Review: Maxim Bikes Leela

17 January 2014 | By AngusMcIntosh

When Laurens from Maxim Bikes got in touch at the tail end of the year and asked if we’d be interested in slinging a leg over the Leela, Maxims 150mm 26inch All Mountain/Enduro bike how could we say no!

I got the chance to ride the Maya, Maxims full downhill offering last summer out at the birthplace and testing ground of the bike, Revolution Bikepark. To say I was impressed was an understatement.

Perhaps I went in with slightly lowered expectations knowing that the Maya was taken from new brand Maxim’s first stab into the mountain bike market but that that one day on the bike alone convinced me, these boys know what’s what when it came to putting together a fantastic package.

First Impressions

First Impressions of the Leela upon arrival would be described as solid. The bikes intentions are laid out for all to see from the onset with big strong tubes, four-bar linkage design and a spec list that’s certainly at the burlier end of the range from all the usual suspects that we get used to seeing on bikes these days.

Before you even get the tape measure out you can see the bike is spacious in the cockpit region which gives bikes that “ride me harder” characteristic I’m becoming particularly fond of.

The Leela was assembled and we couldn’t wait to see how she was going to perform.

The Spec

Maxim have 2 different levels of spec on offer for the Leela, The Pro with Fox suspension and Shimano XT and the Comp with Rockshox Sektor forks and Monarch Plus rear shock (Which is what the bike was actually designed around). Maxim will also put together Custom Builds which is how I would best describe our test model!

On the bike we had Rockshox were left in charge of the suspension with a very downhill-orientated Sram 1x10 X0 drivetrain made up of a 36tooth front ring paired with a 36-11 rear cassette. Shimano were entrusted with the Wheels and Continental with the tyres. Braking is covered once again by Sram X0 but rather unusually paired with Shimano Ice Tech rotors thanks to Shimano’s centre lock brake rotor mounting on that particular XT wheelset.

The rest of the build is rounded out with a Rockshox Reverb, Pro Atherton seat and stem with a Truvativ Boobar to pull you forwards on the bike for an aggressive position on the bike.

On paper it looks like a bit of an odd mix and nothing like any of either the Pro or Comp builds but that’s part of the beauty of Maxim being a small, maneuverable brand that can tailor bikes not only to your requirements but what works best!

The Frame

The Leela makes use of a linkage driven single pivot design with big bearings and a long stroke shock to make for a comfortable and relatively pedal bob free ride.

Bags of mud clearance give off that "Designed in Wales" feel.

To quote a comment on our first look at the bike a few weeks ago from MoreDirt user Corden…

“Looks sleek, modern and at 800 squid this looks like a real replacement prospect should I break my current frame.”

I think he’s hit the nail on the head with that one. Sleek, modern, simple and therefore dependable. Exactly what we are looking for from a modern day trail bike.

Geometry wise the bike has a 67degree head angle and a 74 degree seat tube angle with a 5mm bb drop and 435mm chain stays. Overall in the medium size that we tested the Leela has a wheelbase of 1153.1mm which is pretty long and stable for a bike in the medium size.

The Styling

When it comes to colour options, there is only one on the table however the option does look great. Red, Black and Silver is a pretty safe bet when it comes to making an appealing looking mountain bike and it ties in well with the Maxim logo so that’s a big tick for us.

The frame design is also simple and easy on the eye which certainly lend a help to the overall look and styling. It’s the kind of bike I could imagine spending a lot of my time enjoying looking at when parked up.

The Ride

Now every bike in the All Mountain/Enduro bracket would like to be able to lay claim to being the best at both going up and down for the job but we all know that’s probably not 100% truth.

The bike can climb in this current form which we tested it in if you give it to somebody with both legs and lungs superior to mine but this drivetrain set up was more inclined to decline.

The Leela feels exactly like the kind of a bike a downhill rider could jump onboard and feel perfectly at home on. It’s stiff but not uncomfortable, it’s roomy but not too big to manoeuvre in the tight spots on the trail.

The Leela has a comfortable pedaling position but don’t be fooled that you can’t get out of the saddle and weight the front wheel in the turns to seize all the available grip as well as tame some surprisingly gnarly downhill’s with ease.

The rear shock tune felt bang on the money, which is a real positive for me. We set the sag and hoped onboard then the bike was primed and ready to roll. This makes an absolutely game changing feel to the bike knowing that the bike is going to be in the right part of the travel when required and you need to really use the bike.

If you’re met on the trail by a 90 degree loamy rut. I know I’d rather be riding 26” wheels as opposed to 27.5 or 29.

Final Musings

Now I don’t want to chirp on about wheel size but bikes like this feel like they may fall into a golden era. A last generation if you will.

If we are all forced by manufactures who no longer support 26” wheels or you choose to migrate onto bigger wheels for the trail bike end of the spectrum, we will lose a whole generation of snappy handling, aggressive, mini downhill bikes that can still climb.

Bigger wheels have their advantages but there’s certain occasions where if you’re met on the trail by a 90 degree loamy rut. I know I’d rather be riding 26” wheels as opposed to 27.5 or 29.

Conclusion.

The Maxim Bikes Leela is currently available in the sale as a frame only without shock for £699.99 or £899.99 with the Rockshox Monarch Plus RC3 as we tested. It’s also available with almost all other Fox models for slightly more money. If it's a full build you are after Maxim have some more than viable options.