Carbon Wasp Truffle Review: All the Speed

To start with, a few details, It’s a 120mm 29er, designed for a 120-140mm fork and comes with all the modern, yet all tried and tested standards such as a threaded BB, boost 148mm spacing, ISCG mounts, full internal cable routing and this weeks must have, internal frame storage so as Carbon Wasp say, you are never more than arms length from a pork pie, or some other such snack. The frame on test was very yellow (and black, like a wasp innit) but the frames are all painted to order, any colour you like. All that for £2,400 frame only or £2,800 with a Cane Creek DB Inline shock as tested here.

Geometry wise, it is bang up to date, 65.5 degree head angle, 76 degree seat tube, 480mm reach/630mm stack on our large test frame and the longer of two chainstay lengths (440 vs 435mm on the S & M sizes). All fairly rowdy numbers, but paired with ‘only’ 120mm of travel, is the geometry writing cheques that the travel can’t cash?

Our test bike was built up aimed towards an XC spec, with SID Ultimate forks, Carbon (natch) wheels, cranks and bars, GX AXS shifting and XT 4 piston brakes, all very nice, light, trusted kit, as befitting such a frame.

How does it ride? On the first ride it immediately felt sharp and very direct, you feel as if all the power coming out of the end of your legs is going straight to the back wheel, moving you instantly forward which makes the bike not only feel fast, but encourages the rider to go faster and thanks to the relatively slack angles for such a machine you are perfectly confident in doing so.

Rolling into the first bit of flowing singletrack you instantly fell like you are pushing the bike, but it responds by asking for more. I did feel I got quite close to the limit of the tyres on a few occasions, them being some light weight 2.25 Rocket Rons, but not in a ‘ohmygod’ way, much more controlled that thanks to the solid platform the frame provides, more like, I imagine Sam Hill does drifting down a trail. It’s a very good, addictive feeling. The suspension also never felt out of its depth, always controlled, and always enough without being excessive even on bigger, or lots of repeated, hits.

The second ride was a much more climbing focused ride. To me, a climb is something you do out of necessity, to get to a fun, fast descent, so I wasn’t looking forward to it a great deal, but the first rides short sharp climbs had given an indication that there may be a bit of a spark here that may ignite a fire under me to get me through the day.

The first road drag, I locked everything out, put the saddle up and my head down and got on with it. Pulling off the road to a rocky moorland bridleway I did leave the shock locked for a bit, but the bike felt a little harsh, almost uncomfortable, so shock unlocked and we were back to ‘faster, faster!’ The Truffle really is at its best when you are pushing it, it just springs up the trail, with the suspension taking enough out of the trail to make you comfortable, but not so as that you feel disconnected whilst maintaining traction, pushing you forward.

Don’t tell anyone but the technical bits of this climb, I actually enjoyed! Along the tops, it was still egging me on, wanting to pop off any roots or rock outcrops along the way, then as the trail pointed down we were back to the edge of control, on the loose gravel interspersed with rocks, but without ever feeling out of control, the bike felt stable yet the light wheels and short stem made direction changes quick and immediate, allowing for the limitations of the tyres. I don’t mind admitting that after this ride I was knackered, the constant pushing to go faster I great if you can sustain it, but can lead to fatigue towards the end of longer days!

After a couple more moments of tyre limit pushing on that ride, for the next trail centre based ride, I decide that some bigger rubber would solve these problems so I readied a 2.5 Assegai for the front and 2.4 Minion DHR II for the rear, the Assegai slotted straight in, however, while the 24. DHR II did fit between the seatstays, the just wasn’t enough room to allow for any flex in the wheel/tyre so, as its not my bike, back to the previous Rocket Ron for the rear.

Well, I don’t mind admitting, dear reader, that was not one of my better ideas. The big, heavy, relative slow rolling tyre essentially put an end to the instant speed that this bike is all about. Yeah it never lost grip, but the excitement was gone. Imagine driving a (old, obvs) Mini down a country road at legal speeds, then imagine doing the same in a modern supercar, one is visceral and exciting whilst the other doesn’t even get out of 2nd gear, sure the car is capable of doing more, but could/would you honestly want to?

Fast tyres back for the final couple of rides and the bike is happy again, enjoying chasing bigger bikes down the local trails, and keeping up, then a play at Leeds Urban Bike Park, where it took on everything, right up to and including 5ft drop offs without complaint. You will not be shocked to find that dirt jumps and pump tracks are not this bikes forte but it did still feel great on blue and red trails, on account of the speed at which you want, and the bike pushes you, to ride them at. I also had a quick go on a slightly bigger specced bike, with a Cane Creek Helm, set to 130mm and 2.3 high rollers, which added to the surefootedness without taking too much of the thrill out, as my attempts had.

That’s all been very positive hasn’t it? There are a couple of snags here, though admittedly this is a preproduction bike, so should be addressed but the time the first ones roll off the (one a week) production line. The finish, especially around the downtube hatch, leaves a little to be desired, the door was a little rough, and the latch had started to eat into the paint a little. The tyre clearance at the rear I’ve mentioned, but also chainring clearance would only take a 32t ring, though Carbon Wasp say this will be rectified, with room for a 38tooth ring on the production models, presumably for when Nino rings up for one. Also, With long droppers now commonplace, maybe a shorter seat tube would be of benefit.

Overall

If you are looking for a fast, exciting trail bike, and don’t feel the need for tons of travel, then this may well be the bike for you. The fact the it comes from a company that designs and makes its carbon frames in the UK and sells it for less than a lot of the competition is just a nice garnish on an already very nice dish, not unlike the very thing it’s named after. (Truffle, not Wasp, you weirdo)