Korbi Engstler plays with the trail instead of just clumsily blasting down it. His 180,000 or so followers on Instagram celebrate this. His video "Why not?" - free to watch on YouTube. Korbi has been riding for Ghost since 2023.
Fun fact: His very first bike was also a Ghost (Cagua)! As a 15-year-old boy, he bought it from the local hero Guido Tschugg for 1400 euros. Here he explains his 180cc Ghost Poacha freerider and what he places particular importance on when setting it up.
Test bike with Korbi Engstler
Here Korbi explains the details and setup preferences of his 180cc Ghost Poacha freerider. We were also able to test the production version ourselves:
Co-developed
"I was involved in the development of the Poacha freerider. My team-mate Tomáš Slavík and I were repeatedly presented with slightly different bikes during prototype testing - without warning. We weren't allowed to talk to each other, but after the test laps we mostly had the same impression: All-29 didn't convince us, but Mullet did. We were also surprisingly often on the same wavelength when it came to things like chainstay length or shock setup. Seeing the end result in the production bike is pretty cool."
Chassis setup
"I admit it: I don't know much about suspension set-up. PSI values? No idea! So far, I've just made sure that the fork and shock have around 20 per cent SAG - and that's it. With the Poacha, designer Tim Lenz recommended that I try 30 per cent SAG - and wow, the difference was huge! I now have significantly more grip, especially on the rear wheel. I tend to adjust the fork and shock more quickly. I haven't changed the compression damping yet. I ride it exactly as the bike arrived with me. Haha, it works somehow!"
The frame
"I'm 1.80 metres tall and initially tried an L frame. In the meantime, however, I've switched to size M - setting the reach adjuster to "long" (+5 mm). The geometry can be adjusted using the flip chip, and bunny hops and jumps work much better in the steep setting. The flat position is too race orientated for me personally - I don't get on so well with it."
Handlebars and stem
"I've shortened my six-pack handlebars from 805 to 770 millimetres - I might even shorten them a little more. High-rise handlebars may have their advantages, but visually they're not my thing. I'd rather have a few spacers under the stem. Incidentally, it has to be nice and short so that the bike reacts directly. My six-pack stem is 35 millimetres. When it comes to grips, I favour soft, rather thick models. It's purely a matter of taste."
Tyres and wheels
"I ride Schwalbe tyres (not shown in the photo): the Big Betty in soft at the rear (2 bar) and the Tacky Chan in ultrasoft at the front (2 bar) - tubeless, of course. The rear also has the Tiretrooper puncture protection system - since then I've only heard the word "flat tyre" from hearsay. And even if something should get through to my Newmen Beskar 30 DH rims - no drama! They are virtually indestructible. Don't you think so? Then check out my YouTube video! Racer Fischi and I were blasting down the trail at Lake Garda - without tyres. Just a rim. No joke."
Brakes
"The powerful Maven brakes from Sram appeal to me. The brake levers have to be adjusted far outwards so that I have enough room to let them slide."
Korbi Engstler: My 3 no-gos
- Front too flat: I don't feel comfortable with it at all and can't pull it off properly.
- Too little air in the tyre: This spongy feeling - terrible. Nothing works below 1.7 bar in the tyre!
- Annoying noises: creaking, crunching, rattling, cracking or grinding - please don't!
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Laurin Lehner
Editor
