Long-travel hardtails – you either get them or you don’t. They’ve got a small but fiercely loyal following, mainly in Britain and British Columbia where damp, gritty trails eat suspension seals and bushings for breakfast! If you love a bit of all-mountain action and think linkages are for losers, the new Production Privee Shan ought to be right up your alley.
The Andorran company reckon you can use it for everything from all-mountain/enduro riding to dirt jumping and downhill, but it’s not one of these do-it-all hardtails – jack of all fork lengths but master of none. Instead, it’s been specifically designed around 140-160mm of front bounce, with a slack 66° head angle and snappy 420mm chainstays.
It might sit at the ‘hardcore’ end of the hardtail scale, but don’t go thinking the Shan is a super-rigid boneshaker. It’s been deliberately designed with a bit of vertical flex in the rear end so you can ride all day without rupturing something. Check out the photos to find out more.
Limited edition ‘Shan of Hazzard’ paintjob aside, the first thing that strikes you about this frame is the weight
At 6lb/2.7kg (medium size), and with beefy head- and seat-tube gussets, this thing is ready to take a pounding
The Shan is made from seamless 4130 chromoly tubing, heat treated to boost strength and triple-butted to shave weight
The most striking feature is its mesh head-tube badge
It looks pretty, but how long before it gets clogged with mud?
The tapered head-tube takes an integrated headset, keeping stack height low even with a 160mm fork
Spare single and double cable guides are supplied, so you can keep things looking neat whatever controls you run
At 30.9mm, the seat-tube is wide enough to take your choice of dropper post
Down below there’s a press-fit (BB92) bottom bracket shell, with ISCG tabs
While out back the 135x10mm dropouts can be swapped for 135×12 or singlespeed versions
These flattened seatstays are the Shan’s ace in the hole though, allowing a bit of ‘give’ to soak up trail buzz
The Shan frame comes with a Production Privee headset and a load of stickers so you can customise it to your heart’s content. It’s available in four sizes, in standard black/grey and various limited edition colourways, for €649 / £559. You can check it out in action below. For more info, head to www.production-privee.com / zulubikes.co.uk.
Source: SHAN RULES from Dams Nosella