Does anybody, or did anybody, run their Cotic Hemlock with a shortish travel fork? I am thinking about reincarnating my frame but as I already have a capable trail/AM/enduro (take your pick) bike I want to do something different with the Hemlock and a short travel, xc'ish set up for local rides sprang to mind. Will I destroy it's fun character? It would be good if I could get it to feel like my old Soul but with bounce.
Ran mine with the short rocker and Fox 32 Talas with travel adjust between 100, 120 & 140...just dropped it to 100 for pretty much everything other than the downs and it all ran fine. Also ran it with Dual Pos Rev...150 & 120 travel, again 120 for everything but the downs. Saved the 5lb+ Lyriks and long travel rocker for trips away
Put a shorter travel 29er fork + front wheel on it?
Well, It was always meant to take a range of fork lengths. IIRC down to 130.
I had adjustable 140s on it for years and never liked it much with them shortened at all. Then I went to 160s and felt it was transformed for the better. Personal preference abound here of course - I'm someone who thinks their Soul is much better with 140s than 120s, which isn't the consensus.
BB was very low with my 36's dropped to 110mm, although maybe fashionably low these days...
The 29'er idea is interesting but I am trying to use bits from my spare parts bin which leaves 150mm coils or 120mm air. It was previously built with 150mm revs which felt great but they are now on my other bike. I guess the 120s with a headset with a big lower crown could be ok'ish with more sag in the rear shock. The local trails are not that challenging and so the coils would be dead weight.
Honestly I thought it just lacklustre with a short fork. I'd not go back from 160 (or remove the angleset for that matter). None of the different options I tried with it made it ride anything like a Soul, mind- with the Lyriks it's a big blunt axe, with everything else it's a smaller blunt axe.
Maybe it could make sense to sell the 120s and get some more Revs, they can be stupidly cheap now?