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The bike that started it all just got even better...

265K views 2K replies 114 participants last post by  mikesee 
#1 · (Edited)
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The new and improved Lenz Lunchbox.

Short chainstays? Check. 16.75 inches measured the honest way, from the center of the rear axle to the center of the BB.

Travel? Check. 150mm.

Stealth Dropper post routing? Check.

Clean-ass cable routing? Check. Rear derailleur cable runs down the downtube, inside the rear chainstay and pops out right at the derailleur. Nice.

Piggyback shocks? Check. Pick your favorite, it fits.

150mm rear hub spacing? Check. Props to Banshee for doing this as well. It matters much more than the 15mm vs 20mm fork argument.

Stiff as shizzzzzzz? Check. With the rear wheel removed, you can't budge the rear triangle. I've never had a bike that even comes close to this one in this regard.

More pics to come. I've been too busy grinning and riding to take pics.

Props to Devin Lenz on making a masterpiece, literally. He made it, with his hands, in his shop, in Colorado and it's a functional work of art.

Forgot to add, BB height is 13.5 inches with the 150mm Pike. This improvement was huge for me as I always felt the previous model's BB height was a tad tall for east coast carving. Now it slays corners. I don't have the chunk and chunder like out west, so the additional height was a hinderance to getting that "in the bike" feel. Problem solved.
 
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#84 ·
Ha!

I know exactly what you're talking about WRT to "pushing" the dropouts in...they won't budge.

Kinda makes a person snicker when you see the ad copy "142 rear end for maximum stiffness!"
Yeah there definitely is a difference between marketing mumbo jumbo and reality. I'm ok not seeing my bike in full page ads or flashing at me while I peruse MTBR because I already know I have the baddest Betty on the block sitting in the garage.
 
#87 ·
The one thing you can learn from the website is that Devin is really really great at designing and building...bikes;)

Geo wise the only things that are different are the chainstays, WB and BB height. With 150mm Fork~13.5, 160mm Fork~13.8 (varies slightly with tire choices of course).

Mike could probably provide whatever numbers you're after however.
 
#88 ·
A lot of the important numbers have already been hashed out. This type of bike is going to be my next one, for sure, but I'd love it if I could hold out long enough for you, Colin, to have purchased and ridden an Enduro, WFO, TrailFox, and the 'Box.

Get right on that, will ya?

I'm on a new alloy RIP right now. Would you say the Lenz climbs anywhere near as well as your RDO?
 
#89 ·
A lot of the important numbers have already been hashed out. This type of bike is going to be my next one, for sure, but I'd love it if I could hold out long enough for you, Colin, to have purchased and ridden an Enduro, WFO, TrailFox, and the 'Box.

Get right on that, will ya?
Yessir, right away! Although I can tell you that I have no interest in the Enduro or the TrailFox so i wouldn't hold my breath. Also the only WFO I would be interested in would be a carbon version RDO as I really do like my Rip RDO.
 
#93 ·
After riding the loaner from mikesee, one of the most telling things is that for two full days of riding I never once took the rear shock out of the "full open" position. I didn't realize this until just a few minutes ago, but it didn't matter whether I was going thru the chunk on a descent or standing and (trying to) stomp up a punchy techy climb. I never craved more platform....
 
#95 ·
I will have to keep an eye on this and other similar threads... I love my Leviathan (Thanks again for that Mikesee, 3 seasons with a few drivetrain revisions and still going strong), but with all the DH friendly trail opening around the Upper Midwest it might finally be time to look into a second FS bike. Sounds like it might be a lot like my Yelli Screamy, but with suspension.

I did meet a guy who had a 650b Lunchbox when I was in Spearfish, SD for the Dakota 5-0 and that was what really piqued my interest in looking for something with longer legs.
 
#97 ·
View attachment 840329

The new and improved Lenz Lunchbox.

Short chainstays? Check. 16.75 inches measured the honest way, from the center of the rear axle to the center of the BB.

Travel? Check. 150mm.

Stealth Dropper post routing? Check.

Clean-ass cable routing? Check. Rear derailleur cable runs down the downtube, inside the rear chainstay and pops out right at the derailleur. Nice.

Piggyback shocks? Check. Pick your favorite, it fits.

150mm rear hub spacing? Check. Props to Banshee for doing this as well. It matters much more than the 15mm vs 20mm fork argument.

Stiff as shizzzzzzz? Check. With the rear wheel removed, you can't budge the rear triangle. I've never had a bike that even comes close to this one in this regard.

More pics to come. I've been too busy grinning and riding to take pics.

Props to Devin Lenz on making a masterpiece, literally. He made it, with his hands, in his shop, in Colorado and it's a functional work of art.

Forgot to add, BB height is 13.5 inches with the 150mm Pike. This improvement was huge for me as I always felt the previous model's BB height was a tad tall for east coast carving. Now it slays corners. I don't have the chunk and chunder like out west, so the additional height was a hinderance to getting that "in the bike" feel. Problem solved.
150 Check
I can use my CCDBa Check
Short stays Check.

That BB height has me interested. Perfect IMO. Even for Chunk. NOt sure how he did it because the pre-pro I saw from Mikesee was something like 14.25" HIgh BB's feel hobby horse to me at slow speeds. They have their advantages, but I don't like the feel.

I have been off Lenz frames for a few years, but this one has me interested.
 
#116 ·
Agree. Would prefer the pedaling characteristics of the BMC or 9er, but the geometry is getting dialed. My 13.2" bottom bracket is great. With 29er wheels your approach angles change and you don't have as many problems as the tippy 26ers that would high-center easily. Been DH riding and racing and no problems there (with plenty of big roots to catch on and abrupt drop-offs to possibly hang up on). The other thing is that riding on 29er wheels, you want to feel "in" the bike and not way over the top and disconnected. Old long and high 29ers just feel crappy compared to a low dialed in 26er on a downhill or fast snappy trail. Newer 29ers like this Lenz completely change that (I'm riding similar geometry on my 29er). It's still a 29er, but it's finally a 29er that rips and allows the chassis to take advantage of the wheel size to the highest degree, rather than be held back by sub-optimal geometry.

16.7-17.2 stays, 6" of travel, 67 HA, 13.2-13.6" BB, these numbers make for ripping bikes, especially with today's lighter carbon bikes.
 
#101 ·
Finally, I have to say that a couple other things have happened to make this bike perfectly timed:

1. PIKE. Amazingly best fork ever. I love it every time I ride. It converted me from rigid the way George Costanza converts hetero women into lesbians.

2. DHF tires.

The package is amazing, and the thought that I can use a CCDB on the Box, lose nearly an inch of wheelbase, keep my BB where I like it has the wheels spinning.

Sorry Keith from Banshee. We can agree to disagree that longish stays are a good idea on 29" bikes.
 
#109 ·
^^ Interesting indeed. Curious to see the weight spread from Mammoth -> Punk Behemoth -> Punk LB frames.

I have this Pike fork sitting in my garage along with some other sweet bits and they just need to go on SOMEthing...and the decision keeps getting harder (it's a good problem to have!)
 
#110 ·
Life is good, You can take a good bike & remove the fork & then you are left with a bike that needs a new Fork & a Fork that needs a new bike.:thumbsup::thumbsup:

I used to not have enough wheel sets for my bikes & now I don't have enough bikes for my wheel sets.
 
#117 ·
Took delivery of my frame today.

Unboxed, built as far as I could get without getting the crown race set.

This frame in Rawthic looks amazing - industrial & mean, ready to get filthy and stomp the s##t out of some gnarly trail. However, I'd imagine this finish isn't for everyone...it's.....for lack of a better term, RAW, living up to it's name. It ain't purty by any means, but I love it.

Should have the build completed tomorrow...pics forthcoming!

...cannot wait to ride this beast.
 
#120 ·
Hey Guys, just wanted to let you know that we are also doing the new Behemoth with the super short chain-stays. It will have the new slick looking top tube, but the down-tube will stay the same as it is now to keep the frame lighter. So the Moth will be a lighter version of the box with 5" travel. So if you like the Box, but want something a bit more XC oriented, the behemoth is a good choice. Email us at sales@lenzsport.com if you want to see the geometry chart for either the Box or the Moth.

Thanks,
Nick@Lenz Sport

Bicycle tire Bicycle part Bicycle accessory Bicycle wheel rim Bicycle
 
#136 ·
Hey Guys, just wanted to let you know that we are also doing the new Behemoth with the super short chain-stays. It will have the new slick looking top tube, but the down-tube will stay the same as it is now to keep the frame lighter. So the Moth will be a lighter version of the box with 5" travel. So if you like the Box, but want something a bit more XC oriented, the behemoth is a good choice. Email us at sales@lenzsport.com if you want to see the geometry chart for either the Box or the Moth.

Thanks,
Nick@Lenz Sport

View attachment 841240
Hi Nick,
Thanks for the info. Do you have any picks of an XL Lunchbox with the new Punkass rear and swoopy toptube? Might have to dump my e29for a local bike made here in Colorado.
 
#126 ·
that's correct. If you need the piggy back shock, the LB is the one. We can do 5 inch travel LB frames too. we just don't advertise that option.

Nick@Lenz Sport
Not to derail the thread, but according to the measurement for the shock on the new Behemoth, a CCDBAcs would fit. Any reason not to run it?

For those that have experience with the CCDBA, how hard was it to get setup without a base tune starting point from CC? I'm pretty close to ordering a Behemoth, but I want to run a better shock and must admit I'm a little intimidated by the CCDBA, but everything I read tends to suggest it's worth the trouble though.
 
#125 ·
jimithing...cannot wait to see your bike! I am about ready to add the LB Punckass to the stable along side the Milk Money. Rawthic is my color choice as well. Hopefully we'll be able to connect when you come out west for the next trip. I don't think I'll have mine put together until spring though...gonna put a deposit on frame and then start collecting parts so that my wife doesn't add up the total cost : ) Gotta connect with mikesee about a wheelset - will be my second from him.
 
#132 ·
Haha! We're on the same page...

So my PunkAss is all built, ready to shred. Shakedown trail ride tomorrow morning.

A few notes from my build:

- PunkAss short and wide rear end creates a bit of a...process, I'll call it...with using standard spacing on the bottom bracket cups and crankset. Not much more to say than it's a trial and error process.

- The medium frame looks small and compact. In fact, it's surprising looking at the bikes overall size knowing it's a 150/160mm travel 29er. Coming from the "old" large Lunchbox frame, the medium fits well. In just riding around my neighborhood the last coupla nights I can feel this size frame is quicker and more nimble. Really looking forward to how this translates to feel on the trail.

- Something, somewhere (I can only think its in the drive train) is creaking/crunching/groaning. Only happens with medium and above pedal force in the smallest half of the 11-speed cassette. I dug up a thread here discussing this issue - the fix was either 1) remove the cassette and grease the body of the XD driver & cassette carrier. 2) remove the RD and grease the bolt/hanger interface. 3) remove the cap on the clutch mech and slather grease in there. 4) warranty the RD.

I did the first 2, haven't been able to manage the removal of the bolt covering the clutch mechanism. The noise is still there, but not as prevalent as it was last night. Also removed the reverb post, cleaned and applied a thin layer of grease. Checked seat rails. BB cups are tight, crank bolt bottomed out, chainring bolts all tight. RD is brand new. XO1 group, except crank is RF SIXC and ring is RF 30t narrow/wide. Pissing me off....hoping its in the clutch mech.

So...ya. Built, rolling, and ready to hit the trail but not without some bumps in the road.

Hoping to put up some pics tomorrow.

Anyone else care to share build tips/tricks, or other experiences?
 
#133 ·
I had the same creak issue with my brand new X0/Wolf Tooth 1x10 setup. I tried everything but nothing seemed to work for the first few rides. As soon as I gave up, the creaks started to disappear til they were inexplicably gone. My best guess is that the drivetrain had to "settle in" - I'm sure all the grease and torqued to spec bolts helped. I didn't have this problem with an earlier XT build, FWIW.

Edit: now that I think of it, my pedals were the last creaky holdout.
 
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