Product Review: 2012 zaboo terra29 Review

Sleek, Fast, and Race-Proven The zaboo terra29

Written by: Shannon Boffeli

The above are all words that have been used to describe the zaboo terra29. A super-lightweight rocket ship built for hardcore endurance racing. The terra29 delivers on and off the racecourse.

The terra29 has already captured podium finishes all across Europe, a win at this year’s TransRockies, 4 top-3 finishes on the National Ultra-Endurance (NUE) series and now becomes available for American riders everywhere.

As the first European bike maker to specialize in 29-inch bikes, zaboo loves the big-wheel machines and brand creator Simon Zahnd is bringing his product stateside. Zahnd was confident enough in his product to let us hammer the 2012 terra29 for a whole season and we learned it is more than capable, taking the abuse of long, demanding, ultra-endurance rides with ease and comfort.

The terra29 is a full-carbon 29-inch hardtail built with racing in mind. Brand creator Zahnd is, himself, an accomplished endurance MTB racer and wanted a bike that would be capable of tackling the toughest races on the planet. The terra29 is just that bike.

The zaboo terra29 includes a surplus of intriguing features that make it a stylish and robust race machine. A tapered head tube stiffens up the front end making this bike steer like a Porsche, without the sluggish steering experienced in some 29er frames.

The terra29 also features internal cable routing giving it a sleek, elegant look while protecting the bike’s lifeline of shift cables from mud and debris.

Another sleek feature is the chainstay mounted disc brake caliper that isn’t only a stylish feature but allows for minimalist seat stays creating the all-important vertical compliance, which softens up the rear end of this hardtail racer. Short chainstays bring the rear wheel up under the rider for outstanding climbing traction on even the loosest trails.

Together this makes the terra29 one of the most innovative 29ers on the market and all this comes in a package that weighs 1140 grams (for an XL frame), that’s 2.5 lbs.

Winner of the 2011 TransRockies, Swiss rider, Mat Haussener had this to say about his experience on the 2012 terra29;

"Zaboo Terra? That was pretty much perfection right there! 

On accelerating we had full conversion of power into speed thanks to a horizontal rigid frame. The handling is very agile due to the short chain stays but the slightly slacker head angle makes the Terra much forgiving in downhill. This mixture was then a proper dose of speed and handling that we really appreciated during the Transrockies. I must say I'm thrilled. Built up with solid parts and the bike is still very lightweight. For me, the optimum of a hardtail that looks damn good with it’s internal cable routing.”

Our experience riding the 2012 terra29 was much the same. A super-light frame with solid handling characteristics made the terra29 a fast moving, nimble, racer with more than enough strength to handle the toughest terrain. A super-stiff bottom bracket turns your pedaling force into pure acceleration the moment you start mashing on the pedals.

We give the 2012 zaboo terra29 our resounding approval as a great race bike and enjoyable 29-inch ride.

2012 zaboo bikes are currently available through their English-language website http://www.zaboo29er.co.uk  or http://www.zaboobikes.com if you prefer German.    Zaboo is looking to break into the U.S. market and are currently seeking a product distributor in the United States. Those who are interested can contact zaboo founder and frontman Simon Zahnd at info@zaboobikes.com.