Sitting here in the Ethiopian Ministry of Education, and thinking about my next bike project for when I get back to the UK...
I'd really like a hardcore-ish hardtail, but not too heavy, that I could run with an Alfine hub. Preferably 140mm fork compatible.
Any ideas?
Cheers
Paul
This means you dont want a mech mount? How about the new Cotic Simple.
Not tried one (dont think they are out yet) but the Soul has a cracking reputation and I went to a lecture by the designer this week and he seemed to know enough about bikes/allround good guy so why not.
2 mates (Del and Shinythings on here) have got alfine'd hardtails, one on a P7, the other on a Kona Explosif, both with pikes.
Evil Sovereign? Maybe a little heavy but makes up for it by being mind blowing good with a 140 fork. I'm pretty sure someone on here has an Alfine one?
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she's no lightweight mind. 33lbs. rides superbly though. at times it feels like my orange 5. too light a frame and fork doesn't suit the hub IMO. i used to run this kit on an inbred frame with an air revelation, and every now and then the back wheel would remind you how much it weighed. don't get that so much on the P7, and it feels better balanced on even the weeny jumps i do, unsurprisingly i guess.
I ran a Rohloff on a Cotic Simple for a while. Works well. But i changed the frame for a Rohly-specific Thorn, but kept the 140mm Magura thors on the front.
Nice ideas...
Liking the P7- but why oh why have they made it brown this year?
:o)
I guess along with the Simple and P7 you could consider a Dialled Love/Hate - basically a Prince Albert with EBB. Has a rear mech hanger too making it a bit more versatile.
I have a Rolhoff on an Evil Sovereign. It has slidey dropouts which are there to change wheelbase but can be used to tension the chain. Also has mech hanger and all the cable routing if you wanted to run gears.
Not a light build, but very nice frame to ride, i have done 6-7 hour rides on it.
recommended travel for the love/hate is 80-100mm for some reason? the PA goes up to 140mm i know. 😕
Pace 325.5?
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Sliding dropouts, to tension the chain.
I really like the Love/Hate- I just wish I could run a longer fork.
Love the Evil- but I really think it's too much bike for the likes of me...
Not wild about the Pace to be honest- doesn't inspire me...
Genesis Alptitude?!
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Ace bike - Not slot drop but lovely to ride and works well enough with a tensioner
Does it HAVE to have 140mm forks on it? Cos in the 120(ish)mm fork bracket, there's a couple of really nice frames that would suit...
Kinesis Decade Virsa is really nice, my mate has one, very nice geometry, pretty slack and low, ideal from 100-130mm travel iirc, my mate generally runs his Revelations at about 120 and it feels spot on. It really handles well, and it's not too overbuilt either, sub 5lb frame I'd say.
There's also the Whyte 19, in Steel, Ally or Titanium flavours. Designed around a 120mm fork, could probably get away running slightly taller on one though. Really nice geometry again, pretty low and slack, really good handling bikes again and the ti version really is to die for!
The Cotic Simple would be an obvious choice, but you'll have a while to wait if you want a new one, and if going 2nd hand then it will only be warrantied for 130mm fork maximum anyway (and only to the original owner).
There's also the Santa Cruz Chameleon, can run any fork you like on this, stiff as a board and hard as old boots to ride though, mega direct handling but wouldn't want to ride one for more than 5 minutes personally (and I've ridden a couple of them before).
Or of course, you could just run any old frame you like with conventional dropouts and a tensioner... It really isn't the end of the world! 😉
Recommended travel for the Love/Hate is 80-100mm because that's what it was designed/tested for as it's a skinny tubed, gussetless XC frame. In the real world, it can probably handle more than 100mm travel though, as I've never heard of anyone breaking one yet. Warranty is for manufacturing defects anyway, so it's up to the owner what kind of fork they put on it.
Prince Albert uses stronger (Reynolds 725) heat treated tubing and has gussetted top and down tubes.
New Simple is still several months away I'm afraid. Got samples on their way, but it takes time. It will have cable routing for hub gears though.
P7, custom colour, sorted.
Another Chameleon user I luv mine.
From my experience, I'd go for something with sliding dropouts. may not look as neat, but much better functionally.
That said, they can do
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I run an Alfine on a 456 - just change the widget thingy on the bolt for the hub, so vertical / horizontal drop outs can be accommodated......
I too run an alfine on a 456, but I'm lucky enough to own one of the EBB prototypes. If you're lucky enough to find the other for sale...?
P7
Chameleon
Transition TransAm
Simple
Cy,
A few months is no problem for me at all- I'm in Ethiopia for the next year at least. Any more details on the simple you can give me?
Cheers
Paul