Softtail?

SamTexas

1 MW
Joined
Dec 29, 2010
Messages
2,712
Location
Houston, Texas
Does anyone here have experience with softtail? Is it effective? How does it work? Where is the pivot point? Who else makes it beside KHS?

http://www.khsbicycles.com/03_soft_tail.htm

Softtail_01.jpg
Softtail_02.jpg
 
I recently bought one of these frames thru the ES buy/sell page. KHS doesn't make them anymore. When I was researching it pre-purchase, the online mountain bike crowd seemed to think that it was only a KHS thing, kind of a curiosity, but many loved the design for its relative stiffness compared to a FS bike and its versatility given the single speed design.

I've just finished building up the components but haven't got it running yet. I do have a FS build, and am finding it squishier and heavier than I need it to be. I also ride my partner's rigid fork e-bike a lot and it's too bumpy. I was thinking the softtail with a decent travel downhill fork (Manitou Nixon) and a rear dd hub motor would be a great middle-ground. I don't know if anyone else has tried these frames, but I'd be curious to find out. I'm hoping to have mine going in a few weeks. If the thread's still alive, I will post.
 
Oh ya, the pivot is just the chain stays bending upwards. I.e. there is no real pivot like on a full-suspension bike.
 
Ultraman said:
I was thinking the softtail with a decent travel downhill fork (Manitou Nixon) and a rear dd hub motor would be a great middle-ground. I don't know if anyone else has tried these frames, but I'd be curious to find out. I'm hoping to have mine going in a few weeks. If the thread's still alive, I will post.
Great, please post after you have gained some riding exposure with the softtail.

john7700 said:
There were several Titanium bikes that used this design. I would love to convert a Moots YBB. Lots
of triangle space and really, ...
My thinking too. The full suspension takes up too much room in the triangle.


What's the maximum travel with this design? 0.5in, 1.0in?
 
What's the maximum travel with this design? 0.5in, 1.0in?[/quote]

The KHS is between 3/4 and 1" according to their website. I think I might add a suspension seatpost to my setup for a bit of extra cush.
 
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