Well, some of you may remeber about advising me on a good all round full suspension bike in the 120-140mm range.
After alot of reading and testing of a few demo bike I'm now not so sure.
Sure the full FS bikes go great down hill but for a lot of riding I do (trail centres and canal paths/roads to get there) I cam to the conclusion that my skill and style suit a HT best.
I enjoy the odd DH sections but its not the be all and end all of a ride for me.
I much prefer fast single track thats sweeps and dives between trees and is more fun and managable for my skill set.
SO I currently have a 2010 Boardman Pro HT (I know people dont like them but its a great bike) with Reba Race 100mm forks. The bike is completly different form stand boardman spec with Hope Pro 2 hub/Mavic 717 wheels, its runs a SLX 1x9 chainring upfront with full X0/X9 group set, KMC X9 chain and Sram PG990 cassette plus a few extras to make it mine.
Anyway, the problem is I love my bike but I sometimes feel I am a bit in need for a little more from the bike. I think its because the bike is more XC race orinated than the more fun riding as when I am riding I dontt always feel to confident on the bike, Its almost as if its too light and a bit un sure footed. (If that makes sense!)>
I had a 2007 Orange Crush before and this bike was great on the fast bumpy stuff with its 140mm forks and fat tyres but its was that that let me to get something that was more of an XC rig.
So what I am looking for is a potential new fram for the spring/Summer to build my nice spec'd bike too.
I have narrowed my critiria to these things...
• Must be light and still able to tackle all things up and down
• Must not be steel.
• Must be 26 wheeled
• Must be good with a 120/130mm fork
• Must not be a gate
I am looking at (budget arount £300 or there abouts)
Santa Cruz Chameleon (second hand) Worried about the EBB thing though, seems pointless and a stupid place when you gould use different drop out per other frames (orange p7 etc)
Kenisis XC pro 130 (nice but looks a bit big and gate like in my size)
On One Carbon 456 ( ermm...)
Any others
Oh and I am 6.2 and about 16 stone,
Cove stiffee?
If it was me it would be steel.
Must not be steel.
Why?
I'd question the 29er point too if it wasn't for you already owning a load of 26er parts!
End result is what matters, not the specific technology used to get there.
kudos100 +1
I just ignore steel as (from reading etc) its seems a heavy frame material and one of the reasons I dont want a FS bike its because I dont want to lug around extra weight.
I could be wrong as I rode steel frames in the 90's but I was a teen and knew of no other frames! Alloys was out of my reach then! haha 🙂
Plus to be fair the only steel frame that I like seems to the the Soul but its £££ 🙂
Tetsujin - I swapped from a reasonably light Rockhopper 3.5lb frame to Cotic Soul. The difference in weight was only 0.9lb.
at 4.4lbs, a soul frame isn't much heavier than most aly frames (but more expensive than your budget). I ride a mk1 pipedream sirius, and with 800g tyres on, 150mm fork (reduced to 130mm) and 1x9 it comes in at 26.7lbs and could be under 26lbs with lighter tyres. Not exactly heavy by any stretch.
If not steel then On-one ScandAl, whippet un-decaled, 456c un-decaled all come in your budget and will be light enough and able to take the longer fork.
Could you not put a 120mm fork on the boardman? Would save a chunk of money.
do have a look at Decade Versa - love mine and they're fairly light.
In fairness you're 16 stone,so a steel frame won't exactly hold you back.
I was thinking of upping the Reba Race to 120mm and plonking on the Boardman but was worried that its prob only a 100mm frame max and with me being a heavy rider it might be a bad ide.
Money isnt so much the problem (within reason) as its cheaper than getting a complete new bike but I dont want to spend a lot of cash on a bike/frame I wont get the most from.
I think I am after a 130mm max frame that can take anything to an extent, get up the hills good (i know it wont match the boarman as its a flyer!) a actually look decent to (ie not a gate).
as for steel frames I take it the BFe is a bit too much bike for what I want? Its just its £300...
Chumba HX1 🙂 £299 from here [url= http://www.progressive-bikes.co.uk/product/chumba_hx1/ ]Chumba HX1[/url]
[url= http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6071/6143438014_072056e727.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/93388219@N00/6143438014/ ]Chumba HX1[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/93388219@N00/ ]srbwilson[/url], on Flickr
a bit OT are you stil after a red rear skewer?
http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/hope-qr-rear-135mm-red-skewersram-pg990-cassette-9sp
convert the Reba to 120mm and stick it on the Boardman.
i've a Sanderson Breath (rated for 100mm travel fork) that i would often run at 120/130mm without any bother.
see how you get on with that before you fork out 300 quid on a new frame (plus the hassle of swapping the parts).
if you do look at a new frame, don't rule out steel. you're going to benefit more from the comfier ride than suffer from the weight penalty.
I was thinking of upping the Reba Race to 120mm and plonking on the Boardman but was worried that its prob only a 100mm frame max and with me being a heavy rider it might be a bad ide.
Is it? [oops] I put a 120mm fork on mine from when I bought the frame. It gets minced down the occasional DH trail and aint snapped yet; YMMV.
I do like the look of the HX1 [puts on list for possible future purchase when my Boardman dies]
How about an older, pre eccentric bottom bracket, chameleon I love mine not sure what year they started putting them on but it wouldn't take you long to find out.
Those HX1s are very nice - I've had 2.
I'd take an EBB over any other method of adjusting chain length etc as well.
Last time I was on the website, the Cotic BFe was 300 pounds for the frame.
is the Cotic BFe too much bike though?
Its says its the same geo as the soul?
Im in no rush to get a frame but its on my mind.
Or I scrao this whole idea, keep the Boardman Pro HT as is and get a second hand orange five (pre 2007 - bent top tube) and use this as a frame to put my Boardman parts on and get new forks.
I pick the earlier Orange Five as they have les slack angles (HT) and I have heard they ride better up the hills plus will be cheaper! 😀
Sometimes I wonder if I want stuff because I am bored with the boardman....
Get a cotic soul and be done with it.
I now want a BFe frame at 300 Quid !
Get a cotic soul and be done with it.
+1
or a BFe is you want to ride harder, and cheaper
do they look like a gate in 20inch?
Nope.
check out Radon bikes website you can get full XT and SID with their midrange hardtail at a good price.
I've done all this 'what bike, what frame, what forks???' stuff for a number of years and realised that it makes very little difference (to me).
Bit of new gear bliss then back to wanting to upgrade for real or imagined shortcomings in what I currently own.
It feels much faster and more (insert whatever I was looking for in buying the frame) at first but then it pretty much feels like a bike again.
Personally I would ride what you've and enjoy it rather than overthinking it all.
Others will have a different take.
Only you can decide.
OP - The carbon 456 would be perfect for you going by the requirements you've listed.
It has the weight of an XC bike but much more versatile geometry, it's comfy, stiff and inspires confidence.
You even learn to tolerate the looks.
Slightly less obvious option but what about the Orange elite, it can be run with 120mm forks. Granted the paint work is not the prettiest and not super cheap but it's a fantastic frame.
I have owned some very fancy hardtails in the past and the Orange elite is far and away the best. It just feels right everywhere and don't find it at all harsh, partly due to using large volume tyres but found it more comfortable for a 10 solo race than my anthem, obviously fit e.c.t also comes into that.
I was rather doubtful that I would like it but thought I would give it a try after a rather costly mistake with another bike left me with not a huge fund to get a new frame, but honestly loved it when I test rode it and bought one straight away and have loved it ever since.
Getting new paint work very soon to cross my only criticism of it off the list.
I know lots of people suggest their own bike as being great but this is coming from a man that doubts and questions everything he does and almost always imagines that he's made the wrong choice!
I second what dangerousbeans says. For info though i had a 2010 soul and sold it to get a turner 5 spot on crc when they were 799 with a little bit of credit card help but then changed my mind after realising i was doing exactly what dangerousbeans talks about above, i got a new bfe and built it up with exactly the same bits i had on the soul bar the seatpost which was replaced with a carbon sumo and it rides and feels almost identical to the soul but with slightly less whip in the back end but still feels lovely,i can feel no difference in weight plus i now have the option of a reverb should i ever have the spare funds ...
Steel 456. At 16 stone you won't notice the weight. I have a 24lb racey hardtail and a steel 456 and ride both regularly and its never the weight difference that affects which one i choose to ride. Or get ugly carbon one.
At your weight and build bfe all the way buddy, i my be riding a different frame at the minute but there is no way i will ever sell mine off. if possable i will rebuild it up as a more fun/play bike later in the year. I recon the only real difference between the bfe and soul is it is tuffer stiffer in the backend bit more weight but hell your 16 stone so it just makes it more stable at speed..... and cheeper! get a good travel adjust fork later on and let it rip got a buddy just built one with 130 travel forks and is loving it. regards size it's actualy 19 seat tube in lrg and im 6.3 and it looks fine to me they only have a 24inch TT and i ride it with 70/85mm stem for everything at that price it's a bargin.
run the forks at 120mm it will give the xtra oomph u need and not slacken it to much to comprimise the handeling i have a felt q920 rated at 100mm and its sweet at 120 for a year so far and still taking it
try this before spunking any more money out incase its just whats needed.
You've mentioned cost as a factor regarding the Soul. Cotic do Soul and BFe frames at a reduced cost with very minor paint defects. Also ex-demo frames i believe. All with the usual warranty.
scamper tell me more are there links on site or should i call .. ??
They are under "specials" on the website - what is available is almost gone and you'll have to phone for update with ref number. I got £80 off my Soul (tiny pin-head scratch) and last time i looked BFe ex-demo was £200 or something.
If you do take the plunge and change I would be interested in your Boardman frame. Let me know.
I can sell you a 20" Ragley Piglet frame if you change your mind about steel.
Cant see specials link but will call in the morning , if they have a BFe in medium for 200 quid will bite their hand off !
if you check SDH now there is a great condition BFE frame for £200 with hope bits in medium. Tell him i sent you!!!
