Decided to sell my M3, and not by choice since I did like the rear suspension on it, but it was just too short. It was a medium and I'm 6' - 6'1 depending on who's measuring and I've not been able to find a Large M3 in acceptable condition.
I am not getting this bike to race. It's pretty much for riding steep loose and embedded rocks, jumps, drops, rollers, deep loose corners, and drifty stuff. Then some more rocks. And rocks on top of rocks. Did I mention rocks?
I want something long and slack and stable through corners and chop. Before the M3 I had a Large '08 DHR, which I did not get along with for my riding, though the geo was pretty dialed (I REALLY liked the 63.5* HA on it). The M3 could afford to be a bit slacker in front, and longer first and foremost. Longer CS probably wouldn't hurt either but anytime I found that to be an issue it was most likely more an effect of the wheelbase.
My potential problems with the M6 are the low BB and the FRO thing. The lower bar height and slacker HA are a plus. The longer shock/lower leverage thing I'm not 100% sold on, and it would require a new shock. Not sure if they revised the VPP to be better or worse on the rough stuff with the M6 or what, though I hear it did change somehow. Don't want to end up breaking the frame either which has me looking at the Cove. I've heard from numerous reputable sources that the M3's were basically the toughest DH frame that Intense ever made, the M6 would be a step down from that in the toughness department.
The Shocker I can't even find all the geo #'s for (laid out below). It's heavier, not that I care, but I'd like to know if the weight is at least balanced nicely front to rear and isn't really top-heavy. Most important things I'd like to know are real life head angle with an '07 888 and the wheelbase of a large. What were the geo changes through the different years of release? Seem to remember the earlier ones were a bit steeper in the head angle. I've read that it compares to the DHR in terms of rear end behavior, which I probably wouldn't like a whole lot. Can these be set up to be stable on the chop and be bottomless and predictable like the M3??
It's kind of a long shot, but does anyone have ride time of each to compare how each carries speed through rocks and messy corners? High speed stuff? Super super steeps?
M6 geo, size L
TT 24"
HT 5.25"
WB 46.5"
HA 64.5*
CS 17.25"
BB 14.125"
Shocker geo, size L
TT 23.75"
HT ???"
WB ???"
HA 65.5* (1 degree steeper than the medium and small per Cove's website? WTF?)
CS 17.4" (I've read reviews that measured it out as much as 17.75", so who knows on this one too)
BB 14.5" (Again, seeing numbers all over the place)
Any comments, suggestions, insults, threats, belligerent ranting, etc. are welcome.
I am not getting this bike to race. It's pretty much for riding steep loose and embedded rocks, jumps, drops, rollers, deep loose corners, and drifty stuff. Then some more rocks. And rocks on top of rocks. Did I mention rocks?
I want something long and slack and stable through corners and chop. Before the M3 I had a Large '08 DHR, which I did not get along with for my riding, though the geo was pretty dialed (I REALLY liked the 63.5* HA on it). The M3 could afford to be a bit slacker in front, and longer first and foremost. Longer CS probably wouldn't hurt either but anytime I found that to be an issue it was most likely more an effect of the wheelbase.
My potential problems with the M6 are the low BB and the FRO thing. The lower bar height and slacker HA are a plus. The longer shock/lower leverage thing I'm not 100% sold on, and it would require a new shock. Not sure if they revised the VPP to be better or worse on the rough stuff with the M6 or what, though I hear it did change somehow. Don't want to end up breaking the frame either which has me looking at the Cove. I've heard from numerous reputable sources that the M3's were basically the toughest DH frame that Intense ever made, the M6 would be a step down from that in the toughness department.
The Shocker I can't even find all the geo #'s for (laid out below). It's heavier, not that I care, but I'd like to know if the weight is at least balanced nicely front to rear and isn't really top-heavy. Most important things I'd like to know are real life head angle with an '07 888 and the wheelbase of a large. What were the geo changes through the different years of release? Seem to remember the earlier ones were a bit steeper in the head angle. I've read that it compares to the DHR in terms of rear end behavior, which I probably wouldn't like a whole lot. Can these be set up to be stable on the chop and be bottomless and predictable like the M3??
It's kind of a long shot, but does anyone have ride time of each to compare how each carries speed through rocks and messy corners? High speed stuff? Super super steeps?
M6 geo, size L
TT 24"
HT 5.25"
WB 46.5"
HA 64.5*
CS 17.25"
BB 14.125"
Shocker geo, size L
TT 23.75"
HT ???"
WB ???"
HA 65.5* (1 degree steeper than the medium and small per Cove's website? WTF?)
CS 17.4" (I've read reviews that measured it out as much as 17.75", so who knows on this one too)
BB 14.5" (Again, seeing numbers all over the place)
Any comments, suggestions, insults, threats, belligerent ranting, etc. are welcome.
