About the technology:
Out of the box, the Riot LT 10 LC immediately catches the eye with its futuristic carbon frame and fresh fire engine red colour. And there's that annoying want-to-have feeling again. This first impression was confirmed on the trails. But what do all the designations and numbers in the model name actually mean? Riot stands for the built-in Riot-Link, which is supposed to ensure low bob, linear behaviour in the mid-stroke and plenty of end progression. Ghost achieves these "rear suspension characteristics as follows: the damper is located between two rockers. The upper rocker transmits the first 80 per cent of the compression to the shock, while the lower rocker takes over the remaining 20 per cent, thus creating the desired end progression. However, the generous number of pivot points can lead to problems and cause increased friction as well as noise when dirty. LT stands for Long Travel, which in plain language means two centimetres more travel on the fork than on the normal Riot. The geometry also changes due to the more generous fork height. The seat and steering angle are about one degree slacker and the bottom bracket has been raised by one centimetre.
The equipment of the Ghost Riot is worthy of a top model
Furthermore, the equipment is optimised for more downhill fun and designed to be a little more solid. This is very high quality, as only the best of the best components have been fitted to the top model (the 10 in the designation). The proven Pike with 150 millimetres of travel is used at the front and the new Double Barrel Inline with a wide range of adjustment options at the rear. The rear end squeezes 135 millimetres of travel out of the shock, which feels like more and fits well with the fork. The Sram XX1 takes care of the shifting. Ground contact is maintained by the light and stiff Mavic Crossmax XL System wheels in combination with the somewhat narrow Hans Dampf tyres (2.25 inches). The super-noble and particularly light Race Face Next Carbon series completes the equipment. Thanks to the use of a special carbon technology (LC), the frame in size L weighs 2528 grams without shock, the total weight is 11.65 kilograms without pedals.
How the Riot LT 10 LC rides on the trail
In practice, the low weight is immediately noticeable. The bike accelerates so nimbly that there are no opponents on the trail, only prey. Once the ideal setup has been found (many adjustment options on the shock), the Riot LT sits cleanly on the trail and develops enough pop to pull away on every edge. This playfulness is reinforced by both the low weight and the rather steep steering angle of 67.3 degrees. If you feel the need to push the playfulness to the limit, the Riot can handle even hard landings after longer flight phases with ease. Nevertheless, the relatively long frame ensures sufficient stability and safety without restricting manoeuvrability. This means you are centred on the bike and the riding position is also pleasantly sporty. The rear suspension remains very stable and propulsion-orientated when pedalling, but it is a little tough and does not respond hypersensitively to subtleties. The fork has a lockout and a drop function, the latter is not needed thanks to the low front end. Thanks to good cable routing and frame protectors, the Riot moves pleasantly quietly through the terrain, even at higher speeds.
Our verdict on the Ghost Riot LT 10 LC:
To summarise, it can be said that Ghost has achieved a great success. The Riot LT 10 LC we tested boasts great geometry and very high-quality parts. Anyone can have fun on this bike. However, due to its low weight and pleasantly sporty geometry, the bike will mainly appeal to all-mountain bikers who also like to take it easy downhill. Only the price of 6500 euros is a little steep. However, Ghost also offers two cheaper models as an alternative.
