You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Just updated my (mostly) commuter bike for my new steeper bermier jumpier commute, with a 27.5” rear courtesy of a heavily discounted Hope Pro5 ebike hub and EX471 rim, and stepped up to a Grid Gravity Eliminator T7/T9 2.4” tyre. Grid Trail T9 Hillbilly up front because I like it for everything.
The stock build (it’s a Gen 2 base model Levo) is 150mm fork, 52.5mm stroke for 150mm rear travel, full 29”. This had a 160mm Lyrik RC2 from day one (Nov 2018), and I extended the shock stroke to 55mm at the first service for 157mm rear travel. Used to run it at about 20% fork, 35% shock sag (more shock sag to lower and slacken it).
A few months back it gained a 170mm Fox 38 Grip 2 up front, still with the same Deluxe RL 55mm shock. Mulleted the flip chip is now in high, 20% fork sag, 30% shock sag. Measured the static head angle and it’s sitting at 65 deg or a fraction less, so a degree slacker than stock.
I’ve done a few runs down the trails to work and it felt really good. I don’t think it’s placebo effect - when it was dry it carved the berms better than I normally manage, and when wet and greasy the rear was doing that nice progressive drifting and catching when I want. And today I had an afternoon at Rogate Bike Park which was super fun, it’s really sandy there with some quite tight turns on the steeper upper part of the hill and it felt easier than it used to. Also no short:tyre interfaces on any of the drops.
I don’t know how much of this is the smaller rear wheel because the new Eliminator is more like a DHR2 and replaced a Butcher (more like a DHF) and I think those paddle knobs that brake so well also let go more gently in turns before the side knobs grip. I’m also running a 25mm rim instead of 30 on the back to make the tyre rounder. And now dual compound there too.
Being able to run the shock firmer and not have the BB feel too high is helping in the berms and on the jumps, feeling more balanced front to back so I’m loading it with more confidence (always the weakest part of my riding!)
I really like this bike but it does not photograph well! (However it photographs better than this forum works on a phone! I really wanted to put the photos after the text and in a specific order - and it’s sufficiently difficult that I’ve just given up trying to re-edit it…)
I have a Gen3 that is de-mulleted. I run 27.5 f&r with a 2.8 at the front and a 2.6 at the back. I have never ridden it with the 29 front. i keep meaning to give it a go. Will it blow my mind?
I have a SL that I’ve un-mulleted. Rides much better as a full 29r
Dunno about all of the above, but my Gen 3 (and all other stock Gen 3's) is mullet out of the box and works great. I feel no need to change it