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Because my stanton slackline is too short and i think replacing the frame might be the cheapest option. Presumably 2nd hand is the place to go. Preferably steel. Any ideas?
Ragley?
Hardtails? How tall are you?
Budget?.... BTR Ranger
Hardtail, budget max 400, I'm 6ft tall
Probably a stupid idea but perhaps get a Switchback (they are longer) and stuff all your 26" kit on it. With big tyres there's bugger all different between 26" and 650b. You could then upgrade to 650b kit over time as budget allows (fork first then wheels).
My mate does exactly that with a switchback and neither he nor I or anybody else can tell the difference
The horizontal TT length of the slackline and the switchback are identical? 16.5" 587.5mm
456 summer season
Im selling mine for this exact reason...
What about something like an Orange Crush? They are low and slack?
+1 For getting a 650b frame and upgrading the rest of your bits over time. Large cotic BFE gets you another 20mm reach and ETT and comes in £50 under budget.
I have a 456SS. Ragley Bagger mucho lower/slacker. Great frame.
Genesis Latitude 2016 is a nice long bike, very good looking too IMO.
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/mountain/frames/latitude-frame
Otherwise look for a suitable secondhand 26in frame in XL with decent standover?
A lrg production privee if you can find one is long and low.
It's the new crush that's long and low and 60b of cause.
Also worth a thought the new versions of the privee are both 26 and 27.5 with rear adaptions so a bit of future proofing there.
what travel forks are you currently running?
130/160 dual pikes
don't restrict yourself to steel, you can run a bird AM with 26 gear and I'm running a dartmoor hornet with 26 wheels and fork. will just drop the BB hight slightly
There's more flexibility in wheel/frame/forks mixing and matching than most realise.
The bottom bracket drop is the critical number if you're going with smaller wheels. On a hardtail I'd say that the sensible limits of lowness is a 60mm BB drop with 27.5 tyres, 80mm drop with 29 and 47mm drop with 26. If you choose a 27.5 frame designed for a 150mm fork you'll get the same angles with a 160mm 26 fork, and just the BB height 12.5mm less.
So 'low' is easily achievable by putting smaller wheels on a frame. Long is harder, especially if you want a steel frame. Bird, Whyte, Mondraker and Orange are making the longest hardtail frames I can think of. I noticed the new versions of the Switchback Ti will be in normal and longer sizes, which are 24mm longer than the current medium and large frames.
I'm riding a Bird Zero AM with -2 deg headset and 130mm fork and 27.5 wheels - that'll give it a similar BB height to if you used 26 wheels, your 160mm fork and a standard headset on the same frame. Rides great and I'm not noticing extra harshness from it being alloy rather than 853 like my old frame.
The horizontal TT length of the slackline and the switchback are identical? 16.5" 587.5mm
The horizontal TT might be the same but the reach is 2.5 cm longer.
I've a Lg Bfe frame for sale if you fancy something different.
I've heard of a few ridding the Switchback with 26" with positive reports, was very close myself until I brought my Ti Slackline!
In a word no!
I have been searching for a Slackline replacement with a properly long top tube/reach but there is nothing in 26". What lots of people seem to think is long and slack isn't my version of that. Also don't get the industries obsession with short chainstays, they are really unstable at high speed.
For me my ideal size large steel hardtail has about 140mm travel, 460mm reach and a 64 degree head angle with long chainstays. On top of that I want stealth dropper routing and normal drop outs so I can still pull my daughters trailer!
Try finding any of that in 26"!
The horizontal TT might be the same but the reach is 2.5 cm longer.
Very good point!
Would love to try the switchback to see how different it is to my slackline
Would love to try the switchback to see how different it is to my slackline
Me too at 6'2" on a Slackline!