This is an awesome bike and precisely what my brain always assures me is a great decision, and then inevitably I carry something like this out and regret it.
I ultimately YOLO’d a Yeti SB115. Will post pictures when I have it.
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I almost bought one of these
I have a knockoff yeti sb115. (alchemy arktos 120) and I really like it.
No, yours is a bigger bike scaled down to smaller travel numbers.
His is an XC bike squeaking out a smidge more travel but not really doing much else for trail performance. Both rad, but you’re probably happier on the Alchemy unless you were full on racing xc.
This is what it seemed like. XC bike but a little more travel, not as long and slack as other stuff. I haven’t ever owned a modern mountain bike, so I’m surprised at how slack head angles are now.
Nice, it is a hell of a bike and something you’ll probably really like. And that isn’t even that slack. But it could start you down a path where your next bike is 64.5*. ha.
Turp coming from the longer travel Trance he is now selling has some more recent experience with modern stuff.
Def a difference with HTA, but I have grown used to 65-66.5* for trail riding and it is crazy to think how different it is from first Anthem 100mm xc full squish I owned.
I meant more that the arktos was designed by the same guy and has similar curve principles for suspension. the longer travel yeti stuff is more similar to the arktos. But I was considering the yeti sb130? or whatever has the lunch ride edition. A big thing I liked about the alchemy is that I can go to full send level travel on the same frame if I want.
From today’s maiden voyage. Maybe this makes me sound insane, but it really climbed worse than I thought and there were plenty of sections where I had trouble keeping the front wheel down. Almost certain this is technique-related.
Otherwise, worked great. The fancy suspension works really well.
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Tarcklebee for quickest following through on a purchase after receiving advice and also following that advice
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i am on day 1.5 of 2.25 days at kingdom trails. indigenous people’s day weekend is the absolute best time to be here. peak foliage. not crowded. not hot. i’m going to attempt to ride up burke mountain tomorrow so i can ride the DH trails for free.
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modern mtb geometry is a bit of a departure from what you’re used to. mtb thread will help with advice more specific
i did ride up burke mountain. not really a fun climb. it’s on a paved toll road (free for bikes) that in the winter is a downhill ski trail.
the downhill portion (i rode upper j bar) was fucking wild. i watched a youtube video beforehand called “is this new england’s techiest downhill” and of course being a snob was like “no way” but now that i have done it…it was silly. i had to walk more than my ego would have preferred. i don’t think the bike i was on mattered…there are a lot of off-camber slippery rocks which were damp (moist, for ferg). definitely above my ability level, especially after 24 miles of singletrack and a mountain climb.
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crazy what the camera does to the grade of a trail isn’t it lol
yes I have made this mistake many times before as well yet I fail to change my behavior
you probably just need to be getting up off the saddle more during your climbs to keep the front down. It should have excellent climbing efficiency. If it is bobbing your suspension is probably setup incorrectly. IME the stock settings for my rear shock based on weight have been pretty much perfect. I dropped a couple pounds out of the fork and it made a HUGE improvement in ride feel.
Make sure the rear shock is all the way open and not in the middle click. I made that mistake on my fox factory stuff. If it isn’t open I found myself loosing traction while climbing on rocks all the time. Open it was able to stick to things a lot better and climb up.
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you and me both.
I momentarily switched bikes (and shoes) with someone on a Ibis Ripley AF on clipless pedals. Was pretty interesting. The biggest change I felt honestly was lack of tire inserts and corresponding way higher tire pressure. Might be ready for some dh clipless pedals tho. Would have helped avoid almost rolling my ankle on a huck to flat a little later.
If Bob was your issue, probably suspension set up issue.
Traction? Could be suspension or too much air in your tires.
The front wheel thing… Def technique. Scooch foward on the seat and bend your elbows to get more weight on the front. You can’t stand up when it’s steap so this helps keep both wheels weighed evenly.
xc race shoes on those slippery rocks did not make for a very confidence-inspiring walk down the sections i had to walk
Haha, even on the bike I felt less stability because I could feel there was not much side-to-side or lateral stability compared to the wide platform of my flats, nothing but some thin material keeping my foot from smashing into rocks (which I did in a major way on the last downhill of the day):
Yeah, exactly right. Today’s ride was more successful. Aired the tires way down and kept the rear shock open. There’s the traction!
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