NSMB 2024 Full Suspension Thread

Posted by: fartymarty

Posted by: syncro

Posted by: FlipSide

I completely agree these short travel capable bikes are awesome.

I have a previous-gen Optic, with Cascade link and overforked with a 150mm Lyrik. As a trailbike, it quite amazing. You never feel overbiked like you can feel on a big enduro monster on a mellow blue trail, but when it gets steep, it is still very capable. 

The obvious limitation is on big compressions and fast chunky stuff. There is a point where you wish you had more travel.

Basically, they are a great complement, but not a substitute to an enduro bike. If you like riding gnarly stuff and want to own a single bike, a Sight would probably be a better choice.

This post perfectly illustrates why 2 bikes are the minimum.

I think you can do this with one bike and a shock swap like I have done on my Murmur - 140/120 with air shock for more "trail" riding and 160/140 with coil shock for more challenging terrain.  In my case I have swapped both the shock and fork but with the right fork it's an easy swap.  The good thing about one bike is it feels similar when you are on the bike but rides differently but not too differently that it feels like a completely different bike.

While you can’t change the rear shock. RSD Bikes with the Wildcat 125 and 150 version did a similar idea with the option to run 27.5 or 29er wheels.

So, last weekend I got a sweet deal on a barely ridden Banshee Titan V3.2 frame in raw without a shock, and now I am going to start collecting parts, some used, some new. 

I am so looking forward to that bike and really curious about riding a 29er.

Posted by: Mic

So, last weekend I got a sweet deal on a barely ridden Banshee Titan V3.2 frame in raw without a shock, and now I am going to start collecting parts, some used, some new. 

I am so looking forward to that bike and really curious about riding a 29er.

Mic - have you seen the Rulezman builds?  Very drool worthy.

Posted by: Mic

So, last weekend I got a sweet deal on a barely ridden Banshee Titan V3.2 frame in raw without a shock, and now I am going to start collecting parts, some used, some new. 

I am so looking forward to that bike and really curious about riding a 29er.

I don' t know if you can mullet that frame or if you want a mullet 

but IME  I liked  mullet > 29x29 for the more snappy handling

Posted by: XXX_er

Posted by: Mic

So, last weekend I got a sweet deal on a barely ridden Banshee Titan V3.2 frame in raw without a shock, and now I am going to start collecting parts, some used, some new. 

I am so looking forward to that bike and really curious about riding a 29er.

I don' t know if you can mullet that frame or if you want a mullet 

but IME  I liked  mullet > 29x29 for the more snappy handling

i had mine as a mullet in the extra low setting

Posted by: Mic

So, last weekend I got a sweet deal on a barely ridden Banshee Titan V3.2 frame in raw without a shock, and now I am going to start collecting parts, some used, some new. 

I am so looking forward to that bike and really curious about riding a 29er.

now people want used titans -.-

i looked for a buyer for mine for several months

Posted by: XXX_er

Posted by: Mic

So, last weekend I got a sweet deal on a barely ridden Banshee Titan V3.2 frame in raw without a shock, and now I am going to start collecting parts, some used, some new. 

I am so looking forward to that bike and really curious about riding a 29er.

I don' t know if you can mullet that frame or if you want a mullet 

but IME  I liked  mullet > 29x29 for the more snappy handling

It came with the compact dropouts, which means I can run mullet...which I am really curious about. 

Oh, and Sethimus, that used Titan frame was a sign of heaven....I was in Finale, a little frustrated with my 27.5" Kona Process 165 set-up, started to talk to a bike mechanic about different bikes and I somehow ended up with being curious about the current Banshees, googled, Titan was on sale, an hour later sold out, started to look for used frames, and voila, bascially a week later a buddy sent me an offer he found online.

Mic, given you were in Finale it is likely the mechanic you spoke to knows Rulezman / Paul Aston - both of whom are in the area and Banshee fans.  Maybe this was the bike karma gods at work. 

Banshee is on my "like-a-bike" list - and there aint many others.

Posted by: fartymarty

Mic, given you were in Finale it is likely the mechanic you spoke to knows Rulezman / Paul Aston - both of whom are in the area and Banshee fans.  Maybe this was the bike karma gods at work. 

Banshee is on my "like-a-bike" list - and there aint many others.

I talked to Luca, the owner and head wrench at Riviera Bikeshop in Finalborgo...such a nice place, and the beers on tap in the back are from a local brewery. So good. I ask him when I go back in December. 

Somehow, the name Paul Aston rings a bell. Thanks for the heads up, I check the 'gram.

Enjoy the Titan build Mic!  I love my Prime!  Such a solid well made bike.  Some links:

https://www.youtube.com/@astonmtb2428/search?query=banshee

https://www.youtube.com/@RULEZMANSUSPENSION/search?query=banshee

For the Knolly peeps: I’ve been searching for the perfect little bag to carry my flat kit in that nook behind the seat tube but everything seems to juuuuust rub at full compression. 

Enter the coffee bag plus the Worlds Greatest Strap. (No I don’t know where to buy this strap unfortunately)

Nice, looks like the wolftooth 600ml rolltop bag would approximate that setup:

https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/products/b-rad-teklite-roll-top-bag-0-6l?srsltid=AfmBOorWwd-LiL7taij2N9LzoC3MBHasCrSOW0WQvLeJZ0ZkV5n_ZDLH

Too bad Tashi would have to get out the drill and rivet gun to mount it properly...

Underside of the top tube no good for that stuff? Seems to be rougly the same amount of room in that picture and no bottom out issues.

Ideal would be something that stays mounted and can be opened like the little EVOC bag I have or the Relevate Cranny.

I considered the drybag (I had an Ariel one that was similar, very useful kit) but this is free (vs. $65!) and functionally the same and allows me to experiment with shape for free - it needs to be short, flat and wide to hold my stuff. Turns out the bottom of a coffee bag is perfect. I think the strap compressing everything may be the key element

Under the top tubworks fine and has plenty of space. I prefer to have it lower “for better handling” and was trying to occupy that spot so it doesn’t just collect shit. Fussy bike fuckery really.