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Sub-65 HA on trail/mountain/endopru bike - who’s doing it?

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,010
1,146
El Lay
who is running real slack? I enjoyed 63 on my DH bike and am thinking about trying the Capra around 63-63.5.

Anyone try it and switch back?
 

Tantrum Cycles

Turbo Monkey
Jun 29, 2016
1,143
503
who is running real slack? I enjoyed 63 on my DH bike and am thinking about trying the Capra around 63-63.5.

Anyone try it and switch back?
BRAAAAAAP 63 degrees for the win on my favorite combos.

When you switch back to that ultra steep 65 degree shit, it gets twitchy
 

Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,541
5,472
UK
who is running real slack? I enjoyed 63 on my DH bike and am thinking about trying the Capra around 63-63.5.

Anyone try it and switch back?
Yeah My Capra's 63.something. Biggest improvement DH was switching to strongsize wheels and lowering the BB though.

my 170mm Ebike is also just under 64deg and shares pretty similar geometry to my Capra.

I switch back to steeper H/As all the time mainly a 69deg 4X bike and a 74deg BMX. It's never been a problem.
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,480
4,720
Australia
Running the Kona at like 64.5 now. Wanders a bit on the climbs to be honest, but makes the descents heaps more fun. And I'm not here for the climbs.
 

MrBaker87

Monkey
Mar 30, 2014
156
113
neverlandranch
I had my Banshee Rune at about 63 for a good moment using offset bushings an angleset and a 170mm fork, wasn’t even in the lowest drop out setting. It was rad.

Regardless, I took out the offset bushings when I changes over to a new rear shock as I wanted some resemblence of a decent seat angle and the Cane Creek Angleset left the bike cause the gimbles were annoying.

Currently at about 65.

I do plan on ordering a Works 2deg headset pretty soon to put me at about 63.5.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
That's a cool idea. Is this an option on most 650b bikes, or does it stuff the geometry too much?
I've done it with a few frames. With the same AC as your equivalent 27.5 fork you drop about 0.6-0.7"

I'm running a current model V10 with 26s on it but in the high setting and the the fork dropped to maintain stock geo.


13" bb on a trail bike is a good number though. Nyom Nyom!


The low settings on new nomads are like 64 something.
 

LAP

Chimp
Mar 5, 2016
47
33
Giant Reign with a -1 degree works headset (pics is somewhere in the bike picture thread). A bit Patrick Switchy on the climb but I really do not care. Its more fun when bicycletting down ze mountain. Angle headset also steepen the seat tube, which is a good thing on the Reign cause Giant are bit dumb on that aspect.
 

roflbox

roflborx
Jan 23, 2017
3,163
834
Raleigh, NC
I've done it with a few frames. With the same AC as your equivalent 27.5 fork you drop about 0.6-0.7"

I'm running a current model V10 with 26s on it but in the high setting and the the fork dropped to maintain stock geo.


13" bb on a trail bike is a good number though. Nyom Nyom!


The low settings on new nomads are like 64 something.
hmmmm, new bike is 11.7 on 2.8's wonder what it will be on 2.5s
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
16,627
12,918
Cackalacka du Nord
@roflbox - new bike is a hardtail, right? so you won’t see any further loss with sag, like a fs bike.

my nomad 4 is somewhere around 64.5; 13”bb with 26” wheels. running it in the “high” setting. it’s teh shiz. it has a decent seat angle, which helps keep the front from getting too unweighted/wandery on the climbs. 40mm stem helped too. feels super stable on the downs.
 

Wuffles

Monkey
Feb 24, 2016
157
98
Running around 64.5 on the Smash, will be 64 when the longer fork gets in. Me likey. Me likey a lot.
 

Kurt_80

Monkey
Jan 25, 2016
488
418
Perth, WA.
I've done it with a few frames. With the same AC as your equivalent 27.5 fork you drop about 0.6-0.7"

I'm running a current model V10 with 26s on it but in the high setting and the the fork dropped to maintain stock geo.
Cheers. Opens a few doors for the future indeed...Would you rate this setup as better than say a stock V10.5?
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,637
5,449
Hardtail with 130mm for sits at 63.5 but at sag is ~65, best climbing bike I have owned but that is mostly because I am fat and tallish which makes bikes with slack STAs seriously shit to climb.
 

FlipSide

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2001
1,376
804
I have a Devinci Spartan LTD with a 180 fork coming tomorrow. HA should be below 65. First ride expected this weekend.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Cheers. Opens a few doors for the future indeed...Would you rate this setup as better than say a stock V10.5?
Version 5 was the last 26" one right? No, that was IMO the best bike they've ever made. That has more to do with the leverage curve.

I'm happy with mine though. I do wish it was slightly less progressive. They're a little loose on the top end of the travel.
 
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HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
The squishy bike of mine is a Mojo/Nicolai G16. As pictured it was at about 62.3, with 26" wheels and the fork lowered to 180mm. I'm now running it with 650b wheels and the flip chip in the other setting (designed for running a longer shock for more travel, but also works to lower and slacken it). It's about 61.5 there.

The hardtail is a BTR Ranger at 62.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
I wouldn't set it up like that (or would just own something else) if my local trails weren't all fire road climbs to straight fall line descents with basically no rolling terrain at all. But for that it's pretty rad.
 

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,010
1,146
El Lay
Rolling terrain is my big unknown wrt super slack.

Generally I’m riding up steep fire roads and down steep singletrack, but there is a bit of rolling stuff occasionally... usually on road trips to NorCal or out in Malibu.

Current seat angle is fine and front end doesn’t wander much on climbs.

I’ll be at 64.5 estimated after I change air spring to 180 next week. 2° slacker cups after that is the question.

Thanks for all the responses guys!
 
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shirk007

Monkey
Apr 14, 2009
499
354
do tell of that frame
Garage build project I have been working on. 4130 fillet brazed. Suspension design very similar to the TR500 / Pulse / original DHR.

This is the 4th frame I've build and the 2nd suspension frame. First suspension frame was a classic singlepivot with no linkage driving the shock.

Hopefully I have the frame done this weekend.
 

SylentK

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2004
2,287
854
coloRADo
No, not for me. Not anymore anyways.

I had my slack and low original model GG MT (in super g mode, 27.5"). With a sub 13" BB and slack ass HA. Was cool, but not cool for certain trails. Yes, any DH is sweet. But if you have to pedal with "land mine" rocks and off camber climbs, I had many 'oh shit' moments. Yes, on climbs, oh shit moments, where you pedal/crank hits a rock on the climb and you get ejected immediately. Sedona, Hangover trail, especially. Highline, not as much, but climb was a bit tricky. For my local trails and bike parks, very cool. But I do prefer a bit more confidence on the climbs. I can handle not being so low and slack on the downs.

That being said...Seeing as this is the DH forum, if you can rock the sub 13" BB and sub 64* HA, go for it!

But it's not for everyone, every trail.
 

fwp

Monkey
Jun 5, 2013
410
400
What BB height vs crank length are you guys running
I am at 13.5 with 175 and ride really rocky terrain northeast pa and new england.. want to go atleast 170 but was toying with 165 just because of the massive amount of pedal strikes with the 175's