# RSD Wildcat V2 - Any owner's out there?



## bvachon (Apr 3, 2014)

Curious to see if there are any of these out there? Specs, geo, and price look good to me. RSD seem to have a pretty favorable reputation out there and the Middlechild seems to have quite the following.

Anyone ridden one?

https://rsdbikes.com/wildcat-v2-alu...1024x150&utm_campaign=PINKBIKEWILDCAT1024x150


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## 9GUY9 (Jul 14, 2007)

bvachon said:


> Curious to see if there are any of these out there? Specs, geo, and price look good to me. RSD seem to have a pretty favorable reputation out there and the Middlechild seems to have quite the following.
> 
> Anyone ridden one?
> 
> https://rsdbikes.com/wildcat-v2-alu...1024x150&utm_campaign=PINKBIKEWILDCAT1024x150


I doubt theres many ride reports yet, as they have not been available long. If you can even get one now.

I am also waiting for some reviews, as it looks like a pretty intriguing bike.


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## kbeefy (Jul 7, 2020)

My Wildcat V2 just got delivered, and I took it for the inaugural ride this morning. 

Keep in mind: I'm a slightly-portlier-than-I-should-be guy in his late 30's who's been only riding a fatbike for the last 5 years, and only hardtails before that aside from a few borrow-a-DH-bike-from-a-friend days at bike parks. So while I probably can't give you the depth of review you'd find from a pro rider, or really contrast with other modern bikes, you can take this as an "average guy" review. 

First impressions: man, that front wheel is like a country mile further away from where I'm used to! But this is a PRETTY bike... wow. 

I took the bike today to my "home" trails. The trails are pure eastern technical short ups and downs full of chunky rocks, roots, lots of slabs, rock rolls, etc. 

Climbing: I'm used to the fatbike, where my only option was to put it in the granny gear and spin. This bike doesn't do as well in that mode, I found that I was getting hung up on rock ledges that I was expecting to roll up and over. Once I got the wildcat out of the granny gear, put my weight forward, and started cranking a little harder the climbing got A LOT better. I was able to clean a climb that I'd never been able to before. Pedal strikes were reduced since I was moving faster, and I was able to hop the bike up over the rock. Overall I still think I dabbed/walked more than usual on these climbs, but I chalk that up to technique, not equipment. 

Descending: WHOOOOOOO BOY! Once I got out of my own way and let go of the brakes, I couldn't believe how fast and smooth this was. On the techy stuff it rolled right over the rocks and drops, and on the more flowy trails I felt like riding on a cloud. I have a clear memory of a moment of panic, when I came to a corner and thought: "I'm going way too fast to make this turn, it's going to be a disaster" but turned anyways and all of a sudden I was through the corner like it was nothing. I even felt a little silly because my heart was in my throat before the corner but then it wasn't even like it was a struggle to make it. Rock rolls that I normally white-knuckle my way down I was rolling like they were nothing, and coming out at the bottom with speed, but in control. 

Jumping: There's no real jumps on my home trails besides make-your-own by popping off roots and berms and such, but in the coming weeks I'll give it a rip on a blue flow/jump trail that's not too far from here. 

Shipping, build, customer service: The guys at RSD kept me up to speed with what was happening with my order. It shipped on time, and well packaged. It comes about 50% assembled: headset and bb are pressed, cranks are on, shifters, levers, stem and grips attached to the handlebar, steer tube is cut, and housing is cut to length. My only niggly complaint is with the housing guides... I have three cables going to the back of the bike (brake, shifter, dropper) and only two guide paths. The guides on the right are bigger (they don't really fit the c-clips provided) but the only cable on that side is the dropper. The left side guides fit the c-clips, but there's two cables on that side (brake, shifter) so I had to zip-tie one cable to the other anyways. Could be I did something wrong here, but I blew up the pictures on their website and that's the way they had it cabled in the picture, so.... ?

In summary: Yes, this bike is FUN. Really really fun. It's responsive, and nimble, and I can throw it around the trails. I'm currently in that good place where I'm clearly limited by technique and fitness, and have a bike that I can grow into as I'm getting faster/stronger/fitter. I really look forward to seeing a review on this bike from someone who can push it to its limits, but I wholeheartedly give my "average dude" stamp of approval!


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## bvachon29 (Feb 6, 2019)

Excellent feedback kbeefy! I too come from fatbiking as my Salsa Beargrease has become my all around summer and winter bike. I also have a Niner Ros 9 29er hardtail that the Wildcat would probably replace. 

One question I would have is when it came to climbing did you feel the suspension was supportive or is it more active with a tendency to bob while pedaling? 

You should post a pic of the bike! Interested to see what color you chose. I love the deep purple but the new off white color is pretty good looking as well.


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## LCSilver (Jul 29, 2020)

Great to hear! I'm eagerly waiting for mine. 4 more days til delivery! I too am a late 30's, not in the best of shape rider and this will be my first full suspension, coming off a hardtail. Can't wait to experience this riding on a cloud feeling when I take it over some New England trails!


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## kbeefy (Jul 7, 2020)

bvachon29 said:


> One question I would have is when it came to climbing did you feel the suspension was supportive or is it more active with a tendency to bob while pedaling?


It's a bit hard to say, honestly. On technical climbs, I can feel the suspension responding to the terrain, that's for sure. On smooth climbs (i.e. the road leading to the trailhead) I don't feel like I'm losing any power to bob, but if I look down at the suspension I can see that it IS moving slightly. The one thing I can say is that the climbing is somewhat sensitive to rebound damping on the rear shock. I was getting bucked around a bit on the more technical climbs until I added two clicks more damping (slower rebound). That stuck the wheel to the rocks a whole lot better.

And I went with the off-white. It's gooooorgeous.


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## LCSilver (Jul 29, 2020)

Got my Wildcat this week. Went with the purple and it's sick looking. Depending on the light, it goes from deep, dark purple to navy blue and then bright purple in direct sunlight. Only drawback for me is the dropper post length. I'm 5'8" and went with the medium frame. Dropper is a 150 and just slightly too long, even when buried at it's deepest insertion point. Luckily RSD is taking care of me and swapping out for a 125. Great customer service!


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## LCSilver (Jul 29, 2020)

So happy I went with this color over the light gray.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## kbeefy (Jul 7, 2020)

The purple does look nice... But the sleekness of the off white is pretty great!


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## Chris Pringle (Oct 28, 2003)

Any new ride reports from the guys who just received theirs?


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## AlpineMTBTraining (Apr 26, 2009)

I have been a couple of rides with my Wildcat so far. First impressions are very good. I have been on a Middlechild for the past 2 season, so setting up the fit was pretty easy.

It climbs well. I'm coming off riding a hardtail full time so I know I am pedaling with suspension. It has good tracking on technical climbs and holds its line well. 

Descending it has been awesome. It accelerates fast. Travel feels deep. Surprises me for a 120mm bike. It has the feel of an enduro bike. Not surprising that its geometry is similar to an endur bike. I haven't been on the most technical trail yet to see how far I can push it. I am excited for the challenge to see what I can get out of the bike.


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## TBarr (Aug 18, 2020)

aaaa


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## bvachon (Apr 3, 2014)

AlpineMTBTraining said:


> I have been a couple of rides with my Wildcat so far. First impressions are very good. I have been on a Middlechild for the past 2 season, so setting up the fit was pretty easy.
> 
> It climbs well. I'm coming off riding a hardtail full time so I know I am pedaling with suspension. It has good tracking on technical climbs and holds its line well.
> 
> Descending it has been awesome. It accelerates fast. Travel feels deep. Surprises me for a 120mm bike. It has the feel of an enduro bike. Not surprising that its geometry is similar to an endur bike. I haven't been on the most technical trail yet to see how far I can push it. I am excited for the challenge to see what I can get out of the bike.


That's feedback I like to hear! You mentioned it does feel bottomless like an enduro bike. Does it feel wallowy at all on more mellow flowy trails or is it still pretty engaging on that type of terrain?


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## AlpineMTBTraining (Apr 26, 2009)

bvachon said:


> That's feedback I like to hear! You mentioned it does feel bottomless like an enduro bike. Does it feel wallowy at all on more mellow flowy trails or is it still pretty engaging on that type of terrain?


I think bottomless would be an exaggeration. Saying it feels like is has more than 120mm is a crappy cliche of bike reviews. Having said that, it handles it's 120mm very well. It has tricked me until I use all 120mm.

A wallowy feeling on a bike is likely due to poor suspension set up. Considering this bike is a short travel bike it will be awesome on flow trails.

This bike has been a new riding experience for me. The feel of an enduro bike comes from the long and slack geometry. The shorter travel of it allows me to feel the trail beneath me, but mutes it enough that I gain confidence that it will hang on when things get rowdy. In previous years short travel trail bikes i owned or test ridden were fun and playful that could punch a bit above their weight, but in reality, they rode like they were short travel bikes. Fun when you pushed its limits but sketchy when you dove in too deep. This bike does lack some of that easy playfulness, but does respond much faster than an 160mm enduro bike when I stomp on the pedals and force it to pop and play. Bike reviews call this rider input, I think.

I have taken it down black diamond trails but not the gnarliest of double blacks yet. When I get around to pushing it past it limits I will let you know.

Are you thinking of pulling the trigger on one?


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## bvachon (Apr 3, 2014)

Well put, thanks for the reply. It's definitely on my shortlist. Always been a little leery of direct to consumer brands but shops around me either don't have inventory or aren't allowing demos so at the moment I don't see a reason to rule it out.


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## AlpineMTBTraining (Apr 26, 2009)

bvachon said:


> Well put, thanks for the reply. It's definitely on my shortlist. Always been a little leery of direct to consumer brands but shops around me either don't have inventory or aren't allowing demos so at the moment I don't see a reason to rule it out.


There is a certain leap of faith with buying site unseen. I took the leap and I have been stoked so far with my Wildcat.

It's so hard to compare bikes on paper with the slight geometry variations each company has for each category of bikes. Comparing suspension designs is nearly impossible to do trying to look past all the marketing hype each company comes up with for their special design. Maybe you can find those graphs pinkbike posts on the bikes you are interested in. Good luck deciphering what they mean exactly. If you can, you can teach me lots about bikes.


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## bvachon (Apr 3, 2014)

Ha! I wish I knew half of what those charts were trying to tell me. Thanks again for the insight.


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## AlpineMTBTraining (Apr 26, 2009)

*Technical Climbing*

I have taken my Wildcat up some steep, chunky climbs lately. It's ability to pedal through roots, up ledges is impressive. I easily climbed sections that have always been tricky for me.

It's not going to be the fastest bike up a gravel road climb. Especially with the burly build I've put on it, but it's going to help you conquer some climbs.


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## kbeefy (Jul 7, 2020)

AlpineMTBTraining said:


> Especially with the burly build I've put on it


What did you modify to make it more burly?


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

Very curious about this frame. I just sold my full squish and this is on the short list. Hoping to throw a leg over one sometime.


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## AlpineMTBTraining (Apr 26, 2009)

kbeefy said:


> What did you modify to make it more burly?


I built the frame up with my own parts. What is noticeably different compared to the stock builds is a SR Suntour Durolux Fork and Cushcore.


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## AlpineMTBTraining (Apr 26, 2009)

hardtail party said:


> Very curious about this frame. I just sold my full squish and this is on the short list. Hoping to throw a leg over one sometime.


I think it's inline with how you like bikes. Long, slack, but still playful. I have been stoked on the capability of this bike. It combines climbing and descending capabilities better than I expected. It's been great on the rocky terrain where I ride. I do need to put more input into it to get it's playfulness out compared to my Middlechild. Thats to be expected from a bike with greater than 1200mm wheelbase.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

Mine's on the way. I'm really looking forward to it.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

hardtail party said:


> Mine's on the way. I'm really looking forward to it.


Same here. Im down in the valley but can't wait to get this thing up to Sedona in your neck of the woods. I am sad to see my Middlechild go, but they offered an upgrade with the issues going down with the most recent batch so I couldn't pass it up.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

Was it the latest batch of mc or wc2 that had issues? What were the issues, just cable tie location?

Hit me up on Instagram if you'd like to ride Sedona together sometime. I have a feeling the wc2 will be great out here.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

hardtail party said:


> Was it the latest batch of mc or wc2 that had issues? What were the issues, just cable tie location?
> 
> Hit me up on Instagram if you'd like to ride Sedona together sometime. I have a feeling the wc2 will be great out here.


There were some of the Middlechild frames from the Spring 2020 batch that came back with bulging top tubes near the head tube. The frame builder diagnosed it as a heat treatment issue, so they are replacing ALL of the Middlechild frames from that batch. They are wanting all of the frames sent back in the next couple weeks and will be replacing them in January with a new batch.

They offered to upgrade me to a Wildcat at a discounted rate instead of waiting for the new Middlechild in January, which I jumped on.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

Thanks for the clarification. Man, that's too bad. I've been really impressed with that builder in the past.

Congrats on the upgrade, that's pretty cool of Alex to do.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

Yea the Middlechild was a blast while it lasted. I've unfortunately had a lot of frame issues in the past, so I am used to crap like this happening. I don't get bent out of shape if the customer service is there, which it definitely is with RSD. They've been super responsive and helpful and it's much appreciated.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

I just ordered a Wildcat to replace a Middlechild recall.

The WIldcat will be my winter bike, shod with 3" tires, will mostly be used as a second bike for goofing off, trials, mud, snow, etc...

I'm 6', 32" inseam, I orderd down a size for the above uses.

My other bikes are longer and set up for more serious riding, Sz 3 GG.

I'll post a review once it's built up.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

Mine just arrived today. I've got it 90% built up. I noticed a few things.

1) The seat post is a 30.9mm. I should have checked that. I assumed it'd be a 31.6. Not a big deal.

2) The seatpost has about 1" showing when it's bottomed out in the seat tube. In other words, the seatpost hits the curve of the seat tube before it's all the wa down. Unfortunately, that's too tall for me, especially with 175mm cranks. That means I'm going to need to trade my 150mm dropper for a 125mm dropper. Has anyone with a med been able to slam their seat post all the way down?

3) There's MASSIVE tire clearance in this frame. I was able to fit a 27.5x3.0 Teravail Coronado on an i45 rim. It measures 3.2" wide.

4) The shortest chainstay length I can run with a 29x2.4 is 432mm

5) This thing is BEEFY. Seriously cool looking and stout. Each aluminum tube has a unique shape. It looks so much cooler in person than the pictures can convey.

6) I routed my cables a little differently. I'm still experimenting with what I love best, but I'll post pics up tomorrow.

The grey color looks cool. I can't wait to get a shorter dropper on this thing and take it out on the trails.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

I am slightly concerned that the 29x2.6s I have been running in the Middlechild won't fit. They said there are a couple 2.6s they have found fit ok, but it's tight. We will see, I may end up swapping a 2.4 I have laying around onto the rear.


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## kbeefy (Jul 7, 2020)

SingleSpeedSteven said:


> I am slightly concerned that the 29x2.6s I have been running in the Middlechild won't fit. They said there are a couple 2.6s they have found fit ok, but it's tight. We will see, I may end up swapping a 2.4 I have laying around onto the rear.


Let us know how that turns out. I'm running the stock 29x2.5 Aggressor in the back on the 35mm id rim, and with the dropouts slammed to the back it looks like there is ample clearance for a 2.6. I'd be interested in sizing up for my next tire if it fits...


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## kbeefy (Jul 7, 2020)

hardtail party said:


> 5) This thing is BEEFY. Seriously cool looking and stout. Each aluminum tube has a unique shape. It looks so much cooler in person than the pictures can convey.


The "triangular" top tube was such a cool surprise to me when I took it out of the box!


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

kbeefy said:


> Let us know how that turns out. I'm running the stock 29x2.5 Aggressor in the back on the 35mm id rim, and with the dropouts slammed to the back it looks like there is ample clearance for a 2.6. I'd be interested in sizing up for my next tire if it fits...


Will do! I am running a Vittoria Agarro, which isn't a super aggressive tire. I am hoping it fits.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

29x2.6 will definitely fit, you just can't slam the dropouts all the way forward. This frame has far more clearance than my middle child (which already had a fair amount).


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Shorter cranks would help with that dropper 

I'm gonna need a new dropper too, even with 152mm cranks and a 32" inseam, I think a medium will max out at 170mm; I have a 210mm but it's going onto the reserve kit.

Mine arrives next week.



hardtail party said:


> Mine just arrived today. I've got it 90% built up. I noticed a few things.
> 
> 1) The seat post is a 30.9mm. I should have checked that. I assumed it'd be a 31.6. Not a big deal.
> 
> ...


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

I guess I need to do some comparing between the Middlechild and Wildcat. I am running a 170mm PNW Bachelor that is perfect on the Middlechild with about 1-1.5" of post visible. Hopefully the seat tubes and BBs are similar enough.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

I just tossed on a 27.5x3.0 ranger and it fits fine with the dropouts slammed all the way forward. Pretty cool.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

Looks like the seat tubes are the same on both bikes, but the BB is actually 20mm higher on the Wildcat. Hoping my dropper works.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

It's the bend in the seat post tube that limits insertion.

I can slam a 210mm dropper in the MC size large.

One up has the shortest insertion, so more drop potential, also adjustable down to -20mm from max drop.



SingleSpeedSteven said:


> Looks like the seat tubes are the same on both bikes, but the BB is actually 20mm higher on the Wildcat. Hoping my dropper works.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

Don't forget the bb is higher on the wildcat because it drops as the suspension acts. A hardtail doesn't sag in the rear, so the bb height is constant. I can confirm that when you're riding it, the bb doesn't feel high. If anything, I want 170mm cranks on mine.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

I just got mine all built up and took it on its maiden voyage. What a fun bike. Super poppy. It's amazing what I can boost off of and catch air on, and I'm amazed at the junk I can land on and still be composed. It reminds me a lot of the Evil Following V2, but with a slacker head angle.

It's a fairly efficient pedaling platform when you're spinning circles, but when you're out of the saddle sprinting, it doesn't transfer power into forward motion as efficiently as some other bikes. That's typical for a horst link though. It sure is smooth and plush on the downs. What surprised me the most was how supportive it was at 50% sag. Bravo RSD, this is a rad little bike.

I'm glad I went with a medium, even though I'm short. I like the longer reach. This bike rides shorter than its reach number suggests.

The one disadvantage to me is the high seat. I feel like even with the seat dropped down, it's still in my way. It makes me feel "on top" of the bike a little. I'm sure people who aren't so vertically challenged won't have an issue with this. That's my only complaint, but that's what happens when you size up. It's a super fun bike. With plus tires it feels like a little monster truck. You definitely feel the heft on the climbs. I'm looking forward to trying it in 29er mode, though I love the short 425mm chainstays I'm using right now... It manuals and bunnyhops extremely well. Tons of climbing traction too, at the cost of efficiency.

The 140/120 feels quite balanced. I need more time on the bike to fine-tune the suspension and get more experience with how it rides.


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## AlpineMTBTraining (Apr 26, 2009)

SingleSpeedSteven said:


> I guess I need to do some comparing between the Middlechild and Wildcat. I am running a 170mm PNW Bachelor that is perfect on the Middlechild with about 1-1.5" of post visible. Hopefully the seat tubes and BBs are similar enough.


I have a 170mm V1 OneUp post in my medium Wildcat. There's about 2cm of the post left exposed when it's inserted until it hit the curve of the seat tube.


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## voob (Jan 14, 2011)

hardtail party said:


> I just got mine all built up and took it on its maiden voyage. What a fun bike. Super poppy. It's amazing what I can boost off of and catch air on, and I'm amazed at the junk I can land on and still be composed. It reminds me a lot of the Evil Following V2, but with a slacker head angle.
> 
> It's a fairly efficient pedaling platform when you're spinning circles, but when you're out of the saddle sprinting, it doesn't transfer power into forward motion as efficiently as some other bikes. That's typical for a horst link though. It sure is smooth and plush on the downs. What surprised me the most was how supportive it was at 50% sag. Bravo RSD, this is a rad little bike.
> 
> ...


Can you compare it to your experience with the Spot bikes (Mayhem)Thanks


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

voob said:


> Can you compare it to your experience with the Spot bikes (Mayhem)Thanks


The two bikes couldn't be more different. I haven't ridden the brand new mayhem 130 or 150 yet, but I've ridden every other spot full suspension, so I'll make comparisons on the previous mayhem. I wish spot would send me the new mayhem 130 to get a baseline, but it's too new and they don't have enough inventory yet.

The spots are incredibly unique. Nothing rides like a spot. They're light, lively, and amazing at sprinting and climbing. Spots have a little spring in their step (literally) and they feel incredibly efficient. If the spot were a porche cayene, the RSD Wildcat V2 is a ford raptor or a TRD tacoma.

The RSD is heavier. It feels more planted. It's slower at climbing. But it plows better, and it transmits less trail feedback to the rider. It mutes the trail more (which is kinda the point of a lot of full suspension bikes). I need more time on the RSD, but it feels more solid in the air, and it launches off lips and natural features more predictably. I can land on stair-step features and it feels like a groomed smooth landing. Cornering is extremely confident.

The mayhem feels more like 120mm of travel despite being 130mm. The RSD feels like more than 120mm. In fact, I found myself wondering if I'd ever need more than 120mm if i felt like the RSD. I imagine the plus tires I have on it contribute to that feeling. I still haven't bottomed it out or used all the travel.

The mayhem feels more linear at the end of the stroke and I find I bottom it out more than expected. The mayhem is also extremely picky about air pressures and setup. I had to experiment a lot with volume spacers and psi. If I'm 3 psi over, the mayhem doesn't quite ride right. But when it's dialed, it's great and you don't need to change it.

I'm still tweaking pressures on the RSD. I just did a quick parking lot sag setup on the shock at 30%, and it felt fantastic. It never felt too firm or too soft. I have a feeling the RSD is more tolerant to lazy suspension setup.

The spring curve of the RSD feels more progressive at the end stroke. The Mayhem feels more supportive at sag (that's the living link).

I never felt the RSD it bottom out, it just ramps up nicely. I still have 10% more reserve in the tank, despite hitting some big trails.

The mayhem is more of a 15-50 mile bike that wants to race up all the climbs, while the RSD feels like a play bike that is built for the descents. I think I'd be tired if I climbed my RSD for more than 10 miles.

The RSD is a lot more playful. The spot has longer chainstays which makes it planted and glued to the ground. The long chainstays are my biggest complaint about the mayhems (along with the overly tall seat tubes and short reaches). The RSD has the option to run the chainstays at different lengths. At the short end (425), it's encourages the playful rider who wants to manual, bunnyhop and jump every little feature they can find. It manuals and bunnyhops so much better than the mayhem. The RSD feels like it can handle more difficult terrain at speed than the mayhem as well. I'd much rather race an enduro race on the RSD than the mayhem. I'd much rather ride the mayhem at XC racing or something like the bc bike race. I'm noticeably faster and more composed on the downs on the RSD, and much faster on the climbs on the mayhem.

Both are fantastic bikes with totally different flavors. The mayhem feels a little more refined (and it should be at almost double the price) and light on its feet. The RSD just wants to play nonstop. You forgive its small quirks for the fun ride it has. The RSD is also surprisingly planted when you want to stay glued to the ground too.

On the mayhem I'm smiling ear to ear because it's a rocket on the ups and the flats. That living link spring is the real deal, and nothing feels like it. On the RSD I'm smiling ear to ear because it's so much fun on the downs and on the chunk. I'm constantly opening up new lines and new features to jump on the RSD; features I wouldn't even see on the mayhem.

The RSD really surprised me. It's probably my favorite horst link bike I've ridden, and that's saying a lot. I don't normally like horst link bikes, but this one has a nice platform. I didn't imagine it would ride this good, especially for the price.

The spots still have a short reach. I always end up sizing up to a L on the spots, and often cutting the seat tube because it's too long. The medium RSD is the size of a L mayhem 130 (reach numbers). I hope that helps.


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## voob (Jan 14, 2011)

Thanks, I am in Toronto and see Alex on the local trails and have been wandering about the wildcat. Mainly flow up and down trails. I am thinking about picking up a frame. My Mayhem is build on the burly side with a 36 and X2.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

How active is the suspension while pedaling? The one Horst Link bike I had before (Specialized Enduro) felt extremely active and really wore me out compared to the Yeti Swtich Infinity bike I had before it. I know Specialized suspension platform is known for being very active, hopefully the Wildcat isn't as bad.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

Switch infinity is pretty unique. Its quite efficient. I wouldn't expect the same efficiency out of the wildcat (or any horst link). Keep in mind this entire bike costs less than a switch infinity frame.

That said, the bike is seemingly less bobby than most other horst link designs. I was pleasantly surprised. I never felt the need to lock the shock out on climbs. It feels more supportive and less bobby than most specialized designs to me. It bob's less than a trek to me too. It has great grip on rocky climbs.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

SingleSpeedSteven said:


> How active is the suspension while pedaling? The one Horst Link bike I had before (Specialized Enduro) felt extremely active and really wore me out compared to the Yeti Swtich Infinity bike I had before it. I know Specialized suspension platform is known for being very active, hopefully the Wildcat isn't as bad.


The RSD appears to be a little more of an "old school" horst with the pivot significantly below the dropout. Look at the Specialized Enduro, Guerrilla Gravity and some other modern HL bikes, you'll see on the more modern ones the pivot is either in-line or almost-in-line with the dropout/axle. This tends to flatten out their pedaling curve and not make the anti-squat drop off so suddenly through the travel. With a flatter curve, like you find on many modern bikes, the bike will pedal relatively the same through much of the travel, regardless of your weight shifts or whether it's absorbing bumps. Yeti SI is nothing special, it's just a way for them to get around dual linkage patents and give that flat-ish 100% AS though a significant portion of the travel. This can be achieved with single pivots these days, like Trek, Evil, etc.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

hardtail party said:


> Switch infinity is pretty unique. Its quite efficient. I wouldn't expect the same efficiency out of the wildcat (or any horst link). Keep in mind this entire bike costs less than a switch infinity frame.
> 
> That said, the bike is seemingly less bobby than most other horst link designs. I was pleasantly surprised. I never felt the need to lock the shock out on climbs. It feels more supportive and less bobby than most specialized designs to me. It bob's less than a trek to me too. It has great grip on rocky climbs.


Definitely wouldn't be comparing it to the Switch Infinity, I just brought that up because sometimes I wonder if maybe I didn't like the Enduro because I went directly from SI to Horst Link and wasn't ready for the massive difference. I've had a couple different full suspensions since then though and never felt like any of the other designs were nearly as active as the Specialized, which confirms that Specialized platform just doesn't jive well with how I ride.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

Jayem said:


> The RSD appears to be a little more of an "old school" horst with the pivot significantly below the dropout. Look at the Specialized Enduro, Guerrilla Gravity and some other modern HL bikes, you'll see on the more modern ones the pivot is either in-line or almost-in-line with the dropout/axle. This tends to flatten out their pedaling curve and not make the anti-squat drop off so suddenly through the travel. With a flatter curve, like you find on many modern bikes, the bike will pedal relatively the same through much of the travel, regardless of your weight shifts or whether it's absorbing bumps. Yeti SI is nothing special, it's just a way for them to get around dual linkage patents and give that flat-ish 100% AS though a significant portion of the travel. This can be achieved with single pivots these days, like Trek, Evil, etc.


I admittedly don't have a great eye for suspension design. I rode rigid SS for years and years and always just had a full squish as my out of town mtb trip bike. I did feel that the SI rode much nicer than anything else I have owned. The top end of the suspension travel felt stiffer than any other bike I have owned, which made it feel easier to transition from riding a rigid bike.

I am excited to see how the Wildcat rides for sure.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

AlpineMTBTraining said:


> I have a 170mm V1 OneUp post in my medium Wildcat. There's about 2cm of the post left exposed when it's inserted until it hit the curve of the seat tube.


hm... maybe I need to take a closer look at mine. My 150mm KS Lev won't insert all the way on a size med. Could be the design of the KS vs the OneUp, but I would assume a 170mm oneup has more seatpost than a 150 ks lev.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

Here's my first look video of my bike. Hopefully this holds those of you over who are waiting for your frame to arrive.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Canfield makes cranks down to 155mm, I have some of their 160's. The GX eagle goes down to 165mm.

My fav crank right now is a 152mm crank, Shimano style, madew by that kids MTB company; can't remember the name, but they advertise here.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

Trailcraft?


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

That's the one!



hardtail party said:


> Trailcraft?


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

I tried a different cable routing.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

Edit: double post


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

Got mine all built up last night, size Medium. I haven't had time to ride it, but a few notes just from building that may be helpful for the guys swapping their parts off of a Middlechild:

- This frame definitely takes a longer brake line. The routing is significantly longer so don't think you can squeak by with your old one.

- 29x2.6s fit, but if you like the shortest rear end possible and/or live in a place where you need mud clearance don't even try it. Im running a 2.6 Vittoria Agarro and have the wheel pushed all of the way back in the dropout. I live in the desert and won't need mud clearance, but others may want to be cautious.

- I was hoping not to have the dropper post issues mentioned by a couple others, but I did. I am running a PNW Bachelor 170mm and am actually pretty disappointed in this aspect of the frame. 170mm is a very standard dropper size these days, but you'd have to have the inseam of a giant to run anything bigger than maybe a 150mm. Unfortunately I am just going to have to deal with it for now because the Bachelor posts are sold out everywhere.

- Cable routing is great in some spots, not great in others. I agree with Hardtailparty that the cable routing is flipped from what it should be. Unless I am completely missing something... Instead of zip tying 2 cables to a 1 cable boss on the left side of the down tube, I routed the rear shifter cable over to the other side where the multi-cable bosses are, skipped a boss and just S-hooked it on the left side of the bike to the brake cable.

Frame quality seems great and I am super excited to actually ride it. I didn't run into any hiccups swapping parts from the Middlechild, other than the brake cable which Alex warned me of up front. I had one in hand when the frame got here so that was a quick, easy fix.

Last note, is that I LOVE these dropouts. Why can't all full suspension frames give you adjustability in the rear end?


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

29 x 2.6 tire clearance for anyone interested. This is a Vittoria Agarro with the dropouts as far back as they will go.


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## BigHerm (May 21, 2018)

SingleSpeedSteven said:


> Got mine all built up last night, size Medium. I haven't had time to ride it, but a few notes just from building that may be helpful for the guys swapping their parts off of a Middlechild:
> 
> - This frame definitely takes a longer brake line. The routing is significantly longer so don't think you can squeak by with your old one.


I too am swapping parts from a MiddleChild. Will I need a longer derailleur housing/cable as well?

Hopefully I can just shim my OneUp dropper if I need to, otherwise this is going to be more expensive than I expected.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

I think I could have gotten away with using the same shifter cable and housing. I changed mine but only because I already had the bike apart.


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## BigHerm (May 21, 2018)

SingleSpeedSteven said:


> I think I could have gotten away with using the same shifter cable and housing. I changed mine but only because I already had the bike apart.


Right on. Just visually estimating the housing going along the downtube of the MiddleChild, I don't think the housing would be long enough. Adding in a slightly longer wheelbase and room for suspension movement I'm fairly certain a new hosing/cable is needed.

Anyway, I'm stoked for the Wildcat V2. I bought the MiddleChild as a trial for longer reach/wheelbase and slacker headtube compared to my DB Release 5c. I loved both aspects and adding a steeper seat tube and rear suspension should make this bike climb steep/loose terrain even better than the MC.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

My wildcat climbs better than my mc in the loose and chunk. However, the mc climbs better on the steep punchy slab climbs I have here. Both are great bikes.

I've been putting a lot of time on my wc2 lately.

For insanely steep downhills (steeper than you can walk down), I prefer the way I can move around on the mc more. The frame is smaller and more out of the way. The wc2 feels in the way a little bit. I feel like the seat can't get out of my way enough, even when it's dropped all the way. It ends up costing a bit of confidence on the really steep tech. For most other trails, it's really nice to have that cushion on the back.

Keep in mind I sized up to a med, and I have super short legs. Most other people won't have those problems. I'm definitely glad I sized up though.

I'm really surprised how well the suspension feels. It's got the perfect ramp-up for me. I've only bottomed it out once - on a 4' huck to flat on rock, and it was a nice soft bottom out. It's not as efficient as some other systems, but it's become my favorite feeling horst link design. I don't reach for the lockout switch ever, which is saying something. It may be the plus tires I'm running with it, but it truly feels like more than 120mm travel.


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## kbeefy (Jul 7, 2020)

Man hardtail party, your posts are kind of making me want to go buy a set of 27.5 rims with some 3.0 tires to see how it rides... Decisions decisions! 

I'll echo your thoughts on the suspension though. I'm squarely in the clydesdale category (240 lbs on an XL frame) and I haven't bottomed out hard yet. I also haven't hucked to flat from four feet, but the WC2 easily handles my bulk on two foot rock drops at speed. I tend to reset the travel indicator before my rides and measure it when I get home... Today I used 48mm of shock stroke so I'm close to bottom out, but haven't felt the bump yet. I'm toying with the idea of adding a volume spacer or two to the can, but until I feel like I need it I'm not going to mess with a good thing. Getting the sock up to pressure is a chore... Even though the shock pump SAYS it'll go up to 300 PSI, getting anything over 210 is a bit of a struggle. I blew up the cheap pump I got from amazon (it was all that was available) and it took two techs with two different pumps at my LBS to get the can up to 245 psi! 

Anyways, a month and a half in for me on this bike and I'm still so happy with the ride.


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## kbeefy (Jul 7, 2020)

SingleSpeedSteven said:


> 29 x 2.6 tire clearance for anyone interested. This is a Vittoria Agarro with the dropouts as far back as they will go.


Tons of room! I live in a sometimes muddy area, so I'd probably have to be careful with bigger knobs. But, maybe it'll just act like a mud scraper on the frame and keep my tires lighter! Actually the mud tends to cake more on the sides of the tire anyways and it looks like there's plenty of space there.

Thanks for the picture!


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

I'm digging a 2.8 rear, 3.0 front. I'm not quite able to run the dropouts all the way forward with a 3.0

Yeah, if you haven't bottomed out yet, no need to add spacers. I like to use all my travel every ride or two. That's how I know it's set up well for me


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## areeves08 (Jan 7, 2020)

SingleSpeedSteven said:


> Got mine all built up last night, size Medium. I haven't had time to ride it, but a few notes just from building that may be helpful for the guys swapping their parts off of a Middlechild:
> 
> - This frame definitely takes a longer brake line. The routing is significantly longer so don't think you can squeak by with your old one.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the heads up on the cable/hose lengths. I ordered another brake hose in preparation, but think I've got enough housing and spare shift cables to get me by. My frame should arrive today. 20 minutes was all I need to strip the MC frame, hopefully it won't take too much tinkering to get the WC assembled.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

I went ahead and ordered a 150mm Fox Transfer post. I am pretty bummed I won't be able to use the Bachelor, but the 170mm is just high enough where it's not going to work. If your inseam is anywhere in the realm of 32 like mine, the 170mm just won't work on the Medium frame. 

Hoping to get this thing out for a ride tonight. I didn't even make it out of the neighborhood last night before I decided that the seatpost was a no-go.


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## areeves08 (Jan 7, 2020)

I'm running a 180mm OneUp V2, so I'm hopeful their marketing hype of having the shortest overall stack proves true.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

areeves08 said:


> I'm running a 180mm OneUp V2, so I'm hopeful their marketing hype of having the shortest overall stack proves true.


Just did a quick comparison and I think the post you're using would have worked for me personally.

PNW Bachelor 170mm = 280mm full insertion
OneUp V2 180mm = 267mm full insertion

I am thinking 13mm would have made a world of difference in my case. It was close enough where I initially thought I could possibly get away with the 170mm. The pedal stroke was just long enough where I don't think it was sustainable long term.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

New seatpost came in and I finally got this beast out for a ride. What a fun bike, does just about everything well. Climbs much better than other full suspension bikes I have ridden and is super fun going downhill. Excited to get more miles on this thing, but already seems like a great bike for those of us who want one bike that does a lot of things well.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

Nice! Are those Martellos? Looks so good.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

Martello front, Agarro rear... I've been a big time Vittoria fanboi for a few seasons now.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

Do you live in az? We should connect for a ride sometime.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

Yessir, I am down in Phoenix. Definitely down for a ride sometime!


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

I just built one up from a frame, all done, just waiting on a shorter seat post.

Really great value, the deep purple with sparkles is gorgeous.

Not a lot of saddle time, but it rides well, shock set up was quick and easy. I'm running a Z2 140/44 fork, XT 12sp, TRP Quadiem, and 27.5 plus wheels

The tire clearance is huge! I'm running an HD 2.8 that measures out to 3" and I have 10mm clearance to all sides in the shortest drop out position (420mm). Also runs taller wheels up to a 29 x 2.6

The frame fits true to size (newer school geo), I got a medium which has a 462mm reach. Since it's a second bike, I went down in size so it would be more usable for my family and friends, which makes it a bit short for me (6', 32" inseam, long arms). It's good for my use which is mostly goofing off in the backyard and riding mud and snow in the winter.

If you don't need more rear travel, this is heck of a deal.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

One Up has the shortest insert, 267mm for a V2 180mm dropper with the option to reduce rise another 10mm or 20mm.

This is the dropper I just ordered because I couldn't use my One Up 210mm dropper (297,mm insert) due to the limited seat post insert on these frames.

Running 160mm cranks, I may just fit without having to reduce, worse case scenario I have some 152mm cranks 



SingleSpeedSteven said:


> Just did a quick comparison and I think the post you're using would have worked for me personally.
> 
> PNW Bachelor 170mm = 280mm full insertion
> OneUp V2 180mm = 267mm full insertion
> ...


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

Just a friendly reminder to check your pivot bolts regularly. One of mine was starting to get loose.


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## hardtail party (Oct 12, 2012)

I recently had the opportunity to take this bike to Moab and put it through its paces. What a bike!


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## Fred2726 (Feb 20, 2012)

*Tire question*

Absolutely loving my new RSD Wildcat V2. Alex was beyond helpful, a terrific experience.

One question, anyone running a 27.5x2.8 front with a 27.5x2.6 rear?

I currently have the WTB Vigilante on the front (Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.8 on the rear now) and was thinking about the 2.6 Trail Boss on the rear.

Thoughts?


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## Fred2726 (Feb 20, 2012)

*Mine too*



hardtail party said:


> Just a friendly reminder to check your pivot bolts regularly. One of mine was starting to get loose.


Also had my rear pivot bolt come loose. In addition to the shock mount bolt. Realized when I started to develop a squeak.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Now running a 210 x 55mm MRP Hazzard Shock with progressive spring


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

Nurse Ben said:


> Now running a 210 x 55mm MRP Hazzard Shock with progressive spring


Just curious, but why are you running that size shock? The frame is designed around a 200x51. How does it ride?


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## Fred2726 (Feb 20, 2012)

Playing in the mud with my Wildcat V2.


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## drrenjamin (Dec 20, 2020)

Fred2726 said:


> Playing in the mud with my Wildcat V2.
> 
> View attachment 1906553


Great shot! Looks happy in the mud. 
Is this a size small or medium? I'm in between sizes and wondering what the pros and cons of sizing down vs. up would be. Especially considering people's concerns about the high seat tube (though it looks like I'd only be able to run a 125 travel dropper no matter the sizing). I'm 5'7" with a pretty small inseam. Also wondering if anyone has tried to run a 130 fork and thoughts on that (that's what I have on my HT Chameleon and was thinking of bringing it over -- I'm pretty light and have never felt under forked here in the midwest).


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## Fred2726 (Feb 20, 2012)

drrenjamin said:


> Great shot! Looks happy in the mud.
> Is this a size small or medium? I'm in between sizes and wondering what the pros and cons of sizing down vs. up would be. Especially considering people's concerns about the high seat tube (though it looks like I'd only be able to run a 125 travel dropper no matter the sizing). I'm 5'7" with a pretty small inseam. Also wondering if anyone has tried to run a 130 fork and thoughts on that (that's what I have on my HT Chameleon and was thinking of bringing it over -- I'm pretty light and have never felt under forked here in the midwest).


It's a size medium, I'm 5'10. Spoke to Alex (RSD) to get his opinion. Really could have gone with a large if I wanted to, but prefer to error on the side of my bike being smaller, than too much of a reach. The Wildcat is longer than my previous 27.5+ bike. Comparing sizes, the Wildcat medium is probably closer to other companies size large.

Hope that helps.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

SingleSpeedSteven said:


> Just curious, but why are you running that size shock? The frame is designed around a 200x51. How does it ride?


You get more travel higher and a higher bb.

Liked it so much I bought a used RS Deluxe 210 x 55 air shock, added three volume spacers, rides great.

Got the coil shock on my other bike now.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

drrenjamin said:


> Great shot! Looks happy in the mud.
> Is this a size small or medium? I'm in between sizes and wondering what the pros and cons of sizing down vs. up would be. Especially considering people's concerns about the high seat tube (though it looks like I'd only be able to run a 125 travel dropper no matter the sizing). I'm 5'7" with a pretty small inseam. Also wondering if anyone has tried to run a 130 fork and thoughts on that (that's what I have on my HT Chameleon and was thinking of bringing it over -- I'm pretty light and have never felt under forked here in the midwest).


130mm fork will drop the bb, not a problem if you're running it as a 29er, but as a 27.5 the bb is quite low even with a 140mm fork.

I'm 6' and I ride a medium, it's a tad short for me as an all mountain bike, but I bought it for trials, winter, and as a loaner.

At 5'7" a medium would be a fair fit, might need a short stem and slide the seat forward. I magine a small would be really short.


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## GAKDVC (Mar 3, 2021)

Hello guys am new here, and I'm seriously considering the Wildcat V2 frame and I'd like to frontload on the parts I'll equipp it with. Would like to get actual tips and info from you about the following so I won't make a mistake of purchasing the wrong items:


Hubs sizes to fit it
Dropper (would 125mm fit?)
Can we slap a 150mm fork in it?

Thanks in advance guys ride safe y'all!


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## kbeefy (Jul 7, 2020)

GAKDVC said:


> Hello guys am new here, and I'm seriously considering the Wildcat V2 frame and I'd like to frontload on the parts I'll equipp it with. Would like to get actual tips and info from you about the following so I won't make a mistake of purchasing the wrong items:
> 
> 
> Hubs sizes to fit it
> ...


So the info you're looking for is on the "Specs & Geometry" tab on the wildcat page on rsd's website: Wildcat V2 Aluminum - Fat Bike | Mountain Bikes Toronto | Online Bicycle Store - RSD Bikes

To answer your questions though:

Hub Sizes: any boost 12 x 148mm rear hub works. Front hub depends on your fork choice, but is going to be 15 x 110mm for any modern trail fork.

Dropper: Depends on frame size. The complete wildcats ship with droppers: S 125mm, M & L 150mm, XL 175mm . Different dropper post brands have different insertion lengths, and the max insertion length for each frame size is listed on that spec & geo page too.

Fork: Max supported fork length is 160mm.

Happy Riding!


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## GAKDVC (Mar 3, 2021)

kbeefy said:


> So the info you're looking for is on the "Specs & Geometry" tab on the wildcat page on rsd's website: Wildcat V2 Aluminum - Fat Bike | Mountain Bikes Toronto | Online Bicycle Store - RSD Bikes
> 
> To answer your questions though:
> 
> ...


Thanks KBeefy I appreciate it, yes checked out their webiste but I wanna have the actual user thoughts just to be sure. Ride safe!


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## AlpineMTBTraining (Apr 26, 2009)

GAKDVC said:


> Hello guys am new here, and I'm seriously considering the Wildcat V2 frame and I'd like to frontload on the parts I'll equipp it with. Would like to get actual tips and info from you about the following so I won't make a mistake of purchasing the wrong items:
> 
> 
> Hubs sizes to fit it
> ...


the wildcat is an awesome bike. I built mine up with my own parts as well.

the hubs that will fit are boost. 110x15mm front, 148x12mm rear.
125 dropper will fit on a medium, I assume it will on a small. You will have to check for sure based on your 125mm dropper and the max insertion on the website. I have a 170mm OneUp with 1cm exposed on my medium frame.
I have a 150mm fork on mine. without double checking the website I think the frame is rated for a max 160mm fork.
I have mine build up burly like an enduro bike and it behaves much like one. It could also be built up like a lighter trail bike and it would be a blast in less technical terrain.

What other parts are you planning to build with?


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## GAKDVC (Mar 3, 2021)

AlpineMTBTraining said:


> the wildcat is an awesome bike. I built mine up with my own parts as well.
> 
> the hubs that will fit are boost. 110x15mm front, 148x12mm rear.
> 125 dropper will fit on a medium, I assume it will on a small. You will have to check for sure based on your 125mm dropper and the max insertion on the website. I have a 170mm OneUp with 1cm exposed on my medium frame.
> ...


Good stuff Alpine thanks for your take. It'll either be a Rockshox or a Fox 36, whichever will be available. Drivetrain maybe XTs and hopeful I can stumble on Hope hubs that'll be a good fit. I'll use it for Trail mostly, but we all know that rush going downhill will soon creep up somewhere, so I better have it correct (the setup that is).


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## AlpineMTBTraining (Apr 26, 2009)

GAKDVC said:


> Good stuff Alpine thanks for your take. It'll either be a Rockshox or a Fox 36, whichever will be available. Drivetrain maybe XTs and hopeful I can stumble on Hope hubs that'll be a good fit. I'll use it for Trail mostly, but we all know that rush going downhill will soon creep up somewhere, so I better have it correct (the setup that is).


Haha! It sure does. I use mine from trail to Enduro/DH. My wheels are kind of heavy with inserts in so it is not ideal for light trail/XC but I spend most of my time thus want the best performance on steep and technical terrain.

I have a wheel set built on hope hubs for many years. Actually non boost which I have bought the boost adapters for which work really well. I am glad I went with hope many years ago because of this ability to adapt the hubs.

if you do end up pulling the trigger enjoy the build.


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## Rad83 (8 mo ago)

AlpineMTBTraining said:


> the wildcat is an awesome bike. I built mine up with my own parts as well.
> 
> the hubs that will fit are boost. 110x15mm front, 148x12mm rear.
> 125 dropper will fit on a medium, I assume it will on a small. You will have to check for sure based on your 125mm dropper and the max insertion on the website. I have a 170mm OneUp with 1cm exposed on my medium frame.
> ...


What ? 170 dropper ? Damn I am builging my frame up and ordered a 125 dropper as I calculated that’s what will fit. Perhaps it’s my short legs…


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