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I'm after a new HT frame, Steel, longer-lower-slacker than my current Pace RC127.
I'd like to match it to my current 140mm forks and 27.5 boost wheels.
In the frame are:
Pace RC627
Stanton Slackline
Orange P7
Cotic BFe
The Pace is top of the list, so talk me out of it. They're all close in price.
Any other options that I should think about? I prefer steel, so if it's alloy, it'll have to be not too stiff.
I'm keeping the RC127 too, probably going to morph it into a adventure type bike if I can find some suitable rigid forks.
It's between the Pace and the Stanton for me, but I'd prob go with Pace.
Custom Marino? It's what I went with as what I was looking for wasn't quite available and it cost lest
Bird Forge - no experience of them, but they look nice and I'm just trying to make the choice harder.
Forge is a 29er isn’t it? BFe is nice though think you’ll need to move quick as think they’re discontinuing them in 27.5 flavour after this run.
The Slackline, although it's undoubtedly a great bike, isn't particularly slack at 66.5° compared to the 67° of the RC127
BFe is tempting, might be a sought after frame as 27.5 options are dwindling away.
Personally if I couldn't ride them all I would chose the Cotic and avoid the Pace based on good/bad customer service experiences respectively.
I’ve got a BFe in 27.5 and it’s a really nice bike. Running a 150mm Yari on it which works well. Always had a good service from Cotic too so would happily buy from them again.
Dawley Bikes Eponym. Haven’t ridden one, but look cool, and very customisable.
I don’t know how the geo stacks up against your current bike but what about the Ragley Blue Pig?
I like the idea of a custom Marino or the Dawley, but I'd be worried I'd stuff the geometry options and have something unridable created!😂
I chose similar geometry to frames I was looking at and just tweaked slightly, you can't go too far wrong unless you make the numbers up!
Depends how long you want to wait.
Although Marino are quoting 5 months for a custom frame, my experience is a lot longer. After a year's wait and no delivery date given. I've just cancelled mine.
Just to add to your list how about a Ribble ht725 steel?
The Slackline isn’t actually that slack - I’d probably look more at the Switchback tbh. Should still be nimble with short chainstays but has slightly more aggro geometry.
Out of your list I’d be torn between the Bfe and Pace I think. Pace looks nicer but Cotic have a much better customer service reputation. Headtube is a little bit short on both for my liking - I picked a shorter reach than both but a much longer headtube on my Marino and a shorter seat tube than both. I find it hard to recommend Marino though - whilst the frame is great - the wait time and lack of communication is a bit of a shocker.
In the grand STW tradition of recommending what you have, you should be looking at a Ragley Piglet.
I've got an 18bikes no7 in 500mm reach and it's a great bike. They only have the 500mm reach frames left, but depending on your height etc, it may fit the bill for what you after?
If we are recommending what we own- hello Dave. Or clockwork 120 with a -2 angle set.
Are on one still doing the tick tock? A hello Dave with 27.5 wheels
Embrace the mega slack 🙂
I bought a Dave while thinking about a custom frame. I was also worried about creating something with a fatal flaw and bring stuck with it.
The orange fitted My old 26" wheels (just) and rides really nicely. The BB is super low so it rides nicely any where that's not too rocky.
So from you list p7. My brother in law loves his. I broke an orange frame and it was sorted out very quickly and to my satisfaction. 5 year warranty on oranges, no idea about the rest. Rides well, good back up, looks ace.
I'd still sell the small wheels and get the hello Dave.
Love my RC627. Nothing but good things to say about Pace too, lovely, friendly bunch to deal with. Plus the smurf blue is very pretty. I'd even have a RC295 off the back of this purchase, if I had the money.
I’ve got an 18bikes no7 in 500mm reach. May fit the bill for what you after?
Not sure they are available anymore, I have a No9 on order and I think these have replaced the No7 and are 29.
I would go Cotic of the options listed based on customer service I experienced in the past
For balance I’ve had great customer service from both Pace and Cotic and would happily recommend either. Cotic are slicker, but why does the BfE have bottle mounts on the under side of the down tube? It’s a UK designed frame FFS…
18Bikes have one of their own long, slack frames on fleebay……
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255326267488?hash=item3b72a1a860:g:R10AAOSw16Fh3cKT
Not sure they are available anymore, I have a No9 on order and I think these have replaced the No7 and are 29.
You are right that the no7 is being discontinued, but they do have some 500mm reach frames in stock at the moment on their website.
The-Beard
Cotic are slicker, but why does the BfE have bottle mounts on the under side of the down tube? It’s a UK designed frame FFS…
My BFeMax has them in the normal top of the down tube position also, and under the top tube. Lots of options, can only be a good thing.
Whereabouts are you? In a totally not an advert (genuinely unsure if I will) I have a 27.5 BFe and am 29 full suss curious.
Wow, lots more to add to the mix!
Pace are kind of close, so could pop out for a day trip, and they have 627 available for test ride.
@WildHunter2009, County Durham (DL12)...¿
I'm waaaay down on the south coast.
I’d go for Stanton or Pace. Simply because I’ve owned Cotic’s and the Stanton bikes offer sweet customisation offers and I’m a massive tart
I've got a Slackline and it's an absolute blast. Perky, springy, all-day comfy. Would recommend.
On my list, budget dependant, would be a Curtis AM7.
I know this wasn’t a “what bike” thread, but just to throw a curveball in, there’s someone selling a titanium Sick! on eBay at the moment (complete bike). I’m not sure it’s worth the £1,750 being asked, but then perhaps it is, and the seller’s open to offers.
As it’s STW I’ll ignore what you actually asked for (steel) and reccomend what I’ve got
On-One Scandal V3. Very lovely indeed. Al not steel of course. Long low and slack. 29 but I believe people are running 27.5 wheels successfully.
The Curtis looks fantastic, but nearly double what's available in the pot, unfortunately, a few more months of saving up is needed!
I would argue the Scandal isn't LLS by today's standards, it's really quite conservative.
I would agree with @joebristol and @cb200 that the Slackline stands out in your list as not being all that slack.
Assuming the Switchback would be an acceptable alternative...
IMO, the Pace and Cotic are perhaps more extreme in geometry, being a fair bit longer and somewhat slacker than the Switchback and Orange. Personally speaking I'd sooner have a bit more length and a bit more slack than not (and your brief is LLS), so would focus on the Pace and the Cotic.
Between the Pace and Cotic the Pace has a steeper seat angle and quite a lot more bb drop. Again, personally I quite like the sound of that, the Pace looks nice, Midnight Smurf is a smashing colour, and the Pace has adjustable chainstay length which also appeals.
So on paper the Pace sounds good.
All that said, I just recently bought a Cotic BFeMAX and would echo comments above about good customer service.
Cotic, but only because I've always wanted one.
I've got a Scandal and I'd agree. It's a lovely compliant frame but it's a do it all bike not extreme. Suits me perfectly, er once I'd got round the slack seat angle by way of a Thar saddle.
I keep salivating over high end frames but am not convinced they'd feel any better for where I live.
I'd need a test ride to convince.
There's been some great suggestions here, and I've looked at the numbers for most of them.
Right now, I'm still hovering over the Pace checkout button.
I really enjoy the geo of my RC127, and will still be riding it. However, I know that I find it tricky when hitting the more challenging trails, where a more LLSbframe would help.
The rear end for the 627 is a similar design to the 127, adjustable chainstays, quite springy seat stays.
It's going to be hard not to stick with the devil you know.
I have the Pace, it’s the best HT I’ve owned having previously had Blue Pigs, Piglets and a Bfe.
The geo is bang on, climbs well, very capable down hill. Back end feels way more compliant than the Bfe it replaced.
Gets ridden on all the tech round Hebden Bridge, Peaks, etc. Pace were a pleasure to deal with, wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.
Sounds like you want the Pace - get it ordered before it goes out of stock!
I love love my Orange Clockwork Evo custom build in gloss battleship grey. Its my cheapest bike in my garage by a long way but I just love it. I feel 25 again when I ride it.
In 2019 i bought the whole family good mtb's instead of new wardrobes for our bedroom. That year we all did loads in Wales and the Surrey Hills. My boys are 11 and my wife also mtb's, at the time back three years ago after five days in Afan in a dry October half-term I really thought a God somewhere loves me.
Anyway off the point. My mtb is ace 🙂
to mix it up.. pace 529?
i belive its perfectly happy 27.5, and if/when the temptation takes you you can go 29er... when i last looked the geo appeared so similar it seemed worthwhile to me
Btr Ranger. Best bike I've ever ridden.
I've just swapped from a 2018 Cotic Bfe to the latest Pace 627, they ride quite differently to each other!
The Pace is fast on twitchy singletrack but the lower bb is taking some getting used to, I've had a lot of pedal strikes on Rocky terrain, I'm going to try some shorter cranks.
The Cotic felt more confident on steep techy trails and rarely had pedal strikes.
I swapped all the components over from the Bfe inc the 140 forks
Both great bikes though which I know doesn't help 😀
Sounds like you want the Pace – get it ordered before it goes out of stock!
Yup, I think I will, they're on pre-order right now, but I have time to kill (off to work for a month next week).
You can also fit 29er wheels with 2.35 tires in the back of the RC627. It’s bb is pretty low for a 27.5 bike so it will work quite well.
I road mine with 2.6 27.5s and it was great.
I’d get the RC529 if I was buying one now though. 27.5 is all but obsolete.
Owner of a current BFe and now building up a Scandal as the first foray into 29. If it was a totally clean slate top of the list to get a test on would be a Stanton and a Pace and maybe that shirt travel Pipedream. LLS does seem to fit me really well but have a nagging feeling I'm missing the snappy pop of an older hardtail in the BFe. This might come from the years of being sucked into the size down thing!
Oh and BTR. Possibly a dream frame. I never thought much of them but saw in the flesh and spoke to the guys at a London Cycle Show and they really do have something special.
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I got this....
All parts came from my RC127, and that's getting a rebirth as a full rigid adventure beast.
Yay! Looks fantastic. I do like that Midnight Smurf color 😊👍
Looks even better in real life. The paint quality finish is fantastic.