What carbon MTB frame

mrbblack

Ive been having a look around ebay and found these.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/18-20-MOUNTAIN-BI ... keparts_SR


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/3k-full-Carbon-Mo ... tain_Bikes


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Full-Carbon-Frame ... Road_Bikes

what one would you go for ... or do u know of any other ones i should check out?

njee20

Look harder, there are better deals on the same frame.

Like this. Was impressed with the one I had, would have another.

mrbblack

Cheers just nto sure 18 inch is big enough didng you say u felt cramped?

and im 5, 11 so id think 19 inch would be perfect or even 20 so im not sure i cant try them ou before i order them but i could allways get a longer stem and adjust seat if its to small.. or to big ?

Fogliettaz

I have the second one down one your list and am extremely happy with it. I bought it from anybaby8088, Jenny is her name and she replies very quickly to all your questions. If you go ahead with the purchase get a bottle cage and seat post to keep it all matching!

mrbblack

fog your right that one does look the business ...

id want one in 19 inch..

did you pay import ?

Fogliettaz

No import or vat. delivered in 5 days only thing was they posted it over my back gate and I was away skiing for ten days!!

njee20

Yeah the top tube's aren't the longest, you may want the 20", even so, there's hundreds of people selling them for less than you linked to. That one with the 'OTR' stickers is the worst, definitely don't bother with that, you're paying £150 for the stickers!

I didn't pay import etc either.

Fogliettaz

Read this thread mainly about road bikes but from the same sellers very imformative.

http://forums.roadbikereview.com

I bought may road frame after reading this last year and gave me the confidence to go ahead with a Carbon MTB this year.

Pudseyp

I would be very dubious of a carbon frame at that price...not going to say they would be rubbish, I would question the quality of the material and the manufacturing technique to be able to seel that at that price and make money...

This is also worth a look
http://www.carboncycles.cc/?s=0&t=0&c=83&p=890&

Fogliettaz

Pudseyp

I bet they get their frames from the same suppliers in China!

Pudseyp

Fogliettaz wrote:

Pudseyp

I bet they get their frames from the same suppliers in China!

They may do or may not....looking at the pics of the Exotic frame I would say the latter....it has had a lot more detailed design in my opinion such as the headtube...the carbon prepreg also looks a decent quality as well. Agreed it is probably made in the far east...but I would rather pay the extra and buy from someone in the UK I can speak with over the phone rather than communicating by ebay..plus if anything did go wrong I am sure you would get a better service from Exotic as their reputation is at stake rather than someone on ebay...but I suppose you pay your money you take your chance

joshtp

that second one looks just like a well known long travel carbon HT from a well respected manufacturer.. I just cant put my finger on what!

:?

maybe a cross of a $%^ carbon, and something else, like a Zaskar carbon.

ilovedirt

joshtp wrote:

that second one looks just like a well known long travel carbon HT from a well respected manufacturer.. I just cant put my finger on what!

If that's round about way of saying it looks like a carbon 456, yeah I thought that as well.

allthegearnoidea

pudseyp, there is a thread on the mtbr form about these frames and someone linked into a frame maker in the china/taiwan/hong kong area (is on my main computer which is at brothers being fixed so have no saved links! ) but the factory makes a Load of frames for different places, was quite interesting to go through all the bikes they distributred!! some looked Very familiar!!

the frames them selves are pretty good, light and strong enough for a good thrashing!!
i had one of the older designed ones, frame was 4lb weight, and in 'std' weave finish, took a Load of abuse from me and i'm 16st without the bag full of kit! had it not been the alloy drop out between seat and chainstay on the disc side collapsing when i was popping it of a jump i'd still be using it loL! but in fairness, i bought the frame second hand, and have no idea of its precious use at all,
i'd Defo have another for sure! they make up great Xc style bikes! especially as if you search for 'carbon mtb' you can get them for not a lot over £250 delivered (some that offer seatpost and bars for a little more but the extra's are quite weighty from what i've heard!!! )

benpinnick

Lol. I wouldn't buy a bike from anyone who advertises a bike as 100% carbon. They clearly have one or more of a) rubbish bikes b) no idea what they are selling c) optimism that you're equally badly informed.

allthegearnoidea

thanks to google!! i found a couple of threads on them!
this is from the guy that started the thread i read in december, cant find the one i read originally but this will give you a good idea on them!
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=536473

this is the link to the company that make them too to give you an idea!
http://carbon-products.en.alibaba.com/productlist.html

mrbblack

i read through that forum and theres some nice pics in page 2 ,3 ,4 feck me i love the look of the frame tbh ! and its so bling! and i guess the bike willl feel sooo much lighter?

anyway im in total hell now bcos i already have a bike frame with bits for the frame size so im kinda gonna be screwed unless i go ahead n sell them but tbh i think im going to just have to do it bcos i willl allways now be wanting this frame


heres anice pic of it
http://picasaweb.google.com/slenzi/Hong ... 0285400866

allthegearnoidea

they do look the Nuts when built up nice!!
Loved mine, even though it was the older style when i killed it!

mrbblack

killed it? :shock:

mrbblack

to be honest if i ever get this bike which is doubtfull at the moment

it wont be a normal mountain bike

it will be a kinda .... i dunno take care kinda bike

i mean ill not be doing crazy stuff on it but still taking it on down hills etc

jsut think it will be lovly for cycling about and long canal paths etc

BURP

can i jsut say pizza hut delivery sucks

mrbblack

what situtation kills a carbon MTB? :?

badly landed jumps? ? but what kind of jumps?

rocks hitting frame? at what speed?

i was thinking if i ever got one id maybe protect the under side of frame with some padding if i was on a down hilll trail?

:?:

supersonic

The same situation that kills any frame, crashing it or riding it beyond its design parameters.

Pudseyp

allthegearnoidea wrote:

this is the link to the company that make them too to give you an idea!
http://carbon-products.en.alibaba.com/productlist.html

I am not saying they are bad...just my opinion that I would be dubious..like I said it depends on the quality of material..in general a 3k weave would be more expensive than a 12k weave...it also depends on the way the frames are manufactured...so of the ones in the link the layup looks terrible....what I am trying to say is that for $250 it must be the cheapest grade of carbon prepreg you can buy..so at that price I wouldn't buy one...I work in aerospace and prepreg unidirectional tape can cost around $50 per sqm...so try and work out how many plys you would need (at least 4) so it cannot be quality for what they are asking

supersonic

It is cheap because they miss out the middlemen ie importers and shops. I would say many 'named' frames are this price when they leave the factories over there.

Anonymous

At those prices it's tempting to build up a Carbon 26" single speed with slicks just for bombing around town. I'm sure it'd work a treat and turn some heads.

allthegearnoidea

if you look through the mtb frames there are some Very familier Shapes and designs! also in the type of size orders they do they will also be able to get a good discount on bulk purchase of matereals etc.!
but i do know what your saying pudsyp,

i just think with these, if you look through them you could match the designs to many current higher end frames, just depends how the companies finish them at their factory end,


Killing mine was down to me being a lardy sod and jumping on it! also, it had been Abused every ride in my hands lol! a lot of long rocky descents, (masses of mining valleys around here!!) quite a few spills and the usual bad landings! but it was the alloy drop out that collapsed not the carbon! just that its such a part that it wasnt worth getting one made! (would have meant machining and in the day and age of shops closing down for lack of business a machine shops not going to want to make a one off bit for a bike! or atleast, it'll prolly cost more than a new frame!
as super said, using beyond its designed perameters!

Pudseyp

allthegearnoidea wrote:

if you look through the mtb frames there are some Very familier Shapes and designs! also in the type of size orders they do they will also be able to get a good discount on bulk purchase of matereals etc.!
but i do know what your saying pudsyp,

i just think with these, if you look through them you could match the designs to many current higher end frames, just depends how the companies finish them at their factory end

Agreed, but I could copy a Spicy frame and make it out of pig iron...I know a lot of frames are made In China..but we all know about the cheap crap they produce as copys..was in spain a few years back and saw a Sany camcorder....get my drift...they would probably be perfect for a light XC outing, but I wouldn't use it for anything more...plus the ones from Exotic as there being sold in the UK must have met EN requirements...and for me safety is of paramount importance...if I am paying good money I expect that it's been rigorously tested to death..

njee20

in general a 3k weave would be more expensive than a 12k weave

Of course, but as that's just the outer cosmetic layer that's fairly irrelevant.

If you're worried about the longevity don't buy one, no one's forcing you to! It's a light XC bike, I wouldn't buy a Scale/Elite 9.9/S-Works hardtail etc for anything other than XC, this is no different!

mrbblack

ok so would you take it on the skills park or down hill trails - red or black route?

njee20

I would do exactly what I'd do on any carbon XC bike, certainly take it round any trail centre, I doubt I'd take it somewhere to do any jumping, but I personally don't do any jumping anyway! I certainly would have no qualms about the longevity.

Fogliettaz

mrbblack

Go on, you know you want to :twisted:


What ever frame you buy having the satisfaction of putting together your own bike is great!