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I like my XLS, I commute offroad and do the odd race (like the 3 peaks CX, very odd) but I find it deposits mud / grass at the narrowest point on the chainstay and can jam the wheel. Can anyone suggest a cheap / light CX frame with better clearance? I'd probably want to move the gubbins over from my current bike (going qr to bolt thru no issue) and I've long since gone 1x on it which might provide more choices.
Planet X Space Chicken. Not the cheapest but its awesome
Thanks @longsider Space Chicken looks like a contender, not too bad a price for the frameset. Not in a rush so I'll keep an eye out for one of Planet X's legendary sales!
My XLS has never gummed up on me.(35mm Michelin jets)
My XLS has never gummed up on me.
You're not doing racing in the same mud and grass conditions as me then.
Trek Crockett?
You’re not doing racing in the same mud and grass conditions as me then.
I too had an awful race a few week's ago on my XLS, 33mm Michelin Power Mud. In the final 4-ish laps I was having to stop 3-4 times a lap to de-clog the BB/chain stay area.
So I am looking for a new frame too. Space Chicken has a very different geo to the XLS, and isn't for me.
Space Chicken geo numbers don't look too different, at least not in my size, however the frameset price did go up £100 since I last looked! Lol did I say it needs to be a budget option too! That's one of the reasons I went for XLS, it was cheap at the time, though I do like how it rides.
Trek Crockett?
I suppose there might be any number of framesets that could work. I measured the narrowest point on the XLS chainstay level with the tyre, it's about 5cm, versus the front fork (where there isn't an issue) about 6cm, so I suppose a chainstay gap of 6cm or more is probably what I'm looking for as a starting point.
Those £300 Malt-G1X frames on Merlin?