£500 For New Hardtail Frame

Glynnd111

As the title suggests im looking at replacing my Voodoo Bokor frame and i have a budget of £500

I dont mind weather its Steal or Aluminuim i doubt my budget would stretch to titanuim

Im not sure what kind of other info you guys would need ?

Its Has to suit Mx pro lo forks 120mm

And im a bout 6ft 2 and prety hefty so nothing delicate

Many thanks

Northwind

Something with Cotic in the name Soul should do you fine but you might consider a BFe for its higher strength.

Lots of other cool hardtails out there though, I'm just biased. MMMbop? Dialed of some sort? I'm guessing from the 120mm fork you want a sort of trail/XC bike rather than a big monster hitter...

Wacky Racer

For that sort of travel either Cotic Soul, or Cove Handjob. Both excellent steel frames for trail/XC. Both within your budget.

http://www.muddymoles.org.uk/2008/09/co ... l_853.html

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... ndjob-9308

supersonic

Kinesis Maxlight? Some great, light and cheap frames.

Paulkingk

on one inbred 456 it now comes in some awesome colours and you'd have enough cash left over to buy some better forks to go with it.

supersonic

Heavy though. If you got the cash, I'd spend it, the Cotic is a pound lighter.

covelove

cove stiffee - no nonsense and you do not need to take it easy, maybe a little bit out of the price range but you will not regret it!

passout

Pace 305 or maybe a Ragley?

lawman

maxlight xc120

Paulkingk

in my experiance having a decent fork will do wonders for your ride so if the on one is a bit heavy he'll prob save that weight by getting the on one frame with a reba fork under £500 quid. and who honestly here would take an mx pro lo over a reba i went from marzocchi to rockshoxs a long time ago and i can't see myself going back.
Anyway just a thought.

ebo4eva

kenesis did make a frame specific for a 120 fork http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=15099

i think some of the kenesis frames are even easton tubing, cant go to far wrong for the money

Glynnd111

Thanks for all the replys.

I was looking a a COVE Handjob XC seems a realy nice frame but i carnt realy judge from a picture :roll:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=15508

I did think about getting a cheaper frame and upgrading the forks but decided that i would start with a realy good frame and upgrade from there as i would have a bit more money after christmas so i could get some forks then.

On a side note ive just been to my LBS to ask how much they charge to swap the frames to witch they replied £80 witch im unsure about.

A few people have told me to suck it up and do it myself.

So my next question is how hard is it and do i need any specialist tools ?

jadamson

Glynnd111 wrote:

..............A few people have told me to suck it up and do it myself.

So my next question is how hard is it and do i need any specialist tools ?

well the proper answer is yes you do need proper tools, a headset press, BB-facer etc. but then again you can always bodge it but its worth spending the money and getting a LBS to do it for you.

Northwind

I use a homemade headset press, cost me about £3 for the parts and 10 minutes of my time. Not quite as good as a proper one but for 1/25th of the price, I'll forgive it A lot of frames come faced these days- tbh if you're spending this much it's a pisstake if it doesn't come ready to build, but it still might. Also you'll need a decent set of cable cutters (one tool that's never wise to scrimp on, good cutters make good cables).

If the £80 is just for labour, it's too much IMO, If it's for parts as well- because it's quite likely that it'll need cables or hoses- then it's pretty decent. I'd do it myself but then I like spannering, and I'm OK at it, but building a whole bike if you're not used to it is a bit more intimidating. Thing is, any halfway experienced DIYer will have done most of the work before so it's just a case of viewing it as lots of different jobs. Ie, it's not "building the bike" it's fitting a BB plus replacing a cable plus adjusting a mech...

Glynnd111

The LBS said would be mostly labour and said it would take around 3 days witch i thought was quite a long time.

But if this is the case what i might do is strip as much of the current bike as possible so it would most likely be a frame forks and the cables everything else i can prety much take off with ease.

When i go in next ill ask about cables and what not just to get a more solid price.

Northwind

There's always plan b- which is try it, and if you **** it up then take it to the LBS Just try not to break anything. the really nice thing about having your bike built for you is that your first ride should be pain-free and nothing but fun- my first experience of all my bikes is riding round and round the garden fannying about with the gears :roll:

ride_whenever

3- days to do a frame swap?

W-T-F

it's a 1/2 to 1 day job to do properly. 4 hours at their standard labour rate, but I'd expect a discount.

If you haven't developed a rapport with your lbs then you'll get reamed out, but that sort of serves you right! If you have then speak directly to the mechanic who'll be doing the work.

Stoo61

Ive always had a thing for Cotic's, not even sure why.

Wacky Racer

Ive always had a thing for Cotic's, not even sure why.

Got to agree, I looked at both the Soul and the Handjob, both great frames but preferred the Soul in the end. Shame the frame is still hanging in my workshop, got as far as the forks, but not touched it since. Hope to get time over Christmas to get it completed. Both fine frames though to be fair.

Stoo61

Send it to me.....use same address.....ha.

Seen one down at Glentress and they just seem to shout out at me.

Northwind

That's because they're ace. Was it being ridden by a knobber? If so, it was me

supersonic

Glynnd111 wrote:

The LBS said would be mostly labour and said it would take around 3 days witch i thought was quite a long time.

But if this is the case what i might do is strip as much of the current bike as possible so it would most likely be a frame forks and the cables everything else i can prety much take off with ease.

When i go in next ill ask about cables and what not just to get a more solid price.

They don't mean it will take three days physically, but you will have to leave it with them 3 days. They are probably busy and have 20-30 repairs a day to do - so you get in line ;-)