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My son has just bought a 2018 Nukeproof Mega 275 frame in the CRC sale, 2018 model, 165mm rear travel. He's upgrading from an older 26" Mega, so obviously needs new wheels (sorted) and forks.
He'll be looking to buy forks secondhand, probably Rockshox. The Mega is 'designed' for 170mm forks which somewhat limits his choice (Yari and Lyrik).
Anyone know how the frame will run with a 160mm fork, which would open up more possibilities? Seems to me it's not going to make much of a difference - but hey 160/170mm Enduro bikes aren't really my thing so what do I know?
Alternatively, can any of the RS 160mm forks be taken to 170mm by removing internal spacers etc?
TIA
Al
You don’t mess with travel spacers anymore but you change airshaft. Similar task, cost under £40 diy especially if you flog the old air shaft.
There is a 170mm airshaft for the Yari. Yaris usually sell for about half the cost of a Lyrik and the difference is the damper basically. Any Yari of the right series will take any airshaft of the appropriate series (this applies to all current RS) so a given Yari may be set up anywhere between 120 and 180mm.
J-Tech are usually a reliable source of parts and information. Assuming you have a suitable flat socket for opening the fork, the only other tool that’s in any way specialist that you need is a pair of circlip pliers.
The bike won’t balance properly with more rear travel than front. If your son needs/wants to do something other than for 170’s he’d be better with 180’s than 160’s - again a common Yari size.
Assuming you don’t pay too much for a Yari, the worst case scenario after several upgrades is a fork costing a bit less than a Lyrik with the wrong stickers but all the performance. It’s not unheard of to use the Yari as a base for premium mods like an Avalanche cartridge which surpasses the Lyrik by some way (apparently!).
vincienup - Thanks, very helpful.
Opens up more possibilities knowing that he can get a 160mm Yari (plenty on eBay) and convert cheaply to 170mm Yari (hardly any on eBay).
I’ve 160mm forks on mine and it’s perfect.
The bike won’t balance properly with more rear travel than front
Horseshit. The bike will be fine with 160/170/180mm but most forks have travel change options of varying ease.
makes you wonder how folk on hardtails cope
Simples then.
He can buy a 160mm Yari which will get his bike built and get him going. If he so wishes, he can adjust it in the future to 170mm or 180mm
Horseshit
I bow to your superior knowledge.
Personally, I always like to run more up front than behind and love hardtails. I’ve always applied the principle that if I’m buying a certain amount of travel I’m likely to use it so I’d be concerned the front might bottom out before the rear. I’m not sure I’d want to deliberately engineer such a bike when it was so easy to avoid.
Regardless, principle stands, buy whatever size Yari is in price and change the airshaft for the desired travel is a good approach that works. By extension, if less burly forks were of interest then a current Rev (now a Pike with cheaper damper) allows the same trick and similar savings. I think that chassis tops out at 160 though so not really relevant here.
There is a 170mm fox 36 on chain reaction for 699 at the moment I think? Not sure on budget but that’s a fairly cheap for what it is fork!
My Liteville 601 isn't struggling with 190mm rear with 180mm Yari 🙄
Personally, I always like to run more up front than behind and love hardtails. I’ve always applied the principle that if I’m buying a certain amount of travel I’m likely to use it so I’d be concerned the front might bottom out before the rear. I’m not sure I’d want to deliberately engineer such a bike when it was so easy to avoid.
You're going to shit yourself when you see the travel differences on pretty much every DH bike in existance
Most 27.5 DH bikes have levelled out at 200/203mm front and 200-210mm rear. Even a V-10 only has 215mm these days. But yeah. You still won't find many 27.5 DH bikes with less rear travel than front.