PatMAE

Further validation that Banshee has been ahead of the game for years.

If you can't catch air on a bike because the stays are 20mm too long, that is entirely a lack of rider ability. Me and my 455mm chainstay trail bike will continue to jib anything and everything I please.

these are gonna slap on the local MX track

@Jockular: however, when I get to the bottom clean and you dab, you owe me a beer.

@Jockular: if you're ever at snowshoe, and you make it down the world cup course without putting a foot down, I'll buy you a beer :)

I seem to have angered the blue flow enthusiasts. I'll see myself back to the Brian Cahal YouTube comment section.

Agree to disagree. A DH bike lacking stability and plushness kinda pigeonholes this into your average bikepark blue flow enthusiast. Sure, that's still plenty of people, but not the vast majority. Maybe I'm biased riding at Snowshoe, but our DH terrain is far better suited by Supremes, V10s, Frameworks, etc. than something like this.

The armchair engineers are up in arms about front center to rear center ratios. It's a much better metric than chainstay length.

@nicoenduro: We are in two different worlds. Have you considered the number you think is "normal" is actually way out in left field for an XL rider? My XL Forbidden Dreadnought maxes out at 495mm chainstay. It trucks like nobody's business and generates insane front end traction. It's ideal for aggressive and fast riding. My XL Banshee Phantom has 455mm chainstay. It's wonderfully balanced, agile, and keeps the front end down on steep climbs, I wouldn't mind a 460-465 chainstay even. For an XL, it's an excellent front to rear center distribution. My XL Commencal Clash had 435mm chainstay. It's horribly balanced. Washes the front constantly, loops out on climbs, is sketchy to preload on big jumps, gets overwhelmed in chunky stuff. That XL Evil Offering had 430-ish chainstays. It was super jibby and fun on small easy stuff, but sucked for even moderately steep climbing and fast/aggressive riding. Had zero front end grip, meaning I had to lower the bars way far down to compensate, and overall became uncomfortable and sketchy to ride.

@nicoenduro: Respectfully man, you ride a size medium, which doesn't have the weight distribution issue. That's the size a ton of bike brands build their geo around. Proportionally speaking, if 390mm chainstays were industry standard, you'd be bummed as well. That's why XL riders are so vocal about this.