Forum menu
Hi all,
I've just ordered a Chamleon frame 🙂
Gonna be running 27.5 x 2.8 rubber on it.
Anyone got any pics & or advice on their builds please?
Regards,
Alan.
My mate just picked his up from the shop, he's running plus tyres on his.
I posted similar to get a steer on the complete builds - consensus was you can probably get better value from a frame and build, plus tweak it to your own preferences. I don't have any forks or boost(?) wheels I could transfer so hadn't really thought about it seriously, but it'll probably be how I go (if I don't find a new ish Swift in the meantime)
[img] 
[/img]
Built mine up around a 130mm 2018 Revelation fork and DT Swiss XM551 rims on American Classic hubs with GX 11 speed, Sunrace 11-46 cassette and a smattering of Thomson and purple Hope bits.
Started out with 3.0 Purgatory front and rear and now switched the front to a 2.8 Butcher for the winter months.
Thanks for the replies.
Also going with purple Hope bits:
Hubs
Bottom bracket
Headset
Seatclamp
Stem (possibly)
How'd they ride like that?
Best bike evah? > Good? > Meh? > Don't bother?
[quote=alandavidpetrie79]Also going with purple Hope bits: Hubs
I was trying to keep it to a bit of a budget so went with some American Classic hubs I had in the shed and Hope purple rotors as the less expensive option.
[quote=chevychase]How'd they ride like that?
Awesome fun! The wheels can feel a little ponderous at low speed (due to the weight at the rim) but get them rolling and they really pick up speed at an alarming rate. The bike as a whole feels nimble and playful.
Anyone else running 130mm on a Chameleon? I’m just about to start a 27.5+ build but can decide if I should go 120 or 130?
Madness I know.
Building mine up over the next couple of days, can’t wait. Also got all the purple hope bits
I've got 130mm Yari's for mine.
120 yari on mine. Frame is specified for up to 140. BB is low imo.
Got some 29er wheels to try at the w/e, but 2.8dhf/dhr have been good for me. Takes some pedaling mind, but does pick up speed and keep it.
What are peoples thoughts on these bikes?
Looks nice as an all round frame; xc loops to some bigger days in wales.
They're great, the recent radavist review sums the bike up really well. It's never going to be the best downhill nor is it going to be an amazing xc race bike but it will do everything pretty damn well.
BTW plus wheels with the 29er drop outs works well in my loamy, rooty terrain. Those that ride in very rocky areas may differ.
Just tried to fit my hope headset and forks and the bottom bearing doesn’t sit on the crown race properly. Anyone else use the hope headset?
Can’t post a picture and the forum update. Rubbish
Here you go Simon-
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
Looks odd, have you got the bearing in the right way round? Looks like the ramping is the wrong way round. It take it out and flip it over. The cup and crown race are flush, so can't be that.
They’re great, the recent radavist review sums the bike up really well. It’s never going to be the best downhill nor is it going to be an amazing xc race bike but it will do everything pretty damn well.
The bike seems to have neutral geo, which means it's okay at everything. Seems good to me. Currently running a Whyte 529, which is slacker and longer. Wondering if i'd miss it..
Either way, 18Bikes are doing them for £570 or £600 with a hope headset (drop Simon and email). Very tempted.
Wondering if i’d miss it..
depends on your terrain and how you ride. I'm no riding hero but I'd happily ride any of the runs at BPW on it albeit I don't nor will I ever do the big jumps on the blacks. Perfect on anything surrey hills can throw it at. Would prefer a different (slacker) bike for riding around Finale for example. Its just a really nice trail bike that can be built up relatively light if that's what you're after. I'm hopefully getting a gearbox bike in the relativly near future so the chameleon will return to singlespeed and quite possibly rigid with a Bontrager Bowie fork on. Very flexible frameset.
That fork non-boost?
Seems odd from Trek?
Is that directed at me? I haven't checked but I assume the Bowie is boost as it's the stache fork.
Love mine (I bought it; it's not a review one).
I'm running 29er dropouts and 27.5+ wheels and tyres - Stan's Flow rims, Speccy Butcher 2.8 on the R and Nobby Nic 3.0 on the front. To counteract the somewhat low BB running the chubbies with the 29er dropouts (especially running SS with 180mm cranks) I've got a 140mm Pike up front. Which brings the BB up as well as making the bike that little bit slacker.
It's a complete and utter hooligan 🙂
Sorry Gotama, my first sentence should have been with a full stop not a question mark. That fork is not boost spaced as far as I can tell online.
First ride out today on a set of 29er wheels. I've gone from 2.8 dhf/dhr to hans dampf/chunky monkey. Can't say I noticed a massive drop in grip. Would have preferred to go with a dhf front to do a more direct comparison, but, well, maxxis. Bike seemed easier to get in to the air. rolled marginally less well on lumpy stuff, but at speed on smoother trails seemed to roll better. All quite logical!
Very happy with mine. Run it in 27.5+ with nobby nics. First experience with plus tyres - I also use this as my daily blast around town, child trailer towing etc and do find them sluggish when off the trails but great fun when being used for what they’re intended. I’ve since converted the forks (pikes) to 140mm and prefer the feel, a bit slacker and less of a change moving between bikes. The other bikes a 29er so went with plus so I could swap the wheels between them... though haven’t actually done it yet. Like one of the earlier posts, I found it worked better for me to build it up from the frame.
Can’t work out how to upload pic from iPhone...
What size are you all on? At 5'10" I normally go large in SC, but they seem very looooong!
Just over 5-10 and on a large.
I'm 5'11 and am wavering on size. Long legs (35") and short torso, tried the large and felt stretched. Tried the medium and seat post extension was nuts. Frustrating as really wanted to like it but not for me.
I’m 6’3” and comfortable on XL.