Was saving for one of these frames to put all the kit, wheels and forks on from my snapped Marin B17, but no chance of that now.
I want a 27.5+ frame, preferably steel but not strictly necessary, for general riding and bikepacking.
Anyone got any suggestions for an alternative?
Unnecessary additional information: am sat with several actual Sherpas as I type this.
Clearly the answer then is Yeti 😉
A Stanton Sherpa?
The company may have gone bust, but the frames they've made won't cease to exist.
Cotic Solaris?
As above, a used frame (I sold one a few months ago and there were several up for sale)
I wonder whether the price of second-hand Stantons will increase now
I thought they were still trading whilst a new buyer was found?
I’m guessing the OP is concerned about any warranty/support going forward if it all goes wrong
And surely you'd only buy one now of you can go in person and pick the bike up whilst paying
What about the Sonder Transmitter? I know its Al, but we took on to the alps and it was ace. My mate usually bikepacks on it and does trail centre too. Its a really competent bike.
As above, a secondhand one.
Hardtail frames are a pretty safe bet used, save a few quid.
Cotic SolarisMax will fit 27.5+ or give you the option of 29 if you want in the future
Pipedream Sirius, Nordest Britango
Grabs a coffee and waits for STW to close the thread................
https://pacecycles.com/pages/rc627-steel-hardtail
Had my RC529 for going on 3 years and love it
Ooh, those are all very nice.
That pace looks lovely - but the reach is very long. The smallest size has a 467mm reach. If that’s sagged then fair enough - but if it’s not that’s going to get longer. They do quite 130-150mm forks so that could vary up the reach too depending on what travel you go for.
Ribble HT725 looked good to me when I was looking for a steel frame.
None of the above will give you the feel of a Sherpa, as none have it's compliance.It's possibly the most compliant Taiwanese frame
Sour Crumble or Pasta Party are my suggestions. Or Mason Raw if it fits your budget!