29er Threads on MTBR

Here are some great Ahrens 29er threads on MTBR:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=514569

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=513912

One question that came up regarding this frame is the 70 deg head angle which is pretty slack in the 29er world. With this frame I wanted stable front end geometry that wouldn't be too twitchy in singletrack....I found that steeper head angles with big-wheeled bikes are just too aggressive for my riding style. Although the 'trail' dimension is more optimized with a steeper head angle (closer to 71.5 deg), that is only one aspect of the frame geometry that affects handling. The others are BB height, chainstay length and front-center which all combine to provide distinct, more-controlled handling characteristics and combine to place the rider's weight where it's needed for optimal traction. In this case,overall stability and slower turning were desired and the trail dimension shifted out of the 'accepted norm' for 29ers. In the end all that really matters is how the rider feels and in this case the response has been totally positive. Here's the rider's response after a few initial rides:

The head angle is perfect. The trails out here (Santa Fe, NM) have dried up and are hard as concrete. They are very fast right now. The Chocolate Revolver SS descends like its on rails. I know that's an overused quote but it's true in this instance. I have only ridden it four times but it feels like a year. The slacker head angle maybe slowed it down just a touch in really tight switchbacks but thats a tradeoff I'm willing to make. The geometry in conjunction with the Reba's Maxel light make for a very stable platform. Not twitchy at all, just point and shoot. Me likey!