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Biggest DH Frame(s)

Huck Banzai

Huck Banzai

Turbo Monkey
May 8, 2005
2,523
23
Transitory
I was all set to buy an XXL V10 CC in White/Red but they decided to drop the color and add another skittlevomit color BLUE/Mint.

I have always been an SC Whore and the last 6 frames I bought were SC. They have now dropped their classic S man logo, abandoned color options years ago, and are now making (admittedly great bikes, but I have SOME vanity/style) horrendous paint jobs and the brand has become the go to for yuppie-bike jokes. I really dont want a mint frame with orange logos and magenta accents, maybe you do.

Superficial or no, I think Im done with elitist-fancy-pants-SC because they've become what Intense used to be minus the street cred. Insurgent for the trail bike, but what to do for a DH sled?


SO

Who makes a DH frame with 18.7"+ reach? It seems the V10 us .2 bigger than the closest thing.

Attack me, call me a douche for caring about color, but give me some ideas.
 
Mo(n)arch

Mo(n)arch

Turbo Monkey
Dec 27, 2010
4,441
1,422
Italy/south Tyrol
As I see it, the only bikes with a reach about 18,7" or 470mm would be Demo, Pulse or Fury with the use of a reach adjust headset.
Or go the custom frame route with the likes of Nicolai or GG.

Or: Just buy that V10 already, dammit!
 
mtg

mtg

Green with Envy
Sep 21, 2009
1,862
1,604
Denver, CO
kidwoo said:
That's what she said.


I'm wondering if you can put it in the longer travel mode and still drop the BB (IE holes in the front mount). It really does look like there's a partially covered hole in front of the front bolt.
Click to expand...
Let me ask the guy who designed it.....nope, there is not a partially covered hole on the front.

Offset mount hardware is an option. And, there's also another way to lower the BB in the longer travel setting: 26" wheels.
 
MmmBones

MmmBones

Monkey
May 8, 2011
272
84
Porkland, OR
@spes That is the longest DH frame, though it's only 176mm of travel. Their Evolink 150 is the longest MTB made full stop with a 535mm reach and 1343mm wheelbase. That's very similar to pre First World War era motorcycles. Back then they were running half-shells with goggles, 67-63 degree head angles, 26", 28" and 29" wheels with tires ranging from 2.25" to 3", experimenting gearboxes and belt drives and discussing what mustache wax works best to repel dirt. Glad to see we've come such a long way in the last hundred years.
 
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joeg

joeg

I have some obvious biases
Jul 20, 2011
198
137
Santa Cruz CA
Huck Banzai said:
I was all set to buy an XXL V10 CC in White/Red but they decided to drop the color and add another skittlevomit color BLUE/Mint.

I have always been an SC Whore and the last 6 frames I bought were SC. They have now dropped their classic S man logo, abandoned color options years ago, and are now making (admittedly great bikes, but I have SOME vanity/style) horrendous paint jobs and the brand has become the go to for yuppie-bike jokes. I really dont want a mint frame with orange logos and magenta accents, maybe you do.

Superficial or no, I think Im done with elitist-fancy-pants-SC because they've become what Intense used to be minus the street cred. Insurgent for the trail bike, but what to do for a DH sled?


SO

Who makes a DH frame with 18.7"+ reach? It seems the V10 us .2 bigger than the closest thing.

Attack me, call me a douche for caring about color, but give me some ideas.
Click to expand...
its possible we have some last year's race bikes floating around (syndicate paint jobs) or some white test bikes.
PM me if its really about color.
 
HAB

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,582
2,012
Seattle
gemini2k said:
That must be a misprint. That's so much bigger than any other bike (DH, road, XC, whatever) out there. If It's not...I'm interested.

Edit: Not interested in any bike that has a "max rider weight". Esepcially one with a 240lb limit. Must be a tin can.
Click to expand...
Their XL endurbro bike has a 535mm reach...
 
HAB

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,582
2,012
Seattle
SDet said:
XXL megatrail is 571mm reach.....
Click to expand...
Woah. I knew it was big, but didn't realize it was THAT big.

I guess it makes sense, I ride a L in basically everything, but am on a M Megatrail very happily.
 
gemini2k

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
My custom megatrail is ~520mm (20.5inches) reach, which has got to be at least 1.5" longer than the next longest bike i've ever seen besides the Pole. I could maybe go to a 535mm if I went with a 40mm stem and NEVER hit a jump or a switchback. Even at 520mm reach with a shorter CS it's a little awkward in tight stuff. Claiming it'll fit someone 6'2" is...interesting.
 
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MmmBones

MmmBones

Monkey
May 8, 2011
272
84
Porkland, OR
SDet said:
XXL megatrail is 571mm reach.....
Click to expand...
They don't have an XXL listed on their website but each size increase adds an inch to reach, so an XXL would be 525mm. Unless you have photographic evidence, I'm going to file this under Sasquatchcycle/Unberevabruhbike

gemini2k said:
My custom megatrail is ~520mm (20.5inches) reach, which has got to be at least 1.5" longer than the next longest bike i've ever seen besides the Pole. I could maybe go to a 535mm if I went with a 40mm stem and NEVER hit a jump or a switchback. Even at 520mm reach with a shorter CS it's a little awkward in tight stuff. Claiming it'll fit someone 6'2" is...interesting.
Click to expand...
The XL Megatrail is only 20mm shorter than your bike. Paul Aston (6'1") rode and wrote (http://www.pinkbike.com/news/nicolai-mojo-geometron-first-ride-2015.html) about the Geometron in a size "longest" which has the same reach (520mm) as your Megatrail and apparently he had no problem jumping it or rounding tight corners. It's also mentioned in the article that Chris Porter (6'2-3" I believe) rides a custom frame, likely with a longer than Longest reach - "Chris says his personal bike is the longest mountain bike ever made with a limo-like wheelbase of 1370mm". Paul also mentions in the article that his XL Enduro has the same BB-center to bar-end as the Longest Geometron, so It's entirely possible for riders this height to get a proper fit on these longer bikes.
 
SDet

SDet

Monkey
Nov 19, 2014
150
42
Boulder Co
MmmBones said:
They don't have an XXL listed on their website but each size increase adds an inch to reach, so an XXL would be 525mm. Unless you have photographic evidence, I'm going to file this under Sasquatchcycle/Unberevabruhbike

The XL Megatrail is only 20mm shorter than your bike. Paul Aston (6'1") rode and wrote (http://www.pinkbike.com/news/nicolai-mojo-geometron-first-ride-2015.html) about the Geometron in a size "longest" which has the same reach (520mm) as your Megatrail and apparently he had no problem jumping it or rounding tight corners. It's also mentioned in the article that Chris Porter (6'2-3" I believe) rides a custom frame, likely with a longer than Longest reach - "Chris says his personal bike is the longest mountain bike ever made with a limo-like wheelbase of 1370mm". Paul also mentions in the article that his XL Enduro has the same BB-center to bar-end as the Longest Geometron, so It's entirely possible for riders this height to get a proper fit on these longer bikes.
Click to expand...
Misread my fixture settings. The center of the bottom of the Headtube is 550ish mm from the center of the BB. I forgot to account for the 180mm ht tilted at a 65.5° angle. Gemini2k's frame is the one I refer to as XXL or super Mongo depending on mood. That was one very large bike.
 
MmmBones

MmmBones

Monkey
May 8, 2011
272
84
Porkland, OR
SDet said:
Misread my fixture settings. The center of the bottom of the Headtube is 550ish mm from the center of the BB. I forgot to account for the 180mm ht tilted at a 65.5° angle. Gemini2k's frame is the one I refer to as XXL or super Mongo depending on mood. That was one very large bike.
Click to expand...
I think you may have misread them again, do you mean 750mm Downtube c2c? 550mm is quite short. I was also wondering, are you guys able to do a steeper seat angle than the stock 74deg?
 
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SDet

SDet

Monkey
Nov 19, 2014
150
42
Boulder Co
MmmBones said:
I think you may have misread them again, do you mean 750mm Downtube c2c? 550mm is quite short. I was also wondering, are you guys able to do a steeper seat angle than the stock 74deg?
Click to expand...
Horizontal distance between the headtube and bottom bracket is around 550mm.

And we've done stranger things than a steeper seat tube, I'd hit up MTG on here, or just email the shop. I only make the tubes, I don't have the final say on what we'll build.
 
gemini2k

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
MmmBones said:
It's also mentioned in the article that Chris Porter (6'2-3" I believe) rides a custom frame, likely with a longer than Longest reach - "Chris says his personal bike is the longest mountain bike ever made with a limo-like wheelbase of 1370mm".
Click to expand...
Damn I'd love to ride that bike. Maybe I should've gone longer. I definitely haven't found too long, which of course you have to find in order to find the perfect length. But I was too scared to risk ~$2k and go any longer that 20.5". Maybe in a few years I'll get a XXXL mega trail and go for a 21.5 or 22" reach. I could definitely go shorter on my stem (rocking a 60mm now) so a longer reach isn't out of the question. I know so far I'd want the ST ~1" steeper and 1" shorter. The perks of an "imperfect" bike are that you get to buy another one eventually :)

One thing I've noticed on my MT, and it might be a function of the 29" front wheel, but I definitely had to change my riding style to conciously shift my weight more forward than I'm used to in turns, similar to a moto. A longer reach would increase that effect probably. Could be interesting though.

In that article they mention that on "normal" bikes, tall riders struggle to get their weight forward enough, and as a result the front end wanders. I've always found the EXACT opposite to be true. On other bikes i've never been able to get my weight far back enough, especially when out of the saddle, and I struggle to get rear wheel traction. With the MT I find that the front end wanders are REALLY steep and technical climbs. But to be fair, those climbs are far beyond what I probably should be riding anyways (~17%+ grades)

(disclaimer, my torso is probably ~1-2" short for my height. So to be far, someone who's 6'2" with a long torso could reasonably be ideal on a 20.5" or slightly longer reach, especially with a short stem)
 
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gemini2k

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
MmmBones said:
I'd go so far as to blame the 29" wheel for every negative handling trait with the only positive being the decreased "Angle of Attack" provided by the larger diameter.
Click to expand...
Yeah, maybe. The large wheel does seem to add some stability, in the sense that you don't get hung up in holes, go OTB as much, etc. I don't think it makes me any faster or better, but maybe safer? However I have not done a back to back comparison. Once I finish cleaning out my garage completely of all superfluous parts, I'll get a 27.5 wheel to throw on there and compare.
 
Mo(n)arch

Mo(n)arch

Turbo Monkey
Dec 27, 2010
4,441
1,422
Italy/south Tyrol
For what it's worth, Giant is making an XL option for the Glory, their reach is 476mm or 18,74".
The large frame features still 461mm or 18,15" of reach.
A damn good option for the future if you ask me. And are being sold in plastic and aluminium.:cheers:
 
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Huck Banzai

Huck Banzai

Turbo Monkey
May 8, 2005
2,523
23
Transitory
As the Riceman stated, I got over my tantrum and got the B&W one, and love it.

JoeG, thanks for the offer!!

Gemini2K - always coming with the giant bikes! - 22" reach bikes? holy smokes, I cant begin to imagine. I may sneak a 7mm offset headset in this frame, that is unless JoeG/SC nixes that. The team riders use an 8mm CK I believe, but Im pretty sure they have better warranty terms than I do.........................
 
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