Not sure where your based but if your in the north east BIKESCENE at guisbrough (01287610735 ) have one in , you might be able to demo for an afternoon. I know for a fact the sales bods have been out on it , ( coz thats their job - jammy bstards) So you could always phone for a review , but theyre only gonna tell you the positive stuff , not gonna tell you any bad stuff are they.
Looks lean and light and a bit retro - I.E. skinny round tubes - none of the swoops curves and square sections of modern frames , titanium colour,s nice .
And I know I,ll take a pounding for this - but it looks fast !!!
A friend of mine saw the prototype being tested in the south of Spain in the Sierra Espuna when he was on a mountainbiking holiday. The Spanish guy riding it said the back end was a bit flexy ,but handled reasonably well.The frame was no lighter than say a 5 because of the number of pivots.
He classed it as a good bike for "training",and the group at first thought it was a Commencal.
I have just purchased the pro with the fork upgrade, fantastic bike! light, smooth ride and very fast. It feels good when throwing it around, doesen't feel as if you will loose control. It is well worth the money, looks even better in the flesh>
"You’re looking at the sleekest, smoothest, corner-railingest trail bike out there. With 100mm of supple, controllable traction, a low centre of gravity and a tight back end for unrivalled climbing performance, the ST4 is the bike you wish you were fast enough for."
Allow me to interpret:
"You're looking at the sleekest, smoothest, corner-railingest trail bike out there (That's been designed in Yorkshire). With 100mm of supple (it's got a very flexible frame) controllable traction (tyre pressure goes higher or lower) a low centre of gravity (we had to stick a load of extra material around the BB shell to stop it twisting) and a tight back end (really? Even though I can see no braces on the seat stay / shock actuation pivots to prevent yaw? Remarkable!) for unrivalled climbing performance (from a 100mm travel frame designed in Yorkshire) the ST4 is the bike you wish you were fast enough for (We'll insult you so you buy one, then it's too late by the time you realise your mistake)"
I'd like to point out that I really am only kidding. It looks like a great bike and I'd love to get my hands on one to try it out. Finally another company using the 2;1 shock ratio!