Anyone running DH forks on the Decoy?

[Ymersmoelf]

I have this crazy idea.
I don't like 29 wheels. 6 months on the front of the Decoy and still don't like it. Its fast and stable but i want fun and playfull.
Here goes...
I want to put a Manitou Dorado up front with a 27,5 wheel. The fork is adjustable down from 203mm to 180mm.
Its heavier... i know...
What say you tech savvy bike nerds?
Will it fit?
Is it nuts?
Anyone running a sort of similar setup and have some feedback?
Thanks in advance and please don't go down the wheel size debate rabbit hole - i know what ride feel i am after so don't try and turn me to the dark side ;-)

 

[Gary]

It's not crazy in the slightest.
But if playful is your main aim why fit a heavy DH fork with restricted turning arc?
Lighter Eebs are massively more playful.

I almost bought a Decoy (cancelled at last minute). My plan was to run a 27.5 front wheel and a 180mm Lyrik. I'm also a playful rider and I just prefer smaller wheels and regular 2.3-2.5 tyres.
with the dorado and a 27.5 up front you could actually run more travel and still maintain good geometry. Personally I wouldn't tho as more travel is NEVER more playful.
The beauty of a DH fork is the adjustability the crowns give you for ride height/HA so along with the forks travel adjustability you can fine tune to your hearts content.

 

[Ymersmoelf]

It's not crazy in the slightest.
But if playful is your main aim why fit a heavy DH fork with restricted turning arc?
Lighter Eebs are massively more playful.

I almost bought a Decoy (cancelled at last minute). My plan was to run a 27.5 front wheel and a 180mm Lyrik. I'm also a playful rider and I just prefer smaller wheels and regular 2.3-2.5 tyres.
with the dorado and a 27.5 up front you could actually run more travel and still maintain good geometry. Personally I wouldn't tho as more travel is NEVER more playful.
The beauty of a DH fork is the adjustability the crowns give you for ride height/HA so along with the forks travel adjustability you can fine tune to your hearts content.

Thanks!

Going for a smaller wheel i would think i have too go up in travel to keep the geometry?
The new Decoy's are 170mm in front so 10mm up from mine anyway...

 

[Gary]

oh... post pics of the Dorado. I love old DH forks.
still have an utterly useless (to me) MonsterT I refuse to get rid of

 

[Gary]

Going for a smaller wheel i would think i have too go up in travel to keep the geometry?
The new Decoy's are 170mm in front so 10mm up from mine anyway...

Yeah. but with a DH fork you can fit a tall top crown and run a much longer axle to crown than a single crown fork of the same length. alternatively you could also run 204mm travel and raise the legs in the (flat) crown to max and still have a shorter A-C height.
Be careful though as your stem/bars will be higher because of steerer space taken up by the top crown

 

[Ymersmoelf]

oh... post pics of the Dorado. I love old DH forks.
still have an utterly useless (to me) MonsterT I refuse to get rid of

Upside down with bad ass dirt bike look. 3 kg's so the weight is not that criminal ;-)

 

[Gary]

Haha.. .I meant pics of the actual fork
it's ok though

 

[Gary]

3kg is crazy heavy
a 180mm Lyrik/36 is a full kg lighter
That's going to affect the bike's playfulness massively

 

[Ymersmoelf]

3kg is crazy heavy
a 180mm Lyrik/36 is a full kg lighter
That's going to affect the bike's playfulness massively

I know..... but the Kenevo runs a Boxxer at 2,6kg.....
Cant get it out of my head - don't mind the weight of the bike. I like to muscle it around. Just don't like that horsewagon wheel up front...
Thanks for trying to put some sense into my head tho ;-)

 

[Gary]

Yeah and Kenevos are pretty heavy.
But if that's what you're trying to replicate, Why didn't you just get a kenevo?

try a small light Ebike next to a large heavy Ebike of similar travel/wheelsize/geometry
it's night and day how much more playful the smaller lighter bike is.

 

[Fx1]

What about 27.5 up front with a 2.8 tyre? Or 2.6 up front and 2.4 in the rear. Run the flip chip in high.

Might have a slightly lower bb but then get shorter cranks. Not like you need the pedal power of longer cranks

 

[Gary]

2.8 tyre?

 

[Fx1]

2.8 tyre?

Not my choice either. I quite like 2.6 though.

 

[squeegee]

Assuming most of you have seen this? I had to watch it like 5 times to understand his tests.

 

[nativeracer]

Just put a 27.5 on the front of the bike. I’ve already done it and the bike was certainly more playful. As others have stated, I would go to a 180mm fork. If, your wanting to keep the geometry close to stock. I ran a 2.5 on the front and a 2.4 on the rear. Personally, never cared much for the 2.8 tires on the rear and switched them out almost immediately.

 

[Fx1]

Assuming most of you have seen this? I had to watch it like 5 times to understand his tests.

I like his videos but this one confused me.

To much changing of suspension which totally invalidate the whole thing. Head angle changes and also travel changes you couldn't tell if it's the wheel size or what which makes the difference.

As much as I like 650b I ain't gonna drop £800 on a new fork just to shave the wheel down.

Be easier to shave 5mm off the crank or run different tyres with inserts.

 

[squeegee]

I like his videos but this one confused me.

To much changing of suspension which totally invalidate the whole thing. Head angle changes and also travel changes you couldn't tell if it's the wheel size or what which makes the difference.

As much as I like 650b I ain't gonna drop £800 on a new fork just to shave the wheel down.

Be easier to shave 5mm off the crank or run different tyres with inserts.

Yes his tests only worked out because he has a Yari and was able to vary travel to 170mm and 180mm with charger upgrade, but buying a fork solely to try out a 27.5 front is a bit much. Bad thing for the Pro and Pro Race owners is the Fox 36e uses 34 internals and so far as I know the travel cannot be increased above 160mm.

After the 3rd or 4th view I started to realize what he was doing, he went fast and it's not clear unless you listen carefully what his tire size/wheel combos were, but the jist I got was

27.5 rear he kept as Minion DD 2.5 throughout

27.5 + Minion 2.5, fork @ 180mm
27.5 + Maxxis 2.8 plus tire, fork @ 170mm
29 2.5 front + 2.5 27.5 rear, not sure but probably fork @ 170mm

 

[Gary]

As much as I like 650b I ain't gonna drop £800 on a new fork just to shave the wheel down.

A savy rider who'd bought the base Decoy would only require a £20 air shaft, basic tools and half an hour to fit it.

To much changing of suspension which totally invalidate the whole thing. Head angle changes and also travel changes you couldn't tell if it's the wheel size or what which makes the difference.

It would have been simple to change axle to crown but overspring the longer fork making suspension travel equal and H/As extremely close.

I thought the video was poor. on multiple levels.

 

[Fx1]

As much as I like 650b I ain't gonna drop £800 on a new fork just to shave the wheel down.

A savy rider who'd bought the base Decoy would only require a £20 air shaft, basic tools and half an hour to fit it.

To much changing of suspension which totally invalidate the whole thing. Head angle changes and also travel changes you couldn't tell if it's the wheel size or what which makes the difference.

It would have been simple to change axle to crown but overspring the longer fork making suspension travel equal and H/As extremely close.

I thought the video was poor. on multiple levels.

Yes but this time I fancied fox suspension. I also dont want to change the rear shock and the base one isn't great.

I might just out a cushcore in the back and see how I get on.

 

[squeegee]

Yes but this time I fancied fox suspension. I also dont want to change the rear shock and the base one isn't great.

I might just out a cushcore in the back and see how I get on.

Same. Rear shock on base, garbage.

 

[Fx1]

Yes but this time I fancied fox suspension. I also dont want to change the rear shock and the base one isn't great.

I might just out a cushcore in the back and see how I get on.

Same. Rear shock on base, garbage.

I was more than happy to pay the £700 upgrade to the pro. The fork and rear shock alone are £1500 online. Then there are all the other upgrades and full carbon frame.

I was going to go for the race but just didnt see the performance upgrade. I've put the £800 saved towards some new armor and and considering a new seasucker for the bike rack.

 

[R120]

I always thought the set-up Jordie Lunn (RIP) was pretty spot on - note he was sponsored by RS. I doubt anyone has ridden a Decoy harder than him.

 

[squeegee]

Sure, I'd take a base I were sponsored by RS (cause I'd have to sport their stuff and all). Is the RS shock on the base great? No, it's just okay.

Wasn't looking to buy the base so I could, post-purchase decide to change the charger on the Yari so as to run 27.5 front wheel or go out and spend 5 hundo on a better rear shock.

 

[R120]

I would guess he went with the base just because of the colour scheme to match the forks, hardly any of the components on it are the same as the stock model. Guessing he had that rear shock running pretty high pressure, a lot of the slope guys do so the parameters by which we judge what a shock does probably are not the same.

 

[Gary]

Gotta love a bit if suspension snobbery... Especially coming from the fraternity of mountain biking that probably has the largest percentage of participants with no clue how to even set up suspension.
The standard deluxe shock will perform just fine for any good rider with decent suspension set up knowledge.

Top end Fox shocks/forks are actually way easier for a clueless rider to make a complete arse of their setup.

 

[Fx1]

Gotta love a bit if suspension snobbery... Especially coming from the fraternity of mountain biking that probably has the largest percentage of participants with no clue how to even set up suspension.
The standard deluxe shock will perform just fine for any good rider with decent suspension set up knowledge.

Top end Fox shocks/forks are actually way easier for a clueless rider to make a complete arse of their setup.

Well we could have just got a Levo and let specialized decide for us that we dont need high end suspension to go with the high end price tag

 

[Hasse Birkmose]

Same. Rear shock on base, garbage.

Solved ;-)

 

[Fx1]

Same. Rear shock on base, garbage.

Solved ;-)

View attachment 26206

I bet that rides pretty nice now.

Notice the increased weight at all?

 

[Hasse Birkmose]

I bet that rides pretty nice now.

Notice the increased weight at all?

Not at all....
I even ride full Eddy Current 1500 gram tyres front and rear but that i can feel ;-)

 

[akuria]

I always thought the set-up Jordie Lunn (RIP) was pretty spot on - note he was sponsored by RS. I doubt anyone has ridden a Decoy harder than him.



View attachment 26188

Jordie was a legend and will be missed.