Moustaches: love them or hate them, are they a modern day trendsetting staple or a relic from the days of mullets? Fortunately, there’s no doubt when it comes to the French bike brand Moustache, whose most recent top-of-the-range bike, the Samedi 27.5 Down 7 is visually one of the hottest bikes around, sporting some pretty tidy-looking features! So how does it perform on the trails?
On paper the Moustache Samedi 27.5 Down is a force to be reckoned with, touting a burly 190 mm of travel, super slack 64.7° head angle and a wheelbase that leaves the competition looking like bobby cars outside the kindergarten.
The spec of the Moustache Samedi 27.5 Down
With a build spec like this, the Moustache Samedi 27.5 Down 7 confirms its intentions to play with the big hitters. Aside from the potent RockShox suspension, the bike sports wisely chosen parts like the SRAM GX/X01 drivetrain with its generous gear ratio, powerful MAGURA MT5 brakes with decently sized 200 mm rotors, Continental Der Baron tires that deliver grip in abundance and a highly ergonomic seatpost made by Moutasche. Its only stumbling block is the exposed Bosch computer and remote lever, which are both out of place on what purports to be a serious E-MTB. In terms of set-up, the rear shock asks for time and patience, as you adjust both the compression and the rebound in two zones. Despite our test riders’ powerlessness to appreciate the stock handlebar grips, the cockpit has the ultimate dimension for riding hard, at 45 mm short and 780 mm wide.
Forks: RockShox Lyrik RCT3 180 mm
Rear shock: RockShox Vivid Air 170/190 mm
Brakes: MAGURA MT5
Shifting: SRAM GX/X01
Seatpost: Moustache 125 mm
Stem: Moustache 45 mm
Bars: Moustache 780 mm
Wheelset: Alex MD27 rims
Tires: Continental Der Baron 27,5 2,4″
Motor: Bosch Performance CX
Battery: 500 Wh
Weight: 23.2 kg
Price: 5.899 €
The geometry of the Moustache Samedi 27.5 Down 7
Moustache are only launching the Samedi Down in two sizes. We chose a size L, which was spot on for our 180 cm tall test rider.
| Size | 430 mm (S) | 480 mm (L) |
| Tob tube | 591 mm | 629 mm |
| Chainstays | 460 mm | 460 mm |
| Head Tube | 110 mm | 110 mm |
| Head tube angle | 64.8° | 64.8° |
| Seat tube angle | 74.3° | 74.3° |
| Bottom bracket height | 357 mm | 357 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1212 mm | 1251 mm |
| Reach | 421 mm | 459 mm |
| Stack | 600 mm | 600 mm |
The Moustache Samedi 27.5 Down on the trails
Despite weighing in at a fairly hefty 23.2 kg, the Moustache Samedi 27.5 Down 7 climbs superbly up even the steepest gradients – this is largely thanks to the powerful Bosch Performance CX motor paired with the steep 74.3° seat angle, which is a cert for keeping the front wheel planted. The ultra slack head angle was a limiting factor on tight switchbacks on the ups, as the front wheel got a bit twitchy.
Marrying the plushness of a RockShox Lyrik RCT3 fork at the front and a Vivid Air rear shock, the bike is a veritable rocket on descents. With the flipchip letting you switch between 170 mm and 190 mm of travel, we rode in both settings and concluded that the 190 mm was significantly better, proving capable of filtering away the most miniscule trail chatter just as superbly as it handled big hits. This sort of buttery smoothness reminded us of riding Aladdin’s carpet through Agrabah. The rear is efficient, stable in its travel and doesn’t break away. We’ll take that!
On descents the Moustache showed amazing all-around handling, not just with stability but agility too. However, as you’d probably expect, its super extreme geometry and forgiving suspension have little time for mellow, flow trails, and you almost feel like you’re trying to navigate a tank through rush hour.
Conclusion
Much like you’ll gather from its name, the Moustache Samedi 27.5 Down 7 is brilliantly crafted for downhills with great handling, lavish suspension and aggressive geometry to see you throw it down trails good and proper and come out smiling. Contrary to assumption, it also climbs damn well too thanks to its potent motor and well-designed riding position. But just like any facial moustache, the Samedi 27.5 Down 7 asks to be ridden with courage and confidence.
For more information head to moustachebikes.com
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