I was going to buy a new FS frame this year, but I really can't justify it, so I thought I'd slacken my Mongoose Teocali instead (69deg HA on a ~150 travel bike seems old hat these days!).
Bushes seem easiest but I'll only get 1 deg. The headset options will give me most adjustment, but the options just baffle me! Has anyone else with a Teocali done this? Does a 1 deg bush do the same thing to geometry as a 1 deg headset?
TIA 🙂
I'd go headset, definitely - offset bushings are a bit of a bodge, the headset changes head angle and nothing else.
Will a headset angle adjuster fit in a Teocali frame - I thought you needed a 1.5 or tapered steerer and the Mongoose is 1 1/8th?
It takes a zerostack headset, and I think the HT is 44m ID/50mm OD. I think it will take an adjustable headset, but I'm struggling to figure out which one!
Both? 😉
Yeah, I've already emailed them pete, cheers.
CGG - I did think about that, but I think I'd rather keep it to one end or the other 🙂
Does a 1 deg bush do the same thing to geometry as a 1 deg headset?
No - headset just changes head angle, bushes lay the whole bike back, so alter head and seat angle as well as drop BB height and effectively sit the bike slightly deeper into the suspension stoke, which could affect the rate curve through the stroke and may clash at full travel.
If we're being picky, a headset will also lower bottom bracket height, and alter seat tube angle, but not by as much as offset bushes, and it wont alter how far the bike sits into into rear suspension travel.
Thanks guys. Sounds like I want to go the headset route then really. I'd rather keep the "disruption" to a minimum, sounds like the headset is the way to do it. I'll wait and see what works components say.
Bushes will be a much cheaper and easier experiment. Angle headsets creak and moan like a bitch if you don't maintain them fastidiously. Plus, that bike could do with a bb drop.
I say experiment because at the end of the day if you are contemplating this it's just a sticking plaster measure - the bike's geometry was antiquated when it was released and these mods rarely produce radical improvements. Making it slacker isn't going to make it a stumpjumper evo. It'll keep your mind occupied for a while but at the end of the day; if you want a new bike, you'll still want a new bike.
Bushes are definitely the way to go if you're just experimenting~ cheaper, easy fit and more adjustable (you could just use 1)~ imagine going to all the trouble of fitting a headset, only to find you don't like it after all.
if you want a new bike, you'll still want a new bike.
Nah, I'm pretty good at making do with what I've got TBH 🙂
I know it won't make a drastic change to the bike, but then it's already as good as I am anyway! Just thought it might "freshen" it up a bit.
Funny you should say it could do with a BB drop, I always felt the BB was a little low already, I keep meaning to change to some shorter cranks. Of course, I could be running too little air in the rear or just have poor technique 😉
Right, in a complete about face I've gone and ordered a pair of Ti offsets from Burgtec for the bargainous (?!) price of £33. 35% discount on the offset hardware at the moment, which is nice 🙂
69deg HA on a ~150 travel bike seems [b]old hat[/b] these days!
The designers will have spent considerable effort to produce a bike geometry and build with good handling qualities under certain riding conditions and styles. Are you looking to change the handling in some respect because you don't like it?
Not saying you shouldn't, just be clear you are changing geometry for good reasons ["old hat" geometry doesn't seem like a good reason to me, sorry].
Buzz makes some sence, but then again not all bikes are actually good and also riders styles change or dont suit the bike they have.
Ive had bikes that didnt suit me, but they were good bikes. There are bikes that have got it wrong in terms of geometry/suspension.
You cant beat a bit of fiddling to get things to suit you and your style of riding/terrain.
My bike, for me, benefited enormously from a change in rear shock for example, dispite desingers spending ages designing it. But they design stuff for the average in their market segment. Individuals may not fit that segment.
It's a mix of a few things. I like the bike, but feel it's a little steep on occasion - feels a bit like I'm over the front wheel on sketchier stuff, even with a short stem.
My riding's come on a little, so I'm prepared to tackle bigger stuff.
And last, but not least, I do like to fiddle a bit 🙂
Both?
Indeed. It's about 4 degrees away from ideal for 160mm so do both.
It's 145mm travel at the back, 150mm Revs up front JCL - just a pumped up XC bike really. I think a 4 deg shift might be excessive! I'll try the bushes first and go from there 🙂