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I think the flex stem is the way to go. Maybe paired with a better shape of handlebar, the one I’m using now is very straight, think I’ll make one with more back sweep.
Annoyingly I had an X1 a few years ago which I chopped up thinking I’d build a full sus bmx frame out the parts but that never happened and I think all I ended up using of it was the dropouts!
I’d like to avoid too much weight. My Stooge isn’t exactly light and my Schwinn is a bit of mud splatter away from having its own gravitational pull!
Another route I thought of going was looking for something like a carbon singlespeed frame as doing a weight weenie build could be fun (if not particularly sensible since I’m a not particularly gentle, 95kg rider).
M_V-
The thing with flex stems are that the shorter they are, the less ‘travel’ you get!
If you wanted to do a cheapish carbon SS build, an early Cadex would work, they have replaceable dropouts both sides on the rear, so it’s easy to carve some horizontal ones from a sheet of alloy and bolt them on.
I had one back in the 90s just like that for XC racing. It was pretty fun!
user68025
Flex stem fun like you have mentioned.
If you look for an old DMR bolt FS frame, they pivot around the BB so you can run Singlespeed without any tensioner.
Or try and pick up an old Orange X1 with a steel URT suspension setup and put some track dropouts on it