After my last thread about older full suspension bikes I kept going back to my love of the Kona A (if you hae a late model, with disc tab 19/20″ frame I want it), but what other full sus frames can be SS’d effectivly. Yeah of course any bike can be an SS with an old mech etc, but how effective is that? I know wwwass (sic) has a giant NRS set up SS.
All URTs can bes et up easily, so thats the Treks, Kleins and Schwinns, but what else?
Show me your SS full sus.

Here’s my Klein. It still needs a tensioner though. It’s not a great suspension design as a geared bike unless you set quite a lot of compression damping but as a SS it’s brilliant actually. Get out of the saddle to gurn up a climb and it stiffens perfectly so that it feels pretty much rigid.

I was out on it this morning actually.

you called 🙂

I used a Rohloff downhill tensioner and it seems to work quite well, I’d imagine it woudl work with most full sus bikes – Rohloff sell ot for the AM/DH crowd who want to use one of their hubs.

[edit] one thing about the Rohloff is that the spring tension is a lot higher than a rear mech – not so much as to affect suspension performance noticeably, but it keeps the chain on very effectively. It can also be spaced out to accomodate various chainlines.

Clubber, a kitten dies every time you post a picture of that bike.

I know 😈

And two die every time I ride it.

Clubber, you and TOTALLY need to get together for a mid 90’s geekfest.

I’ve 2, not 1, 2 Trek 1996 Y22 frames in the garage. I think I might well be building the medium up as a singlespeed now you’ve given me the idea.

Mine’s actually a 2000 Mantra Comp so I don’t qualify 🙂

I did consider getting one of the carbon Trek Y bikes as a frame for a SS actually but because the pivot on them is a good bit lower, I don’t reckon they’d be so good as a SS.

You could find something that pivots around the BB like a Commencal Absolut or DMR Bolt. They’re more oriented towards slopestyle/jumping though so would probably only be trail-rideable if you’re pretty fit and are short!

The Y22 is actually very good around Ashton Court – even with the out of date shock – what were considered downsides are now considered ‘things that we like’.

Any bike that could be made into a 24lb full sus is good in my book.

I reckon a SS Y22 would tip in at 20lbs perhaps?

mmm… Love my Kona A (when the belt stays on)….

DSC_0406 by ir_bandito, on Flickr

🙂

LBS has a 17″ non-disc model for sale

What a wasted opportunity, Clubber. To be that close to a canal and not to throw the bike in.

Got a NRS like wwaswas with rohloff tensioner

I miss my Kona A

it was stolen a couple of years ago, the mad thing is it’s such an unusual bike I would have expected it to make it’s way ‘back into circulation’ so to speak rather than be living a life as a scrotes run-around…

16inch mk1 (vbrake only) in blue and silver in case anyone spots it….

it was your bike that inspired me to do mine flatfish 🙂

Yay!!!!
You are my first stalker. 😯

BigJohn – Member
What a wasted opportunity, Clubber. To be that close to a canal and not to throw the bike in.

Did you not know that the fugly stick is like a boomerang – it keeps coming back..

(it’s not a canal BTW – Bristol docks)

well, I had all the parts bar the tensioner in the garage so it seemed a shame not to.

Really please with how it rides although the head angle and 100mm fork’s taking a bit of getting used to after a couple of years of slack angled HT’s with 120mm+ forks.

Kona A frame on ebay

Here’s the Bow-ti in SS guise, is it uglier than Clubbers Mantra? I don’t think so, but some might… need to get rid of the tensioner, either with an external EBB (but I like the cranks!) or a White Industries eccentric hub (which I have, but need to build into a wheel). To make it even more odd, she’s currently wearing a set of Jones H-bars as well! (no pics as yet, sorry).

IMG_3231 by ten_sim, on Flickr

I know it looks like ti will flex everywhere but is there any movement between BB and rear on that or does it behave like a hardtail for the rear triangle?

Fairly sure all the flex is in the ‘bow stays’ (the downtube) and the flat ‘bar’ (actually a highly engineered leaf spring really) you can see running down from the top-tube to the BB. Rear triangle is pretty stiff (though you do get side to side movement which feels odd!)

I’ve got a black Kona A with disc mounts, (looks like ir_bandito’s) I think it’s a 2005, not used very much, some battle scars but no dents. Size 18″ (again, I think). Has dropouts for singlespeed or Rohloff hub. I may be persuaded to sell it if the price is right. nicknoxx at gmail dot com should find me.

ir_bandito – Member
Kona A frame on ebay

Seen that one, its been listed several times now as a complete bike and frame. Seen them sell for a lot less and it doesn’t have a disc tab.

I do quite fancy trying a Klein Mantra SS build, The Schwinn I was thinking of was the same sort of design, but I can’t remember the model.

wwaswas and flatfish, what makes the NRS a good SS FS? I bet I could get one dead cheap on the bay….

I’m singlespeeding / Alfining my trance.

I tried a very fancy tensioner, looked almost like a rear mech but it didn’t quite work so now I’m looking for a tensioner with a roller instead of a jockey wheel for a bit of diagonal chain line acceptance.

I’m considering designing my own to incorporate one of the no turn washers and do away with the mech hanger but that’s a while off yet.

The NRS System effectively pushes the rear wheel into the ground when power is applied making it as stiff as a hardtail due to the zero bob but has 4″ of travel for the downhill bumpy stuff.

I’d called Giant uk before SSing it to see if they knew it was viable the response I got was “Errrr, dunno. Give us a call back if it does cos we’re really intrested to see if it does work”.

If you manage to get one you’ll be really surprised at how well it works.

I do quite fancy trying a Klein Mantra SS build, The Schwinn I was thinking of was the same sort of design, but I can’t remember the model.

Schwinn Sweetspot, wasn’t it? IIRC it has the same pivot location (the ‘sweetspot’ supposedly) as the Mantra ( or actually I think that the Mantra was copied from the Schwinn).

Ah, homegrown, actually

Seen that one, its been listed several times now as a complete bike and frame

Its on as best offer. Being sold by the guy who runs my local bike shop (he’s got another A, and the belt-drive Orange proto full-sus).
No harm in a cheeky offer, and disc-dropouts are available (I may be able to sell mine soon…)

And I guess that I’m thinking of something else because the pivot point is totally different to the Mantra.

Isn’t ‘Sweet Spot’ the John Castellano system/design (used by Ibis mainly)? Did Klein licence it as well then?

As you can see above, you may well be right. Now you mention Castellano and Ibis, I think that may well be it – certainly rings bells.

http://www.castellanodesigns.com/Zorro.html

Looks like the Schwinn is indeed sweetspot. God help us though – they’re doing 29er versions of it now!

http://www.southerndownhill.com/forum/index.php/topic,148606.30.html

I really rather like that Zorro… related to the old Szazbo isn’t it?

Aparently so – all the ugliness plus clown wheels!

Mine was great fun until it died – the front triangle failed at the BB weld. I’ve still got it in case I see another one for spares / repairs, unless anyone wants to make me an offer on the rear triangle?

that’s my old one isn’t it Simon? With the big dent in the TT?

Nicknoxx, mail me how much you’re after please. And be sensible 😉

brooklyn mini link

That’s right psychle! The dented TT didn’t worry me at all, but I only managed to ride it a few times before it started coming apart at the BB 🙁