Single Pivot fames...

Splottboy

Simple, light, serviceable etc. Looking for around 5lb ish frame weight.

Have I missed any "decent" Alu XC/Trails frames? Thinking of one...seriously.

1. Santa Cruz Superlight.
2. SC Heckler.
3. SC Nickel.
4. Orbea Occam.
5. Morewoods Zula.
6. C'dale RZ 120/140...

( Superlight/Zula are the 2 frontrunners at the mo...)

What have I missed, which is the "BEST?"

toasty

Heckler/Nickel will come out way over 5lbs.

Definitely set on single pivots? Anthem X would sit nicely in that range.

Carbon Super 4?

http://www.realcycles.com/products.php?plid=m24b0s26p1856

Splottboy

Well...arm "could" be twisted, but I've had 2 San Andreas and a KHS singles, and they're ok.

Just think the crap weather up here not good for complex pivots etc.
Had a lovely USA full sus, after a few months, pivots were as stiff as Bruce Forsythe, lol!

Got a rigid I'm using and it handles most stuff, but would like to be able to "actually feel" my legs the next day, and the next and...

Yeah, the Nickel looks useless for me, 6lbs plus, and I think I counted 7 pivots!
Heckler would be overkill too.

Zula, Superlight or Occam so far...

bike-a-swan

I'd say, if nothing else, the Zula wins on looks!

.blitz

I've put about 5000 mi on my Rize and the frame is holding up well. The back end uses cartridge bearings that are glued in place and are fairly easy to clean/replace. The seatstays are carbon and have a fair bit of 'twang' in them which feels a bit odd at first but can be useful at times.

The main pivot has started to show some signs of wear but everything else is rock solid.

Not sure if you can get a Rize frame on its own :?

Anonymous

Don't convince yourself on a single pivot because of servicing. There are single pivot bikes available that actually require more servicing than linkage bikes. And vice versa of course. The important thing to consider (regardless of how many pivots) is bearing sealing, cost of replacement, and "ffaff" of replacement.

(Cough cough), I know of one bike company which will give you free swingarm bearings for life if they fail, since they're intended to be zero maintenance.

toasty

Good call actually, a Whyte E120 would be 5.5lbs, very good marathon steed. Do they do the same offer as they do through Marin?

Anonymous

Toasty wrote:

Good call actually, a Whyte E120 would be 5.5lbs, very good marathon steed. Do they do the same offer as they do through Marin?

I'm not certain that they do, but I'm fairly confident. I know there are very slight differences between their setups (apparently, Whyte design them "properly" then Marin have to figure out what can be changed to make it affordable to mere mortals, ) But the actual Bearings, sealing etc should be identical.
Best bet would be to give Whyte a call first.

Anonymous

Anyway, I thought you'd given up on full suss?

glauciaregina9

Orange 5 ?

joshtp

glauciaregina9 wrote:

Orange 5 ?

heh


the whyte e120 is a good call.... lifetime bearing warrenty means new bearings as and when you want pretty much. my mate still has his 05 46. loves it. the marins are th same as yeeha said, but are redesigned down to a budget.

my mates Treck fuel ex has liftime warrenty on the bearings, and is a nice 120mm trail bike. not my first choice though.

Splottboy

Big ride Saturday made me think twice!!!
Thighs a bit heavy, tight, which I NEVER get usually.
But the hill up to Nebo mast a bit "meaty" Some rough sections were quite a task.

Prob keep the rigid for work commuting, getting a nice rig for Sunday Best!

bike-a-swan: Yep, Zula nice, but expensive.
Even nicer with a Lefty, but even more expensive.

Not sure about the Orange, having had a big row with one of their mag models yrs ago, lol!

So...open to suggestions for a frame for the regions attractions!

joshtp

OK, heres the deal on the 5.


lots of people love it, none more than MBR. but ots crap.

its overwheight, underengineered, outdated,over priced, not REALLY made in britain (not all of it) and ugly. you dont want one.


what you do what is a Whyte e120, or Marin equiv, or a Zula, if you can afford.

Anonymous

^^ what he said. Bear in mind that the Whytes are lighter than the Marins though if that's your bag.

toasty

lots of people love it, none more than MBR. but ots crap.

Ok, I'm about as far from being an Orange fanboy as I can be, and I don't think it's a good choice for this application, but that's a load of toss.

Sub 7lbs is a very decent weight for a tough 5.5" full susser. The price is very competitive nowadays, certainly with the likes of Whyte. Sod all pivots means, even should you knacker everything it'll cost nothing to get going again. It's welded together in England, I'd count that as made - funnily Whyte pride themselves on being British yet build in China if you want an example of that though. Very good company for contacting and getting warranty issues sorted, good luck waiting for your Morewood to get sent back to South Africa to be checked out :P

Very good, reliable, single pivot bike still. Have you actually ridden one Josh?

bike-a-swan

The best comment I think I've heard on a 5 was 'it just works'. Was a chap at my club who rides it for everything. May not be the lightest/stiffest in any given category etc, but is never nasty, and (apparently) easy to service.

I really need to get another go on one- it's been a few years, and I think my opinion was biased by the fact it was the biggest fs I'd ridden to that time.

joshtp

Toasty wrote:

lots of people love it, none more than MBR. but ots crap.

Ok, I'm about as far from being an Orange fanboy as I can be, and I don't think it's a good choice for this application, but that's a load of toss.

Sub 7lbs is a very decent weight for a tough 5.5" full susser. The price is very competitive nowadays, certainly with the likes of Whyte. Sod all pivots means, even should you knacker everything it'll cost nothing to get going again. It's welded together in England, I'd count that as made - funnily Whyte pride themselves on being British yet build in China if you want an example of that though. Very good company for contacting and getting warranty issues sorted, good luck waiting for your Morewood to get sent back to South Africa to be checked out :P

Very good, reliable, single pivot bike still. Have you actually ridden one Josh?

OK, in fairness iv only ridden one on a short little bit of singletrack once.. and the rest is the obvious, the facts, and the opinions of many. the only bit make here is the swingarm, the main frame is made in taiwan, nothing wrong with that, but by no means is it ALL made in the UK

toasty

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

the only bit make here is the swingarm, the main frame is made in taiwan, nothing wrong with that, but by no means is it ALL made in the UK

Doh, when did that happen? :? The entire frame was certainly made over here until recently, much like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLx2bcmB-Zk

Officially light enough to carry across a stream apparently

The P7, G3 and R8 are definitely made overseas, I'd have agreed with that one. I'd also have questioned their value quite a bit more :P

Northwind

The 5 frame is still made in the UK, the tubes are imported now I think but the folded parts are all UK. It's a great bike, just not really what the OP is looking for IMO, then neither is the Heckler.

Think it's a bit silly to fixate on single pivot tbh, in fact if you want a light, xc/trails frame you'd be mad to discount the Anthem X.

Splottboy

Just had an e-mail from Andre, Morewoods.
Say's hes got a Zula...well he would, wouldn't he, lol!

Anyway, still thinking, Zula, Superlight or Occam. Seen a full Occam for about £1300, which is not far off of the price for the previous two's frame only. Decisions, decisions.

Having just come back from a - wait for it - 3hr road ride around the Snowdonia Mtns, just realised I need:

2 new lungs, 2 new legs, 2 new testicles and one penis. Used items considered...

ScottAspect45

I really really hate misinformation. If you dont know what you're talking about, dont offer it as fact.

Splottboy

Think you're referring to

Fact, Inference or Value Judgement here.

As it's a general question, open to debate, I appreciate ANYONES opinion, thoughts, experiences or anecdotes. They may all have a valid point or not. It's up to the individual to decide, based on the best info available, even if it's not totally accurate.

No one knows everything...except my Mother in Law.

joshtp

OH, sorry i had been told the tube saections of the 5 were welded overseas. sorry!

:oops:

toasty

ScottAspect45 wrote:

I really really hate misinformation. If you dont know what you're talking about, dont offer it as fact.

Ah come on, without the misinformation there'd be no arguing. What kind of internet would that be?!

Anonymous

just been out on my wolf ridge since 11am, only got back 30 minutes ago. Doing some road and path miles to get my fitness up again - she's a versatile machine is my lovely pet wolf - however completely unsuited to that kind of riding it may be!

Splottboy

Yee: Do you know the lane from Prenteg to the Tremadoc road?

OMG! I did it last year, and thought I was imagining it was so bad.

Did it today, and IT WAS BAD! In the wet, I wudda died. Twice.

On the road bike, my hands were totally cramping.

It'd be a "nice" climb tho! Why the Hell do we do this stuff?

Anonymous

I do know it vaguely, but I'm not overly familiar with it. Llanberis pass always catches me by surprise, I keep thinking, it's not that steep, it's just long. But it is so very very long and sufficiently steep!

Another road that caught me unawares when I rode it was from Beddgelert to Waunfawr. I've driven along it many many times, but never really noticed the gradient. Last year I cycled up Llanberis pass, to BeddGelert, to Waunfawr, to Caernarfon and home, and holy cow was that streatch a killer. Not only the "just enough incline to harass" but there are massive headwinds built up in the mountain, as well as some weird asphalt that really drags on your tyres.. It felt like trying to ride the wrong way through a wind tunnel, with treacle smeared over the tyres. Horrible!

It's weird how some seemingly unassuming roads can completely kill you!

Anonymous

Oh, and on the flipside, the hill that runs behind the Halfway Inn in Felinheli is incredulously steep, like, climbing ropes and crampons steep - but weirdly is not too bad to ride up - go figure!

RevellRider

yeehaamcgee wrote:

^^ what he said. Bear in mind that the Whytes are lighter than the Marins though if that's your bag.

Dragging it slightly back on topic, but we had an E120 in the workshop the other day and it's scary how much that bike flexes at the seat tower.

Splottboy

In came down that Felin one a few yrs ago, and the trees had dropped sticky, green sap stuff. Couldn't stop!!! Lol, what a tit I felt. Them I couldn't get up it so used the bike track.

Had the same thing happen near the Menai, whereyou go under the A55 by the huge concrete Lions. Me and my mate went sliding sidewards, and ripped my Rohan top.
Was prob due to all the car pollution dropping over the bridge as it was a period of no winds, no rain.

Just checked the map. Prenteg lane, top to bottom, got those black arrows on it...

Anonymous

Coming down that hill in Felin is a trial by fire for any braking system