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Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,998
9,659
AK
Linkage driven Single pivots and floating brakes can still work well. Ask Pierron
View attachment 148076
Is it? As in it's coming on production bikes and everyone is using it?

Or alive-and-well as in it's on a prototype that appears to have adjustment built in, possibly for testing purposes?

I mean, maybe it'll make a comeback with just the right amount of squat dialed in and not every design is able to just bolt the brake on the stay/triangle and get good results. So there are constraints to the rear system if you want to bolt the brake to the stays or you can have "total freedom" by going to a floating system. If mfr A decides to use some whacked out linkage arrangement that can't bolt the brake to the stays, then I have to wonder if that whacked out linkage arrangement is doing anything above and beyond what other manufacturers are.

So it's definitely not out of the real of possibilities that we could see it come back IMO, just that there hasn't been a significant need for it.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,998
9,659
AK
@Tantrum Cycles worked with Brake Therapy back in the golden days of floating brake mounts. IIRC he said what killed them was the added complexity and the perceived weight they added to the bike.
IMO, you need some kind of anti-dive fork to make it work right, since your rear won't be squatting, otherwise you end up with the bike trying to pitch you forward on the steep stuff.
 

Flo33

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2015
2,068
1,306
Styria
IMO, you need some kind of anti-dive fork to make it work right, since your rear won't be squatting, otherwise you end up with the bike trying to pitch you forward on the steep stuff.
You never use your front brake, don't you?
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,519
19,528
Canaderp
IMO, you need some kind of anti-dive fork to make it work right, since your rear won't be squatting, otherwise you end up with the bike trying to pitch you forward on the steep stuff.
 

fwp

Monkey
Jun 5, 2013
410
400
Is it? As in it's coming on production bikes and everyone is using it?

Or alive-and-well as in it's on a prototype that appears to have adjustment built in, possibly for testing purposes?

I mean, maybe it'll make a comeback with just the right amount of squat dialed in and not every design is able to just bolt the brake on the stay/triangle and get good results. So there are constraints to the rear system if you want to bolt the brake to the stays or you can have "total freedom" by going to a floating system. If mfr A decides to use some whacked out linkage arrangement that can't bolt the brake to the stays, then I have to wonder if that whacked out linkage arrangement is doing anything above and beyond what other manufacturers are.

So it's definitely not out of the real of possibilities that we could see it come back IMO, just that there hasn't been a significant need for it.
I was just busting you're balls
I was surprised he was running it, I thought wow thats old school
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,978
13,232
Spent too much time reading through the 34 page thread on the Forbidden Druid on MTBR. Sounds like it rides fantastically well, but has a couple of small issues. Chain drags on the chain guard when in the 10t rear cog, which Forbidden commented on, sort of a non issue long term and it likes to eat idler bearings for some riders.

The eating of idler bearings and long term availability of spare idler cogs still concerns me.
 

xy9ine

Turbo Monkey
Mar 22, 2004
2,940
353
vancouver eastside
The idler in conjunction with a bottom roller guide (added noise and parasitic drag) is the one thing that kinda bugs me about this bike. Not a biggie on a dh sled, but on a shorter travel trail bike, effiency is key. The deviate does better in this regard - larger diameter (lower friction) idler, and no lower guide. Love the aesthetics of the forbidden, tho, and sounds like it rips.
 

Rhubarb

Monkey
Jan 11, 2009
463
238
I would like to try a mullet setup. Think we will see more options over the next couple o years.
 
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toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,516
4,768
Australia
I like the numbers on the new Konas. Wish they'd given the 153 the mullet option that the X gets.

The changes they've made are great, but deadset why the hell give the bike such a steep SA, but have the post move 30º backward for climbing height.... *eye twitch*

Glad they lengthened the stays though. 425 was too squirrely when stuff gets rowdy.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,998
9,659
AK
The changes they've made are great, but deadset why the hell give the bike such a steep SA, but have the post move 30º backward for climbing height.... *eye twitch*

Glad they lengthened the stays though. 425 was too squirrely when stuff gets rowdy.
You read it here first, adjustable fore-aft seats, to mount to your dropper post, controlled by another cable, so you have a thumb and trigger on the left side.
 

Bike078

Monkey
Jan 11, 2018
568
412
What's a comfy climbing STA on a hardtail? My dartmoor is at 73 (425 cs, 65 ha) I would like it to be steeper but I haven't tried other hardtails.
 

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,224
4,479
What's a comfy climbing STA on a hardtail? My dartmoor is at 73 (425 cs, 65 ha) I would like it to be steeper but I haven't tried other hardtails.
Comfy is personal preference. Want to try steeper? Push your dear all the way forward in the rails.
 

Sandro

Terrified of Cucumbers
Nov 12, 2006
3,224
2,537
The old world
Graphics look clean and minimal on the pic you posted. Now, the white on in the review on the other hand...
The dark ones look ok, the cheapest aluminum build looks the best imo. It's only on the brighter ones where you can see how unimaginative that design is.

 

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,224
4,479
The dark ones look ok, the cheapest aluminum build looks the best imo. It's only on the brighter ones where you can see how unimaginative that design is.

Yeah, I agree with you. Let's remember though, we're talking Giant here. Expectations are low already. Less is more when it comes to mass market bike logos/colors. There's already logo overload w/ every component screaming for attention. If you'd ask most non-bike people what kind of bike the above is, they'd say: MAXXIS :)
 

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,224
4,479
2600 Trump pesos. Pretty decent spec for the price. Looks like YT and the other European direct sale brands were hitting Mr Sinyard's revenue pretty hard.
Would ride any of those before giving money to special ed. Don’t care what it costs.

Wait a minute. I ride a 2005 hardtail.
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,516
4,768
Australia
speaking of which, the status is looking pretty solid. the industry needs more stuff like this.



https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/mountain-bikes/full-suspension-mountain-bikes/2021-specialized-status-160-review/
I want to see a few more companies bringing out Mullet designs. It's ridiculous how many pros are running their bikes "mulleted" using either custom rear ends or linkages. Hoping us mortals can get a bike that is designed that way - doing it yourself fucks up too many things.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,751
5,650
Kona finally got the numbers right with the new Honzo ESD. On my short list of wanted steel hardtail.

https://www.bikemag.com/gear/mountain-bikes/tested-kona-honzo-esd-2700/

View attachment 148388
Jesus, that is a brutally steep STA on a hardtail, especially with the sag you'd get from a 150mm fork.
Mine is 76 with a 130mm fork and I took my T-Mac pedals off and went back to a parallelogram shape just to get my foot a bit further forward. If you can tolerate the forward position or have small feet it would be beneficial as you don't have to compromise as much with your fork setup.
Also, do you really want an adjustable back end? It's fine if you do, annoying if you don't, I just get the scraper out and take all the paint off the sliding/clamping bits or they tend to start moving and loosening under load.
 

Jozz

Joe Dalton
Apr 18, 2002
5,887
7,424
SADL
Jesus, that is a brutally steep STA on a hardtail, especially with the sag you'd get from a 150mm fork.
Mine is 76 with a 130mm fork and I took my T-Mac pedals off and went back to a parallelogram shape just to get my foot a bit further forward. If you can tolerate the forward position or have small feet it would be beneficial as you don't have to compromise as much with your fork setup.
Also, do you really want an adjustable back end? It's fine if you do, annoying if you don't, I just get the scraper out and take all the paint off the sliding/clamping bits or they tend to start moving and loosening under load.
I welcome the opportunity to run a hardtail singlespeed. And you are correct for the SA, this would need to be demoed before commiting.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,751
5,650
I welcome the opportunity to run a hardtail singlespeed. And you are correct for the SA, this would need to be demoed before commiting.
Yeah fair enough, I'd rather run something like a Blackspire Stinger as a tensioner or one of these with normal dropouts-


1596807181574.png

The Hello Dave is another hardtail in the formerly unrideable category, crazy long back end would reduce the feedback at the pedals a fair bit, reach is a touch shorter at 480.

1596807602165.png


The Norco Torrent is more suited to me but it is basically a 29er version of my current bike.
 
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xy9ine

Turbo Monkey
Mar 22, 2004
2,940
353
vancouver eastside
oh damn the XL on one is aggressive. cheap, too. almost worth it for a shits & giggles build.

MED/400mm LRG/430mmXL/460mm
AHead Angle (degrees)62.062.062.0
BHead Tube (mm)110120140
CTop Tube Effective(mm)595625670
DSeat Tube Angle (degrees)77.077.077.0
ESeat Tube C-T Actual (mm)400430460
FChainstays (mm)458458458
GBB Drop (mm)505050
IStack (mm)625640650
JReach (mm)450480520
OWheelbase (mm)126112961345
Pfront Centre (mm)808842892
 

Jozz

Joe Dalton
Apr 18, 2002
5,887
7,424
SADL
Yeah fair enough, I'd rather run something like a Blackspire Stinger as a tensioner or one of these with normal dropouts-


View attachment 148428

The Hello Dave is another hardtail in the formerly unrideable category, crazy long back end would reduce the feedback at the pedals a fair bit, reach is a touch shorter at 480.

View attachment 148430

The Norco Torrent is more suited to me but it is basically a 29er version of my current bike.
Have you looked at the RSD Middle Child?
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,442
20,248
Sleazattle
I welcome the opportunity to run a hardtail singlespeed. And you are correct for the SA, this would need to be demoed before commiting.
My 76/74 SA/HA Chromag seems to hit the sweet spot for me. But if I was riding it on Single Speed viable trails I think I would steer towards more traditional geometry. Especially the seat angle. I find steeper seat angles to be fucking annoying when standing without the seat dropped.
 
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Happymtb.fr

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2016
1,919
1,271
SWE
I don't like a hardtail to be too long, I prefer it to be shorter than my FS, mostly reach-wise.
When too long it feels fun only on straight fast chunky lines. It doesn't invite to jump over stuff or promptly change direction. It's kind of boring... but it might be down to my limited ability to move around on a bike, I don't know...
For reference I am 5"9 (175cm) and like reach around 440-450 on my dual suspension bicycles. I have owned a 450mm reach hardtail but never really enjoyed it. My old trusty HT is around 420mm in reach and is a blast to adjust direction with the hips :headbang: