£1,800ish to spend on a full-suss frame only (160mm fork)

milko9000

Hello. After several months of trial and tribulation, I have been thoroughly disillusioned by first Lapierre (won't help me replace a damaged Spicy 916 frame. At all.) and now Yeti (they/their UK distributor messing me around on delivery dates and prices for an SB-66).

[CLARITY EDIT - this has since turned out to be Yeti's old distributor not giving the backorder list to the new one, which messed me right up. I was unlucky. The new distributor (SIlverfish) went an extra mile or ten to sort me out. So the thread's off! Yeti are fine!]

So the upshot is, to replace my Spicy I need a new frame, plus whatever bits it takes to couple that to what I have:

A Fox Float 36 160mm fork. And you know, wheels and a chainset and shifters and brakes and all that kind of stuff. I suppose I have the Spicy's shock too but frames all seem to come with that, and an RP23 would likely be a nice upgrade to my old RP2.

The insurance on the busted Spicy gives me a £2500 budget, of which I was hoping to include a Reverb seatpost but I guess I don't have to. I actually have a KS 900i on that Spicy frame, it isn't compatible with the SB66 so I'd kinda written it off as a thing I needed to sell, maybe that doesn't have to be the case anymore. I was also gonna have to include a headset and bottom bracket in there, cables, maybe a front mech since the sb-66 is direct mount.

ANYWAY tl;dr Man needs a frame, is looking for inspiration after first choice bombs out due to supplier incompetence. I'd pretty much sold myself on the SB-66 linkage being better than DW-link, and shallow though I may be, looks are important too (the Spicy was so pretty, sigh). I feel like I'm back to square one, which since this has been going on since July is very irritating!

Currently on list:
Ibis Mojo HD (bit pricy, is carbon fibre)
Santa Cruz Nomad (err, dunno. Don't really fancy it much, at the moment)

The fact that the bit of my Spicy which broke was the carbon fibre has rather put me off that material, rationally or not. I don't like being afraid of crashing on rocks (or at least, not for the bike, I'd rather save the fear for myself!).

Thanks for any enthusiastic "I'd totally get [frame] because [reasons]"! Especially if those reasons include "It's actually available and they let you buy it".

bike-a-swan

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/34680/Yeti-575-2011---Full-Suspension-MTB-Frame--Various-Colours-.html

On offer, leaves a nice chunk of money spare in the budget to blow on upgrades/taking it somewhere nice/beer.

Just a suggestion, the asr5c is tempting me at the moment!

milko9000

That is a good point. I was thinking about the 575 too. But rrgh, so much like second prize in the "get an SB-66" game! The asr5c also looks nice but wouldn't run my fork so that's out.

OK, 575 definitely added to the list. All the riders of it love it and that's a nice price (if I can get my insurance-appointed dealer to get it? I'm guessing not, they probably pay full RRP because life is unfair)

supersonic

Thing is many frame only deals at these prices do have carbon in them. I'd still look at some full builds as they are great value - swap the bits you need (plus you know you will have a base where everything is compatible) and sell the rest. Such as the Scott Genius:

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop ... OUP-10.htm

Highly regarded frame and shock. Pretty light too!

http://www.southforkracing.co.uk/bikes/ ... us-50-2011

milko9000

Yeah, I might have to get over my carbon thing, it's so widespread that surely it can't be that easy to break. Its just I'm once bitten already. That's an interesting thought about a whole new bike, I just figured that for the same sort of money even given the value in a full build I'd not be doing as well for components. I've got XTR shifters and Crossride rims amongst other semi-bling.

Hmm. More food for thought!

meesterbond

There's loads of choice at that sort of price... personally I bought a Yeti ASR5c but you've ruled that out due to forks...

If I needed to use 160mm forks, then next choice would be a Turner 5 Spot... The new one is beefier than the old, otherwise I'd have probably gone with that.

Otherwise, the Nicolai Helius AM is a lovely bit of kit, Transition Covert is well under budget and looks great.

Or you could just get an Orange 5?

pilch

+1 for the 575, it was a toss up between that and the Spicy, I tried both and went with the Yeti

I originally built it up with RS Lyriks, tracked well but felt a tiny bit cumbersome and lacked a bit of sensitivity on the smaller lumps. I've since changed to talas 150 and the thing is perfect, KS dropper seat post and a lightish build @ 27lb quick up & nimble down and no problems with the carbon.

felix.london

too heavy?

http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes ... tml?b=2589

milko9000

meesterbond wrote:

Or you could just get an Orange 5?

"shallow though I may be, looks are important too" I said!

Actually, I've had an interesting development today, the SB-66 might be back on after all, don't wanna jinx it just yet.

575 - rrgh, as before, but the +1 duly registered
Transition Covert - ooh, forgot that, good call
Nicolai Helius AM, never heard of that. Sounds good, may fail beauty test
Canyon - also a not to my visual taste though doubtless good.

I think the Covert might've just leaped into pole position. I need to have another look at the 5 spot too, but I'd gone off that last time I tried it.

Dirtydog11

Intense Tracer 2?

bails87

Giant Reign X, not as special as some of the others, but apparently very, very good.

Pudseyp

Tomac Vanish 160
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=46088

Mythic Rune
http://www.freeborn.co.uk/mythic-rune-frame-sale-1

Devinci Dixon
http://www.freeborn.co.uk/devinci-2011-dixon-frameset-1

All leaving you spare change

bike-a-swan

Nuke proof mega might be worth a look, it's a lot cheaper, <1k, would leave a lot of cash to play with.

Northwind

If I was you I'd get a used Cotic Hemlock off Ebay, a KS dropper, and spend the change on a couple of weeks in the alps. But then I am a gigantic fanboi, other fantastic inexpensive frames are available

lawman

going from one snapping frame to another to another then is what you are suggesting?

madmax245

i would go for an intense tracer 2 they are really good

Northwind

lawman wrote:

going from one snapping frame to another to another then is what you are suggesting?

I'd recommend a later model or pre-snapped 2009 one The revised swingarm is strong like ox. For some reason, 2009 models with the old chainstays are now getting fairly rare

(ps, apologies for accidentally editing your post earlier- didn't know I could do that!)

delcol

sounds to me like you have your heart set on the yeti,, i would wait for that or try get one from the states....

personally i wouldnt touch intense or a orange 5 seen and heard of a both snapping


i had a few santacruz's and they both been good bikes...

my heart was set on ibis mojo hd this year, but redudancy soon ended that dream... if i can find a bloody job then i would get a mojo next year...

Northwind

Everything can break though... Orange have upped their warranty at least and they're decently tough frames.

Intense are pretty solid as long as you don't buy an FRO, and get one that was welded together straight... Our nearest dealer took one out of the box, checked it, found it was crooked. Sent it back to Intense immediately who said "You bent it in a crash"

delcol

at the intense being straight. my aussie mate tim who runs a bikeshop over there was telling me stories of the issues with intense aligment issues..

i seen a few intenses in whistler this year snap..

as for orange yeah their warrenty is pretty good my mate is on his second warrenty replacement this year..

lawman

forgot to mention the mojo HD, freakin love mine in its 140mm setup, very stiff, light and super strong, just check brian lopes smashing it down a-line on youtube if you are even remotely sceptical about it 8)

bluechair84

This could just become a name slinging thread, with that kind of money most things could easily be recommended (I love my Ellsworth Moment to bits, add that to the list too ). But bikes are an incredibly subjective thing, try em if you can - you'd be a fool to buy a bike you knew nothing about (although having done that five times, I've only been disappointed by three of them).

I've be interested in a crudite meet and swap day so we can settle once and for all if one bike really can be stated as being better than the rest

supersonic

Everything can break though

Indeed, including the Mojo HD - I've seen more than one!

Northwind

bluechair84 wrote:

I've be interested in a crudite meet and swap day so we can settle once and for all if one bike really can be stated as being better than the rest

Ah but then everyone just jumps on a bike that's set up wrong for them and unfamiliar and says "prefer my own tbh"

bluechair84

At least it would be an affirming experience. And I don't mean in the under wear department...

Eddy_B

+1 the Covert

If youre anywhere near Leeds, you can try mine.

Anonymous

Having just got a Nomad, I can thoroughly recommend a Nomad.

Or a Blur if Nomad is too serious.

Intense Tracer 2 as mentioned also.

All of which are VPP systems which sorts out pedal bob and various unwanted compression issues but may be different to what you're used to in other bikes. Personally I like it, especially coming from the GT I-Drive which has a similar principle in the suspension (but very different and not so nice design).

But first thing is, whatever you're interested in, at this price demo!. Seriously. Then you'll see what you like and don't like, otherwise you'll only regret it.

As for the carbon thing, for full-sus it's going to be cheaper brands for carbon. No problem if it's a good bike though. Have to say with the Nomad Aluminium I was quite surprised it's not much heavier than the carbon version.

milko9000

Well, I didn't expect so many answers when I started this. Thanks all, that was food for thought. Here is my observation:

Almost no frame gets more than two or three posts recommending it.
Almost no frame gets a single bad review from any of you.

Therefore, it seems that it's a fairly safe bet that these are all damn fine bicycles - and a good thing too, they cost a lot! Like Bluechair says, really.

Anyway, what happened is that owing to some superb customer service from Silverfish UK (and Yeti) an SB-66 with my name on it has arrived at my dealer and I can hope to be riding it soon. So the whole thread's sort of a wash. Sorry about that, I hope it's useful to other people.

The points about demoing it are very valid. I guess if it turns out that somehow I hate the SB, the silver lining is that its so rare at the moment I'll be able to sell it for pretty much what it cost me in no time at all, and then I will get to doing this properly. Meanwhile, if the bike does measure up then Yeti and Silverfish probably have a customer for life now, they really did impress me this week.

Eddy_B

where did you get it from?

milko9000

My dealer is Wheelies (insurance claim job) but I can safely say they've not got any more frames than this one and likely won't get any others this side of 2012 from what they told me (they don't normally stock them). Silverfish are the distributor, you're probably best asking them for where the most likely sources are in the UK. Sorry I can't help more than that.