Cove Stiffee

smelly1973

Hello,

I've recently had my chameleon pinched and am replacing it with a Cove Stiffee frame and have a custom build done. Being a gilry and not knowing much about bikes as my ex had my last built up I'm going with advice from my local bike shop. My preferences are that it's light, chunky and black....
I've read reviews on the stiffee and it seems a good frame to go with but I'm kinda unsure about the components and don't really want to go with just what they want to get off their shelves. So far we have agreed on:

Hope Wheels
Rockshox Revelations Air U Turn Forks - previously had White Brothers and I'm thinking of sticking with them.... opinions on this would be really helpful
XT Shadow components

Thanks
Debbie

artillerydave

Cove stiffee is a great frame, so no worries there. The revelation fork is great however I would get the fixed travel 130mm rather than the U turn version as if you reduce the travel on the fork it will affect the frame handling as it is designed for a long travel fork. Hope wheels will be good with a decent rim ie a DT 4.1 or mavic 719 etc. and XT compenentry will be spot on, other than that for the rest of the components if you stick with the likes of thompson / easton / raceface for the bars stem and seatpost bits you will have a great bike. it sounds like you are in good hands with your bike shop.

zero303

Non U-turns are lighter, I believe it's in the region of a quarter of a pound...

Splasher

You've picked the wrong frame IMO. The Stiffee is a heavy frame deliberately so because it's a Northshore inspired freeride bike. I think the Revelations are a mismatch for the frame in terms of travel and stiffness.

Personally, sticking with your prefered brands, I would either go

Cove Handjob, Revelation, Hope 4.1 wheels for a light 130mm bike
or
Cove Stiffee, Pike, Hope 5.1 wheels for a heavier but more robust 140mm bike.

smelly1973

I'm looking at Azonic bars,stem post over Easton - wrong choice?

Splasher

smelly1973 wrote:

I'm looking at Azonic bars,stem post over Easton - wrong choice?

Personal preference although most Azonic stuff is quite heavy. That's not a problem, just picking up on your desire for a light bike!

smelly1973

Nope, this is the info that I need, all advice is greatly appreciated!

ride_whenever

How low could you ride a stiffee with regards to forks, if you put u-turn pikes on could you feasibly run the forks at 120 or 110, just looking at the geometry the bb is reasonably high, so you should be able to get away with it, also would 140mm be too much for the front?

Answering the question, I'd suggest merlin wheels, 719 on either proII or xt hubs. I'd mirror the thomson comment as well.

Splasher

Light chunky and black you said:

dave_hill

OMG the man's got two sheds!!!

Nice wheels BTW

Splasher

Not my bike or my sheds. Just think a Handjob suits the initial brief better than a Stiffee - piccie's to illustrate point.

supersonic

Most frames have a handling sweetpsot in terms of fork travel or height, and will work well 20mm or so either side of it, or to your preference.

ride_whenever

How strong is the handjob? I know it is technically an xc bike, but it is also a cove, so what can it really handle?

smelly1973

Wow, the handjob does look nice but the stiffee is doing it for me at the moment.
When I get the spec from the bike shop I will be comparing with the info that you've all generously given me....
Thank you so much and if you can think of anything else please let me know (but in girly bike English please).

Debs

schmako

My mates got a handjob and it has stood up to some black/red route xc stuff. However another guy I knew let his mate borrow his handjob and dented the downtube (new frame required)! The tubing has been described as being as thick as a coke can by a few guys I know too.

Splasher

ride_whenever wrote:

How strong is the handjob? I know it is technically an xc bike, but it is also a cove, so what can it really handle?

Silverfish describe it as suitable for XC and AM and as Smelly1973 is likely to be lghter than most of us, it should be OK.

However, it's irrelavant if the Stiffee's the only one that floats her boat.

rob cole

I would be wary of using a Cove Handjob for more aggressive riding...its not designed for it

we get alot of people riding Cove Stiffees and Mythic Sciroccos here at Esher Shore without problems

but had a guy snap the head tube off his Handjob 2 years back, when he nose landed a drop

Stiffee for freeriding and aggressive all mountain (play bike)

Handjob for XC and endurance riding

stevie the freerider

the stiffe is a freeride bike it is designed gor DJ forks FR forks or dual crowns!!!

go for a hand job


hehe how mature

Mythic

you know you couild always buy a nice mythic/banshee scirocco

i have heard they're quite good

by me

seriously now they're preettttyyy nice

take a look for your self
http://www.freeborn.co.uk/shop/frames/h ... occo-frame

Amos

The stiffee frame is 0.1lb lighter than the Handjob frame according to Silverfish.

I would have thought the Handjob was lighter tbh.

The Stiffee is a good frame though

dawnophile

Personally, on a Stiffee i'd put Hope/DT 5.1 wheels, XT gearing, thomson/easton cockpit and a fixed travel Rockshox Pike fork with coil innards and a bolt-thru. The handjob is a great bike, but it's very different to the Stiffee. Light and a bit fragile in comparison.

hamboman

I'm also in the process of getting a cove stiffee made up - there's a bike shop in Wokingham that lets you do test rides for free over multiple days. think it's called Mountain Trax or something.

Mr_Orange

If you want another view of a Handjob, see my sig.

hamboman

been reading some reviews and everyone says the paintjobs and stickers on cove are rubbish - paint chips and decals peel. Is this true? I'm about to order a stiffee so hope they've cleared up this problem, as the bike reviewed was from 2006 i think

Amos

Ive got an '06 Stiffee and haven't had any problems with the paint or stickers.