Spot may not be the first name that springs to mind when hunting for a new mountain bike. However, this small Colorado brand is making some interesting bikes that are worthy of your attention, with the Ryve 115 certainly one of them.
It dishes out 115mm of rear-wheel travel and is a speedy 29er that covers ground efficiently.
Aggro XC, marathon or short-travel trail – whatever you label this riding style, the Ryve 115 is great fun, but geometry updates could eke out even more performance.
Spot Ryve 115 6-Star AXS frame and suspension
The Spot Ryve 115 sports a carbon fibre frame and rolls on 29in wheels, with the 115mm of rear-wheel travel matched to a 130mm fork for this build.
Spot has mounted the shock in a cut-out in the down tube. This ‘DoppelBox’ lower shock mount uses a double-box structure aimed to improve frame strength and stiffness, while keeping the mass centralised and low.
The design incorporates dual internal walls, which have the job of improving torsional rigidity between the head tube and bottom bracket, helping to distribute shock forces efficiently.
Spot also claims that because the system enables moisture and trail debris to drain freely, it helps extend the life of the shock bushings.
The frame gets traditional cable-routing ports and decent chainstay protection to help minimise chain-slap noise. There are two bottle cage mounts, one on the top of the downtube, the other on the underside of it.
Spot’s ‘Living Link’ suspension design is the bike's most interesting feature. While the layout looks like a typical co-rotating dual-link design, (akin to the DW-link used on Pivot bikes or the Maestro design on Giant and Liv bikes), in reality the lower link is a leaf spring.
This titanium spring is said to reduce maintenance requirements and weight by removing pivots. It’s claimed to improve lateral and torsional stiffness while creating a suspension platform that stores and releases energy to improve ride feel on the trail.
The ‘Living Link’ works in tandem with the shock to enhance the mid-stroke of the suspension by making the overall spring curve more linear through that middle portion of travel.
It aims to give more support around the sag point for more efficient pedalling, while still delivering plenty of sensitivity to absorb bumps.
Overall suspension progression of 25 per cent should help the bike handle bigger hits for its intended use.
Spot Ryve 115 6-Star AXS geometry
Spot’s second-generation Ryve 115 gets geometry refinements designed to improve its on-trail capability. On my size-medium test bike, the head tube angle measured 66.2 degrees.
The reach has grown on the new models, measuring 445mm on my bike, paired with a sporty 606mm stack height.
The effective seat tube is 75 degrees and the effective top tube is 607mm. However, the actual seat tube angle is a slack 71 degrees. There is a short seat tube length of 400mm.
The short 435mm chainstays should translate to nimble handling and there’s a healthy 34mm bottom bracket drop that should help fore-aft stability while quickening side-to-side movements.
| | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube angle - eff (degrees) | 75 | 75 | 76 | 77.3 |
| Seat tube angle - actual (degrees) | 71.5 | 71.5 | 73.5 | 75.6 |
| Head tube angle (degrees) | 66.2 | 66.2 | 66.2 | 66.2 |
| Rear center (mm) | 435 | 435 | 435 | 435 |
| Seat tube (mm) | 360 | 400 | 450 | 490 |
| Top tube (mm) | 580 | 607 | 628 | 646 |
| Head tube (mm) | 90 | 100 | 110 | 120 |
| Bottom bracket drop (mm) | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 |
| Bottom bracket height (mm) | 338 | 338 | 338 | 338 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1152 | 1181 | 1215 | 1248 |
| Standover (mm) | 718 | 725 | 723 | 721 |
| Stack (mm) | 597 | 606 | 616 | 625 |
| Reach (mm) | 420 | 445 | 475 | 505 |
Spot Ryve 115 6-Star AXS specifications
I tested the top-spec Ryve 115 6-Star AXS build, with some bling kit including a 130mm-travel RockShox Pike Ultimate fork and a trail-friendly RockShox Deluxe Ultimate shock.
There’s plenty more SRAM kit fitted, with the brand's lightest XX SL AXS Eagle Transmission drivetrain and Level Ultimate Stealth brakes, as well as a RockShox Reverb AXS dropper post.
The bike rolls on Zipp's 1Zero Hitop SW wheels, wrapped in 29x2.4in Schwalbe Wicked Will Super Ground Addix Speed Grip tyres.
The cockpit blends a comfortable OneUp Carbon 20mm riser bar with a 50mm-long Race Face Turbine R stem and an SDG Bel-Air V3 saddle.
This medium-sized bike tipped our scales at 12.31kg without pedals.
Spot Ryve 115 6-Star AXS ride impressions
I tested the Spot Ryve around the flowy and techy trails in the Forest of Dean in the south west of England, taking in its diverse range of trail-centre and natural tracks.
The trail conditions were good, with dry to intermediate dirt, so there was plenty of grip and speed to push the bike’s limits on the climbs and descents.
Spot Ryve 115 6-Star AXS setup
I settled on 25 per cent sag at the shock, which meant I had 190psi for my 75kg riding weight. I left the low-speed compression in the middle of the three positions and the rebound set to four clicks from closed out of eight.
For the fork, I ran 81.5psi – an extra 10psi over the recommended pressure to get the support I wanted.
I settled on the middle setting for the high-speed compression (position three of five) and ran the low-speed compression fully open. As for rebound, I set it to four clicks out of eight from closed.
My tyre pressures were 19psi in the front and 22psi at the rear.
Spot Ryve 115 6-Star AXS climbing performance
The Spot Ryve 115 is more than just a sporty climber – it makes light work of smooth, rough, mellow and steep trails alike. It’s particularly impressive when the trails point skywards.
Sure, the bike’s low weight and fast-rolling tyres contribute to its efficiency, yet the ‘Living Link’, along with the frame’s suspension kinematics and shock tune, helps deliver a ride that smooths out the trail without wasting energy.
On smooth trails, I never felt the need to reach for the shock’s climb switch. The rear end remains stable and firm under power, especially when seated, helping the bike drive forwards when putting down the watts.
Take the bike onto root-littered and technical climbs and the rear suspension does an impressive job of smoothing out the trail.
It maintains rear-tyre traction and forward momentum, while still providing an impressively composed pedalling platform.
The bike feels light and nimble on its wheels. Loading the suspension to hop up a step or clear a steep obstacle doesn’t bog it down. The ‘Living Link’ excels on technical trails, helping to minimise fatigue on longer rides.
Unfortunately, not everything is perfect with the Spot on climbs. Although its 75-degree effective seat tube angle aligns with modern cross-country bikes, the slack 71-degree actual seat tube angle made the seated position feel stretched-out for my 173cm height.
While I could ride the Spot without aches or pains, I had to slide the saddle forwards on the rails and sit on its nose to feel comfortably positioned over the bottom bracket for a strong pedalling stance.
Even though the weight felt biased to the rear, I didn’t notice a significantly vague front end when climbing steep trails with twists and turns. I did, however, make a conscious effort to load the front end, and front-wheel accuracy was decent.
Spot Ryve 115 6-Star AXS descending performance
Considering the Ryve 115 is such a formidable climber, it doesn’t sacrifice too much on the way back down.
The modest 115mm of rear-wheel travel is impressively controlled. There’s good sensitivity off the top, helping the bike settle to its sag point.
Still, progression builds smoothly thanks to the linear nature of the ‘Living Link’ kinematic, which provides good support through the mid-stroke of the suspension.
Here, the bike feels active and lively, while still managing to take the sting out of modest-sized roots, rocks and trail chatter. Spot has successfully balanced momentum-conserving pop with small-bump compliance.
Bigger hits are handled well for a bike with this much travel, thanks to the smooth 25 per cent progression. There’s no harsh ramp-up near the end of the stroke and also no ankle-breaking bottom-outs.
This isn’t to say the bike is a formidable trail ripper. It won’t flatten the trails like longer-travel trail bikes, but the Ryve 115 uses its travel very effectively to help carry speed through undulations and over rough ground.
The bike rewards accuracy and smooth line choice, yet it won’t punish you too much if you slip off-line.
In the corners, the Spot Ryve 115 darts and dives through turns, while remaining predictable and composed, thanks to the strong suspension support that keeps the chassis stable.
RockShox’s 130mm Pike Ultimate fork does a good job of inspiring confidence on descents and the rear suspension keeps up well.
Overall, the bike's kit presents very few hiccups, although a 180mm rear rotor would be a welcome upgrade.
Spot Ryve 115 6-Star AXS bottom line
For riders wanting to efficiently thrash out the miles, the Spot Ryve 115 is a great piece of kit – it’s light, speedy and will handle a variety of terrain incredibly well.
The Ryve will tackle burlier trails, but it takes some rider finesse. Get onto flowing singletrack, though, and it won’t be the bike holding you back.
Product
| Brand | Spot |
| Price | A$14793.00, €8436.95, £7113.00, $9399.00 |
| Weight | 12.31kg |
Features
| Fork | RockShox Pike Ultimate, 130mm |
| Stem | Race Face Turbine 35 (50mm) |
| Chain | SRAM XX SL Flattop, Eagle |
| Frame | Carbon fibre, 115mm |
| Tyres | SCHWALBE Wicked Will Super Ground ADDIX Speed Grip 29x2.4in |
| Brakes | SRAM Level Ultimate Stealth (180/160mm rotors) |
| Cranks | SRAM XX SL Eagle, B148, DUB, 170mm, 32t |
| Saddle | SDG Bel-Air V3 saddle |
| Wheels | ZIPP 1Zero Hitop SW |
| Shifter | SRAM AXS Pod Ultimate |
| Cassette | SRAM XX SL 1299, 12-speed, 10-52t |
| Seatpost | RockShox Reverb AXS |
| Handlebar | OneUp Components Carbon (800mm) |
| Rear shock | RockShox Deluxe Ultimate |
| Bottom bracket | SRAM DUB BSA |
| Available sizes | S, M, L, XL |
| Rear derailleur | SRAM XX SL AXS Eagle, Wireless |
