I already apologised for the dropper! 😉 I’ve had a GD on my Soul for years and it just works – and when it gets grumbly it’s dead easy to make happy again. Seemed like aesthetically driven folly to get anything else (especially as they’re lighter than the rest)!

Two rides in: This bike is ****ing brilliant. Loves air, just as a Spitfire should!

Looks ace 🙂

Love the spitfire.

I have done the same as you, upgraded from 3 years on a 140mm HT (Orange crush) to a 150mm FS, pivot mach 5.7C. Can’t wait to get back to the UK for my first ride!

Dropped it from neutral to low/slack (6mm more BB drop and angles 0.5 deg lower) today and expected it to feel more choppered out and floppy on the flat but actually the main thing I noticed is how much more smoothly it carves and changes direction when turning. 65.6 deg HA now, which gives the same trail as 65 deg on a 26″. How long since that was the norm on DH bikes?!

niiice….

That’s the same effect I had going from mid to low. It’s got a much more positive turn-in now, it responds better to body position and bar input.

since we’re posting spitfire pics…

Glad you’re enjoying it.

I love my Rune…it’s a great bike. The KS link seems to do a great job.

I’ve not really experimented with the low setting on mine, I’ve just stuck with the neutral setting which I think is the same as the Spitfire’s slackest setting. The demo bike I ride was in the slackest setting which was awesome on the descents but I got a lot of pedal strikes. Felt like harder work on the climbs too.

My Spitty is now in slack mode ready for a Saturday at Antur Stiniog. I’ll let you know how I get on….

Gnarred up front tyre and slack/low setting:

This bike is so much better than I am – we get to the top of the hills as fast as on my hardtail and get back down way quicker (e.g. 4min20 vs 4min50 on one of the hardtail-friendly blue runs at BPW). I can’t even conceive being able to ride the Spitfire hard enough to make it feel out of its depth. I know I’m coming at this from a longterm hardtailer’s perspective but how can 140mm of travel on the back feel so controlled and bottomless? KS link and CCDBair combo is black magic. Love the Pike too.

Came from exactly the same position, and had exactly the same needs…

This is what I put together…. Can’t stop smiling every time I ride it… so good….

[/url] IMAG3568 by Simonhill66, on Flickr[/img]

After almost a year of ownership, I’ve written a review! http://brightonmtb.org/2015/01/31/a-review-banshee-spitfire-v2/