Forum menu
I'm going to build up my first 29er this summer, and am struggling to choose a frame.
This is going to be my lighter XC bike, with the caveat that i live in Vancouver and the XC round here is quite lumpy, so shooting for a ~27-28lb 100-120mm travel bike.
My current plan is something from Titus, either the currect Rockstar or wait for the upcoming carbon version. One thing I don't like is that they have regular QR rear ends. My 26er has a maxle rear and is nice and stiff, and it would seem that with the longer chainstays etc a 29er would really benefit from a through axle.
The only thing I have ridden is a Spec Stumpjumper FSR Elite, which has a thru' 10. I liked the bike a lot, and it seemed reasonably stiff.
Can anyone comment on the necessity of the through axle? Anyone ridden both types of frames? On the santa cruz tallboy LT they put a through axle on the carbon but QR on the alloy! Sadly, the tallboy is beyond my budget.
Hope do a bolt up hub to suit standard qr dropouts
In fact, this is what I had on my Rockstar
I can't really say whether it stiffened thing up any though . It never felt flexy to me
Fitted a DT 10mm RWS axle/skewer to my Salsa Spearfish, not noticeable in normal riding but does help when loaded up with bikepacking gear or really hammering it round a trail-centre.
jota180, how'd you like your Rockstar? V1 or V2? sounds like you no longer have it?
It was one of the first ones and my first 29er
Great bike but it simply was never my first choice and stayed in the workshop unused since last September
So I sold it on to fund a new road bike
Not really sure why it was unloved, I simply picked the HT or Yeti 575 rather than the Titus when heading out
I have a bolt-through Surly hub on the back of my Gryphon (not a maxle tho', it's probably normal 10mm), and a Shimano XT QR on the back of my Swift - both bikes share the same dropouts and very similar (if not the same) rear triangle ... and I can't say that I can feel any difference at all in the stays.
I am quite a gentle rider tho' (if that helps)? 😕
I use Hope bolted SS or Rohloff QR hubs on a Lynskey or Qoroz 29er.
I'm about 95kg and I can't tell the difference.
Off topic..
Vancouver, lucky you great place would love to live there. I have relatives in Calgary and on the Island amd good friends up in 100 mile house.
Are there trails around Grouse? I pushed my 18 month old up to the top ina push chair with 3" wheels, tell you what i could have done with a 29er that day!!
My Nicolai AC 29er runs a maxle rear end ... Lovely.......
@stevewhyte
Yes, grouse is one of the main centres of shore riding, the front side is Fromme, where a lot of the classic trails are. The side with the Gondola doesn't have any riding.
Vancouver is good and bad - interesting city, amazing access to the mountains, 2nd most expensive city in the world to live in after Hong Kong. I have a good job and live in a shoe box, there is zero chance of me ever owning a real house here unless I win the lottery.
my canyon 29er, although a hardtail, has a bolt through rear end - and there is a definate increate in stiffness over my previous 26er hardtail - i can make the whole bike 'twang' over the rough stuff...
Salsa Spearfish 1 142x12 maxle outback..
The Commencal 29'er is a thru axel.
Spearfish is on my radar, but what i really want is half way between the spearfish and the horsethief...
El Guapo 29er will be bolt through - Shimano standard so it'll take the new doodad style rear mech thingy.
[img] 
[/img]
I have the Spearfish with a RS Reba up front with 20mm maxle to compliment the rear maxle,hopefully keeps it tracking well 😀
Brant - the carbon rockstar/racerX is going to use the back end off the Rockstar, right?
El Guapo is a bit too much bike for this build, looking to go lighter.
Yeah ive got 20mm bolt through on the front of my spearfish, seems to suit it well (but then IMO all QR 29er forks handle like noodles)
Brant, why does it need a 'shimano standard' axle to fit their new style axles? surely its just the matter of machining a replaceable dropout to fit, dosnt matter what the axle is?
Norco Revolver?
http://www.norco.com/bikes/mountain/29er-marathon/revolver/
...though it is a bit "Norco" in the looks department.
test rode a Scott Spark Pro 29er just yesterday here in Squamish..
142x12 rear end.. but QR fork!
Pretty stiff rear end compared to my old spark (with RWS), but they stiffened up the whole bike for this new iteration.
I'm on the fence about 29, but if I were building one up, I'd definitely be considering a 2013 Fox Talas 34, 15QR fork. Would want something more solid so I could push through the tech a bit harder. Sure it rolls over stuff, but I've never had to work so hard keeping myself from getting dumped over the bars when getting a lateral grab from a cheeky little root
Rocky are marketing a BC version of their Element 29 which i
[url= http://www.nsmb.com/5275-2013-rocky-element-rsl-29-bc-edition/ ]NSMB[/url] Ticks the boxes.. except the 32?..
I was never a fan of Norco, but I think the shinobi frameset is a good place to start for a BC 29er. $1850 might leave you good room for Fox 34mm, shimano xT, a stiff wheelset and a dropper post.
Talk to Armand up at republic in Squamish, he's a 29 fan and carries Norco and scott. He'll likely pull a shinobi demo in from Norco for you if they have one. The BC scott rep is in Squamish too.. its his Spark Pro I have right now.
Thanks Bearback.
The Shinobi is too heavy for what i want, and yes, too Norco. Those guys really need a new industrial designer. I'll check out the scott.
I rented the Stumpjumper down at Galbraith yesterday and rode it pretty hard (for me), including some jumpier lines like unemployment line, and was amazed how well it descended. I also found myself less likely to go over the bars with the wagon wheels - i rolled through a double a bit too fast and got away with it where I might have gone over the front on my 26er.
A friend just got a (stock) Tallboy LT with a 34 on it that came in just over 27lbs, very impressive, but $2800 for the frame is stupid money.
I think I will go for a fox 32 120 with a QR15 axle, save 1/2 a pound over the 34. Still leaning towards the Titus just for the value for money, but keeping an eye on the classifieds.