After stupidly selling my Marin Rocky Ridge not too long ago, I now realise that a 100mm, singlespeed XC hardtail is not enough for me, and want to build up another long travel, geared hardtail suitable for long treks through the highlands.

The Marin was pretty much spot on, although probably slightly overbuilt for me. Problem was I quickly found I wanted to replace most of the kit on it and couldn’t afford to.

So what other frames are there that I’ve overlooked? I’m not interested in steel, I’m over the whole ‘flex’ issue, and would be running big old soft tyres anyway. Carbon and Ti are almost certainly out of my budget…

Cheers

Cove stiffee would get my vote….. If I didn’t have my Rocky Ridge 😉

Chameleon

So what other frames are there that I’ve overlooked

What else have you looked at – mmmbop?? I’m going to get one of those seat-clamps with the rack mounts for mine…..

Orange Crush

Another vote for a Chameleon. Just great fun. I’m presently building up a Pace RC305 to fill the whole in my life the sale of my Chameleon left. Looks to be doing exactly the same thing. ie: great at everything!

mmmbop*

I’ve had a Rocky Ridge and much prefer the Ragley.

* If you can get one, CRC seem to have sold out now.

Je James seem to still have mmmbops at £154. Or, if you need forks too, this looks a good buy

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/ragley-mmmbop-frame-with-rockshox-revelation-and-headset-package-id60541.html

I’ve been looking at the chameleon, but I’m not sure I’d want to be doing successive long days on it! The geometry also seems a bit on the short/tight side for what I want.

Just looked at the Stiffee, if I can remove the stickers then it looks like a nice option, assuming its a bit lighter than the chameleon. Need to compare the geometry with the rocky ridge (I think it was the long wheelbase that made the RR such a good climber, despite the long forks).

The Crush looks like the right sort of bike, but I’m suspicious of the price/weight, £350 for a nice frame like can’t buy you the lightest frame going, and I’d want something for long, techy climbs in the mountains.

Druidh, I’ll need to take a look at your MMMbop, but I like conventional geometry and thought On-One had done something crazy on the MMMbop (long top tube and short stem is it?)

Definitely need to do some web-geekery on frame weights…

Edit: Simon, did you notice a difference in weight between the Ragley and the marin? I’m not worried about grams obivously!

On one? Mmmbops?

Don’t let brant read that!

Ah, yes, sorry Brant.

My mates stiffee rides pretty much identically to my marin IMO and I think the frame looks awesome, his is an olive green colour

I’ve had a few hardtails since the Rocky Ridge and I’ve no idea what the frame weight was.
mmmbop frame is 3.7lbs if that helps.

The Chameleon ain’t an all day bike. Mine was on its way after I spent all day in the saddle. At the end of it I felt like Mr Big and all his associates had done the ‘you’ve dropped the soap’ routine in the showers. Not funny 🙁

Erm…. this may sound like a daft suggestion…. but have you considered a Marin Rocky Ridge?

Seems like the obvious solution here

We have 3 Chameleons and use them for all day riding in the Peak with no problems

Kona Five-O here, very nice.

Orange Crush + 1

Cove Stiffee +10000

I was in the same boat a few months ago (not having sold a rocky ridge, that is just silly :P, but wanting a do it all alu hardtail)

Saracen zen, mountain cycle rumble and sinister ridge are all awesome.

Out of interest why the aversion to steel? you’ve mentioned long techy climbs and all day treks. If you are not jumping off things and behaving like a hooligan then an overbuilt alu frame seems a bit overkill.

Cove Stiffee owner here. Great bikes, had one, sold it, regretted it, bought another one. The Blue pig and Mmmbop are also great for the money, ride a little different to other bikes but great at technical stuff.

Another vote for Chameleon. Can’t agree that it’s not an all day bike either, I don’t get any sort of back problems from mine.

1) Aversion to steel is simple, weight. Show me a steel frame for the same budget that weighs 3.7lb like the MMMbop (that’s an amazing weight, how much does the MMMbop normally cost??). My experiences with steel have not been sufficiently ‘flexy’ or ‘comfy’ to convince me, plus I could just stick a Ti post in and get the same effect, lighter 😀

2) I haven’t written off buying another Marin, but I’d be buying it just for the frame, so I’d have to faff around stripping and selling off bits.

3) It wasn’t just the stiffness of the Chameleon that put me off, not disputing its a great bike but I’m not really looking for short, stiff and snappy, which is what the Chameleon seems to be. Quite overbuilt too, I’m not likely to be hucking or jumping (much).

4)Will definitely look into the Stiffee, like the Saracen, MountainCycle and Sinister suggestions also!

older zen frames going for peanuts on ebay (both steel and alu). The zen is a corker of a bike and pretty similar to the marin

1) Aversion to steel is simple, weight. Show me a steel frame for the same budget that weighs 3.7lb like the MMMbop (that’s an amazing weight, how much does the MMMbop normally cost??). My experiences with steel have not been sufficiently ‘flexy’ or ‘comfy’ to convince me, plus I could just stick a Ti post in and get the same effect, lighter

I couldn’t tell you, I was primarily interested in something that was bombproof, weight was a secondary factor 🙂

If you are not looking for stiff and snappy, cross the rumble, sinister (and from what I have heard) stiffee and chameleon off the list.

13thfm, I had an mmmbop and it was totally rigid at the back end and uncomfy after a while. I was running a 2.3 rear tyre, I could have fitted a bigger tyre for comfort but that would have added weight and drag. Good play bike but maybe not great for what you are after. Sold mine to Northwind in the end. Using my Inbred commuter now and i’m faster, having more fun and not as beat up at the end of a ride. Steel is where it’s at….for me anyway. Some of the better steel frames are about 4.5 lbs so not exactly heavy.

Another vote for the Chameleon and I too have no issues with a bad back, longest ride ive done in a day on it is the SDW, 100+ miles, had a sore bum but not back…and it jumps! Stiffee is a bit more hardcore and if anything the more harsh of the 2…

cotic soul?

310g heavier than an mmbop.

I’d say Mmmbop too, love mine… Not going to say it’s a comfy compliant ride but I get on fine with it, did me proud for a week of long days riding in wales on some lumpy trails, no comfort issues at all. And madly bargainous of course. I didn’t think I’d find a hardtail to tempt me off my Soul but it only took about 2 rides before it was a done deal.

I’ve owned two Marin Rocky Ridges, and now own a Cove Stiffee.

I liked the Marin’s, but the Cove’s a better ride and nicer in pretty much every way. Not going to go into why I think it rides better, but to me it really does. You could pick up a second hand Cove Stiffee for cheap easily, and have it powder coated, or look at CRC and get a discount on a new one. You won’t regret it 😉

Nothing even comes close to a Chameleon interms of a hardtail in my opinion. As soon as you ride it you feel at ease, relaxed and it is very nimble and fun. Soo much so.

The only issue is its rear- built to be stiff.

Thats the one thing thats utterly beat me on rides. I even had a Osteopath sort out the muscle etc around my hip after one longish ride. 🙁

Running a big tubeless tyre is one thing I haven’t tried. Maybe I should.

Every other hardtail I’ve ridden I’ve had to learn it, get used to it whereas the Cham you just feel instantly part of it.

A real talent compensator

For the price of some of these aluminium frames on here you could get a carbon 456 from on-one. You might even stretch to the TI 456.

My steel 456 is fairly heavy but still makes a good all day bike.

What about a chumba/progressive cycles thing. HX-1 ? The bloke who sells them in the uk posts on here. They look lovely.

13thfloormonk – Member

1) Aversion to steel is simple, weight. Show me a steel frame for the same budget that weighs 3.7lb like the MMMbop (that’s an amazing weight, how much does the MMMbop normally cost??). My experiences with steel have not been sufficiently ‘flexy’ or ‘comfy’ to convince me, plus I could just stick a Ti post in and get the same effect, lighter

I understand your feelings, and Brant for example has tacitly said in these pages that steel frames he has designed are a long way from being near the fatigue threshold, so by inference they wont be as flexy as people assume. Having owned and ridden a 456 and an Orange P7. I found the 456 very stiff the orange more forgiving, but the best of the lot is my BFe, that seems to have flex in all right places feels almost like an FS bike in rock gardens, but has awesome straightline and cornering stability.. Maybe you should try a BFe?

Re the BFe. Are you SURE? I doubt that very much. Sorry.

the new updated Chumba HX1 will be here in the next few weeks. price should be £399.

DSC_5903_3 by srbwilson, on Flickr

DSC_5922_3 by srbwilson, on Flickr

DSC_5923_3 by srbwilson, on Flickr

Re the BFe. Are you SURE? I doubt that very much. Sorry.

What do you doubt? (I’m not saying its light or any substitute for an aluminium frame I was merely addressing his aversion to steel)

No I mean saying it feels almost like a FS in rock gardens surely then that’d mean the Soul would feel noodly compared?!

Well yeah I admit I may have over egged it slightly, but it feels good in rock gardens, not jarring or bouncing all over the shop, so it does remind me of an FS bike compared to riding the 456 through the same place..

It does feel very comfy and forgiving whilst being precise. It’s a bit of a confidence inspiring bike TBH, I am getting on with it much much better than I did with the 456 or the Orange.

That Chumba looks good Si! Any basic geo/weight details?

BFe would be way heavier than I needed, I’m effectively riding XC but with fat tyres and bigger forks, not really hammering stuff (its mainly for solo expeditions into the highlands, so I feel no shame slowing down for tricky bits!).

The soul is sneaking in as a steel vote though, given that it doesn’t seem to weigh much more than most of the aluminium frames I’m looking at. The Whyte 19 is still tempting me for the 3.7lb weight though!

Well considering my experience on the BFe if I wanted a lightwieght XC bike and had any inkling towards steel, I’d be looking at a Soul for sure.