Full suspension with a welded frame

Honestly, if his current handlebars are doing the job just fine, I don't see any reason why he'd bother going through all that hassle and messing around with a new setup just for the sake of it.

The handlebars have to go somewhere eventually, and I don't see any harm in playing around with them a bit, especially since I’ve recently started hitting the forest trails more often...

In my son's garage, there’s a 2011 Kon Blast sitting around (ridden for about 62 miles 😁, still completely stock), and it sports a 680 mm handlebar—exactly the same width as mine... so it’s hard to believe the reach feels quite this narrow across the shoulders. Besides, if it really is an issue, getting the steering adjusted is a five-minute job at any local bike shop, should it become absolutely necessary...

Does he have another bike he rides, or is it actually possible you just couldn't talk him into going for a ride?? 🙂

I'll definitely try a different handlebar. It'll be easy enough for me to just cut it down myself if I need to.

We've been riding our 2012 Cube Ltd quite regularly lately 🙂 but the Blast Geo just doesn't feel right on these trails, so we end up taking theirs out instead... if they actually got the 62 miles right, then I suppose it's 😁 enough

I ride regularly with my girlfriend, and honestly, it’s one of the best things we do together. It’s just fun—we talk, we connect, and it really brings us closer. Whenever we have a rough day at work, a solid ride always puts us both in a better mood 🙂

Edward Long2, I don't know where you've wandered off to, but maybe take a look at this link and give it some thought.

I suppose this could be a pretty solid deal if he moves fast, though I guess we'll just have to wait and see if the frame is actually worth the hype, because it looks like a killer setup to me.

Or maybe this one

If the guy were based in Chicago instead, it probably would've ended up in my garage by now, but he isn't.

Eeeeh, I missed this thread—you should have sent me a DM! 🙂 We picked up a Haibike Attack 26" for $200. The frame is in great shape and it’s a fantastic bike overall. We're really happy with how everything turned out. Spent about five hours yesterday with a buddy swapping parts and putting things together...

Man, trying to get the Noby Nic off the DT Swiss E540 wheels was a total nightmare. Swapping them for the Smart Sam was a breeze, though.

We couldn't move everything over to the Kon yet because we didn't have the tool to remove the Konin drivetrain. To make matters worse, the grips were being stubborn and stripped the bolts, so we couldn't get them off to swap the brakes and shifters. For now, here is how the Kona looks; maybe one day I'll finish moving the drivetrain and shifters over.

Fork: Tora 120mm solo air with a 20mm Maxle-lite axle +
Wheels: DT Swiss E540, front with 20mm thru-axle, rear is standard quick release +
Stem Handlebars: Truvativ AKA 60mm +
Saddle: WTB Pure-V +
Seatpost : Ritchey 27.2mm with quick release +
Handlebars: Kona XC/BC Riser
Tires: Schwalbe Smart Sam 2.1 (swapping the front to a Noby Nic 2.25 for off-road use) +
Brakes: Tektro auriga Comp Hydraulic Disc 180/160 (using Formula rotors + )
Chain: KMC +
Front and rear derailleurs: Shimano Acera
Rear shifter: Shimano Deore
Drivetrain: FSA Alpha Drive
Cassette: Shimano 8-speed CS-HG51 11-32 +

+ indicates what has been changed from the original setup

I might post some photos of both bikes later on.

People were saying any kind of mixing would turn out terrible and make the bikes look hideous, but I think we got lucky and it actually looks 🙂

https://app.box.com/s/xqq2weuoq19jjvumt7f4u1wu228jnb3d

Edward Long2 said:People were saying any kind of custom setup would end up looking pretty hideous, but I guess I got lucky because it doesn't look too bad. 🙂

https://app.box.com/s/xqq2weuoq19jjvumt7f4u1wu228jnb3d

The bikes look great, so you should probably tell us where you live before someone swipes them off your balcony.
😵 😵 😵

Nobody was actually talking about it being ugly, it was more about whether it makes sense financially, and specifically how using that fork on a standard frame might just be a waste of money.
I was actually thinking about putting a 120mm fork on mine once, but the guys over at the specialized mountain bike forums basically tore me apart. They wouldn't even explain why it was a bad idea, and when I insisted they give me a straight answer, I ended up getting downvoted, lost some reputation points, and eventually got hit with a permanent ban after I talked back to them.
It feels like they just make up nonsense to shut down anyone who doesn't share their exact opinion, and if you try to stand your ground, the moderators just pull the axe and kick you out.
Honestly, it was only here that I actually got some real answers regarding that fork, which is why I eventually decided against it.

Haha, thank goodness I don't keep them on my balcony! 🙂

I don't know, 120 doesn't look bad to me at all, and riding it around town is no issue. Honestly, with this specific setup, the bike feels way better. There’s a massive difference.

The front end sits a bit higher now, so I'm sitting more upright. A shorter stem helps with that too, and now the geometry feels spot on.