need new hardtrai frame!!

TJ20862

Hi
Trying to look for a hard trail frame does anyone know where i can look at a load of frames or could recommend some

Im looking to do mostly through forest that kind of riding

Budget i would say about £400

Cheers for the help

The Rookie

Is that XC use or trail use?

What 'feel' do you want from the frame?

£400 gives a lot of options and without being rude is a lot to spend when you don't seem sure what you will be doing with it.

Check out the on-one website, SAB, whippet and 456 frames, all carbon within your budget. or do you want an aggresive steel hardtail, so maybe a Ragley.

cooldad

One presumes you mean hardtail?
Why not just buy a bike?

TJ20862

Well thats no fun (like building bikes) and plus i dont really like most of the parts that come with the hardtrail bikes now adays apart from spending over a grand on a whole bike do you really get good parts?

Niick

I recently got a Cove Handjob. Daft name aside I'm loving it. Been thrashing it around the South Downs for the past week and it loves it. Mines set up with full X9 groupset, thomsom stem and post with Hope hubs on 717 Mavics. Despite being steel, its pretty light and handels rougher going better than any alu hardtail I can remeber owning and this with only 100mm up front. Think Ti without the 1200 plus tag and only a little heavier. Recon my full build is circa 9-9.5kg. Don't know what size you need but crc are giving them away for..hang on just checking...299 they seem to have red or black in 17.5.This would leave you enough for a Chris King headset! Like I say, l'm loving mine!

mcnultycop

You can get a great HARDTAIL for a grand.

Niick

No offence intended but, I'd disagree ... you can get an OK one for a k. No better I've seen

The Rookie

You'll have a much better bike for the money buying a complete bike unless you buy some used parts.

What parts don't you like, there isn't much option on most stuff (SRAM or Shimano!) apart from forks and brakes and wheels.

Some damn good hardtails can be had for a grand, but if you do want to build your own for a grand, £400 is too much to spend on the frame as you'll not then have enough to match it's quality with other parts.

Check the link in my sig to my self built Kraken......parts on it cost me just over £500.

Sorry Niick, no way is that 9-9.5Kg with steel frame, those wheels and an X9 Group...

Niick

I cant be that far off..just balanced it on some scales and its reading just under 10kg...about 9.8 I recon at most so I was a tiny bit off.

Its x9 type 2 mech, alu cassette, hollow pin chain, x9 cranks, dmr vault peds, x9 shifters, ritchie 3k carbon rizer, thomson stem and post, charge spoon on ti rails and wheels you already know. I thought the frame would have been heavier than it was but even the postman said there feels like there's nothing in the box when it arrived. Don't forget its drawn tange tubes with really thin walls. If you said this to me before I'd owned it id totally agree but it has to be felt to be believed.

Niick

Forgot elixir 9 with carbon levers

Niick

Just looked up the frame weight...4.6lbs or 2.08 kg. Its also on air shock up front.

cooldad

Hardtrails and front air shocks?
I look forward to the rest of this thread.

Niick

Whats wrong with air forks on a hardtail? They are rs silver recon solo air. Is this a bad match? Feels great to me

mcnultycop

Niick wrote:

No offence intended but, I'd disagree ... you can get an OK one for a k. No better I've seen

I'm not offended, you are wrong, but at least I'm not offended.

cooldad

Niick wrote:

Whats wrong with air forks on a hardtail? They are rs silver recon solo air. Is this a bad match? Feels great to me

Nothing wrong with forks.
Front shocks yes.

The Rookie

Sorry, no way sub 10Kg, just not happening with that build, nothing personal, but it's not!

My bike is 10.6Kg on 1450g forks (yours are steel stanchion and steerer so pushing 2Kg), frame that is nearly 300g heavier, Your wheels are about the same weight, other components you may save a few g on but your adding 200g plus with a front shifter, though your front tyre will probably be lighter than mine. I'd put yours at just over 11Kg. - Bikeradar review of a CHJ on Recons with SLX was 27lbs......

Back on topic, TJ, you need to be clear about what you want to achieve and how you want to go about it (all new or some used) to get a more sensible decision.

Niick

No stress! steerer is actually alu version and I can only go by what the scales say.

supersonic

Your scales are wrong! My Zaskar weighs that, and every part on my bike is lighter than yours!

Niick

You were right gents. Just itemised it by weight and looks to be about 10.8. Crap scales and a bit of wishful thinking ...although not a bad weight all said and done.