So I have been after a hardtail for a while, NS bikes released the new cromo in a 29er with a geometry that looked spot on, I am around 6ft4 so largest frame size is usually the order of the day. The only pictures of the bike I had seen was this:

Now looking at the design of the frame, I assumed that for the largest size they would extend the seat post further above the top tube and use a larger gusset, however, I have just seen a picture of the actual frame:

Picture

Now I wasn’t quite expecting this, something to me just doesn’t look quite right…..

Am I being too picky?

(a) FWIW, I think it looks shit.
(b) It seems to me that the strongest approach is to increase the size of the diamond, else it could result in too much stress on the seat tube, gusset or no.
(c) If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.

no definitely not. It has no pedals, send it back.

Rear tyre logo/ valve is not aligned , sorry not much use

Yes

Skinwallz, itz gotz skinwallz on it 😯

You need CFH on this thread..

Both are fugly!

Rear tyre logo/ valve is not aligned

Both of the valve/logo alignments.

Skinwall or not, some things are unforgivable.

Are the white bits on the rims.. duck tape ?

I was looking at the pic link for tyre valve , but yes the. Posted pic is even worse.

Just no attention to detail

Id be having a word with the gardener about the state of the border..

Have you bought it? It has lost something in the scaling up alright! I’m 6’3 so always need the bigger frames and they can look pants when you see them compared to the mediums in the showroom alright!! This is especially true which road or CX frames!

I like the bike in the original pic, but the second one it just looks a bit odd I agree!

Wookster – I have pre ordered the frame through my local bike shop with a £50 deposit currently, frames aren’t due until the end of the month so pretty sure I could cancel.

My original first choice was a Shan GT, but not sure I can justify the extra £150 – 200

We recently built a shan for a customer, they are lovely

@Bigmantrials, It does look odd, I suspect it keeps costs down, only one gusset for all three sizes and it keeps the minimum seatpost insertion the same between sizes.
Thanks to you I also have one on order, opposite though, I’m 5’6″ so have a 16″ coming. I suspect it will also look a bit odd 😀

It looks exactly as I’d expect it to, tbh, but if you don’t like it speak to your lbs sooner rather than later.

I would think that from a structures point of view that it would always be the top tube/gusset that would rise rather than the increased extension of the seat tube due to the additional forces caused by increased leverage. One of the reasons for minimum seat pin insertion into frame. Plus pretty much every bike manufacturer does it that way, no?

If you aren’t happy, cancel. Besides £150-200 will soon be forgotten where as if it niggles you now you’ll just end up flogging after 6 months and lose even more…. 😉

HTH 😆

Personally I think it’s a nice looking bike.

It looks as id expect. Med bikes generally look better than large ones IMO anyway. It’s to do with the sloping top tube being (more) inline with the seatstays.

Only one question to ask – is bike vanity worth the extra £150 to you?

If it’ll bug you for the life of the bike, spend the extra cash. If your going to spend more money I’m sure your lbs won’t mind getting the more expensive frame.

The bigger one looks to have a larger frame and the same post length – that not the case? If so, what were you expecting?

I have a large frame on order as well.
Looking forward to getting it.
Hoping to get a 170mm drop seatpost in it.

Comparing the two images, I suppose the problem is that the promo shots will be using the size S-M(?), the size they expect to sell more of probably.
Where the top tube almost runs straight into the seat stays giving you that nice aesthetic line…

While it might make for nicer visuals to keep that line and grow the seat tube and supporting brace tube by scaling that little sub-triangle they’d be forced to weld a longer brace on further up the top tube, where I expect the tube walls start to thin out, they’d then have to change the butting of the top tube or learn to weld onto a thinner wall without blowing through and it would add yet more weight… So structurally what NS have chosen to do makes more sense (IMO), it just ain’t quite as pretty…

This is unfortunately what you get for being tall…

It looks as id expect. Med bikes generally look better than large ones IMO anyway. It’s to do with the sloping top tube being (more) inline with the seatstays.

This. Gate sized bikes always look a bit daft. That one looks fine. Extending the seat tube would be weaker and would look like you were riding a bike that was too small.

I don’t like it, but I don’t really like the medium one either. Sensible tyres would help.

They have simply done what the vast majority of manufacturers have been doing since the start. Gate frames usually look worse, that’s why I got a 29er.

Can’t see past the minging tyres.