I guess a bike intended to be ridden that aggressively has to be pretty strong, and at a certain point you’re just reducing travel, but not weight, or improving ride characteristics any more!
Short travel 29'ers
Posted by: Heinous
I guess a bike intended to be ridden that aggressively has to be pretty strong, and at a certain point you’re just reducing travel, but not weight, or improving ride characteristics any more!
Sure. It's like riding an aggressive steel hardtail. On paper it kind of doesn't make sense. It's going to weigh as much or more than a FS bike without the performance of the rear squish. But, the folks that are passionate about riding hardtails do it because they ride differently not necessarily better. Or at least not better in a way we'd all agree on. I think the same goes for short travel aggressive bikes.
Exactly. I think that's the niche market bit.
In sheer practical terms these bikes are hard to rationalize, but they provide a certain ride feel.
Posted by: Kenny
There's a few - but exactly, the deck is not nearly as stacked as the 130-145 travel type bikes.
Norco optic @ 120mm / 65hta
Ripley AF 120/65.5
SC tallboy 120/65.5
Cotic flaremax 125/65.5
Evil following and swarf contour are steeper but similar concept.
I guess it's a bit of a niche market.
I think the RSD Wildcat can go on there as well, I bought mine as a cheaper Optic.
I like a bike that feels snappy and lively and wants to pedal but also is enjoyable when I’m pushing it on rough terrain; while I’m not exactly sendy anymore, I can ride some serious terrain so the bike should feel quick AND solid with good downhill geo more than it needs to be light. I’m not sure this category is “better” than the 140/150mm bike that I think is the natural choice for the same type of riding, but so far I like it. Miata vs. GLC 63.
Last edited by: tashi on Feb. 25, 2021, 7:31 a.m., edited 1 time in total.
Devinci Django and Marshall fit the bill as well. I have a 1st gen Django , and it was a eye opener . Adding the angle set really woke the bike up. New model has similar HTA to mine with the angle set and a steeper STA. I like what the JIBB offers. If it was on the radar earlier I might have considered one. I did look into the Madonna. Just the time frame was not there. Mind you that,s A typical today. If it,s not on the floor, there seems to be no ETA when it will be.
Posted by: Kenny
Exactly. I think that's the niche market bit.
In sheer practical terms these bikes are hard to rationalize, but they provide a certain ride feel.
For prioritising smiles-per-hour over any other metric.
Posted by: velocipedestrian
Posted by: tungsten
Posted by: Kenny
I really thought it was going to be mullet compatible, not sure why. Heavy aluminum expensive short ish travel rig. I was expecting to be stoked on this bike but eh I dunno.
If those geo #'s were with a 140mm fork I'd be sorely tempted to over fork w/150mm and have bliss but am I weird to think a 160mm on that while supported by the builder is just too, I dunno', unbalenced?
Nah, my ride is 140r 160f, it's mint. Was a bit strange at 170f, but mostly just the seat angle getting slack.
So where's everyone at these days?
I sold my ripmo af along with its original wheels and suspension.
I'm riding my hd5 but honestly it's almost more like a long travel xc bike. Zippy and capable enough but I can't just toss the front wheel down a janky chute like a 29er .
I'm revisiting the jibb, thinking with a coil and 160 fork it might be a good option for gnarlier rides (cypress, darkside).
Also considering waiting for the Madonna to come back in stock, and also looking at banshee prime and titan (very similar bikes on paper).
I'm almost thinking an overforked jibb that rides higher in its travel and has a slightly shorter wheelbase might be a better option. I struggle with really low bbs. I realize that makes the banshees a better option but both my other bike have rattling internal cables which drives me nuts. Prefer external and the overall design of the raaw bikes.
i‘m on a trance x 1, best bang for the buck for me (at trade) this year. upgraded it recently with assegai/aggressor dd tires for my switzerland trip to davos next week. so far plenty of bike for me. dunno if i ever get something bigger again, so far i haven’t found its limit.
Posted by: Heinous
I'm, dredging this one up...
After a while rolling increasingly bigger bigger bikes, I've been on a Devinci Spartan 29er. I've really enjoyed it - it's a great bike, and one of the more versatile of the long travel 29ers. I run it coil both ends and that seems to have unleashed it.
Anyway, I'm considering downsizing to a shorter travel frame. Partly due to a move in geography, partly due to curiosity. High pivot tempts me. The two that keep coming back for me are the Forbidden and the Knolly Fugitive LT. I'd like to run a coil, and either seems suited.
The recent Knolly Warden review was positive but somehow fell flat in my reading - what are people's perspectives on the Fugitive LT? Anyone rocking a coil in one? The Druid seems really tempting, it's just so well resolved from a design perspective.
What are people's thoughts on these two?
to re-re-re dredge and update you - Knolly Fugitive + cane creek DB coil + smashpot 160mm = tractable ground seeking missile with pop - not as much as my Process and it certainly feels 'longer' but it's handling everything I'm taking it to.
Pulled the trigger on a size L Jibb with coil. Should be interesting.
Posted by: Kenny
Pulled the trigger on a size L Jibb with coil. Should be interesting.
Report back after a couple of rides, please! I am very curious for what kind of tires you'll settle on this sort of bike for shore riding!
Last edited by: Znarf on Aug. 8, 2021, 1:27 a.m., edited 1 time in total.
Posted by: Znarf
Posted by: Kenny
Pulled the trigger on a size L Jibb with coil. Should be interesting.
Report back after a couple of rides, please! I am very curious for what kind of tires you'll settle on this sort of bike for shore riding!
Will do. Initially it will get continental Der baron/Der kaiser projekt as they're what I have from my previous ripmo af. Just a coincidence but sort of funny it will be a very "german" machine at that point. ;-)
Except in the most dry/loose summer months I've found them to be great on the shore. Traction on slimy things is great.
It will also get a lyrik 160mm so between that, the tires, and the formula mod coil (which I'm very interested to play with) it'll be more like a mini-madonna.
Ironically since I have an HD5 which really rides like a big kid BMX, the Jibb will be set up as a more no-compromise descender than the play bike raaw market it to be. It's quite possible I should have bought a Madonna but this will be a fun experiment. Haha
Posted by: Kenny
Posted by: Znarf
Posted by: Kenny
Pulled the trigger on a size L Jibb with coil. Should be interesting.
Report back after a couple of rides, please! I am very curious for what kind of tires you'll settle on this sort of bike for shore riding!
Will do. Initially it will get continental Der baron/Der kaiser projekt as they're what I have from my previous ripmo af. Just a coincidence but sort of funny it will be a very "german" machine at that point. ;-)
Except in the most dry/loose summer months I've found them to be great on the shore. Traction on slimy things is great.
It will also get a lyrik 160mm so between that, the tires, and the formula mod coil (which I'm very interested to play with) it'll be more like a mini-madonna.
Ironically since I have an HD5 which really rides like a big kid BMX, the Jibb will be set up as a more no-compromise descender than the play bike raaw market it to be. It's quite possible I should have bought a Madonna but this will be a fun experiment. Haha
Sounds like a killer build!!!!
Posted by: DanL
Posted by: Heinous
I'm, dredging this one up...
After a while rolling increasingly bigger bigger bikes, I've been on a Devinci Spartan 29er. I've really enjoyed it - it's a great bike, and one of the more versatile of the long travel 29ers. I run it coil both ends and that seems to have unleashed it.
Anyway, I'm considering downsizing to a shorter travel frame. Partly due to a move in geography, partly due to curiosity. High pivot tempts me. The two that keep coming back for me are the Forbidden and the Knolly Fugitive LT. I'd like to run a coil, and either seems suited.
The recent Knolly Warden review was positive but somehow fell flat in my reading - what are people's perspectives on the Fugitive LT? Anyone rocking a coil in one? The Druid seems really tempting, it's just so well resolved from a design perspective.
What are people's thoughts on these two?
to re-re-re dredge and update you - Knolly Fugitive + cane creek DB coil + smashpot 160mm = tractable ground seeking missile with pop - not as much as my Process and it certainly feels 'longer' but it's handling everything I'm taking it to.
I was really close to buying the Fugitive, but based on some conversations with a couple of guys I trust I went for a Druid instead and I've been super, super happy.
First post here, but thought I'd share my new build, it's a RAAW Jibb in similar configuration to @Kenny. Literally just got it built and will be out getting it set up and playing on the (steep) trails with it this weekend. Here's the link to the Youtube Video.
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