carbon short travel 29er - XL options?

[jpnovak]

First post here so bear with a newbie.   

Former XC racer in my mid-50s looking to transition from my carbon HT (11kg) up to a short travel suspension bike.   Would love to swap frame but mine is 2018 era and 142x15 non-boost rear.   Guess that means I have to build a new bike.   yay!

Goal is 100mm fork to gain a little head angle.  I like old-school geometry with a steeper head angle and sharper handling.   I tend to ride around things rather than plow over them.   That's the style i developed in the late 80s and 90s when only riding rigid.   My local trails have minimal downhills to be drive slacker geometry and more stable handling.   

Currently looking at the airwolf YFM015 frame.  Being 6'3" and 91kg I am used to riding an XL frame.  the YFM015 is only available up to size large.   I am also thinking this might be right on the small side edge for me.   

are there any short travel (100mm or less rear travel) that are available in XL?  I have not found any despite chasing links in the Chinertown archives.   

Appreciate any links or leads in the XL side direction.   I like the idea of an epic WC rear end but epic evo is also an option.   I am really focused on pedaling efficiency.   

thanks

[Cloxxki76]

No need to shorten the fork to speed up the handling but also dropping the BB, necessarily.
If the head tube is short enough (limit might be 120 mm), there are  anglesets", special headsets with offset bearings, to steepen or slacken head tube angles by up to 2º.

You could make a point of finding a good fork with 51 mm offset, that also helps over a 44/46 mm one.

If there is a longer travel bike you like, and the head tube is short enough for an angleset, you need not worry as much about getting used to the handling.

I'm turning 50 year and going the other way. From a hardtail to a rigid 32"er. Eventually there will be a fork I can shelve out for, but right now I really like the idea of having a simpler bike with wider rims and bigger tires than I'm used to, and just making rigid work on my not so aggro trails.

[jpnovak]

Thanks for the reply.   

I will look into the headsets.  I was looking at the Scott Spark (some good clearance prices right now) that have adjustable HS angles.   But I rode one and didn't like it.   I think I just want something with more direct power delivery - cause i don't make much anymore and need all the help I can get.   

[jpnovak]

Any XL options out there for 100mm-ish frames? 

Thanks

[Zeus]

Hi
There are plenty, like the carbonda 909 that I've been riding for 3 years now - with zero issues.
est bike I've had so far. A bit long and slack, but rides so well. Or maybe you could look into the hongFu 358?
https://carbonda.com/mtb/cfm-909.html
https://www.hongfu-bikes.com/products/79.html (a canyon Lux trail clone)

Cheers

[jpnovak]

Thank you.  I will check out the links.

[foxrider123]

Here are a few frames with older geometry and short travel also in XL size
https://www.trifoxbike.com/mfm100-full-suspension-carbon-mtb-frame
https://www.workswellbikes.com/prdocuts_detail/18.html
https://www.seraphbikes.com/29er-Boost-Carbon-Fiber-T1000-Disc-XC-MTB-Frame-FM198-Travel-120mm-Black-Matte-Max-Tire-29X24-p4779778.html

[jpnovak]

Thanks everyone.  I have sent info requests to the respective vendors for all the links. 

[jpnovak]

I decided on the Hongfu FM358.  Geometry and suspension matched my goals.    Communication with the sales team was very good.   Until...

A few days after I placed my order I get a message from the sales team that the XL is "still in development".   They are quoting more than 6 months lead time to finish the frame.   They are trying to push another model that they have available.   This is quite frustrating.   

At least I know to ask more questions.   

[jefflinde]

One other option could be the Dengfu M06.  Not sure what the status of the frame is but they have been out for a while so if they still have them an XL would be already in production. They used to have boost and non-boost versions of the frame but not sure on that now.  I have not used them recently but in the past I have had quite a few frames from them (including a non-boost M06).  Might be worth an email to see what they have available. 

[federic000]

A few days after I placed my order I get a message from the sales team that the XL is "still in development".   They are quoting more than 6 months lead time to finish the frame.   They are trying to push another model that they have available.   This is quite frustrating.   
s.   

wtf, that's not a serious way to handle customers.
which model they are referring to?

[jpnovak]

The FM358 is the frame in question.

https://www.hongfu-bikes.com/products/mountainbike/

[koki1176]

Hello, a new member on the topic here. I don't know whether this will be relevant, but I have bought the YFM015 last September (2026). I completed the build mid October. If you need a quick summary: Do not buy anything from Airwolf.

Here is more detailed explanation: After about a month of use, I noticed some cracking noise in the frame, especially in the area of the rear shock. At first, nothing seemed broken so I inspected the carbon frame and still did a few more rides. But once, before the ride, I noticed, the rear shock had a lot of play. To my surprise, after I barely touched the screw that fixates the rear shock, it came out, but the problem was that threaded part remained in the frame. I contacted Airwolf - this is pretty serious failure - and they (you will not be surprised) did nothing. It is interesting, because you can look at the problem from different points of view. You could argue that the screws that Airwolf provided are from third manufacturer and therefore Airwolf are not responsible.

But wait... the screw that broke is structurally a critical point.  With the rear shock disintegrating, next concequence is rear triangle collapse. Definitely a serious injury. That should not happen.

By drilling into frame (done by pro mechanic), we actually managed to save the frame. But a few days ago (half a year passed), I again felt a little bit of free play in the rear shock and again, original (Specialized's) screw was broken. To me, this was a clear indication of how bad the frame is built. The tolerances are way too big, there is no precision in manufacturing. It think the screw holes are so far from being well aligned, that they cause too much stress on the screws and they all eventually break.

My goal is not to get anything from Airwolf, they did not even answer me when the failure happened second time. I just want you to be very cautious with Airwolf. They have terrible customer support, and as it seems, their products do not meet even the bare minimum quality standards. In fact, I would say they are really dangerous. And from what I can read from others, many have been disappointed with Airwolf.

I will also attach some pictures of bottom bracket area and head tube area, which I took when the bike was new. It will help you see how bad the quality is compared to some real Chinese OEM manufacturers.