I’ve been a bit burned out on the mtb media and bike news for a while, and haven’t really been staying abreast of new bikes for at least a year (maybe two).

I’d like to buy a new frame to transfer over most of my parts from my current bike but I don’t really want to spend more than £1000 (maybe £1500 at a push). I’m not interested in carbon having broken three carbon frames.
My favourite bike of the current crop is probably the Giant Reign. I think the geometry feels pretty much perfect for me in a size medium. But they don’t offer an alloy frame only option.

I would consider buying used if needs be, as I feel I’m in a kind of awkward spot. TLDR I need –

150 or 160mm of rear travel (yes I need it)
“Giant Reign” style geometry.
Alloy frame.
Preferably 142 x 12 and non boost cranks.
Under £1500.

Suggestions please.

Can you sell the parts you have and buy a full Reign?

Yup, it’s another thread where a Transition Patrol is the answer 😀
I’m sure there are still some 2016 frames around in your budget 🙂

Mega seems quite similar to the Reign in geometry.

You can get a Cotic Rocket frame for £1500.

Why don’t you buy a secondhand Reign frame? They pop up fairly consistently on Pinkbike for well under a grand.

Airdrop Edit and a holiday

Airdrop Edit – https://www.airdropbikes.com/
https://dirtmountainbike.com/bike-reviews/trail-enduro-bikes/airdrop-edit-bike-test.html

The new Bird Aeris with the metric shock. https://www.bird.bike/aeris-145/

Both are long and bang on trend. Plus within budget.

EDIT (pun!) – beaten by 40 seconds…

YoKaiser
Can you sell the parts you have and buy a full Reign?

I don’t really want to since I’ve got an XT build, Chris King hubs etc etc…I would only end up buying all new shimano xt stuff eventually.

chakaping

Mega seems quite similar to the Reign in geometry.

No CRC products. But thank you.

Hob Nob – Member

Why don’t you buy a secondhand Reign frame?

This is very much what I’m thinking Hob Nob, but i’m just asking incase there were any new direct sales bikes or brands, or frame only options I wasn’t considering.

EDIT: Airdrop and Bird were what I was thinking. Thanks. Will investigate.

Bird is boost innit?

Nice looking frame though.

chakaping – Member

Bird is boost innit?

Nice looking frame though.

Yeah just saw that. Not a deal breaker but certainly a negative. Just noticing the Airdrop only has a two year warranty, which is a bit pants. I wouldn’t want to jinx myself but it’s hard to imagine I’d break a used Reign inside two years.

Cotic Rocket or possibly a Flare

I have a 2012 Transition Covert and the company make very nice bikes as do Cotic my hardtail is a BFe

New Stage 5 from Orange has made it into the Dirt 100 – glowing review on that website right now. Or if you prefer 650b, Alpine6 is mint – also with a rave review on Dirt. I’ve tried both and the reviews are spot on.

Why is a frame warranty of “only” 2 years a problem? Surely if a frame lasts 2 years of regular riding any failure after that is going to be user fault rather than a manufacturing or material flaw?

Anyways, as above, if you like the reign then cost up buying the cheapest reign and swapping parts between bikes to then sell off your old frame and less good Giant bits n bobs. Should come in at about your budget.

The best answer if not a Reign is the Transition Patrol. A smidge over budget but really, really exceptionally good.

https://www.merlincycles.com/transition-scout-mountain-bike-frame-2017-94528.html?utm_campaign=googlebase-GB&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=shopping&utm_term=Mountain+Bike+Frames&ucpo=34810&gclid=CjwKEAjwq5LHBRCN0YLf9-GyywYSJAAhOw6maC8ra6Ruejr-XjfmOOn9PW58fdwUGKE8Se9zPaoC3BoCDiDw_wcB

Second hand ones will obviously be much less.

Grum p
Why is a frame warranty of “only” 2 years a problem? Surely if a frame lasts 2 years of regular riding any failure after that is going to be user fault rather than a manufacturing or material flaw?

Well I’m not even exaggerating when I say I broke my chain stays 4 years and 360 days into a 5 year warranty on my current bike. The manufacturer honoured the warranty and I got a new back end for the bike. A five year warranty is better than two, right?

Anyways, as above, if you like the reign then cost up buying the cheapest reign and swapping parts between bikes to then sell off your old frame and less good Giant bits n bobs. Should come in at about your budget.

It’s certainly an option.

I expect you see frames snapping either quite close to new or well into their life.

Most people I know it’s happened to have been between 2 and 5 years, FWIW.

2016 Rune, or even a 2016 Spitfire. I know it’s ‘only’ 140mm, but it feels like much, much more.

Selling my well specced 2015 Medium reign for £1500…….:-)

… a 2016 Spitfire. I know it’s ‘only’ 140mm, but it feels like much, much more.

I was wondering why this is, and also why I so rarely get pinch flats despite not running terribly high pressures or heavy duty tyres and liking fast rocky trails. I did some googling and found that the Spitfire’s axle path goes 7mm rearwards by half travel and then comes 2mm forwards at full travel. On the other hand a Patrol’s axle path goes 3mm rearwards by one third travel and then 10mm forwards by full travel.

It feels intuitive that a more rearwards axle path will hang up less on rocks and other square edges, and help let you carry more forwards momentum.

Obviously the flip side of that is too rearwards an axle path will cause pedal kickback (unless you add an idler) and affect the feel when cornering due to the change in chainstay length (especially as the front centre will be getting shorter at the same time).