Wish we could say we came up with that catchy headline, but we didn’t. It is printed right there on the Haro Beasley’s bull-horned handlebar, and it sums up what this bike is all about. The Beasley, available as a single speed or in a $1300, nine-speed configuration, takes suspension technology and tosses it out the window. Stripping away all the modern complexity, you are left with a bike that connects its rider to the trail like few mountain bikes made today.
WHO IS IT MADE FOR?
The Haro Beasley SS is a trailbike that can be pressed into service as an everyday commuter or Starbucks shuttler. It is for those times when you need to see and feel the local trails from a totally new perspective. It is the second bike in your mountain bike collection. Or maybe the third.
WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?
Those little skinny frame tubes are double-butted 4130 chromoly. No gussets are used in the frame construction, and a short strut strengthens the chainstay/seatstay junction just below the rear brake mount. The fork, made from chromoly, delivers zero inches of travel. Yes, this is a rigid ride. The bottom-bracket shell houses an eccentric bottom bracket that can be rotated to take up chain slack. The bent top tube gives the Beasley an excellent standover height.
WHICH COMPONENTS STANDOUT?
The Beasley has adopted the “in-between” mountain bike wheel size of 27.5 inches (falling between 29-inch and 26-inch wheels). Haro’s decision to run the 27.5-inch wheels saves some weight over comparable 29-inch wheels and slightly lowers the bike’s center of gravity.
Aside from the wheels, the Beasley keeps things simple: mechanical disc brakes, a single-speed drivetrain and the On One handlebar with the strangest bend of any bar we’ve ridden this year.
HOW DOES IT PERFORM?
That strange handlebar looks so wrong, yet feels so right. Don’t look at it, just grab it and go. Rider position is close to attack mode; think flat- backed and ready to hammer. And you had better be ready to hammer; this is a single speed after all. Grips are nice and tacky. The WTB Rocket V saddle is it. The stripped-down cockpit without shifters, lockout levers, brake reservoirs and seatpost release levers is refreshing and liberating. It is just you, your legs and the bike.
Moving out: The Beasley’s stock 34/18-gear combination with the 27.5-inch wheels works out to 13.6 feet traveled for every crank rotation. That’s slightly more than pedaling in a 44/23-gear combination on your 26-inch bike (13.02 feet). This gear/wheel combo feels ideal for an average-weight rider in good shape as he moves up to speed. It continues to feel right once you are up to speed and spinning along at a comfortable cadence.
Cornering: The Beasley loves turns. It has a light feel, responds quickly to your steering input and sticks to the ground way too well for a bike without suspension. This cornering ability really pays off, because, as with any single-speeder, you can’t lose momentum without paying the piper later. If you do lose momentum, the Beasley responds well to out-of-the-saddle efforts. It is proven that over the length of a ride suspension is more efficient, but you won’t believe that when you drop the hammer on the Beasley. Acceleration on the rigid Beasley is invigorating.
Climbing: The big tires hook up nicely on a variety of surfaces, and the Beasley motors up the climbs, in or out of the saddle. The bar shape feels great when inching over that nothing-will-work-but-pure-muscle climb because it allows you to pull straight up with your arms as you are pushing down with your legs.
Descending: You expect the fun to come to an end on the descents—and it does. Well, sort of. Encountering stutter or braking bumps is challenging to say the least. If it is a short series, you’ll survive. If it is an extended series, you will have to reduce your speed significantly or risk losing all the fillings in your teeth. That said, using the Beasley’s great handling to pick lines makes downhills a lot more fun and makes you a better rider at the same time. Look ahead for the best line and allow the Beasley to take you there. The mechanical disc brakes do a fine job and match up well with the big wheels.
TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?
Riders who carry around a few extra pounds or are still working up to their summer legs will want a slightly easier gear if they ride in hilly terrain. The stock gearing with these large wheels is definitely for the thin-and-fit society.
While more tires have become available in the 27.5 size, you do not have nearly as many to choose from as with 26- or 29-inch tires. Pack an extra tire in the trunk for road trips, because most bike shops still don’t stock this tire size.
BUYING ADVICE
The Beasley SS is not versatile enough to be your only mountain bike. It needs to be an addition to your collection. It is the bike you grab when you want a direct connection to the trail. It is the bike you ride when you are feeling up for a challenge. It is the bike to use when you want to hone your riding skills. Finally, it is the bike you throw a leg over when you want your ride to be punctuated with laughs and smiles.
HARO BEASLEY SS
Price $980
Country of origin Taiwan
Weight 27.3 pounds
Hotline (800) 289-4276
Frame tested 18"
Bottom bracket height 12"
Chainstay length 17"
Top tube length 23.5"
Head tube angle 70°
Seat tube angle 72°
Standover height 28.5"
Wheelbase 42.5"
Suspension travel (front) None
Suspension travel (rear) None
Frame material Aluminum
Fork Chromoly rigid
Shock None
Rims Weinmann Discovery
Tires Pacenti Neo-Moto (2.3")
Hubs Pivit alloy disc specific
Brakes Avid BBDB 5
Crankset Truvativ Fire-X 1.1G
Handlebar On One Mary (26.5" wide)
Shifters None
Rear derailleur None
Chainrings Truvativ (34 tooth)
Cassette Single cog (18 Tooth)
Pedals None (Weighed with Shimano XTR)