Spot New Bike Release | Mayhem 140

Introducing the Mayhem 140, the most advanced bike this company has ever made. By combining Inversion, the 3rd generation of our Living Link platform, with the all-new Slaybar frame design, the M140 is a bike that truly rewrites the rules. It decouples the sled from the shred, eliminates the squish from the smash. The Mayhem 140 is lighter, stronger, more supple, more efficient, more magic carpet, and more pop, all in one bike. The new correct number of bikes : N-1

We've been taught to accept this idea of an inverse relationship between climbing and descending ability. That, when one is improved, the other automatically suffers. We set out to prove this wrong. There is also a trend where trail bikes have been getting increasingly heavier. And while we are one hundred percent down with the incredible capability of modern bikes, we still love the liveliness of lightweight, so we challenged ourselves to boost capability and strength while keeping weight in check.

Design Goals: Rewrite the Rules

• Descend better
• Climb better
• Refine, refine, refine
• Make it lighter
• Make it stronger

How We Did: Crushed It!

• Has an ungodly amount of grip
• Enables fearless descending
• Inspires spirited climbing
• Strongest frame we've ever tested
• Most capable bike we've ever made
• 6-Star kit weighs under 30lbs with real parts
• Pops like a Spot
• Simpler frame construction with fewer linkage parts
• Looks rad!

Inversion - 3rd Generation of Spot Living Link Technology

At the heart of our Living Link suspension system is a leaf spring that flexes as the suspension moves. In the 8 suspension models Spot has produced over the last 10 years, we've kept the leaf spring and linkage configuration approximately the same. But we were reaching the limits of what we could do with this setup, so in order to expand the kinematic control, we developed a whole new layout we call "Inversion" and it represents the biggest leap forward since the original design.

Benefits of Inversion

• Improved pedaling efficiency with more grip
• More usable travel by making the mid-stroke leverage rate more linear
• Better bottom-out control
• Better small-bump compliance
• Softer touch-down feel
• Focuses anti-squat more in sag range

Inversion

• 3rd Generation of Living Link leaf spring system - Spot's elegant solution to complex problems
• Leaf spring and main pivot "flipped upside down" vs. previous generation
• Focuses peak of anti-squat curve in the sag range
• Less chain growth and better touch down feel than bikes with similar anti squat
• Leverage ratio curve has a very progressive beginning, shallower mid stroke, and significant bottom out ramp up
• Leaf spring adds negative spring force at beginning, positive in the sag range and neutral at bottom out. More compression doesn't equal more spring flex - max flex is at approximately 50% travel
• Simplified over 2nd generation system - fewr parts, fewer bearings, better bearing sealing. This suspension system uses 6 bearings, while some competing systems use 18
• Patented, designed and developed in house by Spot

Living Link Commandments

Spot uses a core set of principles that guide every suspension bike we design. These were laid out a decade ago when we were developing our first suspension bike. These were the reasons we went down the path of designing and patenting our own system, and they continue to instruct the design as our bikes evolve.

• Everyone Appreciates Efficiency: The more energy we can save on the climbs, the more we'll have for the descents.
• Shock Lockouts are a Design Crutch: A great suspension system should not rely on shock lockouts for pedaling efficiency
• Optimize the Whole Ride: What's the point of making a bike climb well if it can't crush the descents? And vice versa.
• Keep it Simple, Make it Reliable: We believe the most elegant designs boil complex ideas into the simplest form. This is our goal with Living Link. Achieve advanced kinematic control in the simplest possible layout that minimizes moving parts, and maximizes durability.
• Weight still matters: It seems like a lot of brands have forgotten this. Spot hasn't. We work extremely hard on delivering maximum capability at category leading weights.
• Make more fun : At the end of the day, that is what it all comes down to. It's important to remember that our job is manufacturing fun.

Anti-Squat Curve Mayhem 130

• Nearly Linear Decay
• Decreases with travel
• Design forces compromises for optimal pedaling performance

Anti-Squat Curve Mayhem 140

• Peak focused in sag range
• Lower Initial Value for better small bump compliance
• Much lower deeper into the stroke for decreased chain interaction

Anti-Squat Explained

Anti-squat is a double-edged sword. It's the most important parameter to designing an efficient mountain bike suspension, but excessively high anti-squat or high levels in ranges of suspension travel where it's not desired can prevent the tire from tracking the terrain. By aligning the max anti-squat value in the travel range where the rider is pedaling, we minimize the tradeoffs.

Compared with the outgoing Mayhem 130, the Mayhem 140 follows a very different curve. The older bike is limited by the previous suspension arrangement: the anti-squat curve follows an almost straight decline as the suspension moves through its travel. If we configure the anti-squat level for the best pedaling performance, we have way more than we want near top-out, and more than we want at bottom out. These two side effects cause firmer stroke initiation, and more chain tug on the pedals deep in the travel. With Inversion, we're able to essentially invert the curve and locate the highest value directly in the sag range, where we want it. Since the curve drops off dramatically at either end, we create a very soft stroke initiation, and a much more active system further into the travel range.

Anti-Squat M140 vs Competitors

Leverage Ratio Curve Mayhem 130

• Drops steadily then levels off
• Works best with air shocks

Leverage Ratio Curve Mayhem 140

• Individual phases for touchdown, sag range, and bottom out control
• Curve inverts at 75%
• Linear middle 50% for stability and control where the rider spends the most time

Leverage Rate With Leaf Spring

Leverage Rate Explained

A shallow, straight, progressive behavior is excellent for bump absorption, but does not provide enough bottom out resistance. The Inversion system enables us to tailor the ends of the curve to improve bottom-out support while also increasing touch down sensitivity. The linkage arrangement of the suspension system creates a more progressive zone near bottom out. The flex of the leaf spring acts as a negative spring at top out, helping with soft stroke initiation, and as a positive spring partway through the stroke, acting to straighten the curve in mid-travel.

All of this combines to give a ride that delivers great traction when lightly loaded, a supportive, predictable mid-stroke response, and good bottom-out protection without having to tune excess air can progress into the shock.

Slaybar Frame Design

As we all learned in school, triangles are the strongest shape. By subdividing the mainframe, we create a truss-like structure to bolster the shock and evenly distribute forces. We're calling it the Slaybar.

Connecting the leaf spring to the down tube helps align the stress into the axis of the tube and makes use of a high strength area to share the load. The connection points are spread farther apart which lowers the peak forces in the frame members.

Sweating all these details means reduced stress on bearings, metal, and carbon parts alike, allowing us to use less material yet produce a stronger, lower-maintenance frame than ever before.

Using this design, we were able to achieve our design goal of delivering the best possible strength-to-weight ratio.

It isn't the first asymmetric support you've seen, but the Slaybar ties into the downtube, creating two triangles. Other popular designs run from the toptube and make a triangle and a trapezoid.

Mayhem 140 Strength-to-Weight

• 10% lighter than Mayhem 130
• 56% stronger than Mayhem 150 and the strongest frame we've had on our test machine, period
• Far exceeds requirements for ASTM Condition 4 for intended use.

Frame Deets - Sprocklock

Constant refinement and innovation, down to every detail. The Sprocklock system used on the main pivots, provides a true mechanical interference to prevent backing out.

Why not use locking collet type pivot hardware? Well, locking collet hardware still relies on friction to prevent loosening. The Sprocklock's mechanical lock is a more failsafe way to prevent loosening.

It also allows us to optimize materials in a smarter way, cutting down on complexity and weight, and increasing reliability.

Radial expansion in carbon is not ideal, so, using collet type hardware requires aluminum parts molded into the carbon frame for the collet to expand into, which is more complex, more prone to failure, plus more material intensive, and heavier.

Frame Deets - Bottle Mount

After locating the Living Link leaf spring forward of the seat tube, we saw an opportunity to cut down on pesky frame rivnuts by developing a bottle mount that attaches through the hollow leaf spring mounting bolts. The mount is also slotted to provide placement for a strap, should you prefer to use the space for spares. As an added level of convenience, the mount can be removed easily from the side of the bike, so if you want to lighten your load, you can remove the thing with a bottle still in the cage. No need to fumble around the cage inside triangle. It might be the most advanced bottle mount ever made!

Frame Deets - So Fresh, So Clean

Look at the drive side of the Mayhem 140 and you'll see smooth, clean lines and minimal hardware. We went to great lengths making the 140 striking whether you're feet or inches from it. The main pivot hardware and forward shock mount enters from the non-drive side and threads directly into the frame. All fasteners are accessed from the non-drive side, including the cable ports. Further increasing simplicity and reliability, the Mayhem 140 uses just 6 bearings, all of which are mounted into the links, not the frame members.

Frame Deets - Cable Management

Nobody does cable ports cleaner than this. Rather than molding metal threads into carbon to cinch cable ports to, we came up with an elegant solution that actually reduces material and increases reliability. A single fastener ties both sides together, and threads directly into the drive side port/cover.

• 29" wheels
• 140mm Rear / 150mm Front (160mm optional)
• Colors : Liquid Black, Alpine Blue
• Frame-Only Pricing : $3,799
• Available for pre-order at promotional pricing
• Shipping in September

It isn't just a catchphrase. It's an ethos, a guiding principle that informs everything we do. At the surface, "Cover More Ground" refers to our commitment to designing and producing bikes that save our most precious resource as riders: energy. Having more energy means bigger adventures. It means longer rides on taller mountains, going deeper into the alpine and accessing trails beyond the norm. More energy means riding more often, having more fun and making it to the top of longer descents. It means amplifying the experiencing, and ultimately, expanding our sense of freedom.

At Spot, covering more ground is done in all sorts of ways. Our patented Living Link suspension system doesn't just offer a better mix of capability, pedaling support and traction than other contemporary designs, it does so in the simplest possible way. This means we can use fewer parts, reduce weights, and offer better reliability for the long haul.

And because we are small, rider owned and operated, and don't answer to investors looking to cash in on every fad, we are able to make what we want, focus on intention, and take the time to design products that outlast trends. Or create new ones.

Steep seat tube angles weren't a thing before we brought the idea to market. Now it's a prerequisite for any modern mountain bike. When designing the Mayhem 140, we stayed true to our core principles and spent extra time ticking the box on every goal. The result is a truly unique bike that we are extremely proud of.

Beyond frame design and construction, we were able to spec our  bikes with performance, function, durability, and value in mind. Down to the grips, our builds are curated to cover more ground by being ride-ready straight out of the box. You won't find better build kits at more reasonable prices anywhere else.

Every choice we make is guided by this idea to go farther. To challenge ourselves in pursuit of perfection. To Cover More Ground.

More info.