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Yeah, that doesn’t look ideal at all. I had much the same clearance issue on mine and ended up fitting this little number:
https://finesse-components.com/products/seatstay-chip-protector-for-forbidden-druid-dreadnought-v2
It’s been spot on so far. Keeps the paint on the frame nicely protected and helps flick the worst of the mud away from the tyre, so you don’t end up with it grinding away at the paint like in your photo.
Look at the Yoke and the Seat Tube:
That’s got more travel than regular Stumpy
Could it be for a mullet?
That looks like a SJ 15 EVO
Agreed it looks just like the frame you can already buy?
Why not just apply some mastic tape?
(don't look into the plastic cover, it's there to cover the gap between the main frame and the swingarm to lower the amount of crud being pushed into the bearings)
The convergence of 2 hot topics in the cycling industry - 32er's and USD forks
Not sure this is news anymore but Luke Meier Smith on the new Fox
And just for fun, new 40 and new Boxxer in the same shot
It might help a bit with minor scratches, but it's strictly a clearance issue, adding anything just takes up more space. If myntire was going through paint and carbon, tape wouldn't have helped a bit.
welcome to at least 10 pages back buddy
every fox sponsored dh-rider has been spotted on the new 40 since the end of 2025 and has been posted in here numerous times.
This is what happens when I don't keep up... 🤪
Seeing Jackson’s brakes, it wouldn’t be the first time shimano has prototyped stuff on race bikes and then not released them.
IMO the rest of the group set needs updating. The cranks don’t accept an ochain, and the derailleur is a noisy 10 speed. The whole saint group set feels outdated compared to sram.
I’d love to see the new brakes come out but I’m not holding out hope. Could be this year, next, or never. Shimano moves slow, but pivot is spec’ing saint on their top tier phoenix so maybe people still want it? I wouldn’t drop $9.5k on a saint build personally.
Just received a mail from specialized about a rally thing with awful gif that will change our lives like forever coming in 2 days. I suppose it's about radial tires but it doesn't match with the previous post about a march release.
It's the "SL" Levo (or the longer travel Levo?). Supernatural is the marketing term Spesh use in conjunction with the Levo.
Trail bike launch on the 24th is what I heard
Sram/Rock Shox has something coming out Tuesday too.
Someone over FB mentioned that new demo is 12K eur bike with just a RS build, no Brembo. Lol if true.
Genie super D
2 chainz ain't cheap!
The numbers I heard here, subject to change on landing, were roughly $4800 for the frame + I believe a crank, $10k-ish for the S-Works , and $11.8k for the Team Replica. I wonder how many lower-tier offerings they'll have. GX DH on an $8k bike?
Stunning new UK-made 120mm bike by Hope, called the HB 912.
More details over on the red website (- photo also shamelessly stolen from there😁)
Interesting, split pivot and a vertical shock. I'd think they would investigate mounting it under the top tube to fit two water bottles...
Podium on a hardtail is actually hilarious.
It definitely is funny, but as we see with all the other protos, USD forks are the easiest to adapt due to the crown not limiting them. DIdn't see, but did they get a shorter air shaft on it?
If I remember correctly, they mention in the video that they internally reduced the travel to 140mm.
I wonder how they are doing that, it's probably a bit different from how we adjust travel on traditional forks, since we want to maintain the axle to crown measurement. Could be good for making high volume linear air springs for the fork.
Trek Superfly is back
That looks even more like a Specialized Epic than the previous photos suggested.
For the weight weenie XC crowd:
https://berdspokes.com/products/berd-hawk30-gold-carbon-wheels
Hypothetical question: Since every high end XC full suspension race bike has the same basic frame design, shock layout and a flex stay. What will the next advancement in XC frame design look like? The same frame design, but with 32" wheels?
We'll eventually just get to aerodynamics and I'd bet better electronic suspension.
And doping.
I KIND OF think 32" wheels is going to usher in a wave of even faster-rolling tires. The larger contact patch will give us more grip so the tread will get even smaller. Why do I think that? Just vibes.
I think XC racing and Gravel racing are going to veer towards each other indefinitely. The XC/Gravel merger is the singularity Ray Kurzweil was talking about.
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