Spot's New 29er Has a Carbon Fiber Leaf Spring – Sea Otter 2017

Apr 21, 2017 at 14:17
by Mike Kazimer  
Sea Otter 2017


Spot, the Colorado-based brand formerly best known for their belt-driven singlespeeds, turned heads at last year's Sea Otter with the introduction of their 140mm, 27.5” Rollik, and this year they're at it again with the debut of the Mayhem. The Mayhem can be set up with either 29” or 27.5+ wheels, and has 130mm of rear travel that's delivered via Spot's unique 'Living Link' suspension design.

Like the Rollik, the Mayhem is a full carbon affair, constructed using a fabric called TexTreme that's said to reduce the amount of epoxy necessary during layup, which helps to reduce the overall frame weight. There's internal routing for the derailleur and dropper post housing, with the brake line run externally for ease of maintenance.

Spot Mayhem Details

• Wheel size: 29" / 27.5+
• Full carbon frame
• 130mm travel
• 66.7° head angle
• Living Link suspension design
• Colors: Matte Hot Tomato, Matte Black
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL
• MSRP: $3199 USD (frame only), $6000 - $8700 complete
• www.spotbrand.com

Sea Otter 2017


Suspension Design

What sets the Mayhem apart the rest of the dual-link full suspension bikes on the market is the use of a carbon fiber plate to join the swingarm to the seat tube. According to Spot, in addition to being very resistant to lateral flex, the plate acts like a leaf spring, providing extra mid-stroke support, and making it possible to run the rear shock wide open at all times, rather than reaching for the compression lever before long climbs.

The carbon plate is also said to be extremely durable, and Spot's tests have shown that it can withstand three million cycles without failure, which equates to somewhere around 12 years of daily riding.


Spot Mayhem

Geometry and Frame Details

When it comes to geometry, the Mayhem's numbers are thoroughly modern, with a low standover height, a 66.7° head tube angle, and a 75.7° seat tube angle. There's room to mount a water bottle, a threaded bottom bracket, and ISCG 05 tabs for mounting a chain guide, a trifecta of welcome features. The bike comes spec'd with a 130mm Fox 34, but one of Spot's employees had their personal bike on display with a 140mm Fox 36 that looked even more appealing.


Sea Otter 2017
A sleeve inside the frame makes running new housing a simple process.
Sea Otter 2017
A closer look at the Living Link suspension designs carbon plate.


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90 Comments
  • 47 3
 I work right near them in Golden and have demoed thier Rollik. The leaf spring makes small bump compliance lightyears beyond anything I have tried. I'm looking forward to trying this 29er but for that price tag I'm not sure I can entertain it. Regardless they are a great company with some stand up people working there.
  • 52 90
flag WAKIdesigns (Apr 21, 2017 at 16:43) (Below Threshold)
 So, leaf spring is smoother than axle rotating on bearings. Interesting. Ok ok, at least on my Antidote Carbon Jack, when I remove the shock I can lift the swing arm with my non erected willie. It is that smooth action. My willie has won with seal friction. Thank you for your attention, I am glad I could expose my somwehat embarrasing experiment to the public. Even though I did not find the result surprising at all. I did it for science
  • 2 3
 @WAKIdesigns: Yeah... cheaper .
  • 50 2
 @WAKIdesigns: Waki, your flaccid member and breakaway friction have nothing to do with small bump compliance. The leaf spring increases the spring rate in the mid stroke, boosting mid stroke support. Coupled with a progressive overall rate to prevent harsh bottoming, this permits a lower shock pressure, increasing small bump compliance.
  • 72 1
 I'm here to read about sweet bike shit at Sea Otter and now I'm reading a thread about WAKI's dick...
  • 10 42
flag flipoffthemonkeys (Apr 21, 2017 at 17:56) (Below Threshold)
 @WAKIdesigns: WAKI is always funny
  • 34 6
 @upchuckyeager: Nope.
  • 3 5
 @WAKIdesigns: try compressing your shock with your hands while it's off the bike, how hard is that when aired up? See if that leaf spring requires the same force.
  • 7 0
 @ mgb0005: Agreed. Met some of the Spot group on the trails not too long ago and they seemed like a good crew. I think this is actually one of the better looking bikes, almost like a Yeti minus the awkward Switch Infinity bulge in the bottom bracket area. I would love to give one of these a demo at some point, if it works as well as I think it should I might have to build up one of these framesets
  • 13 23
flag WAKIdesigns (Apr 21, 2017 at 21:37) (Below Threshold)
 So you mount shock A to frame X and shock A to frame Y with leaf spring and frame Y rides smoother? Look, this has nothing to this frame design rather believers interpretation of what's going on. I believe in coil suspension and USD forks, no man is without a sin... let's just leave the name of science out of feel good inc. Smile I have no intention not to accept the fact that people at Spot may be cool guys. I'm neither with you nor against you
  • 4 0
 @WAKIdesigns: Leafsprings are amazing. Very underrated engineering field, especially when combined with friction- or wet-lever-dampers. In many ways better than the telescopic spring/damper systems used in bikes and cheap cars. And they can be made low maintenance or maintenance-free.
  • 13 0
 @WAKIdesigns: Theorethically it works like this: in frame Y you have 2 springs, air spring and a leaf spring. So you reduce the air spring rate (i.e. use lover pressure) so that total overall rate is similar to frame X. Leaf spring is much more progressive and has no friction = it starts working before your shock does and voila, you have a better small bump compliance - now you can ride over ant's eggs and will not feel anything Wink
  • 5 8
 @wakaba: The Corvette, a car that basically outhandles everything up and including most deep 6-figure super cars, does it with carbon rear leaf springs.
  • 8 4
 @SlodownU: corvette and handling do not belong in the same sentence lol although all your roads are straight so I can let you off as you obviously do not know what proper handling is leaf springs have there place but in no way shape or form should they be applied to a sportscar!!!!!
  • 7 0
 @silverfox101010: Spoken like someone who doesn't know jack shit about cars, from a place that can't make a car with an electrical system that doesn't short itself every other day or motor that doesn't leak a quart a week. 8 wins at Le Mans for that shitty Vette also.
  • 2 3
 @SlowdownU - F1 cars use what effectively is leaf springs. So you do have a point there. Nice logic - can't wait to see ground effects on mountain bikes too. So... do you already own Lauf fork?
  • 2 0
 @silverfox101010: Oh, I had an Elise, best handling car there is. Corvette is bulkier but a very good handling car too. Its really way better than most euro cars. Had ample leafspring cars and trucks and two of my daily drivers are leafsprung and most were just fine. Now if you go to 600hp or more you want a rigid axle and 5 link. If you go IRS...you just bought yourself a garage beauty because little things will bend, go out of alignment and give off crunchy noise before separating from the car. I design leafsprings occasionally. Its an excellent way to spring things.
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: Perhaps when they run out of new axle standards to invent, or stop overcharging for carbon wheels that essentially weigh the same as aluminum wheels, they may move on to ground effects, don't give them any ideas.
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: This is attention whoring at the highest level
  • 1 2
 @DaySleep3r: thank you Sigmund Freud. I'll stick to that then...
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: You're welcome, Eva!
  • 1 0
 @lkubica:
So theoritically you get 2 springs :
- with different (average) spring rates and, above all, very different curves
- one curve is set and the other is user defined by pressure, volume reducers, etc...
- only the shock is in charge of suspension duties (compression, rebound) which are only related to the shock shaft speed and position,
- but the shock hydraulics must take into account and be tuned for both springs...

Sorry but I find difficult to believe that all this added complexity is better than only one spring with dedicated hydraulics...
  • 1 0
 @SlodownU: sports car is not a race car street and race are to different things we were talking suspension types leaf springs in off-road hmm coil wins simple and yea the vette is shit at handling fact!!! And it's made of plastic yea nice go get a real car!!! Or go do a wheel spin and pretend you and your vette can win Le Mans lol
  • 13 0
 Nice looking machine!
  • 10 0
 Damn that bike looks good !
  • 8 0
 The rollik was great when I rented for a week, looks even better than most In the new crop of 29in trail bikes.
  • 7 1
 @mikekazimer "a 66.7° degree heat angle, a 75.7° head tube angle" a what now?
  • 7 0
 @Zaff, oops, I must have time traveled back to 1993. That's been corrected.
  • 18 11
 Lol. Pass at price
  • 6 6
 agreed
  • 9 9
 Yah, i'm not a dentist Spot
  • 3 52
flag Uhlrichl1 (Apr 21, 2017 at 14:35) (Below Threshold)
 I would be ok with paying that much for a brand name, but not a small company like this. I just can't trust the bike.
  • 10 6
 Yup. I stopped being interested in new research and development past the $5k mark a long time ago.
  • 6 3
 who needs 2 kidneys anyway, just sell the spare and buy the bike
  • 33 0
 @ Uhlrichl1 - that's kinda like saying you would entertain spending 6 figures on a Ford but not a Pagani
  • 14 8
 SPOT = Sign Paychecks Over Today
  • 15 0
 The price thing always comes up.... if you want to see the latest innovation it's going to come with a high price tag.

I bet everyone would be complaining if all of the coverage was of bikes with low end component specs, alloy production material, dated geometry, and needed 3k in upgrades just to be "rideable" by all the price snivelers.

You want to see the good stuff or gear from the bargain bin you'd turn your nose up at? The complaints are confusing the people reporting this stuff.
  • 2 0
 I suspect the use of TexTreme is the main reason for the pricetag, I've seen the same happen with windsurfing equipment - board with "plain" carbon construction - 1700 euros. Same board with TexTreme layup - add another 1000.

It is supposed to use less resin for the same weight, so overall you have a better fiber to resin ratio. That means either increased strength at the same weight, or the same strength at a lower weight (compared to a normal carbon lay up)
  • 2 0
 @justwan-naride: it was noticeably stiffer compared to my mojo so I do believe if you're going carbon it's worth the extra!
  • 8 2
 The crown on that 34 looks tiny on that frame!
  • 5 0
 its ALIIVEEEE
  • 2 2
 Like the look and the stats, would have to see the reach before anything. 3100 american seems to be the going rate for a carbon frame unless you are Trek or Yeti of the sort of bike and mid sized brands. You would think they would be aggressive in their pricing like Evil. Even though it is only a few hundred less that still counts; and it is a really unknown link design compared to a VPP or DW or Horst.
  • 1 0
 Reach is roughly 450mm for a large, it's listed on there in inches man.
  • 2 0
 i really want to try it! looks like a different take on suspension! price is crazy but all the high end bike sh!t is crazy, still looks like progression
  • 4 0
 Ima put 4inch blocks in it and slam it
  • 4 0
 I like it
  • 4 0
 Gorgeous
  • 1 0
 Good looking frame. Looks a bit like a yeti. I'm curious to know how the living link feels compared to a bike with a pivot or an infinity link!
  • 3 1
 What's going on with that fox air can?
  • 5 0
 It's the new EVOL (extra volume) air sleeve that's on the latest version of Fox's DPS shock.
  • 4 2
 @mikekazimer: AKA a corset Wink
  • 1 0
 @robaussie99: actually looks different now. 2nd picture from the top.
  • 2 0
 I want a video of the frame/suspension system compressing!!
  • 7 5
 looks like a yeti
  • 3 0
 In my book a Yeti is 7ft tall looks like a giant angry ape with lots of long hair...
  • 3 0
 @freerabbit: yes that's was I was referencing
  • 2 0
 @shredderIII: lol
  • 3 2
 anyone remember the slingshot?
  • 2 3
 When I read "very resistant to lateral flex" I thought, compared to what, a Slingshot? They might want to back that statement up with some kind of measurable comparison, or else it's meaningless.
  • 8 0
 @mecabeat, how about the analogy of a metal ruler? It's flexible in one direction, but laterally it's quite stiff.
  • 4 3
 @mikekazimer: A comparison against other bikes is what I'm talking about. Lateral force isn't really relevant anyway. What's important is its resistance to twisting from pedaling and cornering forces. A metal ruler is flexible in two directions, when it's bent like a leaf spring, and when it's twisted from opposite directions at each end..
  • 3 0
 @mecabeat: the twisting force of the leaf could be engineered easily by understanding the properties of the material being used. This not only applies to the leaf but any linkage on a MTB.
  • 1 0
 @mecabeat: I've ridden spot bikes it works beat my mojo hd in stiffness. With tech it's best to see first hand.
  • 2 2
 Seems pretty easy to spot in a crowd. Some relation to the Yeti SB 5.5 springs to mind.
  • 3 2
 Just saw the reach, Xl and only 476, too small.
  • 1 0
 Geo numbers aren't everything plus seatpost extension and angles also plays into a xl fit.
  • 4 4
 Over $8000 for a complete bike? I can't believe how expensive the sport has gotten! Totally not worth it!
  • 3 3
 The industry is trying to brainwash the customer into thinking 5 grand is entry level and 8 Grand is a good mid-range bike, best thing to do is not buy into the crap.
  • 1 4
 Setting aside slingshot using a fiberglass spring board pivot... thirty years ago... there's both Cannondale and Arrow Racing that have done the carbon fiber leaf-spring pivot on linkage full suspension bikes.

www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=367035
  • 1 2
 will my warranty be void if i spill spot remover on it?
can i add caltracs bars for less wheel hop?
and will it run 10s if i put radials on it...
  • 3 3
 9 grand? These company's have lost it!!!!
  • 1 0
 I like it, looks great
  • 1 0
 Interesting.
  • 3 3
 Leafspring? Cool! That's the same technology my 1989 Toyota truck employs
  • 2 4
 Am i the only one that is noticing that PB get seat tube angle and head tube angle mixed up a lot?
  • 2 4
 looks like a yeti... with a possible bottlecage
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