As a taller than average rider, I’ve long pined for steep seat angles (so my butt doesn’t sit above the rear axle).

With the advent of bikes getting v. low stand over heights, this is happening to most bikes now.

However, when combined with a super slack head tube angle, I’ve realised that the modern enduro sled is offensive to my eyes.

Have a look at that Actofive thing in the headlines today. It looks like it has been squished at the top.

To be honest, I’m a bit of a mincer on the bike nowadays and I just don’t need the wheelbase of a monster truck combined with a “short snappy” back end to enjoy my biking.

I just don’t want to wince every time I look at my bike.

Anyone else think ‘Actofive’ was a probiotic yoghurt?

I think that one looks pretty good. Poles, I think they look broken.

I’m amazed that anyone typing “bowfing” has any sensibilities to offend really, especially on the basis of visual aesthetic.

As a taller than average rider, I’ve long pined for steep seat angles (so my butt doesn’t sit above the rear axle).

I’m interested to know why a steep seat tube rather than longer chainstays? Always seemed.strange.to me that every size of a frame often had the same chainstay length

Always seemed.strange.to me that every size of a frame often had the same chainstay length

Have you checked? I’ve heard some frames come with chain stays different to spec. 😉

Some do, some don’t.

sometimes “design language” doesn’t translate through different models. e.g. the Bronson looks well balanced, the Megatower looks pregnant.

See also big fat downtubes being carried over onto XC bikes with 32mm forks and 2.1inch tyres.

I think that one looks pretty good. Poles, I think they look broken.

agree, look like its hucked to flat one too many times and is now stuck like that.

On the flipside, anything where the head angle is steeper than the seat tube looks like its been run into a wall.

And don’t get me started on this latest tipping the seat really forwards to show that you’re so rad you only ever winch up fireroads to the next world cup level descent.

I’m sure they all ride great for their intended purposes though.

I’ve heard some frames come with chain stays different to spec.

You aren’t funny you know😂  Besides, mine are adjustable between too long and way too long

I can’t see what you mean

^I am so desperately waiting for part 2 of that

Disappointed they didn’t fit a trust fork.

tomhoward

Disappointed they didn’t fit a trust fork.

No more disappointment

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7gZ2B5noDp

That’s photoshop though. I wanna see it for realsies

To be honest, I’m a bit of a mincer on the bike nowadays and I just don’t need the wheelbase of a monster truck combined with a “short snappy” back end to enjoy my biking.

Get an XC bike instead of an enduro one? They’ll be steeper.

Yep some are gopping

Some are nice though

I agree
The bigger the difference between seat-tube angle and head-angle, the more gopping the bike.
thin straight tubing makes it worse
Large sizes make it worse

Had to get rid of my geometron as it made my eyes bleed – it was also way too long and heavy

@sharkattack … I feel physically sick just looking at that. Bowfing indeed.

I feel physically sick just looking at that.

I’d rather die than make ridiculous exaggerations.

A guy at Manchester Dirt Factory the other day broke his brand new enduro frame when he flat-landed a jump. The angles of the frame basically pushed the front wheel forwards and the head tube backward, snapping the frame at the head tube. It compressed the entire top tube.

Might be fine for taking front end hits at speed but slow speed stuff and flat landings put a lot of lever force onto the head/top tube junction.

And they look absolutely gopping. I can’t believe how awful most modern MTBs look. I test rode a big Trek full sus a while ago and that looked the same. It was unbelievably ponderous on the climbs, the steering just wandered from side to side.

What’s an Enduro sled??….

.

What happened was the weld failed. This also happened on old skool xc bikes.

Not many welds on a carbon frame…

Old skool XC frames failed because materials tech was nowhere close to what it is now, bikes were shit (much as everyone loves a good retro frame) and people tried to put massive suspension forks into frames that weren’t designed for them, putting forces through it that it was never designed for.

These new frames are supposedly overbuilt, engineered to cope with the forces going through it.

Yeah, I re-read that, my bad!

To be fair, if you take any bike outside it’s design intent, it will fail. No bike is designed to huck to flat at low speed.

Similarly, we’ve seen photos of xc bikes with a crumpled downtube after coming up short nose first into a double. Same thing.

I once cased a double so bad that the steerer bent and the headtube flared…

And what bike was it on?

An on-one summer season, the great-grandfather of the current slack madness that virulently grips the bicycle designs of this new decade.

(tuts knowingly)

🤣

What’s an Enduro sled??….

A gnarpoon

I feel physically sick just looking at that. Bowfing indeed

just so you know, the grim doughnut was built as an experiment/joke.

This one looks pretty darn good!

I feel that you’ve lost the true sentiment of the word bowfin by sticking a ‘g’ on the end of it.
See also ‘mingin’.

@bearback. That does look good … reason being (in my head anyway): similar seat tube angle to head tube angle.