I’ve been trying a cheaply put together steel rigid singlespeed hardtail with carbon forks for a few weeks & surprizingly enjoy riding it.
So, wouldn’t mind trying a singlespeed 29er in the future.

What geared/singlespeed 29er frame would you recommend, & I’m thinking steel for some comfort & under say £500, with sliding dropouts, & not too heavy.

of all the 10 29rs i have owned, the singular swift i sold yhis week is by far the best in design and the nicest looking.
well apart from my el capitan…… 😉

I got a Ti29 by OnOne because the slotted drop outs are so versatile. SS, Rohloff or dérailleur.

The steel 29er inbred is great value for money and enough change to get a custom paint job if you fancied it. The frame itself is good enough quality to justify it or a higher price.

I really like on karate monkey, my old singular swift was great too as was my fisher rig. I’d recommend them all tbh

Gryphon?

rich, are you feeling alright?

Steel – no doubt – the Singular Swift.

anotherstan – I think not, but I feel OK. Mailed you yesterday – did you see it?

no mate, been off last couple of days, i’ll have a look now.

edit – you must have sent it to the ‘cogap’ mail address, i can’t pick them up on ‘the outside’ …security you know 🙄

+1 for Singular Swift.

Fits your budget. Steel.

Lovely paint job – looks nice and doesn’t rub off. EBB so very easy to set the chain tension up (compared to the On-One horizontal dropouts for example). Comes with a rigid fork which will happily do you for quite surprisingly bumpy stuff. Can run it geared. And generally a pleasure to ride.

EBB so very easy to set the chain tension up (compared to the On-One horizontal dropouts for example)

say what!? undo bolt, slide, re-tighten bolt, that’s it! no creaky EBB no sudden slippage (based on experience of a couple of different designs of EBB, to be fair I’ve no used a singular on so it could be magic!).

You sir are a buffoon of the highest order and I’m afraid you are going to have to be beaten to death with a sack of monkey poo.

EBB’s do look prettier though

I’d second that. I found the On-one slot-dropouts with one chain-tug less hassle than Paragon sliders.

What about the new On-one carbon frame with ss kit? See here
http://www.on-one.co.uk/news/products/q/date/2010/11/12/twentynine-inches-report

Light, strong and under budget (just!). But not available quite yet 🙁

I found the EBB used in the Singulars I have had to be completely troublefree. Certainly less hassle than the sliding dropouts on my Voodoos and Inbred.

I have a 26″ Voodoo Wanga now.
What size Swift for 5’11” – looks like I’m between a medium & large as I like a 600mm eff top tube?

The Scandal on the classifieds looks interesting – but will it be harsh? (I’ll need a chain tensioner too)

my scandal is the most compliant riding bike Ive had. very comfortable indeed.

No question for me:

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/singular-swift-29er-and-suntour-epicon-rld-29er-fork-reviews

Can’t help with the original question, but having tried all three, in order of preference, I’d go for;
Sliding drop out
EBB
Slotted or Horizontal drop outs

Another Swift vote, but you could always put a few hundred extra on your £500 and get a custom Shand.

Can a On-One Scandal be had with sliding dropouts?

rich, i’ve got a geared scandal 29er which you’re free to loan any time. drop me an email.

@ dickie- Yes I’ve had two, but they don’t make them at the moment so ebay or the classifieds are you friends

Really? Didn’t think they ever did a scandal with sliding dropouts, thought it was just horizontal dropouts?

Really? Didn’t think they ever did a scandal with sliding dropouts, thought it was just horizontal dropouts?

True – people confuse sliding dropouts (like Paragons and the ones on Voodoos and Konas) with horizontal dropouts (like the O-O slot-dropouts).

Stan – mailed you

True – people confuse sliding dropouts (like Paragons and the ones on Voodoos and Konas) with horizontal dropouts (like the O-O slot-dropouts).

yep your quite correct o-o scandals are slotties not slideys (the voodoo ones are an arse)I’ll go and disembowel myself with a middleburn uno in penance.

rich, ygm.

I think the Voodoo sliding drop outs are excellent!!

I’ll go and disembowel myself with a middleburn uno in penance.

That’s the least you could do! How very dare you sir!

TazzyMTB wrote:
one one drop out,say what!? undo bolt, slide, re-tighten bolt, that’s it!

yea, everytime you take the wheel out. An EBB is set once and forget, rear wheel drops out like a normal dropout, no fuss, no hassle and no creak from my Singular/phil wood EBB in 18 months use

Seems the Swift is a firm favourite with the phil’s ebb you can sleep tight with no worries about slipping or creaking.

You also have the added comfort of knowing the main man is always around to help out.

Gryphons rock too probably do more miles on that than any of the others the only problem on a weekend is choosing which one to ride ?
Easy Pegasus…………………… not cheap tho !

£499 frame only or an extra few quid for a matching rigid fork. Just about the nicest 29er I’ve ever come across that isn’t custom.

£499 frame only or an extra few quid for a matching rigid fork. Just about the nicest 29er I’ve ever come across that isn’t custom.

I agree – if it didn’t have long chainstays it would be perfect.

I’ve just recently finished building up a swift as a rigid SS. Absolutley love it and am now finding it hard to motivate myself to ride the other bikes in the garage (don’t tell the misses though………she still thinks they are all “essential”)!

Make sure you get a short stem if you stick with the ridid forks as the steering can be a bit twitchy otherwise.

I agree – if it didn’t have long chainstays it would be perfect.

They go down to 445mm, what do you consider to be not long Matt?

Scandal 29er with horizontal drop outs, gears and hope not to have to take the wheel out without a massive lever!

Served me really well last winter and still love it…I became distracted by a Niner Air 9 which looked and weighed like nothing else but she was a hopeless ride, sold it and blinged up the On One. Very highly recommended.

They go down to 445mm, what do you consider to be not long Matt?

For ss climbing (ie standing) I find shorter gives more traction and less wheel spin. For ss use you would need to take up some slack in chain giving at least 450/455mm. Currently riding with chainstays at c.430mm which is great.

I found similar when riding between a steel O-O 29er and Vassago Jabberwocky – Jabber had 10mm longer chainstay(ish). The Jabber was better downhill but O-O climbed far better.

the voodoo ones are an arse

you must have a different set up regime to mine then as we disagree about EBBs and voodoos, once again the wanga’s dropouts are a fit properly once and forget system

don’t know why, but the wanga ones just seem more fiddly than paragon sliders, even though it’s the same principle.

I like EBB’s and they do make wheel removal easier, but I’ve always had creaky issues that dive me mad.

slott droppies are crude and simple, just like me

slott droppies are crude and simple, just like me

😀

tazzy- i hope its not my cranks you are doing yourself damage with!

Wheels have come fron 5up****r c*****ts- one red hub and one black!! Waiting for them to tell me what to do about replacement.