🤣🤣

Cy, when you state that riders should use a 35mm stem, what forward offset of grips to steerer does that equate to on your personal, test or demo bikes? Either horizontally or perpendicular to the steerer. Does that make sense?

I ask because I’ve noticed that once you’re down to really short stem lengths, the backsweep of a bar becomes significant, as do the upsweep and rise. Like, for instance, if you have a 40mm rise bar and position it vertically, you’re extending the lever of the stem by ~20mm. If you position it with the rise in line with the steerer tube then you keep the lever length the same, as indeed if you had a flat bar with the same sweep figures and used 40mm of steerer spacers to raise the bar to the same height.

You are quite right that you need to be a little more careful with bar roll with short stems, but our 35mm recommendation is based on the fact we all use either Cotic Calver bars or Burgtecs which have 8-9deg of backsweep, so nothing out of the ordinary. I did fall foul of this last summer after missing my mark when putting my bike back together after a trip and wondering why I couldn’t get over the front and the steering was really light. I had the bars rolled back far enough that I effectively had a zero stem. Rolled ’em forward and again and the bike ‘switched on’ again. If you do like bigger sweep bars, you should defintely get a long stem though. If you put a string across where the middle of your hands go, on a Cotic the string should be 15mm or more in front of the steering axis.

It’s a bit naive to call it “max” IMO.

What are they going to do if/when theres a bigger wheelsize?
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/interview-treks-travis-brown-on-experimenting-with-32-and-36-wheels.html

Max Plus? i mean that doesn’t even make any sense.

Who cares?

I think the established convention is ‘SuperMax’ isn’t it?

If you put a string across where the middle of your hands go, on a Cotic the string should be 15mm or more in front of the steering axis.

@Cy – is that for all Cotics or just Longshot?

@Cy – is that for all Cotics or just Longshot?

All of them, but mainly aimed at Longshot. I’d be amazed if you got anywhere near the 15mm measurement on a bike with a 50+mm stem fitted and relatively ‘standard’ shaped bars.

What are they going to do if/when theres a bigger wheelsize?

[Thinks about packaging a bigger wheelsize around the BB/chainring area. Cries a bit.]

“I’d be amazed if you got anywhere near the 15mm measurement on a bike with a 50+mm stem fitted and relatively ‘standard’ shaped bars.”

Thanks for that info Cy – I do think people/reviewers get lost in stem length discussion without considering the real leverage situation.

I measured both my bikes, which have 50mm stems and 760mm wide 40mm rise Renthal bars. My Zero AM (similar geometry to a BFe since I put in a -2 deg headset) has a 35mm grip to steerer offset; whilst my Levo (v similar geometry to a FlareMAX but obviously more weight and travel) has a 25mm offset (bars rolled back more).

Thanks Cy.
Assuming I am measuring to the correct point (steerer tube top) my Gen 5 is 25mm with spank vibrocores and a 45mm stem. My 275 is 21mm with nukeproof warhead bars and a 50mm stem.

I started with 35 mm stem on the gen 5 but felt too fast, I was forever correcting, now with the 45 I can be more accurate, a more talented rider I think would have less trouble.

No problem fellas. Glad it’s helped you understand the handling side a bit more. @bsims Interesting feedback on the Gen5. We backed off the head angle on the Gen6 to calm the steering down a bit, so that keys in with what you found, but your solution works too, obviously!

Frame arrived yesterday.

It’s very purdy in the blue.

How do I post pics on here again ?

Postimage.org

Oi Renton, Pics

Hi Everyone, are you measuring centre of steerer to centre of bars, middle of grips to get the 15mm plus?

Its a very nice colour and the frame details are great, gussets look good and there is a load of tyre room at the back. Plan is to build it up over the next week when parts come in.

Not sure if the head tube badge is in the middle looking at that photo !!

Nice. Really interested in how it rides. Am sort of waiting for new Solaris colours, but the BFe might really be the bike I need.

Build started

[url=https://postimages.org/]upload images for free[/url]

Great review for the BFE MAX

Sedona dreaming…

I just love the Hardtail Party YouTube channel.

That’s a great review in all ways and he’s a bloody good rider!

Anyone know the frame weight for a large ?

I found the Hardtail Party through his missus channel (Dusty Betty) when I was looking to buy my DV9.

I really like his reviews and videos and the Cotic one was a very positive review.

I’ve got a Middlechild Ti thanks to Steve. great info and reviews.

I wanted a Banshee Paradox V3 after his review but can’t get them anywhere now 🙁

What a great review and yes, what a ride –  I would have stalled on a lot of those rocky efforts up the climb.

Not a comparison of the bikes, but a lot of his words are how I’d describe my clockwork Evo (2019) which is LLS and a little burly.  I’ve never been 100% with a hardtail until I bought this bike.  Maybe it just suits me but solid, stable, rides lighter than it appears, good to climb and wants to accelerate down with confidence apply to my bike as well.    Mine has shorter chain stays at 225mm, but I wonder if its the LLS Geo?   I don’t know the other bikes he refers to, are they also LLS?

Here’s mine in mercury. Yellow grips for extra wheels on the ground sending.

That video reinforced my view that I must go ride in Sedona… although hopefully there’s a few easier bits!

I’d love to know if the reviewer has ever ridden a Solaris Max… Am sure it would be enough bike for me and can’t help but think it must out-climb the BFE Max?

marksnook
Subscriber
Just mentioned this to the wife and she didn’t seem as happy as me on the idea! I’ve got a spare set of brakes didn’t win her over! My hardtail itch just won’t go away!

Hmm, in the same boat… If they did the black with stealthy graphics, I could possibly get away with “what do you mean it’s not a new bike?” She’s never that interested, unless she notices something different… No I’m doing her a disservice..

It does look good though.. Must not buy, must not buy…

If you keep a steady stream of frames coming in and out all the time they lose interest very quickly. 🙂

How are people getting on with their BFeMax’s?

I hovered over the order button for too long and will now have to wait until December but as they sold out so quickly I figured there must be a few folk on here who got their hands on one.

(Also hello from a long term lurker first time poster)

@mrWhippy – worth giving them a call, they have had some hassle with folks ordering but not paying. sp a handful were relisted, I nabbed one with help from kelvin on here. Might still be a chance.

None available, sorry.

kelvin

None available, sorry.

Ah well.

I was going to send an email to find out when the restock was due, is it definitely December then?

Ah, not to worry. Thanks for the suggestion though. I’ll keep a beady eye on the site to see if any get listed again if not it’ll be a Christmas pressie.