# Review: Zerode Taniwha Trail Pinion Gearbox Full Suspension Mountain Bike



## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Zerode is a small bike company located on the southern end of the north Island of New Zealand.

They produce two bikes that are outfitted with Pinion gearbox drives, the Taniwha and the Katipo 29er.

The Taniwha comes in Enduro 160mm, Trail 140 mm, and Mullet 140mm or 160 mm.

I purchased a Taniwa Trail 140mm and have been riding that bike the past month configured as a 27.5; I also purchased the Enduro 160 mm link and have plans to run mullet.

Before I committed to a full suspension Pinion bike, I tried my hand at a hardtail, the Nicolai Argon Pinion. I rode this bike for a few months before deciding I was ready to make the leap to full suspension; I love hardtails, but I'm old and they ride too firm for me nowadays.

The Build"
Mara Pro 210 x 55 shock, Mattoc Pro 160mm fork, 160 mm cranks, 39/39 belt drive with Zerode tensioner/bashguard, Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5 front and rear, Hope 4 hubs/Noble TR38 rims, Burgtec 50 mm riser bar/35 mm stem, TRP Slate T4 brakes, Wolf Tooth 200mm Dropper, Books Cambium seat.

There’s a fair bit of information on the internet regarding gearboxes, I think we all have preconceived based on what we've read, so I’m just gonna run through my experience:

Shifting:
Adjusting to a Pinion gearbox takes time, not only is the shifting a throttle twist shift, but how and when you shift is drastically different than with a trigger shifter. Performed correctly, I can shift far faster, far smoother, and far more gears in a single motion, than with a derailleur based system.

The key is timing, knowing when to relax tension on the cranks; we already do this to a degree with a derailleur system, it’s just a matter of relearning when to shift to meet the need. Shifting is instant, whether you shift one gear or six gears. You can shift any gear from a complete standstill

Belt Drive:
What can I say, it's magical! Quiet, maintenance free, it just spins along and it doesn't care what you ride through, snow and mud, sand and rock, whatever!

Some folks claim issues with durability, but I have not had any issues with breathe or premature wear.

Friction/Drivetrain "Drag":
A new gearbox has noticeable drag, but over time,. as the gearbox "breaks in", the drag is reduced. So yeah, there is increased drag from a gear box, and adding a tensioner increases it further, but whether that's a big deal depends on the rider. I don't think it's a big deal.

For folks who try a gearbox at a bike show, this is not a good scenario, without riding a proper trail for a reasonable time, you won’t learn to shift, and the demo bikes are often newer so the gearbox will not be broken in.

Suspension:
Suspension design is limited with the Pinion gearbox due to the real estate it occupies; there's just not much room for a complicated linkage system. That said, the Pinion has far less effect on the suspension than a derailleur bike; ie antisquat is constant in the different gears.

Compared to my other bikes (GG, Canfield), I find the Zerode to be very plush, with great traction, and a bottomless feel. It feels as good or better than my Canfield Lithium with CBF.

Weight Distribution:
By deleting the cassette and derailleur from the rear of the bike, and locating the gearbox at the center of the bike, there is a noticeable improvement in how the bike feels; more balanced and easier to manipulate the rear end.

Weight:
Yes, a gearbox has a weight penalty, ~ 1000 gms depending on which gearbox you choose and which drivetrain you are comparing. I'm running a C12 on the Taniwha, my Lithium runs a Shimano CT 12 speed.

Gearing Range:
A Pinion C12 12 speed gearbox has a 600% range, a Shimano 12 speed with a 10/51 cassette has a 510% range. The nearly 20% greater range on the Pinion might not matter if all your trails are flat, but if you grind up steep mountains and descend those same mountains, anything less than 500% sucks, and anything more is like icing!

What Makes the Taniwha Unique:
The Taniwha is one of two full suspension Pinion equipped bikes with chainstays under 445mm, the Taniwha has a 435mm CS, the other is the Instinctiv 27.5 bike with a 430mm CS. What can I say, but I love short chainstays 

The Zerode customer service is stellar, I worked with Ali, and he bent over backwards to accommodate my needs, including letting me buy a frameset ala carte.

Zerode quality is excellent, the finish is bright and free of imperfections, color is "pleasing to the eye", though I was tempted to build another black bike; my wife said she liked the blue 

I liked the idea of having a different link and shock to change travel and feel, not sure I'll use it, but it's to have a choice.

The Ride:
And of course, why we ride bikes to begin with: the Ride Quality. The Taniwha rides really well, I have yet to find it's limits, no harsh bottom outs, set it and forget it suspension, it's the kind of bike that just disappears beneath you as you enjoy the ride. The more I ride it, the more I appreciate it.

Pros/Cons:
+ ride quality, finish, CS, gear range
- cost, weight, friction

Pics:


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

No questions or feedback? 

Dang, I didn't realize everyone agreed with me 

So I'm always up to meet and go for a ride, we live near Tahoe feel free to hit me up for a demo.

I'm not associated with Zerode, I just like their bikes


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Your pics aren't loading up for me for some reason...


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Nat said:


> Your pics aren't loading up for me for some reason...


Sorry, I forgot


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## theMISSIONARY (Apr 13, 2008)

Personally, the geometry is a bit dated but the options are slim and expensive for Pinion bikes


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

theMISSIONARY said:


> Personally, the geometry is a bit dated but the options are slim and expensive for Pinion bikes


You'd think so from looking at the geo, but it's really not, when compared side by side with my Lithium, the STA is steeper, the reach is in between a medium and large Lithium, the standover and BB height are normal, CS is nice and short, the stack is fine. The HTA is a touch steep when compared to an enduro bike, but for a trail bike it's fine; if I run it mullet it'll be closer to 64.5 which is good for my kind of riding.

I was worried about the geo when I was ordering, but now that I've been riding it, it feels really good, better than my Lithium for trail riding and it handles steep ugly stuff with aplomb.

On my medium Lithium I run a 50 mm stem, 50 mm riser bars, 160mm cranks, 210mm dropper with 50 mm showing, seat centered.
On my large Zerode Taniwha Trail I run a 35 mm stem, 50 mm rider bars, 200 mm dropper with 20 mm showing, and seat centered


Frame Size420445475Seat tube length400mm430mm470mmSeat tube angle75.5°75.5°75.5°Head tube length110mm120mm130mmHeadtube angle66°66°66°Chainstay length431mm431mm431mmWheel base1159mm1191mm1225mmStack579mm587mm594mmReach420mm445mm475mmBB Drop000

In terms of pricing, if you're in the USA, the USD to NZD currency exchange is quite good right now


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## theMISSIONARY (Apr 13, 2008)

It's similar to a 2016 giant reign but with a better seat angle, having a steeper seat angle but not much more reach will make the bike "feel" shorter when seated but slightly longer when standing.









Geometry Geeks


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Don't get me wrong I would have one in a heartbeat but they seem to have designed one frame and stuck to it(cost of production). they are the cheapest option for a gearbox dual suspension bike and the only other real option for 'better" geometry is Nicolai, the price for the Nicolai is crazy in Aus.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

theMISSIONARY said:


> It's similar to a 2016 giant reign but with a better seat angle, having a steeper seat angle but not much more reach will make the bike "feel" shorter when seated but slightly longer when standing.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah, I spoke to Zerode about this, and they didn't have a plan to upgrade the frame for a couple years. 

Nicolai is crazy expensive and a total PITA to work with. The folks at Instinctiv are pretty responsive and will do ala carte, but their prices are also quite high, also their frame is kinda odd looking (humpbacked).

Zerode's for tall people is the Katipo, it's a nice bike and perhaps the geo is more modern than the Taniwha,. but the CS is 445mm which is not my cup of tea.


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## theMISSIONARY (Apr 13, 2008)

the Instinctiv bikes remind me of early Mondrakers...which I like, but again with the $$$ 

my Current Scott Genius 940 is starting to put me off 29'ers(the ponderous feeling when entering corners), I had my Nordest set up 29 then I went to 27.5+ and find it much better, so the Katipo is unlikely to make me happy


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

theMISSIONARY said:


> the Instinctiv bikes remind me of early Mondrakers...which I like, but again with the $$$
> 
> my Current Scott Genius 940 is starting to put me off 29'ers(the ponderous feeling when entering corners), I had my Nordest set up 29 then I went to 27.5+ and find it much better, so the Katipo is unlikely to make me happy


I jumped on my Lithium the other day and was quickly reminded of it’s length and wagon wheels; it may be agile for a 29er, but it’s not agile compared to a 27.5.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

It's been snowy and rainy, so lots of fun riding in mud, and the thing I notice most is I don't have to do any maintenance other than brush/wash off dirt. 

There's no grinding and nastiness in my derailleur pulleys, the belt drive is easy to clean and needs no lubing.

Shifting is getting easier and is so fast, I am starting to forget what it was like to wait for a derailleur to shift.


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