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After some help please, want to buy a cheap ish frame to build up.Fairly new to riding and moving to the Peak District soon. Will be used for pulling my daughter in one of those carts plus hoping to get out on my own/join in some Poodles.
So far thinking of On ONE C456, Ragley Piglet or Cotic Bfe but have no idea how to choose. Read some reviews etc but there's no many around with real life experience (apart from the one on here today for the C456).
I'm going to take my time building it up to give me something to do during the winter evenings so it's a much a project as anything.
Cheers,
Cotic for class
On-one for budget.
Once you've built it up, I would think that the Cotic would feel the most special and timeless, if that's important to you.
You can also get it through an LBS afaik.
Stanton, Stanton, Stanton.
plus hoping to get out on my own/join in some Poodles.
WTF
I had an on one 456 summer season, it was great but heavy frame. Got a bfe now, love it!
Why Bfe for what you descride cotic soul would be betterer.
Cotic.
Not sure how tall you are but small Solaris on sale till the end of the month.
Oops Pootles!
Why Bfe for what you descride the soul would be betterer.
After some help please, want to buy a[b] cheap[/b] ish frame to build up.
I have a BFe, great bike. I was looking at a Soul but frame was £300 vs £480. To be honest @weeksy nailed it with the first reply. If budget is a big factor the On One will be a lot cheaper overall but iMO you do get what you pay for with bikes and components.
Why Bfe for what you descride cotic soul would be betterer.
+1 Unless you ride steep jumpy stuff all the time you'll be dragging extra weight. The soul is perfectly capable of doing daft stuff too
ex bfe owner
After some help please, want to buy a cheap ish frame to build up.
dartmoor hornet?
In true fashion I'll recommend what I have, 456 EVO II.
If Cotics are that much betterer (at more than 2x the price) they must be ****ing awesome.
+1 Unless you ride steep jumpy stuff all the time you'll be dragging extra weight. The soul is perfectly capable of doing daft stuff too
ex bfe owner
The current BFe is barely half a pound heavier than the current Soul.
Ask santa for the extra £180 and or save a bit on cheaper components, the frame will last for yonks years.
The current BFe is barely half a pound heavier than the current Soul.
Yarp, my point was more the soul is betterer for the majority of riders and the beefy was more aimed at hardcore hardtails route.
having owned a bfe, it was a hoot down silly stuff but for the majority of riding unnessary. It wasnt uncomfortable, just the soul would have done it too
one of these? not sure when available though? maybe not till next year?
I bought a steel whyte 19 a year or so ago on here. That's been great, would get another if they still made them
They'd all work - I'd take the C456 myself - but you need a build that climbs at least OK.
A lot of climbing in the Peak that cannot be dodged - mostly very doable, as well, so it has a cumulative effect.
If you're relatively new and don't have a huge stockpile of 26" spare parts, why not 45650b?
I loved my 456, possibly my favourite bike ever, and I assume newer = better, 650b = better, therefore 45650b = best bike bestest besterest ever?
Sorely tempted, but then I also want an XC race bike, a fat bike, a CX bike, XC/trail FS bike.
Haven't had a Piglet but my Ragley Ti replaced a C456 and a BFe (and 3 Mmmbops and a Soul and a Scandal and a Carrera) and is definitely top of that pile.
The other 2, I'm going to faintly praise... I never gelled with the BFe- very competent and capable but it was a wee bit of a lump, I think the extra weight and strength meant it lost what makes the Soul special, and the geometry feels a wee bit conservative for a big bike. Total cotic fanboi but still, it didn't
C456 I was very up and down with, it rode pretty well especially once I anglesetted it, and it was light and tough. But it was never once inspiring like a really good bike should be, more a reliable b&q hammer, workmanlike. Then On One lied their way out of a warranty claim (with a bunch of different, contradictory lies) which soured the whole thing. Not a bad bike by any means though.
Why not a Soul? I ****ing loved my Soul, it took years to find anything to match it and still nothing to beat it. Early ones sell for stupid money now, so tempted to pick one up
I had the steel On-One 456-evo and 45650b, both were good but the Evo was great...although it is cheap steel it was beautifully compliant due to an old school narrow 1-1/8 headtube, a narrow 27.2 mm seatpost and thin seat/chain stays...regret getting rid of it to be honest.
The 45650b was a tank and the larger 44mm headtube and thicker 30.9 mm seatpost made for a harsher ride despite the larger wheels.
....I replaced these hardtails with a Ragley Piglet-2, I like 26 inch wheels on a hardtail, it's like riding a large BMX.
The frame is heavy duty, it has a 44mm headtube too and an even larger 31.6 mm seatpost!.... it lacks the finesse of a more delicately built hardtail but the angles are spot on so I'll forgive the designer, I also like the range of forks a 44mm headtube gives you.
I've used it loads this year from local single track/woods to uplift days at BPW and Antur, the bike laps it up.
They crop up on eBay fairly frequently for reasonable money, I'd happily have another.
If you are on a budget and willing to go 2nd hand I was looking at a Ragley Blue Pig X on Pinkbike for £140. I had one before and loved it, in fact I nearly bought to one on PB but went for an Evil Sovereign instead! Also Piglets and Mmmbops come there pretty often. The Blue pig and Mmmbop are very similar to the frames you are looking at.
They'd all work - I'd take the C456 myself - but you need a build that climbs at least OK.
A lot of climbing in the Peak that cannot be dodged - mostly very doable, as well, so it has a cumulative effect.
Seconded on the climbing. I live in the Peak and Ragleys work really well round here - I have a cheapo Mmmmbop I picked up on eBay as a winter hack. Mate rides a Piglet. Both work really well. The steel Ragleys - I used to have a Blue Pig - are a bit heavy on the climbs.
Whereabouts are you moving to?
If budget is a big factor the On One will be a lot cheaper overall but iMO you do get what you pay for with bikes and components.
To a certain extent, yes. But there are cheap frames out there that IMHO ride as well as more expensive ones. On-One and Cotic being a perfect example. I had a Soul and a mk2 (?) Inbred SS at the same time and the ride of the Inbred was as good I thought as the Soul. I also had a 456 SS and that was a hugely fun bike. Yes, they're not the lightest frames in the world but for simply riding and having fun on, theres little out there in terms of vfm.
My Soul took me a while to gel with. Felt like I was very much perched on top of it but it was a good bike. Just good, nothing more...
I've got a C456. I've had a steel 456 too, and they feel like completely different bikes even with the same build.
LOVE the C456. Went out on it today in the Peaks in all the wet and grime. Brilliant fun. Light, sprightly, comfy (as a hardtail can be) even on the rocks with relatively hard tyres. Responds nice to pedal input (as oppose to the steel one). Handles nicely in rocky stuff (as oppose to the steel one which feels bendy and not in a good way).
I've got a ragley blue pig and can't rate it highly enough. It goes down as good as my old Five, and I think it climbs pretty well.
Never ridden a C456 or a bfe though so can't help there!!
I have a piglet I got of here for £125 I think , stripped it back painted it up and built it up with a mix of new and old parts . It's a fun bike to ride , little heavy but you only really notice it when you have to lift it over a gate . Really wanted a soul but with a baby on the way decided to try to be a bit sensible with money . The itch for a soul just won't go away though !
I've got a ragley piglet bit heavy but its ace its not all about weight you know.
cotic.
and 27.2 one for extra zing. these fat seattubes for droppers takes some of the hardtail magic away.
My BFe felt dead to me however my old Pipedream Scion was unbelievable.
So comfy and not too many around!
Wow, thanks for all the recommendations. Seems like I have a lot to think about...
After reading the comments I'm looking for a light frame (obviously compared with similar frames/budget) that'll climb fairly well as I cant climb to save my life so could do without lugging extra weight around! Don't mind it being a bit flighty, would quite like the instantaneous power delivery that you seem to get from carbon frames.... sounds like I'm describing the C456/Evo frame but slightly nervous of it's super budget category.
Have been looking at the Pipedream Scion/Sirius, any more opinions on these?
but slightly nervous of it's super budget category.
don't be