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ok, i can't help but be tempted by the new on-one offer. has anyone ridden a chameleon AND a ti 456?? Just keen to find out how much real difference there is??
I'd love to try on out, but by the time i get round to that the offer will be gone!
I do find my calve muscles cramping up on long descents on the chameleon, plus my feet keep rubbing on the chainstays... thats enough of a reason to spend 800 quid right?
My chamel was cramped and the harshed I ever rode, lasted a month.
Had a ti HT (not an on-one) and it was silky smooth whilst still direct but a bit big. Lasted 6 months.
Now riding an 853 and that beats them both, (although the front end is a bit light, not that I'm picky or anything).
Forks make a difference though too.
I've had both.
The Geometry is almost identical between the 18" Ti456 and the large Chameleon BUT, the Chameleon for me was by far the better bike. It made me feel happy whenever I rode it.
The Ti456 felt weird for me. The low front end made me feel like I was on top of it rather than being in it.
Tinribz isn't wrong though, it's quite a harsh ride. Anything over 3 hours (admittedly having a Spesh toupe didn't help) and I felt broken afterward.
Comfy saddle and/o seatpost would solve this. Buy a Chameleon andsave yourself some cash. It's a classic for a reason.
Not ridden a Chameleon but swapped a Cove Stiffee for a Ti 456 which is probably a good comparison. They are 2 very different bikes - the Stiffee is a hooligan which just encourages you to throw it off any little lip or jump, but does beat you up after a few hours, and can be a bit of a pig on climbs with longish forks. In contrast, the 456 is sublime on singletrack, and with your weight over the front really carves fantastic turns. It needs to be coaxed over jumps however, and feels a bit nervous on the steep stuff.
Much as I love the 456 I find myself missing the Stiffee every once in a while - an argument for having both??
As a wildcard entry (and I have no personal experience of this bike although I have their 29er on order) what about the Mythic/Banshee Viento? Similar hardcore hardtail to the Chameleon/Stifee but the rear is meant to be more comfy due to the 'shock block'[url] http://www.bansheebikes.com/technical.html [/url].
[url] http://www.mythic-bikes.co.uk/viento.htm [/url]