Over a year since it’s first arrival, the Saracen Ariel 60 Elite has remained the go-to bike for pretty much anything and everything without putting a foot wrong.
In a World of wireless this and electronic that, carbon fibre everything and a princely asking price, the Saracen Ariel 60 Elite proves that you don’t need the priciest setup to go anywhere.
Photos by Pete Scullion.
Key features:
- Fox 38 Factory 160mm fork
- Fox DHX2 Factory shock
- Shimano XT 12-speed drive
- Shimano XT 4-piston brakes
- DT Swiss EX511 rims on KT hubs
- KS Lev Integra dropper
- £4,399.99 RRP (currently £3,499.99)
- Saracen.co.uk
Geometry
The Saracen Ariel 60 is available in SM, MD, LG and XL.
Reach on the MD is 480mm with a seat tube of 410mm. Head angle is 64.6 degrees with a seat tube angle of 76.5 degrees. Chainstays are 440mm with a wheelbase of 1247mm.
In the many moons since this bike landed with me, I have made a total of six changes to the spec. A set of Schwalbe Tacky Chans were the first the replace the underwhelming and fragile stock tyres. Eventually, the trend of me needing something between Super Trail and Super Gravity meant that the tyres either felt rigid with the right pressure or squirmy under too little meant that a change again was needed.
The current setup, which seems to always give plenty of return is a Maxxis Double Down on the back and an EXO+ on the front. In this particular case, a Minion DHRII on the back and a High Roller 3 on the front. The PNW carbon bar also provided more give than the stock RaceFace units but nothing quite matches the feel of a OneUp carbon bar, and so the V2 offerings were thrown on. Magic.
Finally, whilst I was down at Silverfish’s setup in Risca to test the new Fox DHX Live Valve Neo shock, I went down a spring rate from the as-fitted 400lb to a 375lb. This allowed me to run more preload on the spring and run the damping more in the middle of the adjustment range rather than an almost loose spring with damping fully open.
All these changes meant that the bike just wanted to go in all directions. More climbing grip and better efficiency, plus far better composure on the downs too. The Ariel, like all the Ariels I have tested over the years is happy enough charging, but the real joy of these bikes it their ability to make you feel entirely at home on a precipice at walking pace as you thread the needle through the jank.
Beyond this, the bike has simply been as solid as a rock. The XT 4-pots still bring the bike to heel on command, the XT 12-speed drivetrain is as crisp as the day it arrived, the wheels are still round and true and even though some of that wonderful metallic purple paint has chipped away, it still looks great.
Whilst it may not be the longest, lowest, lightest, slackest or any of the other buzz words going, for a design that came into being over four years ago, it still cuts the mustard. It is every bit the daily driver you need it to be. Its design also ensures that it will go fast everywhere, rather than be one of these extra long race machines that only World Cup speed can unlock.
KT might not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of hubs, although the DT Swiss EX511 are much more of a known quantity. Kun Teng (KT) have been making hubs since just after WW2 though, so it’s no real surprise that these hubs are still spinning smooth, the wheels are round and true, and I haven’t even endured a loose spoke. The only grumble was the original rim tape started to let sealant and air into the rim body after about a year.
As before, an update to get that seat tube shorter and straighter would mean this bike would be even more the capable descender. I do also have the new monotube DHX2 and the new Fox 36s in for test which may well give this bike a new lease of life. The GripX2 dampers are far better than the Grip2, and I am keen to try this new shock as I have heard good things indeed. The forks will likely clip some weight from the front end whilst maintaining the stiffness of the 38s.
Mechanicals since the last time I checked in have been zero. Only now, 13 months or so down the line, the rear brake is starting to lose its smoothness and that was on a greasy lap of the woods. That is about it. Now at £3,499.99, there quite possibly is no better bike for your money.
