As per title really, I’ve spotted a nice looking frame on CRC. It’s a fire eye ‘burning’ which is a catalogue frame from Astro in Taiwan. Not that that’s a bad thing, it’s just not the ’boutique’ type brand I’d like to have.

The design is very Mondraker so probably rides good.

For me it looks like a steal. Any comments?

It can be seen here:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/fire-eye-burning-27-5-frame-only-2015/rp-prod118450

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/ragleys-ten-four-and-g-six-full-suspension-bikes-32031/

Would need to budget £2-400 for a shock which makes it not such a bargain..

http://www.astroeng.com.tw/products_info.php?kind=1&series=6&id=67

This would be a better investment

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/nukeproof-mega-tr-275-rockshox-monarch-2014/rp-prod106879

I already have a kashima RP23 which would work great with it that’s why it’s pipped my interest.

Id rather not go for a Mega- too common for me. In terms of quality there’s nothing between a NP and an Astro frame.

That’s the one Stewartc. That link is where I ID’d I as Astro.

Cheers,

Id rather not go for a Mega- too common for me. In terms of quality there’s nothing between a NP and an Astro frame.

😕

You want boutique, but Nukeproof is too common though you are willing to consider a zero rep catalogue frame. Bizarre logic. I had a Fire Eye seatpost clamp and it was absolutely crap.

get a titus el guapo or bird aeris and sell your spare shock. Got to be a better bet in the long run that some unknown frame.

Bob- I said I’d like a boutique frame but couldn’t fund another right now.

In terms of quality NP and Astro will be the same or of negligible difference.

Just because something isn’t common but cheap doesn’t mean it’ll be crap. 9 times out of ten I’d plumb for a linkage bike rather than a single pivot (with or without a link to control the compression curve). That’s why I was looking at this one.

What I was looking for was some insight into other rider’s thoughts on the linkage design etc. Looks mighty like a Mondraker to me.

If it was my money I would wait until the 650b codeine comes out. The 29er frames are £600 with a RC3 debonair shock handlebars, headset, stem, qr, seatpost and saddle.

Fire Eye is a CRC owned brand which they put on catalog stuff they buy up cheaply. Frames, pedals, stems seatposts etc.

It’s also popped up on some really random crap that seemed like genuine parts bin frankenstein nonsense.

Whilst it might not be any better than a Nukeproof (although to be fair to it the NP has decent geo) at least Nukeproof is an established CRC brand which they are trying to develop. If you buy one and need a part, say a dropout or a pivot axle then they’ll probably still have one, and if not they’ll have some answering to do.

Fire Eye is just something they’ve gotten painted and stickered, so whether you’ll be able to get any spares or support next year is debatable.

EDIT: Having said that, if you did break it a year or two down the line, they’d probably give you a Nukeproof or a Vitus.

Fire Eye is a CRC owned brand which they put on catalog stuff they buy up cheaply. Frames, pedals, stems seatposts etc.

is it?

I believe so.

Afaik, fire eye was a separate company. I have a fire sky hardtail and I was quite impressed, bombproof, maybe just a touch over designed (lots,lots of gussets).

As an owner of a Mondraker Dune I’d say that FireEye linkage set up looks nothing like the Mondy suspension.

In what way is it different Pinkster? I have a Summum and it looks very similar to me!

http://linkagedesign.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/fireeye-burning-275-2015.html

What about shock?

There are some Saracen Mysts floating around very cheap

FR0STY: most useful buddy thank you very much. From that I take it that the suspension design is in fact as I though very Mondraker- with a few slight differences throughout the compression/rebound curve.

I also read there that Astro used to make Mondraker. Crazy stuff!

I may well bite the bullet on this.

SANCHO- I have a RP23 that would go right on it. I also funnily enough have an Ex- Madison team Myst. Maybe you mean Aerial? That’s the AM bike, Myst is the 8″ travel DH beast

Cheers all

oh yeah Ariel.

if its frame only and you have a shock then give it a bash it looks pretty funky

and will be more niche than the niche brands.

frame looks good OP
the suspension design does look like the Mondraker setup and the shock location reminds me of the Commencal meta design. with that in mind you’ll have to keep an eye on the linkages, bearings and shock as they are more likely to get covered in mud etc.
my previous frame was a Da Bomb and like this one was made by a little known Taiwanese company…having said that the frame used a proper 4 bar linkage system and rode brilliantly. it climbed and descended as well as the more mainstream brands.
go for it i say

The top link looks much longer than my Mondy which looking at the pivot & shock mount positions would result in a very different spring rate to the Dune.

One other thing that would concern me is that a significant number of ‘virtual pivot’ type suspension designs need custom tuned shocks so just sticking a shock from another bike may well not always work very well.

Cheers all. All points/opinions will be considered. Cheers!