Neko Mulally's Third Prototype Frame is Ready for Lourdes 11

We finally got our hands on the V3! Listen to hear my first thoughts on the latest edition of the bike.

Credit: Neko Mulally
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Neko Mulally
11 comments

View replies to: Neko Mulally's Third Prototype Frame is Ready for Lourdes

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bizutch
2 years ago
Anyone notice the shark fin free floating heat sinks pointing internally on the TRP rotors? That is a super sneaky little design detail and if it's been pointed out before, my apologies.
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metadave
2 years ago
Neko.... doing what we all wished all company's did and feeding the bike nerds proper. He's doing what we already want in the forum and giving it to us right to the veins. Thank you sir, you're doing it right.
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TEAMROBOT
2 years ago
Hey Neko Mulally, it would be awesome if you could do a video about this phenomenon, because it's obviously a parameter you considered during your design and testing, and I think it's pretty widely misunderstood or mysterious. What's the relationship between chain growth, O-Chain, and "pedal kickback" rates that would appear on a graph?. I haven't ridden O-chain myself, but I'm super curious what exactly you're feeling in the suspension- Are you feeling it in your feet, or are you feeling general harshness at the rear wheel, or is it just a generalized sense that all is not at peace in the world?
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O1D4
2 years ago
I am by no means a rider at a level anywhere close to Neko's and realize the price tag of an o-chain is quite ridiculous but about a year ago, as I ended up having a bit of disposable income and having heard positive rumblings about it from sources I trust, I decided to splurge on one for my trail bike and I certainly do not regret doing so. My bike has become quieter (both in movement and sound), foot fatigue is noticeably less on longer descents, and as a flat pedal rider my feet stay on the pedals significantly better when things get really rough. I certainly had some concerns about it initially as I like really high engagement hubs as a lot of the climbs and some rides I do are quite technical and getting a quick half pedal stroke in can be critical but it didn't get take long to adjust as the 'dead zone' is at the crank and not the hub and therefore always consistent (I run the 6 degree elastomer btw). Maybe the reason I noticed such a profound difference is partially because I do run hubs with such high engagement but having run one on my trail bike I really notice the difference when jumping onto my DH bike which doesn't have one which will get one the next time I have enough cash burning a hole in my pocket to justify buying another one...
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bizutch
2 years ago
Your description is precisely why I've said that Connor Fearon needs to get away from Kona if he wants to win a World Cup DH. Pedal kickback on single pivots is real for for flat pedal riders. Maybe he could run the O Chain if what you've been feeling works. He's on the Forbidden now but no reason not to add that bit of tech too.

I think Fearon has a win in the works this year.
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matmattmatthew
2 years ago
I wonder if more People/companies will design bikes specifically around the O-chain. Similar to how many frames are now designed around a dropper.
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mntnmrtn
2 years ago
Thanks Neko! Keep those videos coming! It seems like you a fertile phase for experimentation in the DH world, which is very entertaining for us bike geeks. Content like this keeps the flame and the stoke alive. Cheers and all the best for Lourdes this weekend!
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Dave_Camp
2 years ago
Nice work- loving the detail in this series!

Found similar results running bigger chainrings (34t vs 32t vs 30t) on a Commencal Meta AM... Made a small but noticeable difference- better bump absorption, less pedal kickback also worse pedal bob due to less antisquat.
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mntnmrtn
2 years ago
Sorry for derailing, but @Dave_Camp I'm curious to see if you've tried a 28t on the Meta AM? I was running a 30t before and would hear/feel the rear derailleur clunking from time to time (because of the kickback?), but since running the 28t ('20 Meta Am) it feels better and I haven't felt/heard the same noise (everything else is the same as the previous year).
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Dave_Camp
2 years ago
Interesting. 30t was the smallest I ran. I went from a 30 to a 32 and noticed a slight improvement, then bought a 34 steel ring to see if it was again better- it was. Are you changing chain length when moving chainrings? Might be derailleur clutch/cage angle related...
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mntnmrtn
2 years ago
Yeah I put on a new chain and sized it properly when I installed the 28t. Same rear derailleur, same clutch adjustment, etc. I'm tempted to try a 34t now just to feel the difference. Cheers!