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I really suit the long TT of my 16" carbon 456 and am looking for something similar but more XC - ie Inbred style for general knocking about with either rigid carbon or some light 100mm forks.
Other than an Inbred does anyone have any recommendations for a steel frame with a longish top tube I can look out for. Preferably lighter than an Inbred. Needs to be disc brake compatible.
I have a Kinesis Decade Virsa Prestige. I think it's on the long side, geometry here:
http://www.kinesisdecade.co.uk/product.php?id=2
Has the advantage that you can swap the dropouts to horizontal if you want to.
Just out of interest, how long is a long top tube? Mine's 22in (22.5 effective?) on a 17.5in frame. I'm guessing that's on the longer end of things?
Dialled Bikes Love/Hate? Have a mate who snapped an old Inbred and replaced it with one of those as it was a close match on the geometry. Probably not a great deal lighter than an Inbred tho...
More xc than a 456 carbon? Scott Scale?
Well the carbon 456 in 16" form is 600mm effective TT which is 23.6" so pretty long.
I am looking for something to replace my Merlin Malt 2 15" frame which is a bit too small for me really - needs a longer seatpost, saddle is right back and stem is already 90mm. I currently have it as single speed but want to put the gears back on, at least as a 1x9 for general stuff when I don't want to leave the nice bike in/on the car or locked up somewhere.
Will look up Scott Scales but I am guessing they are alu or carbon?
I do like the Kinesis - swap outs are a bonus. Will look at the geometry.
Sanderson Life (& breath) are long. IIRC.
Cotic Soul can't be much shorter.
Genesis perhaps.
You're probably going to have to lose 10-15mm off the top tube on pretty much any other frame, those Carbon 456's are designed to run VERY short stems though, so run a stem that's an inch longer (as you would anyway on a more XC bike) for the correct position on a frame with a slightly shorter TT.
Cotic Soul is indeed pretty long in the TT for its sizes, Genesis Altitude is about the same as the Soul (with 5mm anyway). My mate had a Kinesis Decade Virsa and I can't say I remember it being anything other than quite short myself!
Sanderson.
+1 again on the sandersons.
My 853 life is great, very 'steel' though, even compared to other steel frames. Then again I weigh 95kg so could probably feel flex
it was made out of solid iron!
My 18" is certainly long, not sure how other sizes stack up. Maybe look at a 16" inbred or wippet?
The idea is for a cheap 2nd hand frame as it's to put my spare Deore/LX kit on.
Kinesis is indeed short.
Did look at cotics but cheap used souls are rare
The Dialled love/hate is close to the 456 but rare second hand. The EBB is very nice though and worth paying a bit more for.
Was hoping for something along the lines of an old steel kona etc that could be picked up cheap.
Buy an old steel kona then?
If your light, and can find one Sun made a 2.something lb steel frame, I had one and it were proper rite*!
*I lived in Yorkshire at the time.
Couldn't disagree with buying an old Kona. I've got an old Lava Dome that rides brilliantly, picked up the frame for around 50 quid. It may not be the lightest, but it was 50 quid so I'm happy. You can get 853 Explosifs etc for not a great deal more. Cheaper than a new Inbred frame anyway.
It does seem quite long in the top tube, but then I don't pay any attention to geometry and such things, so could be completely wrong.