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I'm on a search for a hardtail frame to replace my Kinesis FF29, which I've had for quite a few years, and have eventually admitted to myself is too small. It's a large, but Kinesis never made it in XL.
My wishlist:
Must be around 21"/XL size
Must be light (the FF29 is around 1.8kg), as it will be doing various 24hr races and the odd XC race
Ideally wants to have stealth dropper routing, for a 31.6mm seatpost (or possibly 30.9)
Would be great if it could also be run as a SS, without a tensioner
Doesn't want to cost more than £5-600
The Trek Stache ticks all of these boxes, but I was wondering if I've overlooked anything else out there. Any ideas?
Its not on budget but the Kona Honzo Carbon fits the bill - only just out but should be awesome!
I recently noticed the Stache and I really like the design, super short rear end, adjustable dropouts, with the high driveside stay it'd even be easy to take off and clean the chain 8) I bet in a year or 2 there will be more bikes like this.
For the hours in the saddle type stuff could run a + tyre or put on smaller tyres for shorter zippier rides.
The medium stache is about 2.1kg I think, so not light but not massively heavy either.
I was also wondering if there is anything else similar, but cant' think of anything, 7 cycles are expensive, the sliding dropout inbred isn't sold anymore and being steel doesn't tick your lightweight box, I have a horizontal dropout 135mm inbred myself and I need to engineer something to stop QR wheels from sliding when I sprint.
The One9 probably sits in the same boat as the Pivot Les: amazing, but miles out of budget. In fact, I should have mentioned that the Les is probably my ideal frame so far, except it's about £1000 over budget... 🙁
The Honzo Carbon looks great, but doesn't look like it is available as 'frame only', and only the Honzo ST comes with modular dropouts. The SS bit is a 'nice to have' though, as I can bodge that if necessary. Interesting - I may give my LBS a shout, and see what they can do as they do Kona.
Didn't on one do a very close stache knock off?
Don't know about cost, nor name, but how about the new version of the El Mariachi
Just been released, not sure when it'll be in the UK. Ally frame, comes with alternator dropouts, and in size XL
The El Mariachi looks good except it's a 27.2 seatpost and steel. Another option, again in the 'not quite there' bucket is the Stanton Sherpa - adjustable dropouts, stealth routing, comes in XL. Downside is the weight though, as it's 2.5kg frame, so not really close to XC/Endurance race weight.
I guess this is highlighting the issue I'm having: I want a 'sort of' race bike, with a load of features that race bikes seldom have (except the Pivot Les and Niner One9)
new version of the El Mariachi
The El Mariachi looks good except it's a 27.2 seatpost and steel
Isn't the new one the timberjack? Ally, 30.9 seatpost, twin bottle cage mounts, boost/non-boost friendly, 29/b+, alternator dropouts for singlespeed. Not sure about stealth routing though.
Seems to tick a lot of boxes for a 'bit of everything' bike
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[/img]Swanny - that looks brilliant!
It didn't show up on the Salsa site as a current bike, but is coming this autumn. Ticks pretty much all the boxes, with the minor one about stealth routing, but at least it will take a dropper. Light, good price, adjustable dropouts and good geometry.
Also, the one issue putting me off the Stache, is that it is 'boost', so means swapping wheels over from my old frame is a non-starter.
Edit - just checked, and it is routed for a stealth dropper. Winner!
Glad it ticked the boxes. I think it looks really good, if I had bikes nicked tomorrow that would be a pretty good place to start- that or a stache!
Practical as the woodsmoke may be I'm just not sure I could own it!
Long term Salsa lover - and I'm not sure I'd own one either
Carbon Stache coming out later this year FYI...
The carbon Stache 9.8 looks like it'll be a nice bike, the frame is literally a carbon copy of the alu one, Pikes, Sram X1, carbon rims, £3600 or thereabouts though, not cheap. Alu one is plenty stiff enough, wonder how much weight is lost?
Carbon Stache coming out later this year FYI...
I'd heard rumours, but no more than that. That could be pretty interesting, if they get the weight down a fair bit then it'd make a pretty fast 'crossing country' machine. I'm still trying to justify buying the existing one to myself!
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That'd be it.
Wow. I'd missed that. I thought I was googling 'trek stache carbon' on a pretty regular basis!
It's almost as if they've tried to make the Woodsmoke as jarring as possible, and I'm assuming the price will be way out of my league (same as the carbon Stache)
Thanks again for pointing me towards the Timberjack.
There's the new Shand, and on the thread someone mentioned about a Chinese frame that's similar.
New carbon Honza would be a good bet too...
That Stache looks awesome!
Wow that black thing is nice! I can't find any info on it though?
Maybe it's the colour, but Trek are handling the aesthetics of the elevated chainstay a hell of a lot better than Shand or Salsa
It's the new carbon trek stache. Al one has been around for about a year, 29+ but also b+ or 29er with different forks.
I've ridden the current one and it's hilarious. It's basically just trying to buy a house that means I don't have one yet!
My Stache 5 is possibly one of the most fun bikes I've ever ridden. Such a giggle. Was never a Trek fan but have been impressed with the engineering and detail that has gone into the frame.
Maybe I'll get the carbon frame in a year or so time and transfer the bits over.
Maybe it's the colour, but Trek are handling the aesthetics of the elevated chainstay a hell of a lot better than Shand or Salsa
I think it's the seat stays following the line of the top tube that does it. Also the offset between the chainstays seems a lot less dramatic on the Trek. I'd probably still go for one of the Salsa options though because of the dropouts. I keep looking for something to replace my rigid steel bike that has the ability to run a Rohloff. I don't want to go with steel again as I'd like to try and build something up lighter than I have now.
I'm a huge fan of my Stache-9 (now running 27.5+ and a 140mm fork). I thought I'd finally finished upgrading it. Then I saw that carbon one.....
I may as well chime in here. I have just finished building a 9:zero:7 slider fatbike frame into a 29er+ which cost around £650 in total.
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Are those Stache adjustable dropouts easy to use?
To my eye I prefer the Woodsmoke, which it appears was announces only yesterday, it looks more versitile. Can run 2 chainrings up front, which most people wont want but at least the option is there. The kinky downtube is OTT but looks like can actually fit and use 2 bottles in that frame, looks like as the dropouts are pushed back it increases the BB drop slightly, a nice touch. Plus it is ugly so wait long enough and it may be discounted.
The Stache I love the seattube/BB they have got that just right, the seattube follows the line of the wheel just like a mudguard and will allow a super short rear end. But i think they have pushed the envelope too far with the position of the chainstay, surely that is going to get a chain-backslapping and stop anybody from fitting a man sized chainring. Plus the toptube slope is a bit extreme for me.
I wrote a thing about my endless upgrade journey: http://pickled-hedgehog.com/?p=3722