Multiple people that I've talked to have mentioned they thought the Boxxer was much better at 200mm than 180mm. This is interesting because their SC forks seem to be happy to run a wider range of settings.
The crazy thing is with suspension geometry, seat angles, shock platforms, etc, it's believable that the next bread of 'freeride' bikes could be 200mm fr/rr. Think about the Rocky Mountain Slayer or Specialized Enduro, no reason they couldn't be a longer-travel platforms and still pedal really well. Especially as the Enduro teams have chosen to race shorter travel rigs - they really show themselves as a park bike that can pedal.
I think that's where it all really comes full circle. The [**Knolly Podium**](https://nsmb.com/articles/buy-bike-you-already-own-spring-service-story/) is the closest thing I've ridden in terms of being a dual-crown DH bike with a full-length seat tube that actually pedaled really well (with a shock platform engaged for road/gravel). That's a decade old chassis. Lower the BB, lengthen the front center, throw on some 29" wheels, and bring ten years of manufacturing lessons to lowering the weight and I think it's a bike that would be very interesting to the next-gen of riders pedaling hard and going huge on the Shore.
Even for us old(er) guys. I like short travel hardtails, I'm a pretty wheels-on-the-ground rider, more than a little obsessed with the idea of system-flex or absolute stiffness, and I could see myself pedaling a longer travel bike up the hill if it was more fun on the way down.
...
TL;DR: Maybe instead of a fork to suit your frame you need a frame to suit your fork that can still be happily pedaled all day?
Aug. 24, 2020, 11:36 a.m. - Andrew Major
Multiple people that I've talked to have mentioned they thought the Boxxer was much better at 200mm than 180mm. This is interesting because their SC forks seem to be happy to run a wider range of settings. The crazy thing is with suspension geometry, seat angles, shock platforms, etc, it's believable that the next bread of 'freeride' bikes could be 200mm fr/rr. Think about the Rocky Mountain Slayer or Specialized Enduro, no reason they couldn't be a longer-travel platforms and still pedal really well. Especially as the Enduro teams have chosen to race shorter travel rigs - they really show themselves as a park bike that can pedal. I think that's where it all really comes full circle. The [**Knolly Podium**](https://nsmb.com/articles/buy-bike-you-already-own-spring-service-story/) is the closest thing I've ridden in terms of being a dual-crown DH bike with a full-length seat tube that actually pedaled really well (with a shock platform engaged for road/gravel). That's a decade old chassis. Lower the BB, lengthen the front center, throw on some 29" wheels, and bring ten years of manufacturing lessons to lowering the weight and I think it's a bike that would be very interesting to the next-gen of riders pedaling hard and going huge on the Shore. Even for us old(er) guys. I like short travel hardtails, I'm a pretty wheels-on-the-ground rider, more than a little obsessed with the idea of system-flex or absolute stiffness, and I could see myself pedaling a longer travel bike up the hill if it was more fun on the way down. ... TL;DR: Maybe instead of a fork to suit your frame you need a frame to suit your fork that can still be happily pedaled all day?