[Closed] 456 or Summer Season?

I've little knowledge of the Summer season, Any thoughts?

I don't think it's been out for much more than 12 months, so you won't get any realistic longterm feedback. I bought one (sept/oct 08) because they were cheap, I like the slack head angle idea and the finish didn't really matter because it was cheap and for throwing around on rocks, also other owners recommended it. My bro in law has a 456 in blue and both bikes show the same little 'discolouration' around the gussets(?). Apart from rust spots and marks caused by chain suck/slap, my frame isn't showing much rust at all, the clear finish is still as good as when I bought it.

Try 4" forks with the summer, you might like it, afterall, the original idea was to give people running shorter travel forks a slacker angle.

The only other thing is that both frames have a short head tube, which isn't to everybodys liking, but can be raised with appropriate stem and/or spacers.

Thanks, it may fit the bill very well. She doesnt really need more travel but likes every slack angled bike she comes across. The bike will be kept inside so I guess from what you have said it will still look fine - she likes her nails and stuff, so a rusty bike wouldn't do at all.
Got a pic of it by any chance?

Surely you could give it a couple of extra coats of laquer before building if rust is a worry? They do look spot on if you want slack angles without too much squish - quite tempted by a 16" one to run as a 4x bike.

SE is lovely. End of story.

here's a pic of mine. It's not really as big as a mountain - that's just perspective

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And here's the other side, just after being dirtworkered up
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Other brands of frame are available.

Yeah but not many at £125 🙂

Snowslave - I see your running a pike on it, IYO would a 4 inch fork suit?

Hard to say really, kind of down to personal preferences I think. The Pikes are brilliant forks though. If it's any indication, I very rarely wind mine down - only for v steep technical climbs.

I don't have one, but am tempted. Would have thought that with a 4" fork the HA would be slacker than 70.5? I thought 20mm travel = 1 deg, and its around 66.5 deg with a 140mm fork - therefore around 68.5 with 100mm?

I have the 125mm fox Talas, my gut feeling is that is about right, but I would say that 😉 . Certainly I've never felt them flopping or wandering or found the need to drop the forks. Tight hairpins and steep climbs no problem (with proper technique).

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I think the problem most people have with 'twitchy' bikes is they are running too short stems. Nothing wrong with running a 100mm stem you know, just cos its not fashionable (tho obviously this only works if you can add the length to the cockpit, ie. not buying too big a bike)

got one, love it. very fast bike with revelations, just need to get fit to keep up with it.

Mines almost ready, its morphing from a light blue 456 to a stealth metalic black Summer slacker with 140 Van's and all black Hope Mono's.
Just need the two caliper bolts my lovely missus picked up today!

Photo's will surely follow.

CFH, what are these other bikes your on about...

I've got an Inbred 567, which has a similar clear finish to the Summer, because it was a prototype. Mine's now a couple of years old, and there is some rust around the gussets, (ooooer), and in one or two other places. But you know what? It really doesn't matter. Unlike a painted bike, which starts to look shabby, with the raw metal finish any chips or rust just add to it's charm. Think of it as a patina, like a piece of well used industrial machinery. Fixie Inc had a truly beautiful belt-drive fixed with wooden rims at last years Cycle Show, and they'd deliberatly made the frame rust, [i]then[/i] laquered it. With the polished fittings it looked amazing. It's quite liberating not obsessing about damaging the lovely shiny finish of your new bike, you just get on with riding it and to hell with the paint. I use green Scotch scourers to clean the frame of dirt on mine...

In answer to the original question - Summer Season!
Mines getting on for a year old. There's rust where I used to get chain suck and a tiny bit at the joint between the chainstays and the seat tube (?). It's a great bike now that I've shortened the chain and put a dent in the chain stay to stop chain suck. I don't think new ones need the ghetto modification with a hammer!

My 567
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