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i just cant seem to find the frame i want. nothing quite ticks all the boxes - i even looked into a custom made frame but thats way too expencive. so i pretty much narrowed it down to surly straggler and genesis vagabond.
the genesis is a rally nice frame, but im not into the big fat MTB style forks. what im after is something more like the forks from the straggler.
both frames have almost exactly the same head tube angles. the fork offset differs by 11mm though. enough to make it a problem?
i know this is unconventional, but would it work?
(i plan to use the bike 98% of the time for commuting, occasional touring and occasional singletrack/gravel trails)
Fitting different forks is pretty 'conventional' in my book... Maybe not for off the peg roadie framesets but for most other things it's not too odd at all and the surly forks you mention are available on their own precisely so that customers can "mix and match.
Maybe worth noting 11mm shorter A-C will steepen the HA by approx 1/2 a degree-ish if such things bother you, dunno what the offset difference is like either.
I think the Vagabond prototype had exactly what you are after?
[img] https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRgcT4zCiSrp-N2gVHXlvTjbWo_MqpKxMquYqi3CAG4rzlXr_h8Ww [/img]
thats the exact picture i saw
looks so much nicer, no? i guess the only visual thing would be the colour difference, but they are pretty close
cooleaa, whats A-C and HA? - i would use flat bars on the bike
Lug-crown, curve blade 'trad' style forks and disc brakes are an odd mix. You get the looks of an old fork but not the flex, by the time the blades can handle the disc brake forces/tests. The unicrown they used is a better solution imo.
The Salsa fork would need to be very close in length (AC Axle Crown or fork height, similar dimensions), the offset can vary the handling for better or worse but ime length changes rarely do a rigid or road bike any good as it affects the entire geometry (inc HA / Head Angle). Offset changes just affect the steering response.
Why not get a custom fork for a stock frame? Can be a good VFM way to get a custom look and feel for a bike. £150ish for a good UK-made fork?
looks so much nicer, no
No, I think it looks terrible. Very curved skinny forks just look wrong IMO. Much better as it comes as standard... again IMO.
yeah, custom fork could be good idea. any recomendations?
still thinking about it.....
Both those bikes look quite different. The genesis looks more like an MTB with drop bars.
Judging by what you're planning to use it for, the Surly would probably be ideal (if a bit heavy).
Some links to more frames you might not've seen
http://www.somafab.com/bikes-frames/frames
http://webshop.singularcycles.com/en/Products/Singular-Kite.html
http://www.veloheld.de/veloheld-iconx-frame
http://allcitycycles.com/bikes
https://bowman-cycles.com/shop/
ive checked out a couple of those
i think im leaning to the vagabond. the price is better too. dont really want to go about £350