Kona Unit?
Steel, sliding dropouts.
Similar hang ups on the Stanton Sherpa and Pipedreams on the weight. My Highball was a hair over 18lbs and I had plans to go a fair bit lower. I only plan to have the one bike and I am a recovering Weightweenie so I know I won't feel at ease with a steel frame at the heavier ends of the spectrum.
Lovely bikes but no frame only option available here either as far as I can see. If it were for a second bike I would be very tempted by the full bike deal.
Niner
Niners are out partly for UK availability and mostly for the EBB. I can't be fannying around with my saddle position to try and match the BB moving around for tensioning/ different ratio setup.
I guess it isn't surprising there aren't any XC SS frames (with swinging/ sliding dropouts just to be even more picky) but I live in hope!
I'm going to go back on my initial hangups and see what Walty have to offer as there doesn't seem to be anything off the shelf
Moon on a stick 🙂
How often do you change ratios that would warrant adjusting the seatpost?
I've had bikes running Phil EBBs, Bushnell EBBs and Problem Solver PF30 EBBs. All great. The Phil's probably heavier than you'd like, but the other two are within a few grams of a nice Hope SS BB.
PF30 EBB would open up a few more options for you.
I found a Fuse frame secondhand just before Christmas and swapped the bits from my Stache over to it. Both have their strengths, both are fab bikes (well – so far for the Fuse) and both tick your boxes. If you would fit a 17.5″ Stache, give me a shout.
Did you run the Stache SS? I'm a bit concerned by the complaints over on MTBR of people running them SS.
How do you find the Fuse by comparison? What are the advantages that made you swap?
How often do you change ratios that would warrant adjusting the seatpost?
I had two wheelsets on my Highball for flatter rides and hillier/ longer rides and I was riding a decent amount, so fairly often. I was also retensioning fairly often as the chain appeared to stretch quite often (good discussion on another thread why SS chain *appear* to stretch compared to a geared skinny chain).
I want a settled bike and don't want to be guessing if I have the saddle in the right place any time I do either of these. If I could live with an EBB then I'd buy another Chiner Niner but been there done that 🙂 I can see how a lot of people could live with an EBB (and I have had one before) but having had the swinging dropouts on the Highball I really wouldn't go back.
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Kona Unit, the sliding dropouts are great. Running this with a 2° angleset now.
Reply from Waltly is currently no custom frames are being made. This has been a slow burn for the past year or so, so I can wait a little longer...
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228359227_7be601438d_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228359227_7be601438d_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2jwvtgz ]Niner ss[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/152169733@N04/ ]Jonathan Traverse[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228359247_d76b0d227f_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228359247_d76b0d227f_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2jwvtgV ]Niner ss[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/152169733@N04/ ]Jonathan Traverse[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50227495478_250be1cc5a_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50227495478_250be1cc5a_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2jwr3vm ]Niner ss[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/152169733@N04/ ]Jonathan Traverse[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228138011_9f995eff57_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228138011_9f995eff57_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2jwukvv ]Niner ss[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/152169733@N04/ ]Jonathan Traverse[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228359157_2eb197f154_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228359157_2eb197f154_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2jwvtfn ]Niner ss[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/152169733@N04/ ]Jonathan Traverse[/url], on Flickr
My Niner Air RDO carbon, weigh's 8.0kg, thing of beauty, and with niner carbon RDO forks, seatpost and bars, DT240 SS wheelset, not cheap but its a rocket ship
Reply from Waltly is currently no custom frames are being made. This has been a slow burn for the past year or so, so I can wait a little longer…
Don't know if companies with existing accounts can still get small batch stuff done? You'd pay a bit more, but you'd not be doing the design work yourself. This one's pretty...
https://www.singularcycles.com/our-products/pegasus/
My Niner Air RDO carbon, weigh’s 8.0kg, thing of beauty,
Each to his own, eye of the beholder etc,. but doesn't do it for me and I actually prefer the look of the bike I have just put together for £600 although mine is almost 2kg heavier and have to admit I would prefer if it was 8kg given the choice.
I used to run a few singlespeed bikes and got sick of having to mess with getting adjustable dropouts parallel, same with track ends, always put the wheel back slightly skew meaning the disc would rub, also used to have trouble getting the qr nut past some tensioners without having to pull the whole qr out. In the end I decided to tension the chain at the front using a BB mount Blackspire Stinger, also used an iscg mount lower chain guide, both did an excellent job, looked far neater than a rear tensioner, the rear wheel was a joy to remove and replace but most of all it meant I could use any frame not just SS specific.
Not mine but same principle though mine pushed up.
Or this without all the top gubbins
Basically what I'm saying is pick the frame you like the most and make it work, doesn't have to be a dedicated SS one.
A nearly £2000 Ti frame ought to be nice!
If one of the Chinese carbon frame suppliers offered modular dropouts including SS they would be on to a good thing!
Intense Hard Eddie was another I remember looking at before, but I can't remember how they tensioned the chain and more importantly most people seemed to crack theirs!
If anyone is tired of their Pivot LES/ Ti SS and doesn't have an over inflated opinion of it's second hand worth I am all ears 😀
I decided to tension the chain at the front using a BB mount Blackspire Stinger
I've tried this in the past as well and is a massive PITA unless you have ISCG mounts.
Hanger mounted tensioner is definitely bottom of the pile
Odd, as mine was total fit and forget but I guess there's lots of variables at play.
I remember this well; wondering how on earth can there be so few bikes fairly easily available in the UK that fit the XC, SS, not ££££££ criteria, no supply issues with any aspects etc. I just wanted to buy a bike!
Niche was definitely not on my list, but I have ended up with a frame of which there are only 5 in medium in existence, so I have kind of stumbled headlong into niche-ness 😀
Anyway, just in case you want another photo of a bike that is on your list 🙂
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Another alternative is find a secondhand steel frame that you like and get a frame builder to fit your choice of dropouts. I did that many years ago and still love the bike. It has the exclusivity factor albeit you may still run into the problem of steel frames being too heavy on the whole.
For inspiration go on the Radavist site and look at John Watson's Retrotec (definately not within budget!)
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This is my Pivot Les - quite overbuilt with X Fusion McQueens and a 190mm dropper post, but I love it.
Who did you speak to at Waltly, I'be just begun the initial discussions for a new frame and they're as keen as ever?
Did you run the Stache SS? I’m a bit concerned by the complaints over on MTBR of people running them SS.
Never a peep on mine - I saw similar grumbles over there while waiting for the frame to arrive, but the inside of the chainstays on mine are clean after 2,500ish km. I ran 2.3 and 2.4 tyres (Spec GC and Conti Trail King) without problems on 28 spoke wheels I built myself. I wonder if the issues were with especially during or heavy riders on 3" tyres and stock, baggy, wheelsets.
How do you find the Fuse by comparison? What are the advantages that made you swap?
Early days as I'm only a couple of hundred km in, but very similar, albeit with a bit longer reach and more standover.
Advantages? Ability to run a longer dropper (160mm Spec Command Post vs. 150mm Ascend 2) and improved standover for my stumpy legs.
Also I'm a massive, massive tart and it has a lovely brushed raw finish.
I was fairly sure I could have fitted a 160 or 170 Oneup in the Stache, by the way. Happy to provide measurements if useful.
If I end up not selling the Stache, I'll probably build it up as a (more) stupid rigid singlespeed it's huge fun.
Stooge Mk4
Apologies if mentioned above.
Met a guy who had just ridden round Degla (remember trail centres 🤷♂️) on one of these and he couldn’t stop grinning.
This isn't mine and I don't know the seller, but it would make a lovely rigid singlespeed with the Rideworks PF30 EBB (clamps onto the face of the shell so no ovalising worries)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124545845383
I'm not an expert on previous model years by Shand but I'd guess it's a Bahookie, and if it takes 650b+, I'd guess there is a good chance it will take 29" wheels (mine is advertised as taking both but it's probably a 2018ish frame)
Mine is a blast, done 70 miles this week getting absolutely plastered in mud 🙂
That is encouraging on the Stache @bentudder I'll have to give that a proper look over
Stooge
I can see the appeal but I rode an older one and realised it is not my type of thing at all (and EBB).
Shand
Thanks for the heads up. The frame is small and has a wider rear axle spacing??? I'm very lukewarm after the Shand owner had a bit of a flounce on being called out at selling Aliexpress far East carbon at a heavy markup (I'm sure all brands do but the responses left an impression)
I have a Stooge Scrambler on order so will be selling my Large Stache frame in purple and a Chinese Carbon fork shortly....never run SS by me though. Drop me a line if interested. I have a Kona Unit for SS duties...
Just in case anyone was wondering about the Stanton Sherpa SS, it seems that there is still no release date in the near future for the SS dropouts.
The rest is a bit of a brain dump :/
Pipedream Sirius is still on the maybe list with a bit of patience towards the May(ish) release date. I haven't checked what AC height the geometry table is based on but the stack is really low which is a bit odd.
Custom Ti also still a maybe
I looked in to the Pivot LES trying to find a way to excuse the high price but the frames are comparatively short with a high front end. A Medium gives the bar height I'd be after with a 5mm spacer but would have a long stem and the Large would need a -17 80mm stem. A bit odd for a newly released frame.
Spot Rocker is a better fit but not taken by it. Too much money for a gamble on what it might be like in the flesh.
Curtis is one option no-one has mentioned. It would be a fair chunk of money but the advantage is custom geometry, Paragon sliding dropouts and if something isn't right on the design it would only be my fault 🙂 Has anyone bought a Curtis frame recently?
The clear favourite is still the Big Bro and I hesitated before waiting for a more vibrant colour scheme (well Boost dropouts really but lets be honest looks matter 🙂 )... but the green is a grower.
If we take budget a bit more out of the equation are there any other SS frames with sliding/ swinging dropouts that don't weigh a ton and have a chance of turning up in the next few months that haven't been mentioned?
You said you didn’t fancy the timberjack, surely it’s worth revisiting the new model?
Have a look at Hardtail Party on YouTube. He's ridden loads of bikes, might find one you haven't considered. He recently reviewed the Spot Rocker very positively.
