To ensure that the 650B Cagua feels just as playful as a 26er, Ghost has given its latest creation short chainstays and an extremely low bottom bracket. The result: The Cagua is very easy to pull onto the rear wheel, and the low centre of gravity has a positive effect when cornering. With a BB drop of 22 millimetres, the bottom bracket is located far below the wheel axle and thus makes use of physics. However, the short stays restrict the tyre clearance. A thicker tyre than the mounted 2.35 Nobby Nic would rub on the front derailleur. To compensate for the high front end, it makes sense to ride without spacers under the stem. This gives you more pressure on the front wheel. On the trail, the Ghost impresses with its smooth ride and confident handling. Contrary to the standard equipment, our test bike came with narrow Ritchey WCS rims and a Rock Shox Monarch instead of a Fox shock. With this set-up, we were able to utilise the suspension travel on the test ride, but the rear suspension wasn't really sensitive to subtleties or plush on fast hits. Uphill, you can also feel pedal kickback on the Cagua. For more control downhill, we would have liked a tyre with a different rubber compound at the front and thus more confidence. Even though the Ghost benefits from our Enduro point system, the shorter travel and lack of tyre clearance make it more of an all-mountain bike.
Conclusion The balanced geometry with a low centre of gravity ensures successful handling. The rear suspension is not entirely convincing. It lacks sensitivity.
PLUS Low centre of gravity, balanced geometry
MINUS Little tyre clearance, you quickly get stuck when pedalling, rear suspension is not very sensitive
The alternativeIf you add another 500 euros, you can get the E:i Shock version with automatic damping adjustment for the same equipment package. The Cagua 6591 E:i is the most expensive model in the range.
