Since the Rune review was done in our old format I thought it would be a good idea to consolidate it all under one Post for easier reading.
Design Aspects with Engineer Keith Scott
Rune designer Keith Scott’s words on the finer points of the frame.
MTBGearTech:
Tell me about the VF4B suspension design.
Keith Scott:
The VF4B design allows fine tuning of a number of parameters of the suspension characteristics. With careful manipulation of pivot placement and linkage geometry I can create the axle path and leverage ratio, as well as a number of other suspension characteristics that I want for any given riding discipline. Bike design is always about optimization, (e.g. reducing frame weight, tends to also reduce strength, so you have to find the optimal balance of the 2), the job of the designer is to pick the optimal characteristics to ideally suit the intended riding style.
For example on the Rune, I wanted the bike to pedal well, and yet be really confidence inspiring on the downhill’s when things get steep and nasty! So I gave the rune a fairly rearward axle path to offer greater stability to the rider on the downhill’s, but made sure that as the bike moved through its travel the rate of chain stretch decreased to minimize the effect this had on pedal kickback when pedaling over rough terrain. A lot of time was also spent calculating the instantaneous center path (and as a result the anti-squat characteristics), and fine tuning the geometry to be ergonomic and efficient. The braking characteristics of out VF4B bikes are also optimized so that the suspension is between 70% and 90% more active than equivalent single pivot bikes, yet still offer the rider some brake squat to keep them well balanced under heavy braking. All of our bikes are very carefully designed to optimize their geometries and ride characteristics to suit the discipline of our great sport that they are designed to excel in.
It is important to realize that suspension linkages don’t mean anything if the structural strength and stiffness is not there to make the most of them. I’ll speak more about that later.
The VF4B designs all use polymer bushings instead of bearings, to offer a lighter, stiffer frame, whilst being cheaper and easier to replace. The pivots all have direct grease injection posts so that you can grease all the pivots in 2 minutes before or after a ride.
MTBGearTech:
Explain “leverage curve” and its influence on the design of the Rune.
Keith Scott:
The leverage curve is an important characteristic of suspension performance. Two things must be considered:
#1 what discipline of riding is the frame being designed for:
For example, on a trail bike you want a subtle built in low leverage platform so that the bike pedals incredibly efficiently without the need for any pro pedal, yet not so much that it makes the suspension feel dead. On a slopestyle / jump / 4x bike, you want a very progressive leverage ratio so that the suspension ramps up as it goes through its travel so that the frame takes the big hits without harsh bottom outs, offering the rider greater control, forgiveness and cushioning when on the edge. And on a DH race bike it is a little like merging all of the above it is very important to have a fairly high leverage ratio at the start of the travel to keep the suspension supple over small square edge bumps to offer the rider greater traction. Yet ideally (as is the case with the legend) there is a subtle pedal platform designed into the leverage ratio giving the bike great acceleration out of the gate and corners, whilst also offering a stable pedaling platform when you have to hammer over flat sections. And obviously you want some progression built into the linkage so that you are not constantly bottoming out your bike, which causes a momentary loss in control and traction.
#2 what shock will be used with the frame:
For example a small volume air shock is a lot more progressive than a coil shock, so this must be considered when designing the leverage ratio curve to give the optimal suspension performance when the frame and shock are combined.
However it is important to understand that leverage ratios are not the only factors that control the suspension performance, chainstretch, anti-squat and axle path also play a big part in controlling how the suspension performs as it moves through the travel. (Also remember that all these characteristics vary continuously as the suspension compresses)
MTBGearTech:
What makes the Rune’s tubeset unique?
Keith Scott:
The Tubeset on the rune is designed to offer a high strength to weight ratio, and is aligned to offer maximum stiffness. The top and downtube on the rune are triple butted custom hydroformed 7005 T6 ovalized tubes which are incredibly strong for their weight. Let me break that down.
Triple butted means that each tube has 3 wall thicknesses with a smooth contour between each. The wall thickness are designed to be greater where the stresses are higher (where there is load on the tube, or where it is welded to other tubes) to increase strength, and thinner where the tubes are not likely to experience high stresses to reduce the weight. This can achieve a strength to weight ratio far greater than straight gauge tubing.
7005 Refers to the Aluminum alloy and T6 refers to the grade of heat treatment the frame has received to further increase the materials structural properties, as well as reduce stresses in heat affected zones around welds amongst other things.
On the rune the downtube is ovalized to increase the strength of the tube to withstand the directional loading of the shock.
The chainstay and the seatstays of all our bikes are internally ribbed and aligned to offer incredibly laterally stiff frames. Just try riding one sometime and you will instantly know what I mean. Lateral flex on frames results in loss of input energy to pedaling, as the power you exert on the pedals can cause the frame to flex rather than get transferred to the back wheel to accelerate you forwards.
More technical information about our bikes can be found here (http://www.bansheebikes.com/technical.html)
MTBGearTech:
What were the overall design goals for the Rune?
Keith Scott:
The Rune is designed to be a true all mountain bike, it pedals uphill amazingly well for a 6″ travel freeride capable frame, and descends as well as most downhill bikes. It is light weight, but not at the expense of loosing strength. It is a true rider’s bike that can cope with pretty much anything you can throw at it. I received an e-mail from a customer a while back who podiumed in a highly competitive regional downhill race on the rune one weekend, and then competed in a 100mile endurance race the next weekend on the same bike. The only thing he changed where the wheels. This shows the rune’s versatility, it jumps and drops well, corners like it is on rails and yet can still pedal to the top of the hill with ease.
The Build
This build is definitely an exercise in durability over weight savings. The Saint cranks, 1.5″ Domain, and Mavic EX823 based wheelset will provide reliability for the many various ways in which this rig will be used. Bike parks, shuttle runs, and extended trail rides on technical singletrack; this Rune will see it all. I’m a fairly stout guy, weighing in at 210# with gear. I had to take that into consideration when choosing components for the build. I am particularly excited about the custom built wheelset from ChainReactionCycles.com. They hand build extremely solid wheelsets that are very competitively priced and always delivered quickly. The Mavic EX823 rims combined with the FireEye Excelerant hubs will undoubtedly withstand tons of abuse for years to come. I didn’t want to sacrifice durability and reliability for the sake of saving weight. The only thing that I could see changing in the future would be the swapping of the Domain for a Lyrik Solo Air and perhaps having a lighter wheelset to run on trail days.
- Frame: 2009 Banshee Rune size medium
- Shock: 2009 Fox DHX 5.0 Air
- Fork: 2008 Rockshox Domain 302 U-Turn, 115mm-160mm, 1.5″ Steerer
- Brakes: Formula Mega, 203mm front, 180mm rear
- Hubs: FireEye Excelerant 10mm rear/20mm fromt
- Spokes: DT Swiss Champion
- Rims: Mavic EX823 UST
- Tires: Schwalbe 2.4 Big Betty UST or 2.5 Muddy Mary UST
- Crankset: 2008 Shimano Saint 34t 165mm
- Pedals: Easton Flatboys
- Cassette: SRAM PG-980 11-32t
- Rear Derailleur: SRAM X.9
- Shifter: SRAM X.9
- Chainguide: Gamut P20 BB Mount
- Chain: SRAM PC-991
- Headset: FSA Big Fat Pig 1.5″
- Stem: Sunline V-one, zero rise, 50mm reach
- Bars: TruVativ Holzfeller, 50mm rise
- Grips: Raceface Good ‘n’ Evil
- Saddle: Sunline V-one Ti
- Seatpost: Promax
- Build Weight: 35.6#
Frame Specs:
| Tire | Travel | Fork | HA | SA | BB |
| 26×2.5″ | 6″ | 6″ | 67° | 71° | 14.1″ |
| Size: | S | M | L | XL | |
| Top Tube: | 22″ | 23″ | 24″ | 25″ | |
| Seat Tube: | 15″ | 16.5″ | 18″ | 19.5″ | |
| Chainstay: | 440mm | ||||
| Standover: | 730mm | 760mm | 785mm | 812mm | |
| Wheelbase: | 1090mm | 1120mm | 1145mm | 1170mm | |
| Head Tube: | 1.5″ |
 |
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| Seatpost Dia: | 30.0mm | ||||
| BB shell: | 73mm – isis 118mm | ||||
| Chainline: | 50-51mm | ||||
| Chainguide: | ISCG 2005 | ||||
| Shock: | 7.875″ x 2.25″ | ||||
| Shock Type: | Air or Coil | ||||
| Suggested Sag: | 15% – 20% | ||||
| Suggested Sag: | 15% | ||||
Ride Report: Snowshoe Mountain Bike Park
Two days of lift riding with clear skies and a bike that feels like it can do just about anything. This weekend will be remembered as one of the best times I’ve ever had on a mountain bike.
The Rune was designed to be an aggressive all-mountain ripper. Part of the all-mountain discipline involves pointing the front end downhill and tearing up gnarly terrain at warp speeds. What better way to test this aspect of the bike’s ability than to spend two days at Snowshoe Mountain Bike Park riding the lifts up and allowing gravity to work its magic on the way down.
So, how did the bike handle the high speed and super technical descents? Amazingly well as a matter of fact. Here are my thoughts broken down into categories:
Geometry:
The Rune has a fairly neutral geometry that leans more toward that of a trail bike more than it does a Worldcup downhill racer. Having said that there were very few times that I felt the bike becoming unstable or twitchy at higher speeds. It handled the steep technical sections of Snowshoe’s Basin Side very well while also being comfortable in the higher speed sections of the Western Side. This bike absolutely rails berms to the point of making you feel as if you were shot out of a cannon upon exit. The Rune felt very playful on trails like Missing Link and Powerline which are full of great jumps and awesome berms. It begs to go faster and bigger without ever making you feel like you don’t have enough bike under you. I realize I’m not talking geometry numbers here but to me the term geometry is synonymous with the word synergy. When there is synergy in the frame’s geometry and the components that are hung off of the frame everything comes together to form a symphony of effortless riding. This build has awesome synergy; it’s one of those things that makes you smile uncontrollably.
Suspension Performance:
This is what makes this bike so special. Banshee’s VF4B design is one of the most capable suspension designs I’ve ever ridden. The first run of my trip was down three linked trails on the western side that are a bit more buff which allows you to maintain fairly high speeds. Because of this they are very popular which was apparent in the amount of braking bumps before the berms from the previous day’s riding. I was rolling along at a good clip when I came up to the first berm and saw some pretty nasty chunder that started about 30′ out from the berm’s entry point. It was one of those times where you take a firm grip, squeeze the brakes and gnash your teeth because you know that it’s going to be a rough go on a 6″ travel bike. To my surprise, even with a handful of brake, the back end stayed very active and glued to the ground. After that it was,”bring on the bumps. who needs brakes!” Not only does this suspension eat braking bumps and square edged hits, it also offers extremely efficient pedaling. It sprints out like a hard tail and exhibits little to no bobbing when hammering down on the pedals. The Rune makes excellent use of it’s 6″ of travel. It has a linear feel right up to the last 15%-20% of the stroke where it ramps up nicely to give that deep feel while eliminating harsh bottoming.
Banshee designed the Rune to work well with a large volume air shock. I’m using a 2009 Fox DHX 5.0 Air which is a shock that I’ve used on other bikes prior to the Rune. I’ve never been overly impressed with the DHX 5.0 Air, it’s a nice shock for sure but it just wasn’t as good as a coil shock on those other bikes. The Rune on the other hand has excellent synergy with this shock. Fantastic small bump sensitivity and none of the lack of midtravel support that so many complain about with the DHX 5.0 Air. Setup was very easy as well. Just dial in the 15%-20% sag, adjust the boost chamber pressure (compression) to your liking and dial in the bottom out as needed. It took me about 15 minutes at a local ride spot to get the back end perfectly dialed in.
The entire suspension system works smoothly and flawlessly. The bushings (rather than bearings) don’t seem to impart any additional friction on the system and they provide a slop free controlled movement. This design allows you to just go out and ride without having to consciously think about compensating for an inferior rear suspension. Banshee has a real winner with this design, great job guys!
Frame Stiffness:
Anyone who’s ridden a Banshee knows they have a reputation for being super stiff and the Rune is no exception. It shows virtually no flex when wrenching around on the rear wheel or during a ride. The bushings in the pivots have no slop at all and undoubtedly contribute the stiff back end. The seatstays and chainstays are internally ribbed allowing a much higher stiffness to weight ratio. There’s not much more to say, this frame is stiff.
Conclusion:
The Rune was not designed to be a park bike but it does hold it’s own when things get fast, steep and gnarly. While it’s geometry allows it to be a capable descender it was designed to be more of an all-arounder which means it isn’t going to make tearing through a big rock garden at warp speed an easy task but that’s what the big rigs are made for. What the Rune does allow you to do is to go on an all day epic one day and spend the next day in the steeps, berms and jumps of your favorite lift or shuttle served park. I can’t wait to get out on an epic backcountry exploration on this meticulously designed bike. The Rune is just fun to ride no matter where you are.
Ride Report: Horn’s Hill Freeride Park
Horn’s Hill is an amazing public freeride park in Central Ohio. The trails are fairly smooth with some of the nicest berms, jumps and features I’ve ever come across. A 6″ travel bike is perfect for Horn’s Hill and the Rune did not disappoint.
The geometry felt perfect, quick and stable best describe how the Rune behaved on the Hill. It jumped predictably and handled the 4′-6′ drops very well. The Rune delivers some nice pop off of the lips of jumps and loves to be laid over in a berm. Horn’s Hill is all about speed and maneuverability, two things the Rune does very well.
There is a short but very steep and technical rock garden at the end of one of the four trails on Horn’s Hill. The VF4B suspension handled it with ease and showed no signs of hanging up or slowing down on the multiple square edged hits. The back end stayed very active under braking as well keeping the rear tire glued to the trail allowing predictable and effective deceleration.
There’s not much else to report from the Horn’s Hill trip. It’s all about railing berms and air time on the Hill and the Rune let me wring every ounce of fun out of the day.
Ride Report: Alum Creek
The members of the Central Ohio Mountain Bike Organization (COMBO) have constructed an really great XC/Light FR trail system near Columbus. I don’t have any pictures or videos from this trip since I went it alone and just wanted to get out for a ride. Even though this was just a day out on the Rune I feel it’s necessary to comment on it’s performance.
The Rune performed extremely well on these trails. They are strewn with short technical climbs and descents along with some great man made wooden features. The Rune’s versitile geometry was comfortable anywhere I took it and having the ability to drop the front with the RockShox Domain’s U-Turn feature made the climbs a breeze. The Rune’s suspension remained active even under the hardest of pedal mashing but also provided emense amounts of traction while effeciently transferring my pedal strokes into forward motion. The wheelbase is short enough to make tight turns easy yet long enough to keep it from feeling too twitchy on fast descents.
So far I’ve taken the Rune downhilling, on some nice slopestyle trails and for some true trail rides. Each time I pull the Rune out of the quiver for a ride it puts a smile on my face. Saying that it is versatile would almost be an understatement.
Looking Back…
I started off the 2009 season with the Rune and after initially building it up I was a bit worried that it wouldn’t be enough bike for the type of riding I was planning on doing. My assumptions couldn’t have been more incorrect. The bike not only handled everything I threw at it but excelled in every situation. It’s reasonable weight and extremely efficient suspension platform made trail rides extremely fun. It handled true DH and FR trails very well while giving the rider the feeling as if there were much more than 6″ of travel out back. The suspension was simply brilliant under every circumstance; it exhibited no braking induced squat or stiffening, handled square edged hits very well and allowed for efficient pedaling. The geometry of the bike made it instantly comfortable and is neutral enough to handle many different types of terrain and riding disciplines. If you really need a bike that can handle a very broad spectrum of riding the Rune should be at the top of your list.
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If you have any questions on the Rune please post them up here. I’ll answer them a quickly as possible.
“It has a linear feel right up to the last 15%-20% of the stroke where it ramps up nicely to give that deep feel while eliminating harsh bottoming.”
IIRC, the Rune has a leverage curve that starts linear and then becomes regressive (the leverage ratio increases at the end of travel) so that doesn’t make sense with the above statement. A friend of mine has a Rune and he has this particular complain with the frame (blows the last part of the travel easily).
That’s interesting. With the DHX 5.0 Air shock that I used on the Rune I never felt that the rear was easily bottomed out. The ratio may very well be regressive but the back end of the review bike never exhibited anything less than excellent control with a nice deep feel. I was commenting on the feel rather than quantitative information.
What shock was your friend using if I might ask?
Thank you for commenting by the way. Comments and personal experiences make these reviews more informative to our readers.
The Rune is progressive for first 40% of travel then regressive for last 60%. The lowest leverage ratio at 40% travel is designed to give a subtle pedal platform which when combined with anti-squat curve will mean you get efficient pedaling without need for pro pedal or equivalent from the shock.
The overall regressive nature of the suspension is to match the progressive nature of an air shock. If the shock is tuned correctly then the Rune will never bottom out, but depending on the shock it may require bottom out resistance from the shock.
If your friend is blowing through the last part of the travel too easily, then I would suggest that he increases the bottom out resistance on the shock, or switch to a shock that is more progressive if using a linear shock without adjustibility.
Thanks Keith! Straight from the designer’s mouth. So, Rodrigo you were correct in stating that the leverage curve is regressive and my observation of the suspension exhibiting a bottomless feel that resists bottom out when being used with a DHX Air is also accurate. I guess the bottom line is that if the Rune were to have been designed with a flat or even progressive leverage curve it would ramp up too much and too early when used with an air shock not allowing the rider to effectively tune their shock to achieve full travel while still providing mid stroke support and efficient pedaling characteristics. *deep breath* In other words it would wallow and feel dead.
Yeah, but then the suspension linkage design isn’t preventing bottom out. So you are commenting on feel based on shock selection, not on frame performance.
My friend has used a Manitou Evolve ISX6 and a Marzocchi Roco btw.
“The Rune is progressive for first 40% of travel then regressive for last 60%. The lowest leverage ratio at 40% travel is designed to give a subtle pedal platform which when combined with anti-squat curve will mean you get efficient pedaling without need for pro pedal or equivalent from the shock.”
What is the anti squat (a2) at 40 percent of travel. I thought Banshee recommended 15-20% sag. What is the anti squat at 20%?
“The overall regressive nature of the suspension is to match the progressive nature of an air shock. If the shock is tuned correctly then the Rune will never bottom out, but depending on the shock it may require bottom out resistance from the shock.”
The problem, especially with DHX air, is that the suspension travel, lets say, from sag to 60-70% has a linear leverage relationship with progressive nature, nevertheless the DHX air lacks mid stroke support and even though the degrease in leverage ratio should help midstroke support, the DHX lacks it completely.
Of course if a shock is tuned properly it will never bottom out, modern shocks with IFP and bottomout circuits will likely experience mild to non-existant bottom out. What i’m trying to state is why does Banshee utilize such a regressive curve at the end, if you should only want some mild repressiveness to allow full travel acquisition. I can’t believe it’s just to compile with the air shock.
“If your friend is blowing through the last part of the travel too easily, then I would suggest that he increases the bottom out resistance on the shock, or switch to a shock that is more progressive if using a linear shock without adjustibility. ”
Well yeah, that goes against what the article says. The nature of the Banshee (with a neutral shock with no bottom out resistance lets say) is to increase bottom out because of the increasing leverage at the end. Of course proper selection of the shock will try to patch or make up for this.
This is in no way any bashing or strong criticism. I am in the process of learning about suspension linkages deeply and I am just pointing some stuff out for clarification.
Rodrigo
So your friend doesn’t have a DHX air and he nor you have any experience riding the Rune with a DHX air? The ISX6 is an interesting shock. I had one on a Morewood Izimu and found that unless I went with 15%-20% more air pressure than was recommended I would bottom it out continuously and it would wallow deep in the travel. With the air pressure set at what felt right the bike was only at about 20% sag, not exactly desirable on a DH bike. I’m not saying it’s a bad shock, just that it wasn’t ideal on the Izimu.
The DHX Air lacks midstroke support on bikes with progressive midstroke leverage curves in my experience.
In my reviews I speak of the performance of the frame as a part of a complete package that includes all of the components in the build. If the frame and components work in synergy and make for a stellar ride I report that. If they don’t I’ll try to figure out why and either fix it or report my experiences. While I have the experience andintelligence to be more of a “numbers” guy I do not feel that the quantitative data can tell the whole story. One of my other hobbies is home audio which has taught me that a speaker that has the most desirable frequency response does not always have the best sound. It is also very important that the speakers compliment the upstream components and vice-verse to form a synergistic system that produces music in the way that I enjoy to hear it. There are two camps in the high-end audio world, listeners and techies. Listeners judge a component by the sound it produces while techies judge on the numbers. I see the same thing happening in the MTB community. The bike that I’m riding right now has a 14.3″ BB height. Some people on the internet tell me that it can’t corner well and feels twitchy at high speeds with a BB that high. What I’m experiencing is quite the contrary…
Well I’m sorry but one can’t deny or ignore the laws of physics. A lower BB height bike probably has a lower center of gravity, and if the setup is identical (same shock, rider, tires etc) then a lower COG bike will corner better.
Actually the DHX air lacks midstroke especially on regressive leverage curves (XC bikes) as leverage is increased and it reduces air volume of the spring in lets say 30-70% of travel dramatically.
I get what you say, but when you ride and feel your bike AS WELL as knowing the technical aspects of the bike, some things just can’t be ignored.
“So your friend doesn’t have a DHX air and he nor you have any experience riding the Rune with a DHX air? The ISX6 is an interesting shock. I had one on a Morewood Izimu and found that unless I went with 15%-20% more air pressure than was recommended I would bottom it out continuously and it would wallow deep in the travel. With the air pressure set at what felt right the bike was only at about 20% sag, not exactly desirable on a DH bike. I’m not saying it’s a bad shock, just that it wasn’t ideal on the Izimu.
I hope you are talking only about your Morewood because the Rune isn’t a downhill bike, nor it has the suspension characteristics of one, and knowing that the ISX6 came with the frame from Banshee speaks for itself.
I absolutely agree on the laws of physics. There is a fine line between too high and too low on a BB though. This is especially evident when riding a hardtail. Last year, over the winter while riding at Ray’s I was on a DMR sidekick with a rigid fork and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why it had no pop off the lips or pump through the berms. I threw my Argyle (lowered to 80mm) on there and the bike came to life. I accredit this to the higher BB. Spend some time in a MTB Trials forum and you will see that BB height is a highly debated topic. Even .125″ makes a difference to those guys. Would I enjoy riding a bike with 16″ high BB? Most likely not but at the same time would I enjoy a 12″ high BB on a full suspension bike? I would expect it to feel sluggish but only riding it would give me the answer I suppose.
My mistake on the DHX Air/midstroke/progressive comment. I misspoke and meant to say regressive.
Yes, I was also speaking only of the ISX6 on the Izimu. Different would be an understatement when comparing the Izimu to the Rune. The reason for the Rune coming with the ISX6 may have something to do with Banshee’s distributor also being a Manitou distributor. I do not have any experience with the Rune/ISX6 combination so I cannot debate the fact that the Rune may or may not blow through the travel with that shock.
I do encourage your friend to try his Rune with a DHX 5.0 Air. I stand by my statements of the feel and performance of the Rune/DHX 5.0 Air combination. When pedaling forcefully the back of the bike stayed active while still efficiently translating my energy into propulsion. On large hits, drops and big jumps like the ones that I rode at Snowshoe I never felt as if I was blowing through the travel and/or experiencing harsh bottom out.
I really do appreciate your comments and the debate. Thanks for taking the time to write. Are you planning on designing frames in the future? It appears that you’ve got a handle on the minute details.
“I absolutely agree on the laws of physics. There is a fine line between too high and too low on a BB though. This is especially evident when riding a hardtail. Last year, over the winter while riding at Ray’s I was on a DMR sidekick with a rigid fork and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why it had no pop off the lips or pump through the berms. I threw my Argyle (lowered to 80mm) on there and the bike came to life. I accredit this to the higher BB. Spend some time in a MTB Trials forum and you will see that BB height is a highly debated topic. Even .125? makes a difference to those guys. Would I enjoy riding a bike with 16? high BB? Most likely not but at the same time would I enjoy a 12? high BB on a full suspension bike? I would expect it to feel sluggish but only riding it would give me the answer I suppose.”
Yeah, too high or too low is a problem, of course you can always run a low BB and get some ultra thin pedals to avoid bashing into rocks.
“I do encourage your friend to try his Rune with a DHX 5.0 Air. I stand by my statements of the feel and performance of the Rune/DHX 5.0 Air combination. When pedaling forcefully the back of the bike stayed active while still efficiently translating my energy into propulsion. On large hits, drops and big jumps like the ones that I rode at Snowshoe I never felt as if I was blowing through the travel and/or experiencing harsh bottom out.”
He’s happier with the Roco but he is getting an Elka! Much better IMHO!
“I really do appreciate your comments and the debate. Thanks for taking the time to write. Are you planning on designing frames in the future? It appears that you’ve got a handle on the minute details.”
Thank you for hosting this great website and allowing me to comment and debate, after all one learns a lot my these means.
About designing frames, I am glad you mention it, right now I am designing a 6.7 inch travel frame for an European bike company (won’t reveal any more details as it is too soon). Prototype should be welded in April/May. If you or Keith have any more information or suggestions let me know, as I have almost all resources availabe to build a sick Enduro frame.
Keep us updated on the development of the frame you’re designing. I thrive on new technology and design. I can’t wait to see the final product.
The Elka will serve your friend well. They have done an amazing job with the frame specific valving. They really do bring out the best in a frame.
I’d like to ask if you would sign up for the forums here and participate in the discussions there as well. The forums are brand new and much like any new forum they are slow to get moving with content. The more quality content we can get over there the faster we will grow.
Thanks again!
Hey guys, I finally decided to spend a bulk of money on new bike and I’m waiting for a RUNE. I opted for Fox DHX5.0 coil shock though it may be less superior than Elka Stage5. Once I got some serious rides on it through my loved trails I’ll let you know here about my impressions.
MTBGearTech, keep up on good work with this site, it’s a great reading after all those commercial e-mags.
Thanks for the compliments! The Rune should feel really great with the DHX 5.0 coil. I ran mine with the DHX 5.0 air and it was awesome so the coil should be even more plush and responsive. Be sure to post some pics and tell us about it in the forum when you get it all built up.
Hello , For a light-downhill,freeride and hard-enduro practice, what components you advise me with the rune frame ?
-for the shock: dhx air or dhx spring ?
-for the fork: Fox 36 van or fox 36 float ?
-and wheels..?
Thanks for your answer.
The shock is a toss up. I ran mine just fine with the DHX Air and never felt as if I needed a coil on there.
I’d match the fork with the shock. Air with Air, Coil with Coil.
Wheels…well it depends on your weight. If you’re light some Mavic Crossmax SXs would be cool or a set of Hopes laced to something like a Syncros DS28. If you’re heavy Hopes laced to Mavic EX721. If you’re heavy and really hard on your wheels you can’t go wrong with Hopes laced to Mavic 823s or 729s. Hadley makes a great set of hubs as well.
In the end I personally would go with an air fork and shock and Hopes laced to Mavic 721s. That would get you a light and very versatile bike.
Thank you for the answer, i congratulate you for your reviews . see you soon . (sorry for my english i’m from france.)