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1. st - Member

   More a musing than looking to buy one but it’s something I have looked at before.

   There are plenty of lightweight, racey, fast paced looking 100mm travel frames around but what about one that you can run a longer fork on and just arse about with?

   I had a Hemlock a while back but didn’t get on with it. I also had a Meta 4 but this was too long and lardy and with 140mm Pikes on seemed a bit of a chore.

   The only option that really stands out is for a 4X frame but then you’re compromising on a frame that you can actually ride distances.

   So if you ride a BFe, Apline (Dialled) or something like that but want a bit of travel at the back (but not too much) what options are there?

   Posted 11 months ago #
2. argyle - Member

   orange blood or st4, banshee spitfire (ish), cannondale rize

   Posted 11 months ago #
3. davidtaylforth - Member

   I dont think anything exists but if something did then I'd probably buy it. 4x frames would be perfect but they usually only have a 16inch seat tube (max) which isnt ideal for putting the saddle up high with.

   Someone mentioned a pivot mach 4 the other day, dont know what they are but worth looknig aT?

   Posted 11 months ago #
4. tracknicko - Member

   older trance.

   ran one for YEARS with 5" forks on front. sexy fun.

   Posted 11 months ago #
5. neninja - Member

   Nicolai Helius CC - adjustable down to 88, 102, 118, 129mm. It will become slacker with a lower bb when at the lower rear travel settings with a longer fork.

   Alternatively the current Helius AC with a 50mm stroke shock can be run at 106mm at the rear.

   I have to say my CC which is fitted with a Talas 140 fork is superb.

   Posted 11 months ago #
6. The Flying Ox - Member

   pivot mach 4

   There's your answer.

   Having said that, I've got a 100mm Pronghorn, and that's tremendous fun in a how-am-I-still-intact? kinda way. I ride it on all sorts of terrain.

   EDIT: Also, the Morewood Zula takes bigger forks (my buddy runs 100-130mm? Revs) and is built like a brick shitehouse.

   Posted 11 months ago #
7. sssimon - Member

   been running a cannondale rush and a 130mm revelation for a while and it's a keeper. Most 100mm bikes end up with a silly high bb once you start adding fork length.

   fork at 120mm in the pic

   
   rush5 by simon gardiner, on Flickr

   Posted 11 months ago #
8. z1ppy - Member

   At risk of becoming a parrot over it, have you checked out the Pivot Mach 4? There soon to be released M4X (yes it's a 4X version) of the same frame looks to have major potential.

   Along with the SC Superlight, surprisingly tough, though more at home as "bruiser" with 120mm up front.

   Posted 11 months ago #
9. avdave2 - Member

   Rift Zone? 4" travel but built for trails more than racing from what I gather. I've no idea how it would handle longer forks.

   Posted 11 months ago #
10. davidtaylforth - Member

    Why are you all listing lightweight xc frames?

    They arent going to survive jumps/drops/dh tracks.

    Posted 11 months ago #
11. DaveyBoyWonder - Member

    Standard answer from me - track down a Blur 4X. I had a Soul for a couple of years but wanted something that would take more of a beating, allow me to run bigger forks (had a trip to the Alps looming too) but pedal like a hardtail and be ok for long days in the saddle. Blur ticked all the boxes.

    Run mine with 160mm 36 Floats, doesn't feel wander-ey at all. Ever. 70mm stem, 760mm bars, Joplin 3, 1x9 setup etc. Its superb. Really, really superb.

    I'm a bit of a serial bike swapper but every time I get itchy feet with the Blur, I look at what else there is out there to replace it with and/or go for a ride on it and change my mind.

    Well worth trying to track one down if you can. Mines a medium and I'm 5'8" - wouldn't want to be any taller on a medium. The large is about the same height but an inch longer I think...

    Posted 11 months ago #
12. DaveyBoyWonder - Member

    Oh, BTW, the ONLY frame/bike I've seen I'd like to have a go on with a view to changing my Blur, is the GT Distortion. Looks awesome.

    Posted 11 months ago #
13. davidtaylforth - Member

    Infact, I used to have the ideal bike myself. 2003 specialized supercross, it was a bit small for me for xc stuff though but it was good fun and heavy (so it must have been strong)

    Posted 11 months ago #
14. davidtaylforth - Member

    Yeh that GT looks ok. The saracen ariel looks ok too but its got an inch too much travel

    Posted 11 months ago #
15. st - Member

    Like I say it's not a plan to buy one (although it could be the start of a slippery slope). At the moment I have a BFe which is ace but there are times when a bit of squish would be good to take the edge of things and to ease my slightly shonky back. When I've built up frames like Hecklers etc they've ended up seeming a bit overkill and I have a DH bike for days on our downhill courses.

    Threads I've read about Superlights and so on seem to suggest they are much happier running 100mm forks with all round ground covering builds.

    At the moment I have a hardtail which rides well downhill, works on big days out and will fail long after I do on more severe trails.

    Seems a shame that Cotic didn't develop the Hemlock idea further, ho hum.

    Posted 11 months ago #
16. z1ppy - Member

    They arent going to survive jumps/drops/dh tracks.

    Where did he say "fun = jumps/drops/dh"?
    That and any number of these lightweight frame listed above will quite happily survive jumps/drops/dh.

    and again parroting... SL works well with 120mm forks as a trailbike, but is a race machine @ 100mm IMHO of course..

    Posted 11 months ago #
17. freeridenick - Member

    There arent many that dont have horrible racey type geometry..

    but
    Transition double
    commencal absolute
    Mythic rampant

    Posted 11 months ago #
18. wors - Member

    the ragley fs is 100/150, not sure when it's due though.

    Posted 11 months ago #
19. alpin - Member

    no, not a cannondale rize.

    i spent the last six monts riding one and can not vouch for it as a hooligan bike.

    i'd go for a Liteville 301

    can be built up with various rear ends giving between 100 - 150mm of travel. will take a 100 - 170mm fork.

    light and stiff as buggery. bit pricey, though.

    Posted 11 months ago #
20. scaredypants - Member

    tracknicko - Member
    older trance.

    
    Agree - seem pretty overbuilt for a xc bike, so ideal for pissing about in the woods (have people broken them often ?) and ride better with a 130/140 fork than the 100-120 suggested. BB is pretty low so they take the longer fork well.

    Posted 11 months ago #
21. jam bo - Member

    2003 specialized supercross, it was a bit small for me for xc stuff though but it was good fun and heavy (so it must have been strong)

    great bikes but I snapped two sets of chainstays.

    Posted 11 months ago #
22. tracknicko - Member

    ive had 3 trances. never broke any.

    well not in a catasrophic way anyways.

    have a bit of a reputation for breaking bits, frames themseleves always did very well!

    Posted 11 months ago #
23. davidtaylforth - Member

    Where did he say "fun = jumps/drops/dh"?

    Jumps/drops/dh is fun

    That and any number of these lightweight frame listed above will quite happily survive jumps/drops/dh.

    Although maybe not the sort that a 5.5lb full sus frame will cope with.

    Posted 11 months ago #
24. argyle - Member

    want that liteville! sadly bank account says don't you bloody dare!

    Posted 11 months ago #
25. si_progressivebikes - Member

    Alpin, where do you get Liteville from in the UK?

    Posted 11 months ago #
26. ziggy - Member

    Gt Distortion, no question. Had a demo one for a few weeks, was awesome.

    Complete bikes only though and not many left for the year.

    2011 Rize (RZ120) has altered geometry, is now classed as a trail bike, slacker head angles this year, although completes only again.

    Posted 11 months ago #
27. DaveyBoyWonder - Member

    Hmm, might have to try and track down a demo.

    Calling STW - have you still got yours? Want to lend it me for a week?

    Posted 11 months ago #
28. z1ppy - Member

    Although maybe not the sort that a 5.5lb full sus frame will cope with.

    only if your a biffer

    where do you get Liteville from in the UK?

    Posh bike in maidstone, used to be a UK dealer/distributer but are no longer listed on the Liteville site... give em a ring/email?

    Posted 11 months ago #
29. davidtaylforth - Member

    or a gnarler

    Posted 11 months ago #
30. z1ppy - Member

    grrrrrrrrrr

    Posted 11 months ago #
31. davidtaylforth - Member

    watch yourself, that amount of gnarl could melt a morewood zula

    Posted 11 months ago #
32. ransos - Member

    I have an old 4" Trance. Rides much better with a 130mm fork than the 100mm stock unit. Lardy, but fun.

    Posted 11 months ago #
33. peachos - Member

    what about a Blackmarket Killswitch or DMR Bolt. not exactly sure how much travel you can stick up front but they're both solid short-travel bikes designed to be thrown about the place.

    

    

    Posted 11 months ago #
34. davidtaylforth - Member

    They're full suspension dirt jump frames? They look pointless and are no better (worse infact) than a 4x frame

    Posted 11 months ago #
35. scruff - Member

    Blur TRc, size large, then sell it to me (and lol)

    Posted 11 months ago #

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