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So looking at the current parts bin, I'm short of a frame, a headset and a cassette for a new bike. As we all know, a complete bike takes up far less space so this is just a sensible thing to do - but I'm completely torn as to to what to get so could do with recommendations / real world experiences. My requirements are:
29 and 650b+ compatible
Ideally around a 130mm fork (it's what I've got and it's about right for the stuff I ride locally)
BSA BB
Ideally steel but maybe alu
cheap'ish' - realistically 6-700 is ok but cheaper is better.
Geo seems to be a kicker - I run a large santa cruz with a 150mm dropper but my spare is a 125 so realistically I'd like the seattube length to be around 440-450mm. Could drop to 420 and just about make it work but it's not a preference.
So far considering:
Pole Taival (unknown quantity, never tried a Pole bike and don't know anybody with one)
Cotic solaris max (not ideal in ST length)
Santa Cruz Chameleon (kinda don't want yet another SC but geo wise is spot on)
And discounted:
BTR - too expensive
pipedream moxie - too much travel
nukeproof scout 290 - bit iffy with plus
Ragley bigwig - no stock anywhere
Genesis tarn - odd geo
Stanton - nothing seems to fit the bill
so... help....
I'd check hub compatibility too = not all standards can be converted from/too.
Oh aye, boost too (as that's what my wheels are)
Got a Stanton Switchback recently - absolutely awesome bike.
Pace RC129?
Wrong material but Ti Kingdom Vendetta X2?
Orange P7 29 - hard as nails Reynolds steel 29er ( I've been running mine 27.5+ ) for 130mm forks
Great geo - 640mm top tube with a 1200mm wheelbase (in large) makes it very stable. 125mm dropper works fine.
Just a thought...!
Orange P7 - the one review I'd found wasn't glowing about power transfer and as I'm a fat bastard who puts out a decent chunk of power I'd sort of looked over that. That said, the review was on bikeradar who can be... patchy in accuracy shall we say - is that not a problem in real world use ?
Kingdom - ti for 800 is damn tempting. I just need to weigh up if I can justify that cost when I'm trying to get the price down. Tis bloody lovely looking though.
Pace RC129 - I'd forgotten I'd already discounted this one. Basically all looks right apart from reach and ETT are pretty short, so seems quite a compact frame which may not fit as well
Clockwork 129. External BB, designed around 130mm fork. Will take 27.5 x 3.0 bomboloni in the back. £599 ish
My 137S is awesome so...he could well be right.
Just started looking at that clockwork actually. It's an interesting prospect - very long and looks a bit bonkers (in the good sense). Smack between M/L on sizing as ever so bit of a coin toss on that one.
Rocketdog - reading through posts on here I can see you said you preferred it to the bigwig and solaris, can you tell me why please ? like what didn't you get on with the BW and solaris ? Ta
I usually ride large but with the length of the TT on that size I went medium, no regrets, even running a 35mm stem.
Bigwig was awesome downhill but felt all wrong uphill, HA too slack and my feet felt too far behind the BB when climbing. Solaris just didn't do it for me, no particular reason. I just didn't gel with it.
I like The clockwork more everytime i ride it. Its XC enough to ride all day and just slack enough to give me confidence going down. It also weighs about 1lb less than the P7 and costs less
Out of pure curiosity, why no love for the Tarn Geo? got a few mates with them and they love the whole, "long front end /short stem " lay out.
Ticks every box otherwise, have you ridden one?
Seat angle & HA not quite where I'd like, ETT longer than I'd like on a size that would work for me yet with a comparatively short reach (due to the ST angle). It's minor but it all adds up into something I'm not looking for.
OP says the Pipedream Moxie has too much travel.
One detail, with 29 wheels the recommended fork is 140mm. Still too much?
Sadly yeah it is - wish it wasn't as I love the look of that moxie but as I'll be running plus wheels most of the time it'd really be 150 I'd need. Ideally need a 120 29er which I'd run with 130 forks so it's right with plus wheels.
P7 29 power transfer is fine. With good quality wheels and grippy tyres it gets you up, down and along things very well indeed. I run it 29 in the winter, 27.5+ everywhen else. Its not a 'sprightly' frame but then you wouldn't want a pingy lightweight either. The longish chainstays are brilliant for climbing (no wandering) and whilst its no mountain goat, it just gets there with no fuss. Handling through the twisties is great - goes where you point it. It has quite a steep seat tube so it puts you a little more forward in the attack position. The long wheelbase allows for very fast descending, you can really throw it down stuff. I can outpace my mate on his full susser down certain trails.
Its solid, stiff and certainly no lightweight (so I would say ideal for high power output) yet the steel does make it more comfortable. I would say the Bike Radar 'dull under power' criticism is down to the shock absorbing nature of the fame material (a good thing) and poor wheel and tyre choice. In the real world it works a treat. For me anyway.
Thanks bootsy, that’s exactly the sort of feedback I was after.
Production Privee Oka?
Only frame-only I could see on PP's site was the Shan GT and that got ruled out because it's PF92. Seriously, why put pressfit in a metal frame ?