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LCFS958 trial carbon frame complete bike review by Zach.DeBruine

LCFS958 trial carbon frame complete bike review by Zach.DeBruine

  • 2021/09/17

This is The repost of the LCFS958 review, this repost aim to let more riders who are ready to order this frame know about this frame. 

It was orinagl review by Zach.DeBruine


The FS958 might just be the most visually assaulting and forward-thinking carbon frame that’s shipped consumer-direct by the factory. Even Pinkbike’s Brian Park cautiously praised it in his article on “5 surprisingly nice catalog frames” last year. One Pinkbike commenter asked, “What’s a designer like that doing on open-mold frames?”


Light Carbon FS937: Downcountry 29er Build-pinkbike.jpg
Pinkbike highlighted the “clean looking” LCFS958 frame (Photo: Pinkbike)

Indeed, this frame is an original and creative work of bicycle art.

Light Carbon FS937: Downcountry 29er Build-2-snow-pic.jpg
I built up my FS958 with 115mm rear travel and 120mm front travel, weighing in just over 22 lbs. However, you can match your course and style by choosing your suspension travel strategically. For example, you can limit rear travel by using a different shock stroke (40mm is ~115mm travel, 42.5mm is ~123mm travel, and 45mm is ~130mm travel). You can also choose your front travel, as axle-to-crown lengths corresponding to about 120mm-140mm of travel in a 29er configuration will play well with the geometry.



CONSTRUCTION AND FEATURES
Light Carbon FS937: Downcountry 29er Build-4-non-drive-side.jpg
The FS958 is a looker. The massive seat-tube/top-tube triangle looks like an Evil bike on steroids, but the most original characteristic of this frame is the linkage sandwiched between a split seat tube. In theory, this linkage sandwich should be stiffer than a linkage forked around the seat tube. Indeed, it is.

Light Carbon FS937: Downcountry 29er Build-shock-zoomed-out-2.jpg
The suspension linkage is sandwiched inside a split seat tube

Sandwiching the linkage between downtube stanchions is something that hasn’t been done before in XC/trail bikes, as far as I am aware. This is well thought out. The layup above the split in the seat tube is very beefy and quite wide. The large triangle feature at the seat tube/top tube junction helps space the seat tube wide enough without looking strange. The linkage is quite wide, probably wider than needed, but this can only translate to more stiffness.

Light Carbon FS937: Downcountry 29er Build-triangle.jpg
The seat tube/top tube junction is overbuilt for stiffness

Nearly the entire frame is generously overbuilt. This adds a little weight, but it is confidence-inspiring when riding aggressively and provides outstanding stiffness. The seatstays are noticeably compliant, with integrated flex to accommodate the single pivot rear triangle design. The frame isn’t a delicate XC specialist—my 20.5” painted frame weighed 2580g—it’s built for burlier endeavors.

Light Carbon FS937: Downcountry 29er Build-routing-ports.jpg
Front cable ports are tightly fit and look clean

Light Carbon FS937: Downcountry 29er Build-rear-routing-port.jpg
Chainstay routing ports are clean and feature molded-in guides

Internal cable routing is nicely executed. The chainstay brake and shifter cables are easy to route thanks to molded-in guides, while the front ports are tightly fit and easy to handle.

Internally-routed dropper posts up to 170mm in size 17.5” and 200mm in size 19” can fit inside the seat tube. That, or you can stay rowdy and rigid like me.

Toray 700 carbon fiber construction provides stiffness and reliability on par with industry standards. Frames are tested to 130% of SGS industry standards. 2-year manufacturer warranty comes with the frame.

Light Carbon not only honors their 2-year warranty, they fix the problems. I have been in touch with a Cat 1 racer who somehow broke his trunnion shock mounting hardware resulting in a cracked linkage and front triangle. Light Carbon has since been shipping their frame with stronger (and heavier) trunnion mounting bolts and beefed up the layup in the linkage.

Light Carbon FS937: Downcountry 29er Build-drivetrain.jpg
The frame is 1x-specific and fits a 32T chainring. Light Carbon advertises that a 34T will fit, this would be almost uncomfortably tight. A threaded BB shell and integrated ISCG-05 chain guide mount are appreciated details, though I don’t have a need for the chain guide mount. Rear spacing is 12x148mmboost, and the rear triangle clears 29x2.4” tires.



GEOMETRY AND SIZING
SIZE S (17.5”) M (19”) L (20.5)”
FORK AXLE TO CROWN 530 / 540 / 550 530 / 540 / 550 530 / 540 / 550
STACK 562 / 566 / 569 623 / 579 / 582 589 / 593 / 596
REACH 445 / 440 / 436 481 / 470 / 466 505 / 500 / 496
WHEEL BASE 1174 / 1178 / 1182 1210 / 1214 / 1218 1246 / 1250 / 1254
TOP TUBE HORIZONTAL 589 / 590 / 591 622 / 623 / 624 657 / 658 / 659
HEAD TUBE ANGLE 67.5o / 67o / 66.5o
EFFECTIVE SEAT TUBE ANGLE 75o / 74.5o / 74o
BB DROP -40 / -36 / -33
CHAIN STAY LENGTH 444.5
HEAD TUBE LENGTH 95 110 125
SEAT TUBE LENGTH 440 480 520
FORK OFFSET 51 51 51
REAR TRAVEL 115mm (165x40) / 123mm (165x42.5) / 130mm (165x45)
MAX TIRE 29x2.35” or 27.5x2.8"

The FS958 is the longest and slackest factory-direct frame in the Trail and XC category, with a 67-degree head angle, and a reach of 500mm in a size large.

The wheelbase is very long, at 1250mm in size large. This is great progression to see in a factory design, where geo typically lags 2-3 years behind industry leaders.

Unlike most Chiner frames, the design and geometry of this frame is entirely original, as far as I am aware. It’s refreshing to see a factory producing a frame that can compete with leaders in the industry.



SUSPENSION DESIGN
The FS958 keeps things simple with a single pivot design with integrated flex stays. Suspension is supple through the entire stroke, even during heavy braking on demanding descents. The seatstay caliper mount does not affect suspension performance as far as I can tell.

Light Carbon FS937: Downcountry 29er Build-shock-hardware.jpg
The shock is mounted with a 21.8mm (or 22.2mm) spacer kit and two machined spacers provided with the frame


Light Carbon FS937: Downcountry 29er Build-linkage.jpg
The linkage is routed between a split seat tube

Light Carbon FS937: Downcountry 29er Build-5-shock-mount-hole.jpg
A hole in the downtube doubles as an access point to the shock air valve and a drain for the cavity burrying the lower mount

The FS958 fits trunnion-mount 165mm eye-to-eye shocks. Fox offers 40, 42.5, and 45mm stroke DPS shocks (equating to 115mm, 123mm, and 130mm rear travel on this frame), and all you’ll need is a single 21.8mm 8mm mounting kit. (54*φ10mm - 22.2*φ8mm). Light Carbon also provided some machined steel spacers to fit on either side of the shock kit. I ordered a 22.2mm kit and this was just too tight, it took a few taps from a rubber mallet to work the spacers into place. There was absolutely no play in the shock setup, snug and able to move quite freely with properly tightened bushings, but unfortunately bushings instead of bearings means there is considerable stiction at the joints.


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