0

I have a overmountain bike (Cannondale Trigger Lefty 27.5) with 140mm travel but I was wondering whether I can make a downhill bike out of it because I really want to ride downhill.

The shock I have in the rear suspension is a Fox DYAD 2 and I'm not sure if I can replace it with other shocks.

1
  • 4
    IMHO it'd be a shame to loose such a bike by exchanging parts in order to adapt it for a different style of riding. If you want an 18kg 20cm front and rear travel tractor with 8-piston front and rear brakes, buy used.
    – Vorac
    Jan 21, 2015 at 15:24

1 Answer 1

2

No. It's a trail bike. You'd need to add an extra 40-60mm rear travel for a start. It's also perfectly capable of being ridden down many DH tracks as it is - it just might not like the 40ft gap jumps :)

With tongue firmly in cheek, there's a few things you might be able to do, but none of them will turn it into a proper downhill bike. Most of them will void the warranty and/or break the frame!

  1. Fit a proper DH fork (e.g. a Rockshox Boxxer) and a direct mount stem
  2. Bodge a longer stroke shock into the frame (if you can find a pull-shock that long)
  3. Now your head angle and bottom bracket are in a crazy place, fit an angle headset (Works Components or Cane Creek) and/or some offset shock bushings (e.g. Burgtec) to put them back somewhere vaguely sensible
  4. Fit some heavy duty wheels (e.g. Hope Pro2Evo + Stans FlowEX, or Mavic DeeMax)
  5. Remove the front derailleur, and replace it with a single chainring and a chain device
  6. Replace the cassette with a close ratio one and switch to a short-cage derailleur while you're at it
  7. Upgrade to 203mm disc rotors and Shimano Saint brakes

Once you've spent all that money, you'll have a complete mess of a frankenbike that doesn't work anywhere near as well as a proper DH bike. As Vorac commented, you're better off buying used. The Specialized Status is a good value place to start looking.

With that said, an angle headset might help make the bike more confident on the descents, without completely ruining it.

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.