Forbidden DreadNought E

[iJak]

@ntm95 Avinox just announced a new bike with external battery attachment of 480wh @ 2.49kg thats another 380g / 0.8 lbs of weight savings. Dimensions are the same as the 600/800, just shorter, however connectors are different. For me this would be the ideal setup and I'm sure it would be for you too if there's way to retrofit that in there

 

[EMTB718]

Will be interesting to see what the Rep has to say, especially if its installer error ie. the shop ain't getting it right!! Could be a bit of embarrassment happening there!! Keep us posted...

So here is an update. Looks like the shop was able to fix the shifting issue. I would not All it 100% but around 90%, maybe little more as 10th to 11th gear shifts but sometimes it hesitates or takes bit longer. At minimum, it's shifting and even Smooth Shift is also working now.

The shop reached out to their Sram Rep and they were no help from what I can tell. Sram rep was supposed to come by but never did and kept on delaying. Supposedly sram gave the shop some advice but didn't fix the issue. I advise the shop to reach out to Forbidden as I also have reached out to them couple of times. Forbidden said it was setting issue. Shop did reach out to the Forbidden and they gave the shop some advise and looks like it worked.

Not sure exactly what they did but from what shop told me, they had to pull the derailleur further out as they were setting. Supposedly derailleur or jockey wheel was too far out or too low when shifting from 10th to 11th. As mentioned mentioned, I think it had something to do with trying to mimic sagging when setting/aligning the derailleur.
They also told me another person had to look at the jockey wheel to see how far it was out/away as they were setting or something like that.

My assumption is, when setting derailleur, you have to pull it back as much as you can or even pull back further where the jockey wheel may flex/bend (not actually bending).

I have installed T-type in the past with no issues but don't understand all the mechanics when the derailleur is pulled further out when setting.

I did hear from Forbidden that there are/were some issues with T-type and Dreadnought E but with correct setting, it will work.

Didn't realize it was such a headache.

There is no doubt Dreadnought E is an awesome bike to ride but being so sensitive to T-type, not sure if I would buy it again and have to deal with shifting issues or potential shifting issues. My main concern is for what ever reason, what if I had to realign the derailleur again? May have to take the bike to the shop again which is a big hassle. Would just rather fix/adjust myself if I can as the shop is about an hour away from me. Try 1.5 hours+ with traffic.

At end of the day, glad it's working now.

 

[ntm95]

So here is an update. Looks like the shop was able to fix the shifting issue. I would not All it 100% but around 90%, maybe little more as 10th to 11th gear shifts but sometimes it hesitates or takes bit longer. At minimum, it's shifting and even Smooth Shift is also working now.

The shop reached out to their Sram Rep and they were no help from what I can tell. Sram rep was supposed to come by but never did and kept on delaying. Supposedly sram gave the shop some advice but didn't fix the issue. I advise the shop to reach out to Forbidden as I also have reached out to them couple of times. Forbidden said it was setting issue. Shop did reach out to the Forbidden and they gave the shop some advise and looks like it worked.

Not sure exactly what they did but from what shop told me, they had to pull the derailleur further out as they were setting. Supposedly derailleur or jockey wheel was too far out or too low when shifting from 10th to 11th. As mentioned mentioned, I think it had something to do with trying to mimic sagging when setting/aligning the derailleur.
They also told me another person had to look at the jockey wheel to see how far it was out/away as they were setting or something like that.

My assumption is, when setting derailleur, you have to pull it back as much as you can or even pull back further where the jockey wheel may flex/bend (not actually bending).

I have installed T-type in the past with no issues but don't understand all the mechanics when the derailleur is pulled further out when setting.

I did hear from Forbidden that there are/were some issues with T-type and Dreadnought E but with correct setting, it will work.

Didn't realize it was such a headache.

There is no doubt Dreadnought E is an awesome bike to ride but being so sensitive to T-type, not sure if I would buy it again and have to deal with shifting issues or potential shifting issues. My main concern is for what ever reason, what if I had to realign the derailleur again? May have to take the bike to the shop again which is a big hassle. Would just rather fix/adjust myself if I can as the shop is about an hour away from me. Try 1.5 hours+ with traffic.

At end of the day, glad it's working now.

Again, it’s not terribly sensitive to setup.
I believe it is specifically yours, very likely the issue is with the derailleur.
Have you tried another derailleur yet ?

Forbidden does have a lower guide pulley available for the e-dread now too, which improved shifting for some on the acoustic dreadnought v2.

 

[Tokidokijake]

how are people feeling with their tier 1 builds?all the reviews I see are on tier 2. Has anyone changed out the coil? Or wish they wild have gone with the tier 2? I see tier 1 builds for sale while tier 2 is all sold out. I wonder if that’s the build or just the color?

 

[EMTB718]

how are people feeling with their tier 1 builds?all the reviews I see are on tier 2. Has anyone changed out the coil? Or wish they wild have gone with the tier 2? I see tier 1 builds for sale while tier 2 is all sold out. I wonder if that’s the build or just the color?

I have T1 build and yes, I had to change the coil spring as S2 came with 350 Lbs spring. I needed to change out to 425 Lbs spring. Unfortunately, I couldn't take off the spring myself so had to take the coil shock to local bike shop and had them replace the coil only. It needs special tool to take off the eye so you can take out the springs.
As for regret, other the real headache with the derailleur issue, I am happy with T1 build. Zeb Ultimate is awesome. It's soooooo plush and supple. Haven't tried T2 build so I can't compare but I do have Amflow PL Carbon Pro (different type of ebike) which I upgraded to Fox 38 Factory Grip X2 in 170mm (2025 model) and if I was to compare the fork, Zeb is definitely more plush and supple. Not sure how it compares to Fox 38 Factory Grip X2 (My27).

Main reason why I got the T1 build vs T2 build.
1. Color
2. Wanted to try coil setup and heard great things about the new Zeb Ultimate and Vivid Coil Shock and glad I did.
3. Better components in general including Crank Brothers Carbon Wheelset.
-Sram Maven Ultimate vs Silver with better rotors.
-Fast charger
-Better derailleur/group set XO vs GX/cranks
-One up Dropper Post.

Lots of these things are minor but overall, it's definitely worth paying extra $1400

Things I like about Dreadnought E.
1. It so plush and supple. It literally feels like you are riding on the cloud.
2. Extremely stable at high speed.
2. It will go over things like rock garden or chunky areas with no issues.
3. Bike feels like it's glued to the ground. Definitely in different league than Amflow PL Carbon Pro I have.
4. It's just great bike to ride. I don't know how else to put it.

Things I am not fond of on Dreadnought E.

1. Bit heavier than Mondraker Zendit and Pivot Amp'd
2. Cranks are 150mm-I am not tall by any means but 150mm cranks feels really weird to pedal so I end up changing out to 155mm (eThirteen). I also ride regularly MTB which is 170mm cranks so maybe that's why. My Amflow PL has 155mm and even that feels weird after riding MTB.
3. Can't change to 29 in the rear. MX is fine but would like to have an option to put 29 in the rear like other ebikes.
4. BB is bit low. It's 340.8mm and I personally want at least 345mm I know changing out the cranks to 155mm doesn't help but that's why I want bit more higher BB. I just can't get use to 150mm cranks. I am getting some pedal strikes here and there. 4mm doesn't seem much but definitely does make a difference.

In terms of motor power, I really can't tell if it's faster or more power than Amflow Pl Carbon Pro. Dreadnought E takes off or rides off bit heavy. It may have to do with weight of the bike + DH Casing tires which are heavier than what's on my Amflow which EXO + casing.

 

[Pilot_Dave]

Nice! How responsive does the bike feel for you? I still haven’t pulled the trigger on my next bike, all the options have me in analysis paralysis. (Dread/zendit/new wild/crestline)

How would you compare it to other bikes you’ve had? If anyone else wants to chime in, please do!

Sorry it took a bit for the reply.

I like my bike a lot. I’d buy it again. I wish it were less expensive…but that goes for most of my toys

I’d add the new Canyon with the M2S to your list…I like Canyons, and that wasn’t available when I pulled the trigger on my Dread E…part of my decision was I couldn’t believe I could get my hands on one. That said, I still would have gone for the Dread E. It is fast downhill and very planted, and can fly when coaxed. Sometimes I feel like descriptions like “poppy” are code for nervous-feeling on downhill sections.

I think my final reason for the purchase was the desire to get something different than everyone else. I’m not sure that is a “logical” purchase reasoning, but the Dread E looks a bit different than other bikes, and I like that, not to mention I haven’t seen ONE other Forbidden bike while I ride in Bentonville…and there are a LOT of riders and bikes there.

 

[EMTB718]

"Unfortunately, I couldn't take off the spring myself so had to take the coil shock to local bike shop and had them replace the coil only. It needs special tool to take off the eye so you can take out the spring"

Slight update on this. Looks like you don't need a special tool to take off the spring from the shock. You just need to pull the the bound knob and you can take out the springs. No need to pull of the (not sure what you call it) bearing hardware/bearing holder in/on the eye of the shock. Not sure why I thought you had to take those off .

 

[Red Peekay]

Sigh, and as is the want in the Tech world, they move on pretty quickly..

Is this the next release from forbidden? Some speculate this is the prototype frame for the Avinox MG... the Dread-e may be consigned to the past pretty quickly!

Although there is some speculation around a mounting point at the rear of the new Dread-e...hmm is it backward compatible...

 

[Highland Wheels]

Sigh, and as is the want in the Tech world, they move on pretty quickly..

Is this the next release from forbidden? Some speculate this is the prototype frame for the Avinox MG... the Dread-e may be consigned to the past pretty quickly!

Although there is some speculation around a mounting point at the rear of the new Dread-e...hmm is it backward compatible...

View attachment 187705

The Dread will still make sense to them, I can't see them ditching it for an MGU version


I'll probably upgrade to whatever comes out with that MG Avinox though but I'm "only" on a Druid

Although I have been tempted recently to change up to a Dread E as I seem to be riding more and more chunk now

 

[Hob Nob]

I thought Avinox have already said it’s not backwards compatible - it’s quite a bit bigger than the M2S platform.

I can’t imagine it’s going to impact anything, they have also said it’s a couple of years away if it goes into production.

Given my views on pointless T-Type setups on full power e-bikes (and even mid power!) the concept of this is great, they could reduce the form factor of it by reducing the needless 500% range with over 100nm & 1000w available & maybe it would be backwards compatible. That would be cool if they could.

 

[Red Peekay]

Well, it looks like Forbidden are in for this one based on this... it's just a matterof when..

https://nsmb.com/articles/emtbs-with-integrated-gearboxes-are-here/

 

[ntm95]

Well, it looks like Forbidden are in for this one based on this... it's just a matterof when..

https://nsmb.com/articles/emtbs-with-integrated-gearboxes-are-here/

It’ll be a year or two before we see them.
Battery upgrades will happen first.
And it’ll be a v1 product, which will likely have flaws. Figure 3-4 years before a solid v2 product.

Those holes on the back of the dread-e are for the lower chain roller, which can be purchased from forbidden’s shop now.

 

[Red Peekay]

The machine has landed. Now sitting at the LBS, just working out the ride wrap thing given it comes "sorta" ride wrapped. I mean seriously, I appreciate Forbidden went to the effort, but why only bits? Given the spend on these bikes, just do the lot!

Also now working out the Reverb dropper seat length. I've got the S3 but have longer legs, so will send my inseam to them to make sure they have an appropriate length in stock. I'm thinking I'll end up with the 225 or 250..

And of course the weather has just crapped out this week....

 

[EMTB718]

The machine has landed. Now sitting at the LBS, just working out the ride wrap thing given it comes "sorta" ride wrapped. I mean seriously, I appreciate Forbidden went to the effort, but why only bits? Given the spend on these bikes, just do the lot!

Also now working out the Reverb dropper seat length. I've got the S3 but have longer legs, so will send my inseam to them to make sure they have an appropriate length in stock. I'm thinking I'll end up with the 225 or 250..

And of course the weather has just crapped out this week....

Just make sure all gears are shifting . Which build did you get?

 

[Red Peekay]

Just make sure all gears are shifting . Which build did you get?

Tier 2, S3. Will swap out the dropper for a Reverb. Will stick a Chromag Trailmaster Ltd saddle on it. Got me some Rev grips, a custom cap for the headset and some juicy nipples for my tyres!! Will suss out the handlebars and determine what if any rise I need.

I then just need to sit tight and wait for the weather to improve..we've been riging up to now and suddenly a week at least of rain and or snow in the mountains... sigh..

 

[Highland Wheels]

I'd be surprised if you can get a 250 reverb for your height and size on there but be interesting to see

 

[ntm95]

Just make sure all gears are shifting . Which build did you get?

I think you'll find at some point here that your derailleur is either bent or defective.

 

[Mtb247]

So here is an update. Looks like the shop was able to fix the shifting issue. I would not All it 100% but around 90%, maybe little more as 10th to 11th gear shifts but sometimes it hesitates or takes bit longer. At minimum, it's shifting and even Smooth Shift is also working now.

The shop reached out to their Sram Rep and they were no help from what I can tell. Sram rep was supposed to come by but never did and kept on delaying. Supposedly sram gave the shop some advice but didn't fix the issue. I advise the shop to reach out to Forbidden as I also have reached out to them couple of times. Forbidden said it was setting issue. Shop did reach out to the Forbidden and they gave the shop some advise and looks like it worked.

Not sure exactly what they did but from what shop told me, they had to pull the derailleur further out as they were setting. Supposedly derailleur or jockey wheel was too far out or too low when shifting from 10th to 11th. As mentioned mentioned, I think it had something to do with trying to mimic sagging when setting/aligning the derailleur.
They also told me another person had to look at the jockey wheel to see how far it was out/away as they were setting or something like that.

My assumption is, when setting derailleur, you have to pull it back as much as you can or even pull back further where the jockey wheel may flex/bend (not actually bending).

I have installed T-type in the past with no issues but don't understand all the mechanics when the derailleur is pulled further out when setting.

I did hear from Forbidden that there are/were some issues with T-type and Dreadnought E but with correct setting, it will work.

Didn't realize it was such a headache.

There is no doubt Dreadnought E is an awesome bike to ride but being so sensitive to T-type, not sure if I would buy it again and have to deal with shifting issues or potential shifting issues. My main concern is for what ever reason, what if I had to realign the derailleur again? May have to take the bike to the shop again which is a big hassle. Would just rather fix/adjust myself if I can as the shop is about an hour away from me. Try 1.5 hours+ with traffic.

At end of the day, glad it's working now.

Make sure your cranks are tight. Mine got loose and affected the shifting. The shop tightened them up(I couldn't figure it out) and now it shifts great.

 

[EMTB718]

I think you'll find at some point here that your derailleur is either bent or defective.

TBH, I don't think that's the case but may will find out later. As mentioned before, I also tested the other bike (exact same model and size) that was on the floor and that bike also had same issue so maybe it was the way that the shop installed the derailleur. As of now, all gears are shifting with no issues

 

[EMTB718]

Make sure your cranks are tight. Mine got loose and affected the shifting. The shop tightened them up(I couldn't figure it out) and now it shifts great.

I replaced the cranks on this bike from 150mm Sram XO to EThirteen 155mm. I torqued it to 40 nm or 45 nm (to spec) so the cranks are on tight.

 

[EMTB718]

Tier 2, S3. Will swap out the dropper for a Reverb. Will stick a Chromag Trailmaster Ltd saddle on it. Got me some Rev grips, a custom cap for the headset and some juicy nipples for my tyres!! Will suss out the handlebars and determine what if any rise I need.

I then just need to sit tight and wait for the weather to improve..we've been riging up to now and suddenly a week at least of rain and or snow in the mountains... sigh..

The machine has landed. Now sitting at the LBS, just working out the ride wrap thing given it comes "sorta" ride wrapped. I mean seriously, I appreciate Forbidden went to the effort, but why only bits? Given the spend on these bikes, just do the lot!

Also now working out the Reverb dropper seat length. I've got the S3 but have longer legs, so will send my inseam to them to make sure they have an appropriate length in stock. I'm thinking I'll end up with the 225 or 250..

And of course the weather has just crapped out this week....

You get a chance to ride your bike yet? If so, how does it ride?

I am somewhat curious on how Fox 38/Fox Rear Shock setup is compared to Rockshox Zeb/Vivid set up is in terms of ride. As mentioned, I can only compare to my Amflow which has 2025 Fox 38 Factory X2 which Zeb is much more plush. In terms of small bump chatter, Fox 38 Factory X2 (2025) seems just as smooth as Zeb but it's the mid to bigger bumps where Zeb really shines. I think it's way new Zeb forks are made. They are very linear and with Vivid coils, definitely adds to plushness. I have 150 PSI (recommended PSI for my weight + 10 PSI more for being ebike) in the fork with no tokens. I also changed out the spring to 450 lbs now. 350 lbs (stock) was way too soft and sagged too much. Swapped out to 425 lbs and with all my gears/water Sag was around 35%, wanted little more support so swapped it out again to 450 lbs and not as plush as 425 lbs but plush enough + some support. Sag is around 33% now so I feel it's perfect. I also have 475 lbs spring to try out later if need or needed.

I am somewhat confused on Coil rear shock spring rate as some spring rate tools recommend adding more lbs for ebike but other tools have no mention of adding lbs for ebike.

 

[mhueschen]

how are people feeling with their tier 1 builds?all the reviews I see are on tier 2. Has anyone changed out the coil? Or wish they wild have gone with the tier 2? I see tier 1 builds for sale while tier 2 is all sold out. I wonder if that’s the build or just the color?

I have a Tier 1 and I have not ridden it much because I have hated the Zeb. I really don't know how to square how others call it plush and supple, when my experience was that it was harsh and gave me arm pump and literally sore hands (!!) which I've never experienced before. I even had the shop open it up to check if it was screwed up OEM

finally I gave up and got an Ohlins DH38. soon I will put a Telum on the rear and then the bike will hopefully live up to it's potential as an eDH. I did a few rides with the DH38 and the bike feels great - absolute slack weapon for the steeps

I haven't done the math but I suspect the T2 would be cheaper and not much different, given I've swapped out the suspension

I got the T1 because I like red and my local shop had one in that size, while the others were sold out immediately

it's been a bumpy road, what with the Zeb issues, but I'm looking forward to getting ride time on the bike with good suspension, and I'll send some updates and pics/vids

 

[mhueschen]

j

I have a Tier 1 and I have not ridden it much because I have hated the Zeb. I really don't know how to square how others call it plush and supple, when my experience was that it was harsh and gave me arm pump and literally sore hands (!!) which I've never experienced before. I even had the shop open it up to check if it was screwed up OEM

finally I gave up and got an Ohlins DH38. soon I will put a Telum on the rear and then the bike will hopefully live up to it's potential as an eDH. I did a few rides with the DH38 and the bike feels great - absolute slack weapon for the steeps

I haven't done the math but I suspect the T2 would be cheaper and not much different, given I've swapped out the suspension

I got the T1 because I like red and my local shop had one in that size, while the others were sold out immediately

it's been a bumpy road, what with the Zeb issues, but I'm looking forward to getting ride time on the bike with good suspension, and I'll send some updates and pics/vids

just to clarify - the "bumpy road" isn't really the bike's (or Forbidden's) fault. mostly just the fork, and then a snafu with the local shop cutting the DH38 steerer tube too short. it's just stalled the momentum and new bike excitement for me, but I hope that'll be overturned soon

 

[Highland Wheels]

Sounds like you didn't have the Zebs setup right. I've got the older 26 Uktimates and have tried the new 27 Zebs as well and they are both super supple, plush and still supportive. Waaay better than the Fox 38s I've had in the past

 

[mhueschen]

it's possible, but even with

Sounds like you didn't have the Zebs setup right. I've got the older 26 Uktimates and have tried the new 27 Zebs as well and they are both super supple, plush and still supportive. Waaay better than the Fox 38s I've had in the past

it's possible, and that's what others told me too but I gave up on trying to fix it. even with HSC+LSC all the way open, the suggested air pressure felt harsh. it seems to work for other people, but after spending a bunch of time on it, I opted for Ohlins which I know how to set up well.

my guess is there's something wrong with the Zeb damper, even though the shop lead suspension mechanic assured me it felt good (but he only was testing by bouncing in a parking lot, not hitting high speed bumps on trail)

I'm not trying to knock RS, just reporting in what happened to me

 

[EMTB718]

it's possible, but even with

it's possible, and that's what others told me too but I gave up on trying to fix it. even with HSC+LSC all the way open, the suggested air pressure felt harsh. it seems to work for other people, but after spending a bunch of time on it, I opted for Ohlins which I know how to set up well.

my guess is there's something wrong with the Zeb damper, even though the shop lead suspension mechanic assured me it felt good (but he only was testing by bouncing in a parking lot, not hitting high speed bumps on trail)

I'm not trying to knock RS, just reporting in what happened to me

I am bit surprised. Zeb Ultimate (the new model) is extremely plush supple at least on my bike (Not saying your claim on Zeb on is wrong). It's the most plush and supple fork I ever used. Of course I haven't tried any Ohlins or My27 Fox 38 Factory but I have tries older Zeb (I think 2023), Fox 38 Factory Grip X2 (2025-currently using on 2 bikes), Fox 38 Factory Grip 2 (used it up until 4 or 5 months ago) , Fox 36 Factory Grip X2 (2026 - currently using it on 1 bike), other Fox 38 (Float Performance Air Grip and Performance Elite Air) and Fox Factory 36 Grip 2.

Hope your new fork, Ohlins 38DH works out for you. Heard great stuff about Ohlins.

 

[Red Peekay]

You get a chance to ride your bike yet? If so, how does it ride?

No not yet. They sent it over to the wrapping people. My understanding is they were going to strip the OEM ride wrap off and then fully ride wrap the bike. They were also waiting for a 225 or 250 Reverb dropper to come in. So they haven't called yet, and the weather was nice this week. Crapping out on the weekend, hopefully fine for when I pick up.

'Cause I is heading straight to the trailhead after setup at the shop!!

 

[sethimus]

but mine have been wildly (see what I did there?) different than your own.

funny how you can judge that with your knee still fucked

 

[Suns_PSD]

funny how you can judge that with your knee still fucked

Ahh, you cared enough to remember!

I'm riding at about 90% at the moment, but in small spurts. Also, the next day I can barely walk but the knee interferes with me very little while riding, fortunately.

 

[doochenozzle]

I run way lower than recommended air pressure and have been happy. Prior to that my experience mirrors yours.
For fork, why not get a Dorado?

it's possible, but even with

it's possible, and that's what others told me too but I gave up on trying to fix it. even with HSC+LSC all the way open, the suggested air pressure felt harsh. it seems to work for other people, but after spending a bunch of time on it, I opted for Ohlins which I know how to set up well.

my guess is there's something wrong with the Zeb damper, even though the shop lead suspension mechanic assured me it felt good (but he only was testing by bouncing in a parking lot, not hitting high speed bumps on trail)

I'm not trying to knock RS, just reporting in what happened to me