Rad-ish hardtails

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by mike, Jan 19, 2020.


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  1. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower

    If the frame is compatible up to 140mm forks, I see no problem with it. Even more so, since you tend to run you suspension soft and rely on the lockouts.

    does the front end wander a bit more on really steep climbs...perhaps. However when it gets that steep you are just as likely to get out of the saddle and pedal. It’s also no worse that the 150 on your Hightower.

    makes the downs more fun with minimal penalty on the climbs.
     
  2. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    Cons: It would feel unbalanced. The rear has no MMs of travel, so that front end would be too squishy. Supported by my extensive hardtail expertise, I recommend not more than 120mm of fork travel with 34-36mm stanchions on a hardtail. That will help balance the bike’s character. Party in the front, business in the back, no pretending it can shred something it can’t.
     
  3. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower

    Based on old hardtail geometry....I’d agree. However newer hardtail with modern geometry actually feel quite balanced with long travel.
     
  4. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
    This is all coming from someone who runs 140mm Pike on my SS.
     
  5. buggravy

    buggravy iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Calabasas
    Name:
    Matt
    Current Bike:
    Transition Sentinel
    I know the stock builds come with either a 100/32 fork or 120/34. Someone posted on the other forum that they were specifically advised by Ibis not to go over 120 because of the stress it would put on the head tube. Perhaps that’s just a bunch of CYA, but that’s what he was told.
     
  6. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    Touché. My hardtail (actually mama’s) is circa 2009, but I added a fork with 51mm offset to make it cool.

    The real truth, @Mikie , is that the best thing to do to a hardtail is slap on some slicks and a trunk rack/bag and use it as an urban battleship to Rubio’s and the grocery store.1A5A0BD3-BFF5-4F21-AFD4-C498A9B053C0.jpeg
     
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  7. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Thanks again for all the ideas and psyche, guys.

    @Grego, by what little I know at the moment, I agree with your preference. Semi-custom ti at that price seems unbelievable.


    FWIW, I ran my Pedalhead with a 140 Pike and it was dreamy. Frame is made for 120-140. The 120 was okay, too, just limited on the DH.
     
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  8. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    Sexy! Rubio’s ftw!
     
  9. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower

    I tend to go with CYA. I’ve been over forking my hardtails for years. Have no qualms putting 130mm fork on a frame made for 120mm Max.


    Most frames are engineered for the fork at full extension. But we know they are rarely at that length. So out of the 20mm difference between a 120 and 140 fork, once you factor in the additional sag is minimal.
     
    Cyclotourist, Mikie, Danmtchl and 4 others like this.
  10. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    Go with the longest it's rated for... Even at 120mm, that is a huge improvement over 100mm. Been there... You're going to feel like you have another inch of travel anyway with those beach balls that you call tires. I'd consider something that spins up a little faster than a 2.6 in the back. 2.4 Rekon...

    And then... Ride it everywhere you would ride your other bike. Don't listen to hardtail advice from the guys who haven't ridden one since Bill Clinton was riding Monica around the Oval Office. They have progressed as much as full suspension bikes in the same time period. Watch J, watch Ross, watch mike... Close your eyes when I come up. :p

    And... most importantly... Give yourself time to adjust. If I ride the e-bike for a couple weeks and then jump on the hardtail, the bad habits have already set in and it rides like a brick. Even the pavement in front of the house feels harsh. It takes me a day or so to get back in the groove and use the built-in body suspension to soak everything up. Start slow, Grasshopper. Eventually you might find you like floating instead of plowing.
     
  11. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
    Before the Fuse, I rode over-forked XC hardtails.
    Helped with the steep steering angles

    You're gonna have to break that "Santa Cruzin" style, where you ride through the chunk while seated :facepalm: Or else you'll be ripping through rear tires like @DangerDirtyD with someone else weed!

    Slap a 140mm up front, and the longest dropper that fits, and...
    Get some!
     
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  12. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    Ya’ll a bunch of hard asses!
     
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  13. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    :eek:o_O:facepalm:

    @Mikie, I demand that you ban @Faust29 this instant!!!
     
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  14. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    West Anaheim
    Name:
    Mark Whitaker
    Current Bike:
    Giant XTC with pedals
    FIFY. :thumbsup:
     
  15. buggravy

    buggravy iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Calabasas
    Name:
    Matt
    Current Bike:
    Transition Sentinel
    I just reread this and am going to do some more keyboard quarterbacking. And again, I'm just regurgitating info, which may or may not be true but may be worthy of investigation prior to a purchase. I’d read somewhere about the DV9 seat tube not playing nice with long droppers. I vaguely remember someone asserting that 150 was the max on a large frame. The one I bought had a 150 installed, and in the pics the seat post was slammed all way into the tube. The shop owner who was 5’9” said he had to slam it to be able to ride it, and even then he barely fit on it with the dropper fully extended. I really wanted a Bike Yoke dropper, which meant 160 or 125, and he very strongly suggested I go 125, even at 5'11" with a 32" inseam. For how and where I envision riding that bike I think 125 will be perfectly sufficient.
     
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  16. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower

    https://www.ibiscycles.com/bikes/dv9#overview-dropper

    Screenshot (164).png Screenshot (165).png
     
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  17. buggravy

    buggravy iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Calabasas
    Name:
    Matt
    Current Bike:
    Transition Sentinel
    herzalot, Faust29, mike and 6 others like this.
  18. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    Voodoo Tom, Faust29, mike and 5 others like this.
  19. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    West Anaheim
    Name:
    Mark Whitaker
    Current Bike:
    Giant XTC with pedals
    It says droppers are high maintenance and are to be avoided like the plague.
     
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  20. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower

    Here's how I read it.....based on a L frame:

    Maximum insertion of dropper post is 230mm

    This part is Dropper Brand Specific to Fox:
    Measurement from center BB to center of saddle rail
    150mm dropper
    Min length: 692mm
    Max length: 837mm

    You will have to measure and see if you fall within these dimensions WITHOUT exceeding max insertion of 230mm.
     
  21. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Measure your fully extended BB to saddle rail with a rigid post then compare to the Bike Yoke numbers. Or get whatever dropper’s min insertion and upper measurement and figure them into the frame specs at top.
     
  22. littlewave

    littlewave Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Newport Beach
    Name:
    Brett
    Current Bike:
    GG Smash (Alu)
    As long as we’re talking droppers, @Mikie do yourself a favor and get the bikeyoke.
     
  23. Grego

    Grego iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Fullerton
    Name:
    joe
    Current Bike:
    WFO9
    General rule of thumb is for every 20mm fork travel the head tube angle changes one degree. Something not mentioned yet is fork sag. A 120mm fork sagged at 20% is 24mm, or 1.2°. For example, when the manufacturer states 67.3° with 120mm, you're riding at 68.5°. Fun with numbers!:geek:
     
  24. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Math is stupid....
     
  25. Voodoo Tom

    Voodoo Tom MTB Addict

    Location:
    Castaic
    Name:
    Tom Kokkinakis
    Current Bike:
    Mango one, black one, Ti one
    @Mikie runs his seat like 9 miles high so simple math tells me he can run a long dropper. I would go with a Fox transfer if I was him(based on the flawless track record I have with 2 bikes using em)...
     
  26. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Hmmmm, I've been running dropper posts exclusively since 2013. Never serviced one, never had one fail (two - KS). I guess I'd better knock on wood.

    Sorry to interrupt this hardtail-pa-looza. Please continue.
     
  27. Voodoo Tom

    Voodoo Tom MTB Addict

    Location:
    Castaic
    Name:
    Tom Kokkinakis
    Current Bike:
    Mango one, black one, Ti one
    Factor in his fluffy 50 ish percent sag and he needs at least a 160...
     
  28. Grego

    Grego iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Fullerton
    Name:
    joe
    Current Bike:
    WFO9
    Good thing I didn't add brake dive into the equation.:confused:
     
  29. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Yes! What about anti-squat? Oh wait...
     
  30. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    That's one of the reasons why I am faster than you on the long DH's. The other reason is that I am faster than you on the long DH's. :D
     


As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?