Rail (625Wh) Mino Link vs longer stroke shock?

[irie]

Trek Rail alloy 2022 - may want to increase rear height to make steering 'faster'.

Have two choices:

1. Move Mino Link from Low to High to increase rear height by ~10mm

2. Remove a couple of spacers from the Ohlins TTX22.m coil which will increase height by ~12mm (not allowing for sag).

After removing shock spacers would have about 162mm travel and might need a 'softer' spring (currently have Cane Creek VALT 500lb).

Arguments for and against the above 2 options?

Am 82kg ready to ride

 

[Plummet]

Move the link from low to high and test.

I'll be honest you must have pretty boring terrain if you want a steeper head angle bike.

To me that's utter madness to steepen hta on purpose.

 

[Paulquattro]

Just to add
removing a couple of spacers from the rear shock wont increase the height of the rear of the bike or steepen the head angle , all it will do is give the shock more travel by increasing stroke it wont increase its starting point to lift the bike
Hope this helps

ps. a softer spring will only increase sag making the bike slacker still .

 

[yorkshire89]

you must have pretty boring terrain if you want a steeper head angle bike.
To me that's utter madness to steepen hta on purpose.

65deg HA here and haven't died yet...
Irie changing the mino link will only change the HA from 64.5 to 64.9deg, pretty much in the region most ESW riders like to have their bikes setup at. I wouldn't call their terrain boring personally

What Geometry Numbers Do the Top Enduro Racers Actually Prefer? - Pinkbike

Digging into the details with some of the world's fastest riders.

www.pinkbike.com

 

[irie]

Move the link from low to high and test.

That's what I figured.

I'll be honest you must have pretty boring terrain if you want a steeper head angle bike.

Ride a variety of terrain from mellow trails with my wife, bike parks with berms tight turns, downhills, and everything in between.

To me that's utter madness to steepen hta on purpose.

Only have (and want) one bike, so everything is a compromise.

 

[irie]

65deg HA here and haven't died yet...
Irie changing the mino link will only change the HA from 64.5 to 64.9deg, pretty much in the region most ESW riders like to have their bikes setup at. I wouldn't call their terrain boring personally

What Geometry Numbers Do the Top Enduro Racers Actually Prefer? - Pinkbike

Digging into the details with some of the world's fastest riders.

www.pinkbike.com

Very interesting link, thanks for that!

Out of curiosity I just measured my 'wingspan' at 182*cm! Am 178cm tall but many moons ago I was 181cm (am a grandfather so have vertical shrinkflation ).

Edit: * wife just measured my wingspan at 185cm!

 

[Plummet]

Well my advice is to retain the slacker geo and re-calibrate yourself to the slackness. You can ride a slacker bike on any terrain just as fast and have as much fun as a steeper head angle bike once you re-calibrate.

But you limit or reduce the maximum level of of terrain steepness you can tackle by increasing head tube angle.
Now if you aren't riding the real steep lines then undertake some head angle steepening. But if you are then keep as is.

I ride my naturally aspires slayers everywhere hta 64° from benign family rides to not even rated too stupid for the bike park steeps. I don't have any less fun on the easy stuff. But when I jump onto my daughters Orbea Rise that has a 66°ish hta, I find it no more fun on the easy stuff. But when I get into the steep stuff I definitely notice the lack of slackness in a reduced ability to control speed.

I will freely admit that I am a steep specialist and ride stuff a lot steeper than your average dude in the bike park.

 

[irie]

Well my advice is to retain the slacker geo and re-calibrate yourself to the slackness. You can ride a slacker bike on any terrain just as fast and have as much fun as a steeper head angle bike once you re-calibrate.

But you limit or reduce the maximum level of of terrain steepness you can tackle by increasing head tube angle.
Now if you aren't riding the real steep lines then undertake some head angle steepening. But if you are then keep as is.

I ride my naturally aspires slayers everywhere hta 64° from benign family rides to not even rated too stupid for the bike park steeps. I don't have any less fun on the easy stuff. But when I jump onto my daughters Orbea Rise that has a 66°ish hta, I find it no more fun on the easy stuff. But when I get into the steep stuff I definitely notice the lack of slackness in a reduced ability to control speed.

I will freely admit that I am a steep specialist and ride stuff a lot steeper than your average dude in the bike park.

We bow down to the fact that you self professedly ride "steeper stuff" than most other people.

However, I will ignore the above advice and instead as said earlier will do the logical thing which is to try the Mino Link in both Low and High positions to find what works best for me.

 

[luna87824]

I will freely admit that I am a steep specialist and ride stuff a lot steeper than your average dude in the bike park.

Steeper than Gee Atherton?​

 

[Plummet]

Steeper than Gee Atherton?​

Gee is not your average dude in the bike park.

 

[Plummet]

We bow down to the fact that you self professedly ride "steeper stuff" than most other people.

However, I will ignore the above advice and instead as said earlier will do the logical thing which is to try the Mino Link in both Low and High positions to find what works best for me.

Fair enough. Go and ride the steepest stuff you will typically take on then make the change and go and ride it again and see how it impacts your speed control. If not much impact then keep the change.

 

[irie]

Fair enough. Go and ride the steepest stuff you will typically take on then make the change and go and ride it again and see how it impacts your speed control. If not much impact then keep the change.

Well, I never thought of doing that!

Oh.

 

[yorkshire89]

I will freely admit that I am a steep specialist and ride stuff a lot steeper than your average dude in the bike park.

Oh you never said

 

[Plummet]

Oh you never said

Well it skews my opinion of acceptable hta. My next bike will be 62.7° by the time I mullet it and I can't wait for the ultra slackness.

 

[yorkshire89]

Well it skews my opinion of acceptable hta. My next bike will be 62.7° by the time I mullet it and I can't wait for the ultra slackness.

Get some GoPro footage up when the new bike is built up, would be good to see the trails in your part of the world!

 

[irie]

Get some GoPro footage up when the new bike is built up, would be good to see the trails in your part of the world!

Will have to be using a boutique camera of course.

 

[Like a Boss]

I am riding an X2 air shock with standard 57.5 stroke and MINO in high. It’s very prone to pedal strikes while climbing. In the low position it’s hard to get a full pedal stroke in without a pedal strike.
I’m running a 170 fork so that might bring the HA back to what it was in MINO low?

 

[Wilbur]

X2 is a terrible shock. They seem to have excessive sag no matter how high the pressure

 

[Like a Boss]

X2 is a terrible shock. They seem to have excessive sag no matter how high the pressure

I rode the original poor riding Trek Reactiv Rockshox that came on the Rail for a few hundred miles. The X2 is way better than that shock. But I can’t say much else. I don’t feel like the pedal
strikes are because of the X2 lacking mid stroke support. But I can’t compare it to anything else on this Rail. I have the newer Ultimate Deluxe in my Slash and it’s not mind blowing. It’s not bad though. So what air shock is there for Rail?

 

[Gamer73]

I changed the link from low to high last year.

The reason was firstly to get the bike to turn slightly better and secondly to reduce the shotloads of pedal strikes I got.

The pedal strikes are almost totally gone and the turning has gotten way better. And it also seems to climb slightly better.

I do feel more in control of my bike with the link in the high.

But one place it’s been not so good. It’s slightly more difficult to control in high speed leans/curves. In low, the bike sort of settled into the curve and carved it sort of. In high I do feel that I never reach that same level of comfort. But! I mainly ride for 4-6 weeks of the year during summer holidays. So I never get totally at one with my bike.

I will say this. I had an amazing time riding some very nice flow trails here the other day. And I definitely felt in control with my bike. Even in high link setting.

Personally, I think I will have to stay in high. My nature in all sports have been more into the agility realm and twitch movements. I think I will end up feeling more at one with my bike if my bike is more like me lol.