FLV wrote: ↑Wed Mar 25, 2020 10:17 pm
Those of us that ride a full suspension bike, what you got?
Highly customised Kona Hei Hei DL (2017). Got it in summer 2017, so it was "a bargain". Total cost of the bike including the customisation was about 4500.- CHF.
Original parts are frame, shock, fork and brakes.
Built it up with
- -2 ° angelset (HA = 66 °)
- KHS/Lightbicycle i30mm carbon rims, 28 spokes, DT350 hubs
- Swissstop E-Bike brake pads
- Ragley carbon handle bar
- 40 mm Newman stem - changed it to 50 mm last year (fits me better fpr the Kona and Bold - I simply exchanged the stems)
- KindShox LEV post (2nd one now. First, as usual in my experience, made problems fairly soon. Second has been running strong for 2 years now)
- Selle Italia SLR saddle
- XTR pedals - what a mistake. After 2 years I needed to replace the bearings and found out, that it's cheaper to get new XT pedals...
- "old" Sram X01 carbon crank from a former bike - waiting for it to crack... but no... still going strong whilst looking poor show
- mix of X01 Eagle cassette and chain (from a "wear set") combined with GX mech and trigger
- currently on Maxxis Forekaster 2.6" (dual) front and Ikon 2.35" (MaxxSpeed) rear
Goes well with a frame bag too:
This is the old frame bag I used on my BMC – you have already seen in persona. The zips are failing, the Velcro is coming apart, so hopefully I’ll get one done soon myself, which fits the frame better.
FLV wrote: ↑Wed Mar 25, 2020 10:17 pm
Any idea of the weight?
11.4 kg as above.
FLV wrote: ↑Wed Mar 25, 2020 10:17 pm
How do you find it?
Wonderful. I test rode a few long and short travel 29ers in 2017 before buying the Bold (long travel 29er - likely not what your looking for) and the Kona. Short travel bikes like BMC, Stoll, Niner, Santa Cruz, Yeti, Specialized, Trek, Norco. I really liked the Trek Fuel EX, but it's too much of do it all bike. If I wanted one FS bike, this or something very similar would likely be the one. Extremely well balanced in just about every situation. Too much travel, too forgiving (yet a stiff chassis) for a snappy short travel 29er though. The Stoll was a bit similar. Superb mid travel bike, but not a handy frame for a frame bag (which is quite important for me) and rather expensive. Also, the Fuel and Stoll T1 were not enough rowdy for my likes.
The Yeti SB4.5 was utter fun. Really, really fun to ride. Stiff, responsive, turns like a *insert a strong word* but unfortunately even with 2.25" tyres a bit tight in the back and then there are some issues with the distributor in Switzerland.
Then came along the Kona... Short chainstay, decent reach, spot on bb height and easy to adjust HA, all in a very lightweight package for comparably little money. Fox 34 with the really good GRIP cartridge.
It rides fairly similar to the SB4.5 - the geometry lets you ride so you forget that it just has 100 mm in the rear. The chassis has just the right amount of give for long days, yet without feeling too soft. It's a precise bike. It's snappy, carves turns and whilst I usually ride uphill rather gently and let it go on the descents, it definately really easy to go fast on climbs, in the flat or descending.
For fast paced riding on easy terrain I used Racing Ralph/Ray last summer only to find, that it's holding the bikes capabilities back too much. Also I struggled to accept the tyres limits and had a few not so nice wash outs. The larger volume and more aggressive Forekaster and Ikons suit the bike and my riding (style and terrain) really well.
I think it's my most ridden bike. Proper shame Kona has stopped producing it. They still have an alloy version though and might come up with a slighly refined carbon Hei Hei for 2021.
Currently there are some really fine 100 - 120 mm bikes out there, but your Tallboy could surely be tuned a bit to give it a "unsluggish" feel.
Is it the Tallboy that was made between 2016 and 2019?
I only know the carbon version and would definately not get a new bike if it felt sluggish. I don't know the alloy version and haven't ridden aluminium for a while and the carbon frame might make for a big difference, but likely a lot of sluggishness can be eliminated by changing the tyres, wheels, fit, suspension adjustment etc. In my opinion the frame, with the right components, felt really good (but as said, was the carbon version - stiffer and lighter...)
I find carbon rims really change how 29ers ride. More feedback, more precision, snappier, less of a slugger etc. Just make sure the spokes have some give and go lower with the spoke count than with an alloy rim. The sturdy carbon rims on my Bold and the stiff chassis of the frame and Fox 36 make it a hellish fast and responsive bike, but it's not comfortable and harsh. As Rachel Atherton once said (roughly)- her DH race bike is very fast, but very uncomfortable.
Long story short: get the latest carbon version
Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2020 11:12 am
I do Dave BUT I haven't owned a full suspension bike for a good number of years (probably at least 10) but whenever I borrow / pinch one it somehow feel like I'm pedalling through treacle. I don't think there's any really issues with the bikes, I think it lies with me and the fact that I've become so used to not having suspension.
Ride uphill on rough stuff with a fs bike. Walk it with a rigid due to the lack of grip. So much for treacle. I ride both (fs and rigid) very regularly and once the terrain is rough enough ... well... as usual; horses for courses.
I can lock my suspension front and rear for those rare road/smooth double track climbs and it pretty much feels like a rigid bike - my rigid bikes are ssp and steel, both heavier than my full carbon fs bikes - and feel slower on climbs. Once on rough tracks, with opened valves on my fs bikes, I can ride with an efficiency no rigid bike can even compare to. Turn it the way you want. If you're not a roadie or a gravel Taylor, fs definately has a place. Not to speak about the damage to be body (especially wrists) a few months can do riding rigid in some places the way some do