Currently riding an older XL sized Chameleon with a 145mm headtube, a 10mm spacer and 2" rise bars, I've filed the dropouts to shorten the rear end also, 140mm Fox's-I like bikes with lots of front pop for manuals/hopping and dont like 'modern' shorter headtube/low front end setups. Quite a hard rider. Im also 6'6" ride Lee Quarry, Gisburn, DH etc etc

Looking to replace the battered Cham this year but struggling to find a replacement;

Ideally steel, but would consider alu again. Deffo no 29er circus bikes.

The list so far;
New Chams in the XL has the geo/size im after but I've allready had two and they're £600 so not on the shortlist,
Bluepig 20" frames visually make my eyes bleed (sorry Brant)allthough ideal in every other aspect,
Evil Sov's are £600-too expensive but again ideal,
Chromags-too expensive, not big enough
Dialled Alpines-not really big enough and short headtubes
Transition Transam-ok apart from the intergrated headsets
Possible 2010 Lrg BFE?
Surly Instigator?

anything else I've missed?

Deffo no 29er circus bikes

Have you ridden 29ers??

HOw about one of them Chumba VXL thingies

sounds like you might like a dirtjump sort of geometry (short stays, high front end)….only most dirtjump bikes will seem small for a tall guy and cramped for riding any distance. maybe get something custom made? Curtis perhaps?

steve_b77 – Member

HOw about one of them Chumba VXL thingies

Looking promising in a large

neilnevill – Member

sounds like you might like a dirtjump sort of geometry (short stays, high front end)….only most dirtjump bikes will seem small for a tall guy and cramped for riding any distance. maybe get something custom made? Curtis perhaps?

Too expensive, allready had a look at them, thanks though.

probably be too small, but FireEye? http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Brands.aspx?BrandID=471

I know a guy that rides a firesky on trails and loves it, but he's shortish.

Taller than 95% of the population, hating 29ers out of hand and wanting a cheap bike that fits you? Get real.

Oh – with the seatpost that high, most anything should be easy to loft the front on – but nigh on impossible to keep down on all but the most gentle climb. Your weight will be so high and far back you'll be the wheely king.

Taller than 95% of the population, hating 29ers out of hand and wanting a cheap bike that fits you? Get real.

Oh – with the seatpost that high, most anything should be easy to loft the front on – but nigh on impossible to keep down on all but the most gentle climb. Your weight will be so high and far back you'll be the wheely king.

obviously my current set up rides like an absolute dog-which is why I want a similiar spec. Stick with your clown bike.

I was going to recommend an XXL 5 Spot, but you want cheap.

Find an old Kona Hoss.

I take it you've not ridden a 29er then.

Im an ex-bmx'er and DH er, my previous bike was a Brooklyn Machine Works Racelink for DH, and a BMW Park frame for general hooning around on. Before that were an Avalanche Racing equipped Norco Aline, , Spooky Metalhead,1st gen Chameleon, Zaskars etc, my current mk3 (IIRC) Cham was my XC bike thats taken over from the Brooklyns. I run it with Profile BMX cranks, & XT rear hubs because I've bent Hope axles before.

A 29er isnt going to suit me. It would die a horrible death. No full suss either.

A 29er isnt going to suit me. It would die a horrible death

Looked at the Banshee Paradox?

"Deffo no 29er circus bikes"
How about a hard riding 29er bike then? Not all 29ers are rigid forked Singlespeeds. Intense are prototyping a DH bike, Niner offer a 6" FS (limited to a 140mm, 20mm, Manitou 29er fork), as well as a number of companies offering 5" 29er hardtail framesets ..

I have a 21" Cove HJ with 140mm rock shox rev,s 20mm bolt through, Hope with EN521 wheels and its good for general trails, smaller drops and jumps etc. I have to run a 100mm stem and layback post though as its a little tight other wise and I'm 6.5" 93kg. Frame may not be up to the really rough stuff though, although I have been off all the drops and doubles at inners XC route on it. I did stop to check the frame after the bigger drop though, which was totally fine.

Hes said hes an ex bmxer and downhiller, so probably does a fair bit of jumping etc. So why recommend 29inch wheeled bikes? They must manual and jump like shite, the wheels are huge and the stays are probably very long. Im sure there fine for long xc rides and a bit of light dh but thats it.

Id go for the BFe, short stays like your chameleon and the head tube is probably a reasonable length. Also fairly cheap and strong. Only downside is getting the saddle to the right height for long rides, but you should manage it with a 400mm+ seat post. I have a BFe, bought it cos I ride bmx and fancied something with shorter than usual chainstays etc. Im 6foot2 and ride the medium and can get the saddle to a decent height for xc, so you may be ok with the large.

59 times the pain

Thanks for talking sense to the clown bike owners.

The BFE is probably the closest Im going to get geo/build/stength wise and is definetly near the top of my list, think I'll go badger Cy.

For the record Banshee's Paradox is so named as it is the antithesis of what a 29er is

It has some of, if not the shortest chain stays of all production 29er's, so is as nimble as a 26" bike, and manuals very easily indeed.

It also has the slackest HTA of all production 29er's and all the benefits of going up and down this brings

It sounds like the OP is after something else, but the Paradox should not be under estimated, or considered just another 29er

Peace