Review: NS Metropolis 2

NS Bikes have been around a while making some of the best out and out Dirt jump bikes in the game. The Metropolis is a dedicated dirt jump machine and with riders like Sam Pilgrim and Garret Robertson relying on NS's products, I was eager to hit the road and see what all the fuss was about.

The Metropolis is ready to rip straight out of the box. It uses a selection of NS's own components in the cockpit including the Mint bars and Quark stem. The Mint bars are comfortable at 710mm wide and 76mm high giving a spacious feel, perfect for dirt jumping. The bars and stem both come in a great high vis matte finish that will hold up well against scratches and the super bright colourway really makes them stand out from the crowd. The Mint bars have Sam Pilgrim custom "The Legend" grips fitted as standard which feature a wide and bulky hold. I struggled to ever get comfortable with them and as someone who usually rides gloveless I found myself permanently battling with sweaty and slippery hands.

I was a little weary of running a single speed set up, as it was something I had not used before. But NS have got the gear ratio spot on at 28:13. Its low enough to give good acceleration when pulling away yet if you need to put a high speed crank in between jumps, its perfectly manageable and you don't find your legs spinning out. Running a single speed setup allows the bike to run incredibly quiet and smooth, allowing you to really flow the trails without the slapping of a rear mech. The set up is complete with a beautiful set of Salt cranks, polished up and ready to take a beating with a small and tidy looking 28 tooth chainring.

The Metropolis is supplied with two brakes for legal reasons but it became apparent fairly quickly that is really only designed for one. The back brake is a really powerful Avid BB5 and the front is just a standard Tektro Novela. None the less they both provide enough power to stop you adequately, but personally I see this bike looking and feeling better with just the Avid on the rear. Less cable to get tangled up when throwing tricks and slightly less weight.

A set of Marzochhi DJ3's round up the build keeping your heavy landings smooth along with a bomb proof set of wheels built on NS "fundamental" rims. Although both nothing ground breaking, they get the job done more than adequately with not too much of a weight penalty.

For me my favourite thing about this bike though is the colour scheme. The frame is an incredible glittered black colour that really shines in the sun along with the high vis yellow components really pulls it all together. I am a sucker for anything polished or silver, so the silver cranks alongside the silver graphics with the matching cables really sealed the deal for me.

The day we received the bike I actually had a little road trip planned to go and try her out taking in some of the best local jump spots we have in the South West. The first spot we rode was Tavistock Trails. There are two lines to ride, one of which a table line and the other a bigger doubles line. Dropping in on the Metropolis for the first time felt great. It only took one run rolling through the table line to get a real feel for the bike and on the second run I cleared the lot with no worries. Riding the bike more and more, inspired more and more confidence, after less than an hour I was feeling right at home on the the Metropolis.

After the morning at Tavistock trails we headed down to the The Track in Portreath, Cornwall. With it's playground of trails, pump tracks, foam pits and BMX track this is where the Metropolis comes into its own.

The Metropolis's confidence inspiring abilities really came into the fore here, with endless lines of trails to flow through. On my last visit to the track I really struggled with one of the lines but on the Metropolis that had been ticked off before lunchtime and I was looking for the next challenge.

NS Metropolis 2
Frame:	NS 100% Cromoly
Fork:	Marzocchi Dirt Jumper 3, 100 mm travel, 10 mm dropout
Stem:	NS Quark
Handlebar:	NS Mint
Grips:	NS Sam Pilgrim signature
Brakes:	Avid BB5 160mm rear, Tektro Novela 160 mm front
Bottom Bracket:	SALT by Wethepeople
Crank:	SALT by Wethepeople
Chainring:	28t SALT by Wethepeople
Chain:	KMC-410
Freewheel:	Odyssey 13T
Rims:	NS Fundamental
Hubs:	Joytech 9 mm front, Octane One Single Speed rear
Spokes:	Velogross black spokes w/14mm DT Swiss nipple
Tires:	Kenda K-Rad 2.3
Seatpost + Saddle:	Octane One integrated seat-post combo
Pedals:	Odyssey Twisted PC
Weight:	26” - 13.3 kg without front brake
Distributor:	Hotlines

A great confidence inspiring dirt jump bike, that has some nice features and comes in at a reasonable price.

For more info check out the official NS bikes website here...

Distributed in the UK by Hotlines