If Kenevo had this, it could easily climb anything

snowbro

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Jun 1, 2018
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I used to race dirtbikes when I was younger, I have always wondered why no one has done something like this for mtb's. I am sure there are many ways to do it; this would make extra travel up front a non factor for climbing.

@1:10
 

snowbro

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Jun 1, 2018
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Absolutely just needs AXS and I'll order one for sure.
That would be neat. Fox has a system called Live Valve, that automatically adjusts the suspension on the fly extremely fast from sensors. They have something called pitch detection, so it knows when you are climbing. Seems like the tech is already there for it to automatically reduce your forks travel for a steep climb.

Mark my words, this will eventually happen in the next 15 years.

 

Kiwi in Wales

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A manually operated version already exists.
Both main players have different variations of reduction in fork travel which is controlled via a switch on top of the fork. On my Lyrik you can go instantly from 180mm to 150mm just by turning the switch clockwise and back again by turning the switch anti clock. This has been available for years.
On Rockshox forks it’s called dual position air.
On Fox forks it’s called Talas.
 

Doomanic

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Do they just restrict travel or actually shorten the fork, thus dropping the front end?
 

Gary

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I used to race dirtbikes when I was younger, I have always wondered why no one has done something like this for mtb's. I am sure there are many ways to do it; this would make extra travel up front a non factor for climbing.

@1:10
Exactly this was done in 4X 15 years back. And way before that it was available on XC forks.

Do keep up moto guys.

Makes some sense for gate starts but It's absolutely not required for climbing.. Skills are. Far too many folk look for shortcuts though. I don't really get that type of rider. Not gaining skills would kill the entire point in riding for me.
 

p3eps

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A manually operated version already exists.
Both main players have different variations of reduction in fork travel which is controlled via a switch on top of the fork. On my Lyrik you can go instantly from 180mm to 150mm just by turning the switch clockwise and back again by turning the switch anti clock. This has been available for years.
On Rockshox forks it’s called dual position air.
On Fox forks it’s called Talas.

I have a Lyric Ultimate - FS-LYRK-ULT-C2.
All the user documentation is generic and covers about 10 different versions. How do I know if I have this feature? I think from memory I just have HSC and LSC on the top.

My father in-law has a Stumpjumper S-Works from 2011, and it can switch to lock the forks half travel for climbing.
 

Kiwi in Wales

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I have a Lyric Ultimate - FS-LYRK-ULT-C2.
All the user documentation is generic and covers about 10 different versions. How do I know if I have this feature? I think from memory I just have HSC and LSC on the top.

My father in-law has a Stumpjumper S-Works from 2011, and it can switch to lock the forks half travel for climbing.

The feature is on the older Lyriks and Pikes.
The key wording to look for is Dual Position. As far as I am aware RockShox stopped adding the Dual Position feature to its forks in 2017 or possibly 2018.
Dom, it physically shortens and drops the front end by 30mm. Personally, I hardly ever use it. I thought I would need it as I went from 150mm to 180mm on the Levo but it still climbs like a goat even with a 180mm front end. You just need to adjust your body position a bit more forward on the super steep stuff ?
 

snowbro

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Exactly this was done in 4X 15 years back. And way before that it was available on XC forks.

Do keep up moto guys.

Makes some sense for gate starts but It's absolutely not required for climbing.. Skills are. Far too many folk look for shortcuts though. I don't really get that type of rider. Not gaining skills would kill the entire point in riding for me.
Not a xc weenie personally. You seem to get wound up quite easily haha. I guarantee you couldn't climb what I do, on anything. #internetflex
 

Zimmerframe

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Not to be a spoilsport ..

But don't most people find they end up climbing in way more places they did on an a clockwork bike, because you can, which leads to more pedal strikes - because you just wouldn't have done it before .. (which can be mitigated by skill, ability, thought, use of eyes, timing, jet packs)

If you dropped the nose 150-180mm wouldn't you then need to install old shoe soles on the undersides of your pedals (the added weight should make the pedal self righting) and have crank crampons to aid in climbing ?
 

CjP

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I never find the front end lifts and my bike in theory should do it more often. As the old bastard said above it’s all about skill.
 

Kiwi in Wales

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Not to be a spoilsport ..

But don't most people find they end up climbing in way more places they did on an a clockwork bike, because you can, which leads to more pedal strikes - because you just wouldn't have done it before .. (which can be mitigated by skill, ability, thought, use of eyes, timing, jet packs)

If you dropped the nose 150-180mm wouldn't you then need to install old shoe soles on the undersides of your pedals (the added weight should make the pedal self righting) and have crank crampons to aid in climbing ?
shorter cranks will assist you so you can be lazy and unskilled and forget the trail underneath your pedals :eek:
 

p3eps

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I find I spend half of my climbing adjusting my pedal position to miss the ground! Half pedal forward, back, forward - so that they’re never at the bottom!
My 2 week old DMR Vault mg’s still look like they’ve been put in a blender though ?
 

Gary

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don't most people find they end up climbing in way more places they did on an a clockwork bike,

Nope.
infact I haven't even found a single climb on the Eeb that couldn't be done on a normal mtb.
The motor just makes it easier... waaay easier.
 

wepn

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Not a xc weenie personally.
What??
Exactly ! Someone like you who's rated "God like" compared to someone like me who's rated "Mycoplasma", finds it "Easier", means I find it "Possible" .
What?? lol

I have a few buttons & controllers on my handlebars. There's room for one more I think- just. With the AXS forks and dropper, it could be a serious shapeshifter. Or stupid like a lot of my ideas.
 

Rosemount

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Exactly this was done in 4X 15 years back. And way before that it was available on XC forks.

Do keep up moto guys.

Makes some sense for gate starts but It's absolutely not required for climbing.. Skills are. Far too many folk look for shortcuts though. I don't really get that type of rider. Not gaining skills would kill the entire point in riding for me.

Interesting the E EWS lots of competitors Zip Tied their forks to reduce the travel on the up hill power stage .
But what would they know ? ?
 

Gary

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and yet none of the fastest riders did. ?

Ziptieing your fork to reduce it's travel is mechanically incredibly crude and TBH fairly a fairly retarded thing to do in technical terrain.
Firstly in doing so you're effectively preloading your fork tons. Which in turn also ruins the normal feel of the fork by pretty much removing it's small bump performance, reducing front wheel tracking and traction hugely and changing where the natural pre-load point the rider would use to pop the front end up to get the front wheel over rocks/roots and out of ruts is.
and just to top all of that off reducing your fork's axle to crown length also reduces the BB/Crank/pedal clearance Ebikers crave to allow them to keep pedalling where normal bikes can't.
 

Salespunk

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Jul 27, 2020
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The Kenevo can motor up just about anything stock, not sure reducing the height of the fork would make a difference. Forks that could change travel used to be a thing a few years ago, but there were a lot of compromises so they thankfully faded away.
 

FlowDough

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Nov 11, 2018
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For me this would help some since I have a 63° h.a. it's hard to keep your weight over the front, and the bike does feel a little floppy on the super steep climbs I like to attempt. If a company made a 200mm DH fork that easily adjusted down to 120 for climbs I might be interested. Even more preferable might be the fly adjustable geometry like the Bionicon. But I've never tried one.

I think the biggest simple improvement you could make on a bike to improve its climbing ability is a wider, more aggressive rear tire. When I had a 3" wide Surly Dirt Wizard on a wide rim on last winter I was climbing a steep, loose logging road that I couldn't climb on the stock 2.5 tire. My friends on regular bikes, some of whom are more skilled climbers than me, wouldn't even dream of climbing it. The motor is a huge help and skill is not the only factor. Longer chainstays & wheelbase obviously helps also.
 

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