The search for a 150mm/160mm 26" frame is almost exhausted!
Something of reasonable weight & design is proving impossible to find!
Clearly - there are plenty of reasonably priced 650b options!.......
With a quiver of 26" bikes and life's supply of High Rollers ... I just can't allow myself to go down the slightly larger wheel route!
Anybody seen any frame/complete offers about for 26"ers ?
Enduro/Stumpy Evo/Trek Slash/Mojo HD 160 etc?
I know of a 2007 Enduro Pro Carbon for sale...
If you own a quiver you deserve all you get....
Last of the old nomads? Rocky Mtn Slayer?
Liteville 301 from Bromley Bikes (if they still have them on offer?). Light, good design, tapered steerer etc.
Can just about take a 650b in the back too if need be.
I have one and I'm very pleased with it !
Look for a 2nd hand 2006 S works Enduro frame.
You can pick them up for next to nothing and just keep on going.
Is the Titus El Guapo still 26"?
+1 for Liteville 301
Pivot mach 5.7
Size? Budget?
😉 http://www.bikescene.co.uk/Specialized-SWorks-Enduro-Carbon-26-Frame--USA-7337-18-0.html
Northwest MTB have a Tracer 2 for £1400ish.
Yes, I had seen that Enduro frameset!!
Struggling on the sizing to be honest....have migrated from a 585mm EFT to a 602 EFT....so somewhere between a medium and large...
Pivot 5.7 have sold out and I'm not sure how the geom would stack up with a set of 160mm Pikes. Still like the Meta AM but it's too heavy really.
[url= http://www.saracen.co.uk/bikes/frames/ariel-16x-frame ]Saracen Ariel 16x[/url]
Try the French, Alltricks.fr had a few bargain Santa Cruzis's.
Leisure lakes have at least two 26" yeti sb66 bikes / frames.
El Guapo would be perfect with the pikes.
Yeti SB66 Alu Frame CTD Shock Yellow - medium £1400 EFT 24.2" 615mm
Small - 590mm
Cotic Rocket?
I think Cotic are just waiting till everyone cancels their orders then they'll change it to 650b.
Mmm, I've been looking for a 26in Alloy Nomad, I see that Alltricks.fr have some, wonder what the deal would be with the warrenty in the UK if I purchased from France?
Sorry to hyjack, but if any one knows of a UK shop with a large Nomad frame or full bike please let me know, I've tried Stif, SCUK and Bikescene, no luck, it's like they've all disappeared.
Nukeproof Mega Tr frame on Chain Reaction Cycles for 815.00
Just get 650b frame and run 26" wheels in it?
Large or medium Covert 26 160mm rear Travel
I think Cotic are just waiting till everyone cancels their orders then they'll change it to 650b.
Or may'be they are just waiting for 28" wheels, as they make the trail come to life much more than 27" wheels which is so last year.
I know Jungle UK have some 26" Santa Cruz Nomads in as I was offered one as warranty replacement.
el guapo
It would be great to see some tests where you ran a 650b frame with 26inch wheels in it.
There is so little in it (12mm radius) that I doubt it will ride that differently, Same as between a big and small tyre. I have a pair of 650b/26 X-Fusion forks on my Nukeproof Mega and it seems to work fine. Just look for the biggest 26 inch tyres you can find.
GEDA - MemberJust look for the biggest 26 inch tyres you can find.
Only really works if you were planning on fitting skinny 650b tyres tbh... But yeah, it's interesting, I reckon there's bound to be 650b bikes out there that I'd prefer with 26 inch wheels, I like a lower BB anyway. But then again there'll be other 650bs that have the BB where I want it, that would end up dragging their arses everywhere with 26 inch wheels
Cotic Rocket fits your requirements as would a 2013 stmpy evo assuming you can find one.
But there is only [u][b]12mm[/b][/u] in it! so although there might be a bit of a difference if you are any good on a bike I am sure that you would be able to adapt without much problem.
Only really works if you were planning on fitting skinny 650b tyres tbh.
I disagree here as the volume of the tyres is more important than the diameter so running a really big pair of 26inch tyres on a 650b frame would not be the same as running some pencil 650b wheels/tyres on the same frame. I know which I would prefer.
What about the mega am on Crc with cane creek double barrel for £900. Seems like a bargain to me
You could be on to something there ... buy a 650b frame, combined with Hansdampfs and some 650b Pikes.....should be too! far off ...
Oh no, now a 650b frameset search!!
These Orbea Rallons look like a good reasonable option ... ?
tidy Remedy 8 on ebay (not mine)
I think Cotic are just waiting till everyone cancels their orders then they'll change it to 650b
The bloke that builds them says they are a month away ...
GEDA - MemberI disagree here as the volume of the tyres is more important than the diameter so running a really big pair of 26inch tyres on a 650b frame would not be the same as running some pencil 650b wheels/tyres on the same frame. I know which I would prefer.
Agree as far as wheel size itself goes- I can't really tell any difference between 650b and 26 tbh... But geometry does matter, if you lower or raise a bike by ~12mm you're probably going to notice. So if a bike's designed for fat 650b tyres, and designed[s] well [/s]to your taste, it should ride noticably worse with 26 inch tyres.
Nukeproof Mega Tr frame on Chain Reaction Cycles for 815.00
+1 A mate has just bought one, and it's very nice indeed. Very well built, nicely slack and very nice to ride.
No more SB66s around? A mate just bought an El Guapo and is liking it!
GEDA, saying the same thing over and over again doesn't make it true... 😛
What isn't true?
That a bike won't ride differently with 27.5 wheels rather than 26 wheels. The changes in BB height, rollover ability, trail, flip-flop and stability all add up to make a useful difference.
The discussions I've had with frame designers regarding 650B/27.5 wheels suggest that they're working off a 710-715mm diameter for their geometry - far from small volume tyres! The tyre on the front of my 27.5 bike measures 28.5", the diameter of an XC 29er tyre.
But the difference between a 26 inch rim and 650b is 12mm radius which is the only important figure. Diameter makes the difference look bigger but radius is the important thing.
Not sure if I understand all the stuff you are talking about (flip flop??) but:
But the difference between a 26 inch rim and 650b is 12mm radius which is the only important figure. Diameter makes the difference look bigger but radius is the important thing.
It isn't the only important figure but the last time I tried to point that out you didn't understand either! And the change in radius is just as proportionally large as the change in diameter.
Lots of riders can't detect significant differences in tyre pressure. That doesn't mean it doesn't matter! Everyone is agreed that there is a big difference in bike handling going from 26 to 29 so it stands to reason that there is a clearly perceptible difference between 26 and 27.5, especially as the trend for 27.5 tyres is towards higher volume that we saw with early 29 tyres.
Flip flop, as I call it, is related to the vertical movement of the head tube as you rotate the steering of a bike, it's part of the self-centring mechanism of a bicycle.
All I said was that you could probably run 26inch wheels with big tyres in a 650b frame and not notice too much difference. Of course there will be a difference but not that much. For me there is much more difference between my Strava runs in what time of year it is than the bike I have been riding.
I feel it is all to easy to get obsessed by kit when it is only part of the picture. Most people do not need the extra 1%.
OP, why so scared of having to deal with potential warranty claim in distant, remote, exotic France? I wouldn't let that put me off. In fact I didn't, I bought my Alpine 160 from probikeshop.fr.
Jungle UK have some 26" Santa Cruz Nomads in
Jungle/SCUK don't have anything as I phoned them earlier today 🙁 ... tempted to buy from France
I thought 650b was closer to 27" wheels that 27.5, its just that the marketing people didn't think that people would buy a very slightly bigger wheel size.
++1 for Liteville 301. Love mine and 650b compatible too.
Knolly Chilcotin or maybe endorphin if you want a bit less travel
Covert!
Can't believe nobody has mentioned flavour of the month, a Banshee Spitfire! I had mine set up 26" for a couple of months (with 650b dropouts) and liked it a lot.
Ok, so it's 140mm travel with a 160mm fork but rides like it has more.
Lucabazooka, email me
steph.madde at o2 dot co dot uk I may have what you are looking for
Steve
Some bargainous Mondraker Dune frames at Merlin. Mate bought on last week and it is a horny piece of 26 inch bike porn. They are £1075 before discount. Also got Foxy for £975.
[img] 
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[url= http://www.merlincycles.com/mondraker-frames-59505/ ]Merlin linky[/url]
[url= http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s1p5187/CANNONDALE-JEKYLL-3-2013 ]here[/url]
Some good ideas all ...
Dune is a bit beefy I think ...
Crack'n'fail well priced....needs alot of spec change though!
Currently looking at an Ally Bronson, running 26" ... reasonably priced...
Not convinced on the SB66 .. seem to be an awful lot for sale!
Pivot Mach 6 frameset I think would be choice ... but, back-ordered!
Can't believe nobody has mentioned flavour of the month, a Banshee Spitfire! I had mine set up 26" for a couple of months (with 650b dropouts) and liked it a lot.
Ok, so it's 140mm travel with a 160mm fork but rides like it has more.
I was going to mention a Banshee (I love my Rune) but they're not that light and as soon as you mention one, Hora will be along babbling about fashion biking.
Those Mondraker's are so ugly. They seem to get good reviews, but that hump on the top tube is awful!
I've never heard a Mondraker described as a 'horny piece of bike porn' before.
More of a gopping piece of filth with that gonzo bump on it and the faded gold.
You are only allowed (on Hora's say so) a Banshee if you are a Fashion Biker. Therefore you must have matching kit, an Enduro (Tm) helmet, and at least one GoPro filming at all times.
Never understand why one of the main design objectives of those mondrakers was "minimise toptupe clearance", it's like the 90s never happened, or the 2000s. Nice bikes when they're not falling apart.
I have a Nukeproof Mega AM. It's a suprisingly ace trail bike. Bought for the alps, but ridden at Afan, Malverns and a lot in the Yat where the Dirt fellas build interesting trails. Probably weighs about 32lbs but I've not built it light. Climbs well enough, descends superbly and is just a hoot to ride.
Bought in CRC sale in Feb for about £750 I think.
A picture you say? Oh very well 😉
[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7218/13924809195_33dd692d33_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7218/13924809195_33dd692d33_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/nduhDa ]Mega[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/60876362@N00/ ]Alex Leigh[/url], on Flickr
Here's a few options for you:
http://bikeS****y.co.uk/bike/2013-transition-covert-26-carbon-build-kit-1-medium-clearance
http://bikeS****y.co.uk/bike/2013-transition-covert-26-carbon-frameset-medium-clearance
Only medium available.
Bike has brand new front triangle but the rest of the bike has been used about a dozen times.
Not seen any El Guapo's in stock for the best part of 2014. Would have bought a couple of frames to build up as hire bikes otherwise.
That Enduro frame from Bike Scene would be my choice
Nice yellow yeti sb66 frame at Ubyk for a good price