An all mountain/trail bike with 130mm of rear travel, 27.5″ wheels and a full carbon frame.

An all mountain/trail bike with 130mm of rear travel, 27.5″ wheels and a full carbon frame.​

The Lowdown: GHOST Riot 7 LC Trail Bike

GHOST is a German bike brand that is new to the U.S. for 2015 and their bikes are sold exclusively through REI. Since our First Look article a couple of months ago, REI has expanded their GHOST offerings from 1 model to 29 models including women's specific mountain bikes, road bikes, hardtails (with 27.5" or 29" wheels) and even commuters. The GHOST Riot 7 LC is an all mountain/trail bike with 130mm of rear travel, 27.5" wheels and a full carbon frame. If you are the type of person that likes to be unique and stand out from the crowd, buying and riding a GHOST will definitely appeal to you. Besides its full carbon construction, the Riot 7 LC utilizes a very unique suspension design that delivers an active ride.

For more back story and a video profile of GHOST the company, see the First Look Feature: GHOST Riot 7 LC feature from January.

Intended Use: All-mountain, trailWheel Size: 27.5-inches
Travel: 130mm rear; 130mm frontWheelset: Easton Vice
Weight: 26.87 pounds (size S, with tubes)Frame Material: UHM/HM Carbon
Drivetrain: Shimano XTMSRP: $5,699
Suspension: FoxRating:
4 Flamin' Chili Peppers
4 Chilis-out-of-5
Stat Box
In the same league: Felt Virtue 1, Cannondale Trigger Carbon 2, Santa Cruz 5010, Trek Fuel EX 9.8 27.5, Specialized Camber 29, Giant Trance Advanced 27.5 1


Pluses

Minuses
  • A unique bike from a unique brand with a unique suspension design
  • Complex suspension design can make clean-up a chore
  • Comes in 5 sizes (XS, SM, MD, LG, XL) to fit riders of all sizes
  • Desperately needs a remote lockout for the rear shock
  • Active modified four-bar suspension
  • Love it or hate it graphics (only 1 choice)
  • Nice internal cable routing
  • 1x drivetrain would be optimal
  • Solid Shimano XT component spec
  • Stock saddle too hard and flat
  • Excellent Fox suspension
  • Could stand to lose a bit of weight
  • Rock Shox Reverb Stealth included
  • Cash Back on purchase for REI Members, Free First Tune-up

Full Review: 2015 GHOST Riot 7 LC

GHOST uses what they call their RIOT-Link suspension design and it is a modified four bar linkage style. With the expiration of Specialized's US patent on the FSR design, we expect many more foreign brands to bring their bikes to the US. Brands like Polygon and YT Industries have already started and they are using a consumer direct business model with them. GHOST has taken a different and unique route by using REI as their sole US retailer. One key point that should be mentioned before I go much further, is that although the $5699 suggested retail price might seem high, it is totally worth it join REI and become a member, in order to receive 10% back on all purchases including GHOST bikes. If you calculate the REI Member Dividend into the price, you are only paying $5130 for this bike. (Note: an REI membership costs $20.)

The GHOST Riot 7 LC provides an active suspension design that works well in soaking up the hits, both big and little. One thing to note for first time buyers is that the Riot requires a bit of suspension break-in. Pretty much ALL forks and shocks go through a break-in period, but the Riot design is particularly sensitive to this. If you base your opinion of the Riot on one ride of a brand new bike, it may not be as plush as you would like. Give it a solid 4 or 5 rides and your patience will be rewarded with the type of cush you seek. Close attention should be paid to setup as well. You will find that the Riot likes to run with 30% sag, instead of the usual 20-25%.

That said, the active suspension will bob while climbing if the shock is in full open mode. That isn't to say that the climbing is inefficient. For tricky, rocky climbs setting the shock to "trail" and staying seated provided plenty of traction. Of course, for long, extended climbs you will want to lock the shock out. This reminds us a bit of the Scott Genius line that liked to be run with more sag than usual and benefited from a bar mounted remote lockout for the climbs.

The rear caliper directly onto the X12 axle.

The rear caliper directly onto the X12 axle.​

Another unique feature of the Riot 7 LC, is that the rear brake caliper is mounted to the rear axle and not the frame. GHOST claims that this makes the frame stronger and lighter by removing the stress of the brake caliper mount from the frame. While we are unable to measure these claims, we can say that we did not feel any benefit or detriment to this mounting position. We are not sure if this is a "German" thing or not, but almost all the bolts on this bike are Torx bolts. From the linkage bolts to the cable port bolts to the water bottle cage bolts, all Torx. Not good or bad, but different. Be sure the multi-tool you carry has Torx.

Continue to page 2 for more on the GHOST Riot 7 LC and full photo gallery »

The Suspension - a closer look

We called this a "modified" four bar linkage design, because the Riot uses a "floating" rear shock. Besides the linkages compressing the shock from the top, there is a series of scissor linkages that attach to the shock from below. Most of this is hidden by the frame near the bottom bracket. To help illustrate exactly how the suspension compresses, we have this short video showing the shock compressing when all the air has been released.



GHOST describes the RIOT-link as, "a mechanical system using a full floating shock that is compressed from both sides. The system offers higher pedal efficiency, matchless sensitivity through the first 80% of the travel and high progressivity during the last 20% of the travel, making it impossible to bottom out."

While we wouldn't call the sensitivity "matchless", it does handle the chatter and the big stuff well. The suspension does appear to be hard to bottom out, because even when we took all the air out of the shock, the travel indicator grommet on the shock shaft never fell off the bottom. However, this doesn't mean that if you take it off a huge drop that you will never run out of suspension (because you will).

A non-driveside view of the complex bottom linkages.

A non-driveside view of the complex bottom linkages.​

One drawback to such a sophisticated design is that if you ride in muddy conditions, the complex series of linkages can be a bear to clean. There is a rather large access port on the bottom of the bike that exposes the linkages to further grit and grime. We recommend taking a trip to the hardware store and looking for a pipe grommet of some sort to plug the hole (if you find one that fits, buy a few because you know it will fall out eventually).

The GHOST Riot is one of those bikes that likes to be pushed hard and can handle just about anything that is thrown at it. Yes, the Fox 32 fork may not be beefy enough for bigger, less finesse-style riders, but don't forget that this is a 130mm trail bike, not a 160mm enduro race bike.

Suspension design aside, the overall geometry of the Riot strikes a good balance for when things get rowdy and for climbing duty. Our size small test bike weighed in at 26.87 lbs. and this is lighter than other carbon bikes in this price range, but we'd still like to see it lose a bit of weight which would also help out on the climbs. The 68 degree head tube angle and 74 degree seattube angle provide a stable, yet nimble balance. For a full geometry chart, see the photo gallery below. The short headtube is also a welcome sight, especially on smaller frames, it helps keep the front end from getting too high.

The Ghost Riot 7 LC is a capable bike that is fun to ride.

The Ghost Riot 7 LC is a capable bike that is fun to ride.​

Parts Mix

The solid Shimano XT build kit is hard to argue with in regards to performance and price. Add in the XT stoppers with 180mm rotors front and rear and you're solid. Sure, a 2x10 drivetrain is not as sexy as a 1x, but we're sure this was done to keep the bike at a certain pricepoint. Other models of the Riot do offer 1x options, at a premium. The GHOST branded stem and bars fit us well and performed great.

For the suspension side of things, the Fox 32 Float FIT CTD worked great. Were there times we wished it was a 34? Yes, but depending on how hard you ride and where you ride, the 32 should serve most riders purposes. The Fox Float CTD rear shocks also worked well, when we dialed in the suspension to about 30% sag. The two Fox units together provided an active, balanced ride.

Our test bike came with Schwalbe's Hans Dampf tires, but the stock spec is Schwalbe Nobby Nics. Some riders like Nobby Nics, some don't. We have used Nobby Nics without issue on other bikes and consider them to be a solid choice. Tires are easy to change, anyway. The Easton Vice wheelset isn't as sexy as carbon hoops, but this is again a price point decision. For what we didn't like about the parts mix, read below.

What we'd change

Our biggest complaints about this bike are the lack of a remote lockout for the rear shock, the saddle and the weight. First off, with such an active suspension design, even in Trail mode, there is a bit of suspension bob. A remote would go a long way in helping out the climbing ability of the Riot. Saddles are highly subjective, but we are not fans of the GHOST branded Selle Italia X1 model that came on our bike. It was too flat and too hard. We replaced it with a WTB Volt carbon and added comfort and saved some weight. Finally, for a bike in this price range, it would be nice if it were a bit lighter. Running the tires tubeless helps and upgrading to a lighter wheelset is the last thing you will need to change.

Going down or climbing up, the Riot 7 LC did both well.

Going down or climbing up, the Riot 7 LC did both well.​

2015 GHOST Riot Line Overview

GHOST RIOT LCGHOST RIOT LT LC
GHOST Riot 9 LC Shimano XTR componentsGHOST Riot LT 10 LC SRAM XX1 components
GHOST Riot 7 LC Shimano XT componentsGHOST Riot LT 8 LC Shimano XT components
GHOST Riot 5 LC Shimano SLX/DeoreGHOST Riot LT 6 LC Shimano SLX/Deore

Currently, only the Riot 7 LC is available from REI in the U.S. However, the full line-up from GHOST includes a higher kitted model (Shimano XTR) and a lower kitted model (Shimano SLX/Deore). In Germany, GHOST also has the LT (long travel) versions of the Riot available, also in 3 models. The LT models have the same 130mm of rear travel, but they are mated to 150mm travel forks. We will try and find out if REI plans to expand the Riot offerings here in the U.S.

EDIT: We have checked with our sources and REI will be carrying the Riot 9 LC (online) as well. They will also be bringing in the Riot LT 8 LC later. Due to the port slow downs, only the MD and LG sizes of the Riot 7 LC are available, but as soon as the inventory comes in, REI will update their site with more sizes (they would rather sell only what they have on hand instead of taking back orders for sizes not in inventory).

Bottom line

The GHOST Riot 7 LC provides a good option for the rider that is looking for something different and unique from every other bike out there. The German engineering provides a solid, stable platform for the rider that enjoys the downhills and railing berms but still wants something that won't wear them down on the climbs. The 27.5" wheels provide an excellent choice for the rider upgrading from 26" tires. The active suspension was plush, such that we noticed it had a tendency to soak up our preload efforts over small to midsize jumps. Not a deal breaker, but if you like bikes that are poppy and playful you might want to look elsewhere. With the right tire setup (tubeless), the Riot will provide many miles of fun. With REI's member benefits, you get even more value, a free first tune-up and of course, REI's satisfaction guarantee. If you do not live anywhere near an REI location, REI will ship bikes to anywhere (Alaska and Hawaii included) in the U.S.

For more information visit www.ghost-bikes.com

To view the available line of GHOST bikes from REI visit www.rei.com