You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
So I’ve got a change faucet frame gathering dust and most of the parts to build a mtb based road bike, (flat bars, 29” wheels, slicks and discs) really don’t get on with drop bars so am happy to go with above set up.
But I need some “sus corrected” forks for the faucet which by my calculations will need to be anything above 475mm a2c. As far as I can find it’s either exotics £130 or cheapo eBay £70. Or I go for the xla frame and fork £200
So any thoughts on which might be better? Or other ideas?? I’d say £200 was my max budget either way.
If it makes any difference I’m 6’1” and 100kg.
Just wondering why the xla frame? And not something else from px like a London Road.
What will you use it for?
Are you bothered about the weight of the f&f?
Hi Damascus, I just really wanted a bike for road riding that doesn’t have drop bars ( as I said I just don’t like them) and I’ve basically got all the bits bar a set of forks.
I’ve seen the London road for sale in the classifieds a couple of times but never in the right size. I literally just searched through the px website (no sign of the London road as a frame set) and the xla was the only thing close to what I might have spent on some exotic forks.
I expect anything to seem light compared to any of my mountain bikes so no not bothered.
Thanks
Tim
Curve ball, what about a boot zipper 29???
The boot zipper will be heavier and slower on the road. The xla geometry will be better for a road bike.
But the bootzipper will be more flexible. It will take slicks or mtb tyres so will go anywhere.
If you ride on your own, speed isn't really an issue.
With a couple of sets if tyres or wheels it could be a very versatile bike.
I run a scandal with genesis tarn rigid fork and have 3 sets of wheels. Road, 25mm tyres. 2 inch big apples and 2.6 inch mtb tyres. It does everything I need but when riding on road with friends I take my road bike as i wouldn't keep up on the scandal.
I'd suggest an MTB would actually have the better geometry, Road bikes with flat bars tend to be very short. Typiclaly their reach in a 56cm frame is <400mm, compared to a large XC hardtail (still old skool with 110mm stem) around 450mm. The difference is made up in the bend/hoods on a road bike.
If you want to run road or CX sized tyres, have a look at 26" or 27.5" frame sets.
@thisisnotaspoon Thanks for the input mate that’s kind of my thinking as well. I’ve already got 29” wheels with 2” big apple tyres so what ever I get that’s what it has to take.
@damascus yeah I appreciate that the boot zipper is a bit portly but in reality I’ll be on my own so like you said not really an issue, I do like the bolt through axles and I could chuck in my b+ or 29er boost mtb wheels if I wanted to. Really frustratingly the boot zipper has 25% off it at the mo so could have been a no brainier, but the xl is £125 more expensive than the large, apparently it’s due to stock allocation to bike builds.
Have a dig on the evans site. They're selling loads of old pinnacle framesets.
@thisisnotaspoon cheers chap would not have thought to look at Evans. Ordered a ramin 1 frameset for £100 looks spot on for what I want, I’ll just pop the Genesis in the classifieds.
Just thought I’d update this, so frame arrived surprisingly well packaged in an undamaged box. Well got to say I’m impressed with Evans packing it was far superior to CRC’s last effort. Unfortunately the last piece of foam to come off uncovered a 1/2” scratch down to the metal on the nds chainstay which was quite disappointing as otherwise it was spot on.
So email Evans and they basically say sorry you can have a replacement, a refund or £50 compensation and keep it. Well I bit their hand off at the £50 voucher, so I have basically got a new frame and forks (including a headset) for £50 so well chuffed. Just got to build it now.
👍
Hope my pinnacle frame comes with a scratch too 😉