Fezzari La Sal Peak Ride Review

The first bike I checked out at Outerbike Crested Butte 2019 was the Fezarri La Sal Peak. This bike is a 160mm/150mm trail/enduro 29er bike. I was riding the base spec version that starts at $3,599 with a full carbon frameset.

That frame features Fezarri’s “Tetra Link” suspension that at its core is a Horst Link. The suspension layout itself is quite simple and you’ll find the minimum number of pivots needed for this type of system. The Tetralink is tuned to have a progressive leverage ratio so it can be paired with a coil shock if desired.

The frame will also clear a 29×2.6in tire and features CleanCatch™ rattle-proof internal cable routing. In addition, 2 water bottles will fit in the front triangle which is an achievement few bike makers can tout in this travel range. The frameset does have some odd angles and it is in the eye of the beholder whether the “chin” on the toptube is pleasing to the eye.

Components and Build

The build I rode was the La Sal Peak Comp. This is the base spec version. It features a RockShox Lyrik RCT3 with 42mm offset in front and a RockShox Super Deluxe RC3 in the back. This suspension setup worked just fine for me after a bit of tweaking of rebound and air pressures.

The drivetrain was a full NX Eagle build and it gave me no trouble. Even down to the NX level I have found SRAM’s 11 and 12 speed offerings to be trouble free. Those concerned about bottom bracket specs will be happy to see a SRAM English Threaded BB.

Braking power was provided by SRAM Guide T brakes. While not the fanciest brakes on the market, they provided consistent stopping power in the gravity focused bike park setting where I was testing this bike.

The rims provided were WTB STP i29 rims which are common on base builds. These were laced to Bear Pawls hubs with a Shimano freehub body to accommodate that NX cassette. These wheels were wrapped in a Maxxis 2.5 WT DHF up front and a 2.5WT Aggressor in the back. The dropper was a X-Fusion Manic that performed just fine.

Ride Impressions

Initially this bike did not stand out to me in either a good way or a bad way. It just felt like a trail bike. Not much more, not much less. That was a good initial sign.

As I rode a bit more I found that I needed to add a bit of pressure to the fork to keep it from feeling like it was diving. In retrospect I believe the reason the bike was feeling this way was because it was equipped with a longer stem and has a bit shorter reach than some other bikes in this category. This combination meant that I was over the front end a bit more that I should have been. The shorter reach and steep seat tube angle combination made the bike feel a bit too cramped for my liking.

I also found that I needed to slow down the rebound a bit to keep from being a little nose heavy off jumps. After doing this I found that I was bottoming out the rear suspension so I needed to add a bit of pressure. I felt like this got the Tetra Link running pretty well.

The Tetra Link overall didn’t fare as well in fast and rough sections of trail with repeated hits. It felt a bit harsh and didn’t have that bottomless feel. While on climbing and pedally sections however, the suspension felt very supportive with little pedal-bob. I also found the suspension did respond well to pumping sections of trail and seemed to preserve energy well and allow me to build speed with the bike.

The steep seat tube angle meant that seated climbing was enjoyable without any front wheel wandering. When thinking about the climbing and fast downhill sections found in Crested Butte, the La Sal Peak struck me as a bike and suspension platform that would be best suited to someone who is looking for a longer travel trail bike that they’ll be pedaling up hill a lot of the time. I wouldn’t characterize the La Sal Peak as in any way not capable on fast downhill sections, but it seems to be biased more to turning the cranks while riding.

All of the components on the bike worked together well. The brakes held up in the park and the NX Eagle drivetrain was flawless. The X-Fusion Manic dropper performed well and I honestly didn’t even need to think about it.

Conclusion

As mentioned above overall the La Sal Peak struck me as a pedalers enduro bike. While not a standout in any particular segment of trail the La Sal Peak did well across the board. The shorter reach and a bit finicky suspension were my two main complaints. As an all round, one-bike-quiver, type trail bike, the Fezarri La Sal Peak performed very well.

Ride Review Video