I have to replace a my frame cheaply so I'm looking at an on-one, they seem amazingly cheap for what you get. Looking through reviews and forums, though, there do seem to be occasional comments about poorer quality paintwork and a difficulty in installing headsets – in amongst the abundance of satisfied customers. Is there any truth in this, eg should I makes an allowance for having the headset faced and reamed? That might alter the economics which is an important factor for me, I really need to avoid any unplanned expenditure.

Thanks

buy second hand, everything should already be done.

if you no like, sell on,

You will find lots of good feedback from here. Their frames are brilliant.

Good, but don't expect a high-end finish. Most don't bother with facing/reaming.

Headset & BB were fine on mine, went in nicely. Bit of rust-colouring on top-tube gusset but they all do it apparently. Take a look at the frames from Genesis for a bit extra, they are nice.

bought my first on one (456) this year dispite over 20 years of mtb`s and very impressed with the frame build and finish for the price.
headset pressed in no probs and i faced the rear disc drop outs but they didnt really need it, as for the BB dont worry about it…having this done is a bit of a farce considering external BB spacers are plastic and therefore will flex as the BB bearings are tightend…
agree on Genesis for nice frames too for not much more 😮

paint the gussets with a clear laquer touch up pen to prevent this.

You should try one first, I was going to buy a new one last year when they were £130 but tried one and did'nt like it at all, which which surprised me as I was expecting to really like it after reading everyones comments. I do like the barry white paint job. I got a genesis in the end very nice frames and I think they are worth the extra dosh as the finish is excellent imo.

love mine no problem with the headset or bb but the paintwork is not great, just have to keep touching it up the with nail varnish

tidy frames, ime.

matey has one and for the cost it's awesome. if i didn't get my Alpine for the price i did then i'd have considered a 456.

bone_idle – Member

You should try one first, I was going to buy a new one last year when they were £130 but tried one and did'nt like it at all, which which surprised me as I was expecting to really like it after reading everyones comments. I do like the barry white paint job. I got a genesis in the end very nice frames and I think they are worth the extra dosh as the finish is excellent imo.

Are you sure you're in the right place?

On One frames are ace.

Had 4 never had a problem with any. Inbred original, slidy Do inbred, 456 summer season, now on a 456ti.

I've never bothered facing anything.

Also look at Radley.

coolhandluke – Member

Also look at Radley.

Why?

Is he after a Handbag??? 😉

I have experienced unaccountable chainsuck on a small 456 frame I built up for a girlfriend. Brant, who has never met her, leave alone watched her riding, says that this is down to poor shifting on her part. Suffice to say she never experienced any such problem on the many other bikes she has owned. The other slight problem with Brant's view is that many other people have described the exact same problem with these frames in posts on here.

I have the Ti456 and a Steel one, both 18". I have enjoyed them both very much and they are very capable bikes which have given me very few problems. The Ti456 was not comfortable with external bb's but now I've reverted to square taper and an old Middleburn crank it is quite happy.

I personally think there is a sizing issue if you are around 6' tall. The 16" is too small and the 18" is too big, but that may have something to do with my expectations and the way I ride as opposed to what Brant does.
The medium Pace 303 seems to be more my sort of fit and lends me far more confidence in the descents and twisty bits. The On One probably performs better at everything else.

Finish quality was better on the three On One frames I've built up than it was on the Pace frame.

I think my mate with a single front ring who got major chainsuck might disagree with the chainsuck and shifting comment.

I also have a 456 and it seems great for the money. I also have had chainsuck with all brandnew components fitted so will be looking for somekind of anti chainsuck plate.
I think it rides fairly well, not been on any other HTs for years though.

I am 6'1"/2" and have a 20in. It fits me ace using a 70mm stem and 130mm forks. Semi head down riding position but very central on the bike which has got me out of a few pickles including a failed wall ride which is still imprinted in my mind.

Buy it and ride it, Even if most the paint falls off in 3 years it will still be rideable/saleable. You could even have it powdercoated every year with the new seasons colours. (not sure what this years is though)

Inbred/456/summer season choice really depends on what kind of head angle you are used to as this will be the most immediate thing you will find different.

I also have had 456 chainsuck issues with all brand new groupset, I think its to do with the large tyre clearance – makes the chainring clearance very small. It was a bike ruiner for me and I gave the frame away.

The chainsuck is an issue with the drivetrain though – the frame's close clearance just makes the effect that much worse.

Can't say it's been an issue on any of my On-ones but then I've rarely had chainsuck issue on my bikes.

I personally think there is a sizing issue if you are around 6' tall. The 16" is too small and the 18" is too big

how long's your seatpost?

I own 6 on-one frames and have never had an issue with build quality or headset/BB installation. The old tippex painted inbreds didnt have the most durable finish, but later models have all been excellent.

great value frames. What's to lose?

I've had no chainsuck issues on mine since fitting a chainset from the 21st century. Gouged a bit of paint off when I tried a mid 90s square taper chainset with too short bottom bracket though.
Paint is prone to chip- I bent the mech hanger back after one crash and the pain lifted straight off in a large flake from the where it had bent- obviously not bendy paint, or less bendy than the steel!. It's not a problem unless you are worried about such things. I can't see any other chips but then it's always covered in mud.
I fitted the headset and bottom brackets myself with no issues other than above. Didn't bother facing or reaming or whatever. Great VFM frame. Mines a summer season in orange with the all important yorkshire rose head badge!

I don't get the comments about sizing. I'm a smidge under 6 foot tall and my 18 fits me great. Plenty of seatpost showing. Certainly not a gate.
Anyone that tall even thinking a 16 is the right size for them for chuckability surely should get a bmx

The chainsuck is an issue with the drivetrain though – the frame's close clearance just makes the effect that much worse.

Not if you spent N on new drivetrain about 3 times over to try and solve it. It was a frame issue for me, brand new shimano kit throughout and it still sucked like a new baby.

Not if you spent N on new drivetrain about 3 times over to try and solve it

£90 SLX double and bash fits perfect no issues never ever had any chainsuck with it.

Tell me how a frame causes chainsuck! It doesn't. It's entirely down to the drivetrain as it's caused by the chain not releasing from the chainring.

As I said, the effect on the frame is made much worse with the close clearance you get on some on-ones but it's not the frame that causes the chainsuck.

FWIW, when I used to do mechanicing, I had a few instances of people bringing their bikes to us complaining that the brand new drivetrain we'd sold them but which they'd fitted didn't work – chainsuck. Every case apart from one was down to them joining the chain badly so that there were stiff links. Can't say that's the problem in the cases above but it is worth checking.

and it still sucked like a new baby.

There's now a load of flashing lights and sirens going off at CEOP. 😆

The chainsuck is an issue with the drivetrain though

You canny change the laws of physics, all chains over rotate due to momentum and the old 456s were prone to catching it between ring and chainstay. It's why the later models have a dent in the chainstay and why Brant's latest offerings have that 3 finger stay thingy. I got chainsuck on a brand new drivetrain on my original summer season. A session with a mallet and a bit of wood fixed it. Some hammerite and self fusing tape covered the damage. I fixed it because I couldn't be arsed arguing the toss and I liked the bike a lot. It's steel after all so the damage was just superficial. Had it been a new aluminium bike with that problem it would have went back straight away. All moot points now as far as the OP is concerned because the problem has gone away with the nicely manufactured dent.

Tell me how a frame causes chainsuck! It doesn't. It's entirely down to the drivetrain as it's caused by the chain not releasing from the chainring.

OK I will. First I think this is a bit of semantics and I don't want to get caught up in pedantry. So let define what we mean.
1)yes I agree that chainsuck is caused by the chain not releasing.
2)the effects of chainsuck though are the chain getting caught on the frame and this is totally frame specific.

I did a lot of my own investigation into this, using my bullit as a testbed, because it has no chainstay near the chainrings and I suspecte dthat there was some interaction. I found that even brand new drivetrains suck (even clean and freshly lubed). On the bullit it wasn't a problem because there was no chainstay to get hooked up on, and the drivetrain released before it got to far, with older drivetrains the chain would suck further up and then release. I tried the oldest knackered drive train I had and it sucked a long way up and released. All of this is fine on the bullit and I use the bullit to eek the last out of any sucky drivetrain I have. On the 456 even brand new shimano drivetrain sucked and caught up on the chainstay because the clearance between the chainstay and the chain rings was minimal. I've looked at loads of other frames to compare and noe have as small a gap.

Now Brant has effectively admitted this because the ragleys have his special chainstay design with loads of clearance, and there is a thread on here somewhere where he refers to his new solution to this problem.

I hope that make sense.

EDIT devs beat me to it with the same explanation! Albeit his is succint and erudite..

There's now a load of flashing lights and sirens going off at CEOP.

yes I was thinking dummies and nipples, what were you thinking?