It seems that over the last year dirt jumping and street riding in Australia has really come to the fore. With magazines, websites such as this and sponsors now taking notice of what riders have been getting up to away from the races. Bike companies have realized this and we are now seeing more and more street and DJ (Dirt Jumping) specific bikes slowly filtering their way onto our shores. Many of the larger company’s out there offer what they call hardcore hard tails designed at the street and trail market, but often don’t do their homework on the ideal geometry. It is often rare to find a bike that can handle both disciplines exceedingly with the exception of many 24″ specific bikes. So when I first had a look at the German made ‘Last Raffnix’ I was more than ecstatic to find that on paper the geometry appeared to be near on perfect for street and DJ. I was not disappointed.

Being at the exotic end of the price scale but still not quite as expensive as some, at an RRP of $799.00 for the frame. The Last would suit those of the more elite street and trail riding fraternity looking for a bike that stands out, is bomb proof and most importantly works. First impressions of the frame were good with a fantastic use of gusseting around all the important areas. Worthy of mention is the tidiness of the welding it is flawless. All frames are handmade in Germany so you would almost come to expect impeccable quality with every frame. Made out of 4130 chromo the frame is simplistic but with a few rather intriguing touches. Firstly the graphics are kept to a bare minimum with the only thing to identify it by are 2 small prints 1 on each side of the top tube, a minimalist logo on the head tube and strangely also on the underside of the bottom bracket shell. Secondly is the junction between the chain stays and the bottom bracket is brilliant. Instead of using a chain stay yoke or welding the chain stays straight onto the shell they are connected by a piece of flat chromo bent in a C on both sides with a small gusset between them. This creates amazing stiffness and tire clearance as well as the ability to run the rear wheel as close to the bottom bracket as possible.

The frame was built up with strength in mind and first to be added was a set of Manitou Sherman’s with 90-130mm travel. For obvious reasons the travel setting has been left at the 90mm length giving it the perfect head angle and bottom bracket height for it’s intended purposes. Therefore meaning that it was low and stable both on the ground and in the air. With such tight geometry in the rear end and quick steering tech manoeuvres and aerial manoeuvrability are achieved with ease and almost begs you to take it further, harder, higher and faster.

One major thing I look for in a bike is it’s ability to be jumped a’la trials. Having a bike that is stable and can hop high creates confidence to tackle larger obstacles and also promotes improved riding skills. The Raffnix easily is the best jumping bike in the guise of a street/DJ’er I have had the pleasure of riding bar straight out trials rigs. Thanks to the low bottom bracket for balance, tight rear end for snappy lifting and the light front end for added ease in the initial pull.

Of what is an impeccable frame I do have a few gripes. Firstly the wide tire clearance has widened the chain stays creating issues with crank clearance. Multiple spacers had to be used on the non-drive side and a few on the drive to clear the sprocket and cranks from hitting the chain stay brackets. Some cranks may not have this problem but the BB is BMX size and it also will create an issue if spacers are used with how much axle length the cranks have to bite on to. Another problem that I fortunately didn’t encounter is the fork clearance under the down tube. I have heard reports of people having to remove adjustment dials from the tops of their forks to allow them to bar spin and X-up. It also doesn’t have a derailleur hanger nor does it have the ability to have a chain tensioner with a built in hanger fitted either. So if you cant ride without gears look elsewhere. But if you can live with these fairly small issues you’ll be fine.

In summary the Last Raffnix is a frame that will suit those who are looking for a bike that is as apt in form as it is in function. If you can look past the price tag (or are one of those people who don’t have to, $$) you’ll find a bike with a heart of gold that will treat you as well if not better than you will undoubtedly treat it. It doesn’t brag about it’s heritage or where it comes from, It gets down and dirty and does the job properly and looks good in the process. Another bonus point has to be awarded for it’s ability to climb. After lending a ride to Mr do it all Shane Wode who is a spandex head from way back, he commented that it climbed better than his cross country bike.

The Last Raffnix frame is available through Rhythm imports and they are available online at www.ribbed.com.au
They are also available through good bike shops in most capital cities.

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 18th, 2005 at 7:09 pm and is filed under Frames. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.