headset | Strummer semi-integrated |
Chain | SRAM SX Eagle |
Weight | Unavailable |
Gender | Unisex |
S | M | L | XL | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Reach | 398 | 422 | 446 | 476 |
Stack | 609 | 615 | 619 | 628 |
Effective Top Tube | 569 | 595 | 621 | 655 |
Seat Tube Center-Top | 420 | 460 | 480 | 500 |
Standover Height | 753 | 764 | 766 | 798 |
Head Tube Length | 100 | 105 | 110 | 120 |
Head Tube Angle (degrees) | 65.5 | 65.5 | 65.5 | 65.5 |
Seat Tube Angle (degrees) | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 |
Wheelbase | 1157 | 1183 | 1209 | 1243 |
Chainstay | 438 | 438 | 438 | 438 |
Measurements are stated in millimeters unless otherwise indicated.
Adding a review will require a valid email for verification
POSITIVES: Modern trail bike geometry, competitive specs for the price (fork, shock, drivetrain, etc.), it's a good value if you are a member and are getting the dividend back. Bike came with a heavy rubber chainstay/chain slap protector. There's none shown in the website photo, so that was a nice surprise. The combo of 150mm/145mm travel and 29" wheels means you literally can hit curbs head-on, at speed, and it barely flinches. The 4-piston brakes are a nice upgrade not usually found at this price point. NEGATIVE: I feel there is a major design flaw in the routing of the rear derailleur cable. This cable runs in an open channel on the side of the chainstay. This channel is directly adjacent to the front chainring. The cable is not secured in the open channel - it's just pushed in with a friction fit - so the cable easily works itself "proud" of the chain stay. This leads the cable to make contact with the chainring, potentially destroying the cable. My cable was essentially in direct contact with the chainring upon taking the bike out of the box. If I didn't notice it right away I'm sure I would have damaged the cable in the first 5 minutes. (There was also a big scratch on the chainstay paint right out of the box, but that's a minor concern right now.) Since bikes are pretty hard to find at the moment, I'll just deal with it for now. I first tried zip ties to secure the cable flush to the chainstay, but the chainstay is tapered so they slide forward. Right now I have Gorilla tape wrapped around the chainstay to hold the cable flush. Only other complaint is the bike is spec'd on the website with a nice Ergon saddle, but mine came with a cheapo "XLC" brand. If you can't find a different brand and don't mind running some heavy tape on the chainstay from day 1, I'd say buy it. Otherwise don't bother. I feel I'm going to be concerned about my shifter cable being destroyed at any moment if I don't keep a close eye on it. With redesigned chainstay cable routing I'd give this 4 or 5 stars, no question, but this is too major of a fault to look past.
Why in the world would a bike company have an exposed cable right next to the chainring? Are you serious guys? C’mon. Literally 1mm of clearance between the chainring and the cable, I understand it as a cosmetic thing, it looks dope! However, friction doesn’t always hold things in place and it’s routed through the rear triangle which on a full suspension bike, MOVES. That out of the way, this bike is a crazy good value. All SRAM and RockShox, dropper, decent DT Swiss wheels, solid engaging hub and killer tires are why I chose this $2500 bike over a similarly speced salsa that cost almost $1000 more. This bike was made for me and I’m looking forward to beating the heck out of it. And if you’re not a member just sign up, I mean I’m getting $250 back on this purchase, how can you go wrong?
I was a little doubtful at first as we call know its slim picking for MTB right now. This was one of the very few available. I keep hearing about this one having a design flaw and that it’s flawed and that that flaw is bad. As I would be buying this from REI. I thought to myself well simple enough if its flawed ill take it back. Once I got the bike first thing I did was a little DIY to make sure that derailleur cable doesn’t get close to the sprocket. Simply I just put electrical tape very tightly around it. After about 40 miles all is great. I have no fear that thing will get chewed up. Getting to the most important part of this review are my thoughts on the frame and components. I must say im over all impressed. I notice that I will be wanting to upgrade a few things but that will be some time in the future as right now I’m very content. If I had to say what I would like to upgrade would be the brakes then the SRAM NX mechanism. Other than that I’m totally liking the fork and the rear shock. Can’t beat it at its discounted price. My .02
Rode bike 2 times before the rain set in here in Fort Mill SC. Bike rides food shifts well it’s a beast but the only think I think about the whole ride is the shifter cable that’s runs along side the chain rail right by the sprocket what a bad Design flaw by ghosts. So Going to find something to do about that without making the bike look out of place and tacky. Really thinking about taking it back and exchanging for the Cannondale habit 4 so I can ride all day without worrying about that cable . But other then that I bought the bike from REI Pineville and what an AWSOME group of guys Rob & Stan Stan put some wire ties on it for me and seems to be holding for the 2 times I’ve rode the bike ..I’m going to take a couple of days to think about the trade or keep it . Cannondale is in stock so I can pick the bike up on arrival. Can’t express enough on the customer service at REI Pineville.. Thanks Rob & Stan ..
This bike is awesome and so much fun. It’s very confident downhill and a spectacular climber. Great components and an overall solid build. My only complaint is that the Medium can only accept a 22oz bottle. Haven’t run into the cable issue other buyers mentioned after around 80 miles.
Its been couple of weeks since i owned this bike. There are no issue, including the rear derailleur shifter cable casing that runs near the crank, which stays in place. I will keep this review updated after couple of months so! The bike handles really well at vietnam trail networks just outskirts of boston, which is intermediate, advanced trail system. The bike comes with tubes in tire. I am planning to go tubeless in about a month or so.
This bike comes with excellent components and purchasing it from REI will save you tons compared to higher rated brands. This is my first all mountain bike and I have already noticed a few things that need improvement. There is exposed cable literally a hair away from the front cog on the move-able part of the frame. Not sure why its exposed but looks like i could cause problems later. The head tube rattles on rough terrain and makes some noise on landings, so far this is just a noise issue and hasn't caused any problems. Lastly, it didn't come with cable grommets and the cables are constantly rattling inside the tube and at the insertion point. again, all cosmetic issues and this bike has it where it counts. Just wish it wasn't noisy.
I really wanted to like the bike. I liked the feel of it, sat me up on top of everything without being out of balance. Climbing was great even though this thing is heavy. Descent was also smooth. Had a large to begin with and that derailed cable started to bow out after 3 rides. Decided I wanted a smaller frame and the medium now barely fits any bike bottle AND that cable popped out first ride and was already hit by the roter spoke.. needless to say I’m disappointed because it’s a great price with good components but ended up returning.
This is a steal at $2500 with the sale. I thank the early reviewers for trashing the bike because of the exposed cable since this is probably why the bike was available and on sale. Yes, the cable is a design flaw, mine started to cut through on my first ride, but I also love fixing bikes so a little gorilla glue and electrical tape fixed the issue and saved me $500. The bike rides very confidently, has plenty of travel and I haven't had any bottoming out or mushy rebounds. This is my first 1x chainring bike, and.... I don't miss the extra rings. This is also my first 29" bike and the 29 inch wheels with the decent travel and 2.4-2.5 inch tires make you feel confident just barreling over roots and rocks. I also love going uphill and it hasn't slowed me down there either. Haven't gone tubeless yet, been waiting for a puncture... I have put about 200+ miles on it so it has to come soon. The Large size I got is pretty tall, I am 6 ft with a 32 inch inseam, the bike feels big when getting on, but I don't notice it feeling big when riding. Get it while it lasts. It isn't carbon fiber, but aluminum is so durable and will work with normal bike racks! I ride with a water bladder, but the large holds a normal water bottle. Get it while it lasts.
There is a lot of good with this bike, including the SRAM NX drive train, the Rockshox 35 fork, TRP breaks and the DT Swiss wheels. They all work great, and the frame geometry works well on the tight trails in my area. For being a longer travel bike, it still climbs well and lets you bomb some downhill sections. There is also some bad with this bike, however. For starters, it didn't come as spec'd in the REI description, it came with a different no-name dropper post (which is already starting to develop significant play), and different seat that I've never heard of (not a big deal since I put my own WTB on it anyway). REI also custom spec'd this bike from Ghost (confirmed by Ghost after a conversation with their seriously AWSOME customer service!), so it comes with a Rockshox Super Deluxe Select +, as opposed to a Crane Creek coil shock that typically comes with this bike. While a good shock, it isn't so good for heavier riders. at 225 LBS, I have the shock maxed out on pressure (320 PSI) w/ a bottomless token added and still bottom out on easy hits (like 2' drops and bunny hops) while being very harsh on bumps. I wish they would of kept the coil shock as spec'd by Ghost. The two biggest critiques I have is the exposed derailleur cable near the front sprocket. While a zip tie and some electrical tape makes it an easy fix, it's something that I am constantly worried about. The other is the play in the front end. I cant pin point exactly where it's at (I think head tube bearings?), but it is significant. Overall, I really do like the bike. The geometry fits me and my riding style perfectly, and for the most part it comes with good stuff on it. A few tweaks from Ghost, and a few less teaks from REI (let the bike manufacture spec out the bike!) and this bike would be perfect!