Ghost Bikes: The Inside Scoop on the 2013 Lineup

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I recently sat down with Tim McDermott, our bike product manager, to find out what’s coming up for Ghost bikes in 2013. Whether you’re a roadie, an urban commuter, a mountain biker, or the proud parent of a little shredder, we’ve got something to get you stoked. Most models are already in stock, and the remainder are expected to arrive by the end of February.

Road Bikes

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Last year, we had only one Ghost road bike on offer. We’ve made a much bigger commitment to the German manufacturer’s road line this year and will have four different models, including the entry level Race 4900. With its aluminum frame, carbon fibre fork, Shimano wheel set, full Tiagra gruppo with a triple crankset, and $1250 price tag, Tim calls it a “super, sharp-looking, wicked, entry-level bike that you can’t beat value-wise.”

Roadies looking for an affordable carbon bike can choose between the Race Lector 7000 and the EBS Race Lector 20^th(celebrating Ghost’s 20^th anniversary). Both have frames and forks made of high quality carbon with no glass fibre or aluminum pieces. They also share identical wheel sets, seat posts, bottom brackets, handlebars, stems, and headsets. The Race Lector 7000 is outfitted with full Shimano 105 components and sells for $2100. The EBS anniversary edition has higher quality Ultegra parts, better Schwalbe tires, and a price tag of $2650.

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Last but not least in the road category is a popular carry-over from last year. Featuring a full Shimano DI2 package and some equally high quality Easton wheels, the Shimano Ultegra DI2 package and some equally high quality Easton wheels, the Race Lector Pro is a beautiful ride. One nice thing about Ghost is that when they do an Ultegra DI2 bike, it’s full Ultegra. You’ll often see other DI2 bikes in this price range, but what you’ll notice is that the shifters and the front and rear derailleurs are DI2, but everything else will have been down-spec’d to meet that price point. At $3900, this full carbon bike is hitting the sub $4000 price point with full Ultegra DI2. According to Tim, “anyone looking at this level of road bike should forget cables and go DI2. Cables are done with.”

Compare all Ghost road bikes

Urban Bikes

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Returning again this year is the Cross 1300, a super solid bike in either a unisex or a woman-specific frame. Unlike the MEC urban models, it has a suspension fork that absorbs shocks, and is equipped with bigger tires. This all-around bike is suited to urban commuting, seawall rides (if you live in Vancouver), easy trails, and gravel paths. It follows Ghost’s aesthetic and offers great value with its $650 price tag.

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New for 2013 is the TR 1800. As with the Cross 1300, this model comes in a unisex frame or a woman-specific one that features a step-through top bar, making it easy to get on and off when you’re wearing a dress or skirt. This urban cruiser comes outfitted with fenders, a rack, a chain guard, and dynamo lights – it’s ready to roll when you buy it. It’s a very popular type of bike in Europe, but we don’t see many in Canada. A bit more expensive at $950, the TR 1800 still offers solid value when you factor in all the quality accessories.

Compare all Ghost urban bikes

Mountain Bikes

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Since this is the largest category of Ghost bikes for MEC, I’ve broken it out by wheel size (26in, 29in, 27.5in), and then by suspension (hardtails, dualies).

26in

All the bikes in this category are returning models. The EBS Comp is an entry level, hardtail mountain bike that can also be used to get to school or work. It was very popular in 2012 and sold out early, so we ordered quite a few more this season. It’s got sharp graphics and definitely looks more expensive than $725.

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The AMR 5900, the AMR Lector 7700, and the Miss AMR 5700 are lightweight full suspension bikes with 120mm of front and rear travel. Their graphics have been updated for 2013, and they feature similar quality componentry to last year. Having tested the woman-specific Miss AMR 5700 last year, I share Tim’s opinion that these are truly fantastic bikes in terms of their versatility. You can ride everything from black diamond trails to buff to race-worthy XC trails anywhere in the country. Tim says, “Their geometry makes them excellent climbers and on the down, you will likely feel as though they have more than 120mm of travel. You seem to be able to ride stuff that you shouldn’t, such as steep technical trails on the Shore, especially when you add a dropper seat post.” All three feature FOX forks and shocks, Alex rims, and 2.25 Schwalbe Nobby Nic tires. Retailing at $2200 and $2100 respectively, the AMR 5900 and Miss AMR 5700 have SLX-level components. With its $3300 price tag, the Lector 7700 is a really good deal for a carbon fibre bike with an XT package.

Compare Ghost 120mm bikes

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Next are the 150mm-travel models, the AMR Plus 5900 at $2800 and AMR Plus Lector 7700 at $3950. These bikes are immensely popular among MEC staff because they’re so versatile. “If you can only have one bike and you want to do everything on it, like ride the North Shore, do the Test of Metal, or do an Enduro race, this is the bike for you,” says Tim. Super light, super fast, awesome geometry – they really are fantastic bikes. Both models feature Talus forks that you can set to 120mm or 150mm. The AMR Plus 5900 has an aluminum frame, an X-fusion back shock and SLX-level components, while the AMR Plus Lector 7700 has a carbon fibre frame and an XT package.

Compare Ghost 150mm bikes

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Also in the 26in category is the Cagua 7000. Very similar to what we had last year, this 170mm-travel bike is, as Tim puts it, “pretty freeride-y.” Built on an aluminum frame and weighing in at about 13.5kg, the Cagua 7000 can still be considered a lightweight bike. You might not want to do an XC race on it, but you’ll have no trouble climbing up Diamond Head, the Fromme service road, or Mount Seymour. Tim explained that “climbing performance is often compromised on higher travel bikes, but not on this model thanks to the efficiency of the rear end and the bike’s overall weight.” The FOX Forx 36 Talas fork has two settings (140/180mm) while the X-Fusion Vector HLR back shock offers 170mm of travel. Brakes and hubs are Shimano Zee, the drivetrain and gearing are Shimano XT, and the price is $4000.

29’r

The hardtail 29er is a good all-around bike for most parts of Canada (maybe not Vancouver, but well-suited to the smoother terrain east of the west coast). This year, we added the SE 2920, an entry-level price point model at $775. It has a nice look and comes with aggressive mountain bike tires, but you can put on slicks and use it as a commuter. One level up is the SE 2970 ($1200). Similar to the 29er we carried last year, the SE2970 has a better fork and higher quality components than the SE 2920, as well as a lighter frame.

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The HTX Lector 2977 is Ghost’s high-end 29er. Tim is really excited about this one. The whole frame features a carbon fibre monocoque design, which means there’s no aluminum or glass fibre in it. Destined for race-level riders, particularly Enduro and XC racers, this lightweight bike has a full XT gruppo on it and sells for $2950.

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All three of our 29er hardtails have 100mm of travel, which Tim explained to me is the sweet spot for this type of bike. As soon as you go over 100mm, the bikes get really tall and long. They tend to lose manoeuvrability on tight, windy trails and it becomes tough to get good speed and flow.

Compare Ghost hardtail 29′r bikes

A new category for us this year is 29er full suspension. The AMR 2955 is the aluminum version and the AMR Lector 2978 has a carbon fibre frame. Both have 110mm of front travel and 100mm of rear travel. The AMR 2955 has an SLX-level group of components with a Rock Shox Reba fork, and the AMR Lector 2978 comes equipped with a FOX fork and full XT package. Some local folks who have ridden this bike – and who have also tested many other bikes – feel it’s as good if not better than anything else in its category. From what Tim tells me, “Ghost really has the geometry dialled on that bike, thanks in part to a shorter chainstay and a fairly low BB. It feels really nice. Many 29er bikes feel slow and sluggish, but this one feels really fast. These are exciting go-anywhere, do-anything bikes, and the price points are really solid.” The aluminum model is $2300; the carbon goes for $3350.

Compare Ghost full suspension 29′r bikes

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27.5in

This isn’t just a new category for us – it’s a new category for the market in general. Some folks refer to it as 650B. The size is right between the 26in and the 29er, and the idea is to have the advantages of the 29er, like stability and the ability to roll over obstacles, with the manoeuvrability of 26in models.

With 27.5in wheels, the bike has a much smaller envelope than a 29er, so it doesn’t feel as tall and it can have longer travel. The Cagua 6540 and Cagua 6550 feature reinforced, lightweight aluminum frames, and have FOX Talas 34mm forks with two settings (160/120mm) and slightly thicker stanchions than what you’d normally see on 160mm bikes. The Cagua 6540 comes equipped with an X-Fusion rear shock, SLX components, and a $3400 price tag, whereas the Cagua 6550 has an XT package and a FOX Float rear shock. Both offer tremendous value. “Technically, the bikes make a lot of sense. I think we’re going to see a lot of people who skipped over the 29er come to this category,” says Tim. For vertically-challenged people such as myself, this size bike is a better option than a 29er.

Compare all Ghost 27.5in bikes

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Kids’ Bikes

Something we’re introducing for 2013 are Ghost kids’ bikes. We’ve had our own MEC models for a couple of years now, and they’ve been a real homerun. Tim decided to pick up the Ghost ones to offer more choice. The nice thing about their bikes is that they have the same graphic patterns as the adult mountain bikes, so they have a big cool factor.

The Powerkid 20in bike is a high-quality 7-speed bike with a solid front fork, Tektro V-brakes, and Shimano shifters, gearing and BB. The Powerkid 24in bike is actually a custom bike that MEC developed in collaboration with Ghost. The big difference with this bike is that it comes with hydraulic disc brakes as opposed to cable-activated ones. The Tektro brakes have adjustable levers, so they fit small hands really well. At $450, it’s not a cheap bike, but it’s still reasonable for a high-end kids’ mountain bike. We’ve had a lot of luck with our kids’ program and this just takes it one step further. The new Powerkid 20 & 24 bikes will hit our stores in mid-February, and will be added to mec.ca as soon as they are available.

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