[stripes]

In the spirit of Nurse Ben, I'm working on tinkering with my second Revved frame. I haven't been able to get the Shred Dogg to my liking, so I'm working on a short travel Megatrail build (not a fan of mullets and I like 27.5"). I have a "regular" full coil Megatrail (170mm front, 155mm/165mm rear), with some chunkier tires. Works great, but it's really exhausting on some XC style trails.

In order to accomplish shorter travel without messing with the geo I like, I'm opting to run a 29er fork with 150mm travel and 44 offset for the lighter bike. The AtoC on the fork is the same as the one on the "regular" megatrail (the tiger bike) with a 27.5 170mm travel fork (that has a 46 offset). I've also reduced the stroke on the rear shock to 230x60 instead of 230x65. Part of the reason I picked the Megatrail is it will clear a plus tire (2.8 officially), and I found it will clear my 3.0 studded N45th Warchilds.

I have no idea if this is going to work, so here's hoping. Otherwise, it's back to experimenting.

Eventual final build:
Megatrail size 2 long, tall headset cup
Ohlins 29 150mm RXF36 m2 with 44 offset
Ohlins TTX air rear 230x60
XT 12 speed drivetrain
Hope Mono brakes (waiting on the replacement cable for these)
35mm Spank stem, 800mm Spank vibracore bars
Transfer 150mm post
Canfield bros 160mm cranks with 32t chainring
Wheels: M542 rims, hope hubs with Aggassai front 2.6 and Forekaster rear 2.6 (most likely will change this, but it's what I had lying around.. I also have a set of studded tires to ride this in the hero snow for the spring)

Currently running (until everything comes in)
30t chainring
Fox 36 RC4 27.5 with 170mm travel
Bike Yoke 160mm post
Shimano Zee brakes

When for a test ride this morning. I have the suspension tuned firm (the way I like), but I didn't like the feel of the fork in the front. It felt almost like I'm running a mullet. Going to try reducing the air in the fork next time to see if that helps. With the shorter rear shock. the bike tends to be more poppy and definitely turns a bit faster.

Positives: Love the feel of this ride. Feels like a race car (you can tell the difference in the progressiveness of the air vs the coil) compared to my tiger megatrail (full strength and full coil), which is going to plow over everything. Doesn't feel like overkill on the longer XC rides.

Negatives: Not enjoying the Fox 36 after being on an Ohlins the past 6 months. Also, it feels very odd with 170mm in the front for now and 142mm in the back. I'm not enjoying the Zee brakes, but they work. I'm also hating the 30t chainring, because it feels like I'm constantly spinning and cannot get enough torque to really feel like I'm going somewhere. Still not a fan of the post because it feels like it loses air during the ride, and it makes the bike feel really choppered.

Next steps: get the new fork on next week and the 32t chainring and see if that feels better balanced with the travel and better torque.

 

[Nurse Ben]

Yank the tall lower cup and replace with a short lower cup, see if that feels better. If it feels better but the front end feels too low, keep th eshort lower cup and try an offset bushing (will slack HTA by .25-.5 degrees) or bump fork travel 10mm. I have an offset bushing kit I'm no longer using ...

Have you considered studded tires? I think you can stud those Wrathchild. 45Nrth Concave XL Studs Pack of 100 [TR3953] at BikeTiresDirect

I rode a super Icey trail over the weekend, tons of off camber stuff that was scary, got home and ordered some Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro 27.5 x 2.6.

I'm a recovering snow biker, so I ride snow well, but ice is ice, scary at speed; I like speed

I'm going to run the studs on my extra 27.5 wheelset.

Contact Mike Curiak at Lacemine 29 for a good deal.

Misc: Those Zees probably don't get hot enough in cold weather to stop you, maybe try an organic pad. For riding snow and ice, you'll want that lower gear range. Cold weather messes with dropper posts, some worse than others. I've had pretty good luck with One Up, just need to apply a little slickoleum, under the dust cap; maybe try slickoleum on your Transger.

 

[stripes]

Yank the tall lower cup and replace with a short lower cup, see if that feels better. If it feels better but the front end feels too low, keep th eshort lower cup and try an offset bushing (will slack HTA by .25-.5 degrees) or bump fork travel 10mm. I have an offset bushing kit I'm no longer using ...

Have you considered studded tires? I think you can stud those Wrathchild. 45Nrth Concave XL Studs Pack of 100 [TR3953] at BikeTiresDirect

I rode a super Icey trail over the weekend, tons of off camber stuff that was scary, got home and ordered some Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro 27.5 x 2.6.

I'm a recovering snow biker, so I ride snow well, but ice is ice, scary at speed; I like speed

I'm going to run the studs on my extra 27.5 wheelset.

Contact Mike Curiak at Lacemine 29 for a good deal.

Misc: Those Zees probably don't get hot enough in cold weather to stop you, maybe try an organic pad. For riding snow and ice, you'll want that lower gear range. Cold weather messes with dropper posts, some worse than others. I've had pretty good luck with One Up, just need to apply a little slickoleum, under the dust cap; maybe try slickoleum on your Transger.

I'm waiting on my 150mm 29er fork to see how that feels first before playing with the headset. I might also have too much air in the fork to start. I have a call into my shock wizard to see if there's something with the settings I can mess with. Because the geo feels fine, but it might also be the rear shock or seatpost losing air.

I have a set of spiked tires (N45th wrathchilds) that I'll run when it gets snowier. I want to make sure this feels right first before rocking the studs). If I can't get it to work, I'll see if I can go back to the Dogg setting just run it strictly as a plus bike with 2.8 or 3.0 tires, and remember to ride it like a hard tail as opposed to something squishy. I don't think I'm going to try the TP again.

The Zees will be coming off. I need to get the longer brake cable for the Hopes first.

 

[Andeh]

If the BikeYoke dropper is sagging while riding, you probably just need to use the reset. I know that BikeYoke tests them in freezers below zero. Use the mini lever or an allen to rotate the reset hex by the saddle clockwise, compress the post fully, the release the allen. Then use your remote lever to release the post. Might take 1 or 2 goes but that should fix it. If that doesn't, double check that your cable tension isn't too high. I think they also suggest if you're frequently using them in cold weather, when storing them in a warm garage to not store them with the seat fully extended.

The blue decals look cool.

 

[Nurse Ben]

Just as an FYI, all posts sag when it gets cold enough, similar issue with air suspension losing air, it's due to the seals being to cold.

Coil springs are the only solution or go rigid.

 

[stripes]

Responding to everyone here, along with an update. Turns out it wasnt the seatpost, but the feeling of the new rear shock breaking in. It wasn’t cold enough that day to really do anything with either the fork or rear shock or even the brakes. It was in the 40s.

New Ohlins fork comes in tomorrow (150mm travel), so the bike will feel more balanced, along with throwing a 32t chain ring on it. The Hope X2s go on next week.

Sticking with the tall headset cup for now. After the new fork test hopefully this week, I’ll get another update out.

Once I get some more ride time on this and get the suspension dialed in, the studded tires go on this bike for our late winter/spring snows. For summer and fall, I’m thinking of trying nobby nic 2.8s front and rear.

 

[Jayem]

Here's one that Speedway Cycles (same company as Fatback) put together. They had to extend the rear triangle with welding and re-heat-treat the affected parts. I'm not sure if they are running 27.5x4 or 26x4, but either way, it's an impressive machine that's far far more modern than the Foes or Lenz equivalents. Would be nice if this was something that was available, not that it's a huge market though...

 

[amc_]

This is looking amazing Stripes, can't wait to see the finished product. Should be a very fun hardcore XC rally bike when you're done. I love the decal color & associated accents too. The Ohlins fork will really tie it together (not a fan of the Kashima stanchions, but that's just my personal preference).

I'm surprised you don't like the Zees, although they definitely do work better once they're running hot. I've got them on three bikes with no complaints (reminds me I need to bleed the set on my Rootdown soon). Admittedly I don't have a ton of experience with any other brakes out there - hated my Sram Level T's, and am very curious about the Magura MT7s GG just announced they're including as a build option. Maybe when the Zees finally die on my Smash I'll give the MT7s a go. The Hope Monos are going to look slick though. Glad the seatpost was ultimately a non-issue too.

Looking forward to a ride report once you get this beast all tidied up. Cheers

 

[stripes]

This is looking amazing Stripes, can't wait to see the finished product. Should be a very fun hardcore XC rally bike when you're done. I love the decal color & associated accents too. The Ohlins fork will really tie it together (not a fan of the Kashima stanchions, but that's just my personal preference).

I'm surprised you don't like the Zees, although they definitely do work better once they're running hot. I've got them on three bikes with no complaints (reminds me I need to bleed the set on my Rootdown soon). Admittedly I don't have a ton of experience with any other brakes out there - hated my Sram Level T's, and am very curious about the Magura MT7s GG just announced they're including as a build option. Maybe when the Zees finally die on my Smash I'll give the MT7s a go. The Hope Monos are going to look slick though. Glad the seatpost was ultimately a non-issue too.

Looking forward to a ride report once you get this beast all tidied up. Cheers

Definitely. The fork came in today, so as long as there's no installation issues, I'll have the fork and the 32t chainring at the shop. Depending on when it gets done, I'll be able to get some initial time on it this weekend.

As far as brakes, I ran Saints and Zees for 5 years. They're great brakes. I wanted to try something different this time around. Also, the only other thing other than wheel size people disagree on is brakes. Never seen anything like it. I have Hope M2s for this project, and I'm running V4s on the big bike (full strength Megatrail).

Here's one that Speedway Cycles (same company as Fatback) put together. They had to extend the rear triangle with welding and re-heat-treat the affected parts. I'm not sure if they are running 27.5x4 or 26x4, but either way, it's an impressive machine that's far far more modern than the Foes or Lenz equivalents. Would be nice if this was something that was available, not that it's a huge market though...

View attachment 1911717

That's all kinds of awesome That looks like full fat size, but it doesn't have the holes you see in the rims for the fat bikes I'm used to seeing. I'm not aiming to get mine full fat, but being able to clear a 3.0 or 2.8 in the front, and a 2.8 or 2.6 in the back will definitely be a fun ride and give me a bit more cushion for the less travel in the summer, and studded cush in the snow.

 

[Jayem]

That's all kinds of awesome That looks like full fat size, but it doesn't have the holes you see in the rims for the fat bikes I'm used to seeing. I'm not aiming to get mine full fat, but being able to clear a 3.0 or 2.8 in the front, and a 2.8 or 2.6 in the back will definitely be a fun ride and give me a bit more cushion for the less travel in the summer, and studded cush in the snow.

They look like 70 or 75mm carbon fiber rims.

****, I was just in the shop, I should have looked at it again.

 

[rossp]

If I can't get it to work, I'll see if I can go back to the Dogg setting just run it strictly as a plus bike with 2.8 or 3.0 tires, and remember to ride it like a hard tail as opposed to something squishy. I don't think I'm going to try the TP again.

Does a regular 2.8 (not studded) fit on the TP in real life (I know it's not officially supported)? I should have probably done more research before going TP/Smash, and maybe gone for a SD set up for 2.8s but curious if it works. (I am also feeling lazy and not near my bikes right now to go and try... )

 

[stripes]

Does a regular 2.8 (not studded) fit on the TP in real life (I know it's not officially supported)? I should have probably done more research before going TP/Smash, and maybe gone for a SD set up for 2.8s but curious if it works. (I am also feeling lazy and not near my bikes right now to go and try... )

Never tried it, but Nurse Ben has. He was able to get it to work. GG has confirmed to me that it will work, but it's not an officially supported setup. My assumption is any 29er bike will be fine with a 2.8 27.5+ wide wheel and tire, but I have zero interest in trying it with the Smash and Gnarvana. I can tell you that the Pedalhead does fine with a 2.8 or 3.0 27.5 tire, but a 2.6 27.5 tire would be too low for it.

I've heard a few folks like the 29er Shred Dogg, which is not something I've heard as something that GG recommends, but I don't know how wide of a wheel and tire they're running.

I personally might go back to a Shred Dogg as a plus if I can't get the short travel Megatrail to feel right. But if I do, I'll keep it with the 150mm 29er fork, and drop it down with a short crown and keep it as 27.5 wheels. I didn't like the Shred Dogg with a 150mm 27.5 fork because it felt too steep to me. I'm wondering if I'd like the Shred Dogg better as a plus bike, but haven't decided to try that just yet, because I really like the Revved Megatrail geo and I wanna see if I can get this project to work right.

 

[rossp]

Never tried it, but Nurse Ben has. He was able to get it to work. GG has confirmed to me that it will work, but it's not an officially supported setup. My assumption is any 29er bike will be fine with a 2.8 27.5+ wide wheel and tire, but I have zero interest in trying it with the Smash and Gnarvana.

Ok yeah that’s what I thought - in the NE when speed and traction is low in the winter I think a plus TP may be a good option..... (on my to do list..)

 

[stripes]

Ok yeah that’s what I thought - in the NE when speed and traction is low in the winter I think a plus TP may be a good option..... (on my to do list..)

If you search Nurse Ben's threads here, you'll find plenty on what he did for a TP with plus tires.

 

[stripes]

Ohilns ice decals ordered. This week, I should be able to get the Hope brakes installed too.

 

[rossp]

If you search Nurse Ben's threads here, you'll find plenty on what he did for a TP with plus tires.

Cool - thought I had done that, but guess I didn’t go deep enough...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Nurse Ben]

The Pistola 130mm travel takes a max tire of 29 x 2.5, anything bigger touches the seat tube. A 29 x 2.6 fits fine on a Pistol 120mm travel

The largest 27.5 tires I ran were 2.8 Hans Damph on WTB i45, depending on the rim/tire combo, mud room could be an issue.

If you want more travel and you like running a 29 x 2.6, the Shred, Mega, and Smash have the seat tube clearance.

I ride a Revved Shred Dogg in crush mode, Mara Pro Shock 140mm travel, Cane Creek Helm MK2 Coil 29” 150mm fork, short lower cup, 29 x 2.6 DHF in Duroc 40 rims.

This bike is amazing up and down, all day epics to double black rock gardens, no complaints.

 

[stripes]

The Pistola 130mm travel takes a max tire of 29 x 2.5, anything bigger touches the seat tube. A 29 x 2.6 fits fine on a Pistol 120mm travel

The largest 27.5 tires I ran were 2.8 Hans Damph on WTB i45, depending on the rim/tire combo, mud room could be an issue.

If you want more travel and you like running a 29 x 2.6, the Shred, Mega, and Smash have the seat tube clearance.

I ride a Revved Shred Dogg in crush mode, Mara Pro Shock 140mm travel, Cane Creek Helm MK2 Coil 29” 150mm fork, short lower cup, 29 x 2.6 DHF in Duroc 40 rims.

This bike is amazing up and down, all day epics to double black rock gardens, no complaints.

Shred dogg is gravity or trail, not crush or plush.

So I’m assuming you mean trail mode?

Have you tried any of these configurations in gravity mode on the shred dogg?

Honestly, its pretty frustrating that I’m trying to keep this focused on my megatrail project as there are more than enough threads on the shred dogg configurations.

 

[rossp]

Sorry - I may not have helped there.... back to your (very cool) build....

 

[stripes]

Sorry - I may not have helped there.... back to your (very cool) build....

All good. Not a fan of thread hijacks—i have a hard enough time staying focused. But, this is a good way to provide some background info.

If you need, I’ll aggregate some links on the nonstandard things people do. Nurse Ben has put a lot of effort into this, as have a few others.

So if you’re not familiar with the history of the shred dogg, the original version of basically a short stroked megatrail (using a 230x57.5 shock instead of a 230x65) on the same AL frame. I rode both an AL shred dogg and AL megatrail (same frame, but changed out the shock). This is in 2017. The original name of the shred dogg was the Megatrail SS (short stroked).

When GG moved to the Revved frames a couple years ago, they completely redesigned the shred dogg to be a completely different bike. Shorter chain stays—different shock leverage, etc. For my riding, I dont care for the Revved shred dogg, so that’s how this project came to be.

I’m glad a lot of people enjoy the revved shred dogg (my husband is killing it on his), but for me, i like the longer chainstays of the megatrail but i want one with shorter travel.

I should be getting the bike back tomorrow. Maybe Tuesday or Wednesday i can get a pedally ride on it.