Forbidden Druid V2 Review: Is A High Pivot Bike For You? [Video]

Words by Jared Erickson

When we first learned Forbidden was launching a new version of their all mountain slaying Druid, we were quite excited. Then when I learned that Worldwide was going to become a dealer for Forbidden, truthfully, I became giddy like a schoolboy who just found out his crush is single. This was a bike and brand that has piqued my interest ever since the first iteration of the Druid came across my path when a customer brought a frame in for us to build up for him. I've ridden high pivot bikes before like the Deviate Claymore which we reviewed, but the shorter travel and design of the Druid has intrigued me for some time now. The unique suspension layout paired with seriously good looks, modern geometry and well thought out details seemed to spell out a great bike, and now this new version promises to improve on the original in many ways. Let's see how it stacks up in the real world, and let's see if the high pivot witchcraft is legit. 

Details

The Druid V2 is available in either a full 29" or mixed wheel configuration, and is offered in three build kits plus a frame only option. It utilizes 150mm of front travel and 130mm of rear travel, realized by an inverted four bar high pivot suspension design. Yes that sounds like a lot of technical mumbo jumbo, but in reality the design is essentially a common four bar design that's tweaked and flipped upside down in order to create that rearward axle path. At 5'11", I opted for the full 29er in the S3 size, due to the nature of our local trails. My S3 has a 480mm reach, 65 degree Head Tube Angle and 77 degree Seat Tube Angle.

The build is Forbidden's SRAM X0 AXS build featuring, you guessed it, a SRAM X0 transmission, Code Ultimate brakes, RockShox Lyrik Ultimate fork, RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate Rear Shock, Crankbrothers Synthesis Carbon wheels, and a OneUp dropper post topped with an Ergon SM Pro saddle, my bums favorite. I've swapped out the stock Burgtec cockpit for a 35mm rise Trail One Crockett Carbon bar and 32mm Rockville stem plus a set of Hell's Gate grips, and a Maxxis Assegai EXO+ MaxxGrip tire in the front along with a Maxxis Aggressor Double Down in the rear, instead of the stock EXO and EXO+ tires, respectively. Photos show Crankbrothers' Mallet Trail pedals equipped although I've since swapped back to my Mallet E's for more enduro focused riding.

Other notable details include a threaded bottom bracket, room for a large water bottle in the front triangle, a tool accessory mount underneath the top tube, in-frame storage, integrated chainstay protection, press in headset cups, a standard ISCG 05 bash guard mount, and secured cable ports to keep things quiet and tidy. Essentially, Forbidden went for a no BS approach to their design which thankfully omitted any sort of trendy standards and features. TLDR: No silly headset cable routing or superboost rear ends to see here. Speaking of cables, there are no internal cable guides so you'll want to use some foam tubes on the housings in order to keep them from rattling around inside the frame. On the plus side, this makes for easy setup for riders who prefer a moto-style brake setup. All things considered, the Druid integrates well thought out details that riders have come to expect out of modern mountain bikes.

On Trail Impressions

When it comes down to it, the Druid is one of the most unique and capable bikes I've ridden that claims to have 130mm of rear travel. The Druid has an absolutely insatiable appetite for chunk that pushes you to go faster and take more challenging lines, or totally forgo line choice and completely plow through everything in your path. The balanced geometry combined with the way the bike remains so composed at speed in technical sections really allows the rider to remain centered on top of the bike and change direction or manage the terrain with ease. To say this bike punches way above its travel range would be cliche, but it would also be accurate. Instances where I have felt as though I was limited by the amount of travel or the geometry of the Druid were very rare. With this bike, you are either limited by your tire choice, skill, courage, or a combination of all of the above. 

During my time on this bike, I've been extremely impressed with the Druid in how versatile it is, and how well it manages various trails. While pedaling, the steep seat tube angle really puts you in a great position over the cranks to put the power down, and paired with a higher rise bar it creates a comfortable cockpit setup for all day missions. Versatility-wise, the Druid has continued to surprise me. I've been able to take it out for shuttle laps, bike park days, all day missions with tons of climbing, casual local loops and everything in between. Like I alluded to earlier, the bike really enjoys being pushed hard like an enduro bike, yet it still has that fun trail bike character that rewards your inputs and enjoys boosting off side hits, rocks and roots all while allowing you to hunker down and plow through the chunder when you want to. In many ways, it's one of the best all rounders I've had the pleasure of riding and owning, with only a couple of minor critiques that I'll elaborate on later.

When it comes to living with this bike over the last year, it has been extremely durable, easy to work on and just downright fun to ride. All the pivot hardware is easily manageable and the suspension linkage is easily rebuildable. All of the main bearings are contained in the link which makes things very simple, aside from the two bearings in the chainstay/seatstay junction. I've only had to clean and grease the hardware in the main link once over the course of nearly a year and the bearings were still spinning incredibly smoothly. 

Another notable part of the riding experience of this bike is how quiet it is. The chainstay protector, idler pulley and excellent clutch on the SRAM Transmission does a great job of mitigating any chainslap, and the configurable cable ports do a great job of keeping those pesky cables quiet as well. Like I mentioned before, just make sure those cables have some sort of foam surround on them because if they don't, they will surely alert you of their presence on the trail. All things considered, the thought that Forbidden put into the design and engineering of this bike truly shows day in and day out.

If I were to critique the Druid in any way, I'd say the high pivot can have the tendency to slightly mute the trail, which depending on your riding style, can be either a pro or a con. If you are the type of rider who likes to plow through things and love charging through rocks and roots, this is absolutely the type of bike for you. It truly has the high-pivot chainless feeling of how well the rear suspension works especially on technical trails and square edge hits. If you prefer a bike that has more feedback from the trail and more "poppiness", then you may prefer a different suspension platform. Personally, it took me a few rides to get used to this aspect of the high pivot platform of the Druid but once I did, I came to really enjoy it and found it equally able to pop off of side hits and all the extra credit lines you find on the trail. I ultimately set up my rear shock with a lot of rebound (close to fully open) which is similar to how the riders on the Forbidden Enduro Race Team run their shocks as well. Another small thing to note is certainly the added complexity of the idler pulley. It can create some extra noise if your chain isn't being cared for, but realistically most bikes will make some unwanted sounds in said situations. It's also worth noting that some riders may notice a minor reduction in efficiency with the idler pulley compared to other bikes without it, but depending on your riding style and prefered riding zone, that may or may not matter. 

Final Thoughts

When it comes down to it, this is absolutely one of the most fun, versatile and unique bikes I've had the pleasure of riding. This bike culminates at the intersection of good engineering, style, and design. If you love riding technical trails and you value a bike that is well suited to them, the Druid is absolutely for you.