So I wanted a winter bike to stop me using my Fuel in the crap and wearing out all the shiny parts.
I've long wondered about these <£200 carbon hardtails on eBay from China, so I bought one! Frame weight on my scales is 1240g, as with all these things it's ended up being much more bling than I intended, weighs in at 20lbs.
It's my first foray into hardtails since my S-Works Carbon in 2006 and frankly it's far nicer than that! Not only is the frame lighter, it's a much more compliant ride, which is a good result!
Whether it will fold up under me is something else altogether, considering my relatively slight build and my ability to out-mince most I suspect not...
[img] 
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Few more pics [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/46244709@N04/sets/72157623402395276/ ]here[/url]
I would like to weigh myself on your scales - i would be 10 stone!!
I like the XTR chainset and X0 on a winter mud bike!
sids and avid ultimates or elixirs?
hehe yea, thats more bling than my race bike for sure, not sure what racing ralph comment supposed to mean though as theres probably nothing particularly heavy on that build, dunno what the wheels are though.
it was tongue in cheek based on the weight weenie thread from months ago re scales.
Where are these sub £200 carbon frames?
Good work. Looks great! I think it would look even better with a pair of NU flat bars on it 😉
Yeah I've got some NU Scandium bars here which could go on it, quite like the risers though. I feel dirty just saying it!
SID Teams, brakes are 'Juicy Ultimate Mag SLs' which are just Juicy Ultimate levers with Elixir calipers.
Wheels are Roval Controle SL, 1360g. I only have one pair of forks and wheels at the moment sadly, so it's not really a whole bike, or it is, but then my Fuel isn't, and vice versa!
Yep the 'winter mud' thing sort of went out the window!
its got mudx for winter so i recon it should have some exotic carbon rigid forks for mincing around in the winter on. get it sub 20lb too 🙂 maybe
Sod rigid forks, there's a line!
Where are these sub £200 carbon frames?
Go onto eBay and search for 'Carbon MTB frame' take your pick!
looks very nice how does it ride? i have never tried carbon before but for £200 a frame i might give it a go 😀
can you post a link from where the frame came from please?
Nice spokes. Did you build the wheels yourself? I did something similar with a few white spokes recently.
Lovely looking xc weapon. Will you be racing it?
Nah, they're a factory built wheelset. They're nice, but I wouldn't pay £600 or whatever they are RRP, they came on a bike.
Dunno if I'll be racing it, to be honest I've had a very expensive month, and it may be back on eBay before long!
If I keep it then I probably will race it occasionally, it's only half a pound lighter than my FS, so it would have to be a course which is really hardtail specific, but if I've still got it for the first round of the NPS at Sherwood it may get a race number hung on it!
There's loads [url= http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?LH_AvailTo=3&_nkw=carbon+mtb+frame&_dmpt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR ]here[/url], take your pick! They're a bit more expensive than when I bought, guess the dollar's got stronger. There are a few different designs, and they do get sold at different prices, so have a look through all the sellers.
That is pretty impressive Nick. You really are a tart though, XTR on a winter bike 😆
I know it's terrible isn't it!?
I did get the chainset on the cheap, and I had the rings off the Epic, so sold the stock XTR ones, so it cost a fair bit less than even XT can be had for!
You could save some more weight by singlespeeding it.
Once you've ridden it come back and tell us what its like, and if its still in one piece...
How do the Elixer calipers work with a Juicy master-cylinder/lever?
Got to say that looks really nice for a £200 frame. I'm very tempted 🙂 Would really like to hear a ride review.
And I thought my winterbike was excessive! At least I have an SLX chainset to bring reduce the shine on the surrounding hand-me-down XTR.
Interested to know how the frame lasts.
The seatpost you are using there: Is that a carbon one with a step-down in size halfway down?
Looks nice! I'll keep my eyes peeled for it at Sherwood in a few weeks...
Winter bike?! Better than my summer bike!
Once you've ridden it come back and tell us what its like, and if its still in one piece...
I have ridden it, a couple of times, and it was great. Nothing I don't trust to be very durable, save the frame, which I suspect will last for years!
It's an alu seatpost with a 'step' in the middle of it Dougal:
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I'm pretty sure i've also ridden one, branded Karbona. I liked it a lot. My mate actually has bought it (from our club sponsors) and he's been very happy with it, built with revelations which suprisingly it seems fine with even at 130.
Interesting to see an alloy stepped post. The reason I was asking is that the carbon version has a habit of snapping.
karbona seems to have funky dropouts and top routed cables
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nick i agree it needs SSing
I was thinking about building my missus one of these for her race bike but in the end bought her an alloy merida- after taking a look at her current bike which has been abused to within an inch of its like - had it been carbon it would be dead i think ....
The dropouts are the same I think but you're right that the cables are routed differently though that could just be a later version of the same thing since they're just rivetted on iirc.
I have just bought one of these and it should be here by the end of the month. http://www.hongfu-bikes.com/Products.asp?Id=405 I built a road bike last year and the quality of these frames are superb for the cost.
How much was that foglie?
njee20 it looks just great, ive seen you full suss racer on here a few times, and given there isnt much diference in weight I am going to be interested in what you think is the fastest bike. I realise the course will have an effect on this though.
Yeah it'll be down to the course, I still plan to use the FS the vast majority of the time, if only because the shop will be PO'd to have sorted me out with an uber bling bike very cheap and then have me use an unbranded eBay hardtail!
Thetford and Sherwood I will probably race the hardtail if I still have it, and any races where it's likely to be very muddy! By the time it's got summer tyres on it should be down around 19lbs, and rather quick I suspect.
That Karbona frame is far heavier, 1510g in an 18", mine's an 18" and was 1240g.
Possible, but not very likely, they're right in the middle of the season, with the NPSs, Southern XCs and I'm doing some triathlons this year there's not too many free weekends!
That Karbona frame is far heavier, 1510g in an 18", mine's an 18" and was 1240g.
Or perhaps your scales are inaccurate?
Or perhaps your scales are inaccurate?
or you dont know nick very well - his scales are often referred to at races as the scales of truth 😉 the generally over weigh everyone elses quoted weights but his are bang on low ......
epicsteve
njee20 is that much of a weight weenie he even has carbon scales, I would think he has some that are pretty accurate... I think he even weighed is own body waste last year in an effort to gain speed. 🙂
Sounds like you at the pointier end of the racing scale than I am njee20 I just like taking the family out for a ride with a purpose avery now and then..
Mine has a claimed weight of 1250, so maybe mine are innacurate, but if it's the same manufacturer, why claim a 300g difference!?
I have indeed shattered many an illusion!
Sounds like you at the pointier end of the racing scale
I wouldn't go that far! Thetford's a good three hour drive for me, so I don't tend to go there during the summer when there's other things on, the girlfriend has a sense of humour failure after a while! She's oddly interested in coming to France for an Xterra triathlon in July, and yet she's thoroughly lukewarm about standing in a field in Yorkshire handing me bottles!
There's loads on eBay, but around £400. Or is £200 the wifeprice?
Nah there's loads, they're a bit more now, Dollar must've weakened. You have to look at international sellers.
[url= http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Brand-New-Full-Carbon-MTB-Mountain-Bike-Frame-18_W0QQitemZ370332879701QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMountain_Bikes?hash=item56398f4b55 ]This[/url] one is exactly like mine.
Interesting stuff - good to hear that it rides well.
I was thinking of getting a Kinesis ht for my race bike, but then came across the Dirty Jo triple butted frames for only £99, which have confused me and now I'm tempted by one of these!
According to a couple of sellers, the 16.5" has an effective TT of 556mm, which I could probably get away with, but I'm not sure what standover would be like?
Njee - how tall are you and what's your inside leg (if you don't mind me asking!) How does your 18" come up? What stem are you using?
Just under 5'10", 31" inside leg (I think...), 100mm stem.
18" feels pretty perfect, slightly shorter than my Fuel, which is 18.5"
Thanks. Hmmm, sounds like I could get away with it, but it would be a little bigger than ideal, which probably isn't a good plan for a race bike. Shame as the 1300g weight is very tempting! Especially if it rides nicer than alu...
Its just a Carbon Carrera Titan frame with no stickers & a 2008 frame if it has rear canti lugs....
DO you ever ride it like ?
Again OVERKILL !!!
It's taken you a long time to come to that conclusion.
Thanks anyway.
Well I think you'll find that a Carrera Titan is one of these, rather than the other way around, it's also a Massi, and a Full Dynamix, among others.
I did ride it ta, then sold it when I got my race bike.
Overkill how?
BATTLE!!!!
On bikes? Can I bring my overkill bike!?
Hate to think what this is like.??
Ti hardtail ?
XX groupset.
Take a pic...then re-sell Im i right lOL...
DO you ever ride it like ?
Not now, he's sold it.
Hate to think what this is like.??Ti hardtail ?
XX groupset.
Take a pic...then re-sell Im i right lOL...
Are you on drugs?
Thread resurrection, with insane man. I like it. 😀
Thread resurrection, with insane man. I like it
LOL!
Jonny, what are you talking about?
I've got a Top Fuel 9.9, why would I replace a carbon hardtail with a ti frame which would almost certainly be heavier!?
I actually took some photos of it the other day, having been ridden quite a lot. Because I look after kit, it still looks in good condition. It's not a difficult concept to grasp!
[i]I've got a Top Fuel 9.9[/i]
[i]The[/i] lightest MTB I've ever fondled.
I'll give it back to you when it's got Furious Freds on it Dez 🙂
I'm with BD on this.
What a plonker!
KINGTUT..
No fella im not i love drooling over lush bikes
Been there still doing it myself sorry to say & lotsof people on here spend hard earned cash(ok with that its there cash) doing up a mint bike top spec,top condition etc etc then 3 weeks later ..
Mmm its not what i thought,doesnt ride quite as good as id think it would..
OMG.??
Then low & behold its getting split up or selling to fund another 2k bike i wont like but love to shoe th STW chaps.....
attack of the mong .... didnt you know that we only buy bike bling to take photos and post them on here .... DONT RIDE THE CARBON IT WILL EXPLOSIVELY COMBUST AND GO DIRECTLY TO YOUR HEART WITHOUT PASSING JAIL.
[i]The lightest MTB I've ever fondled.[/i]
I feel soiled, and I'm not sure why...
Then low & behold its getting split up or selling to fund another 2k bike i wont like but love to shoe th STW chaps.....
2k - for a top fuel 9.9 - you find me one 😉
your picking on the wrong fella johnyvegas ... nick will run rings round your average STW rider when it comes to XC racing - although is the first to admit he is firmly in the xc mince catagory on technical stuff 😉
i know...
KINGTUT..
No fella im not i love drooling over lush bikes
Been there still doing it myself sorry to say & lotsof people on here spend hard earned cash(ok with that its there cash) doing up a mint bike top spec,top condition etc etc then 3 weeks later ..
Mmm its not what i thought,doesnt ride quite as good as id think it would..
OMG.??Then low & behold its getting split up or selling to fund another 2k bike i wont like but love to shoe th STW chaps.....
Hmmm, still think there is drugs or alcohol involved here...
lester got the dollar?
Having been out for a ride with Nick I can confirm he's a silly-fast rider. I can keep up with a lot of 'fast, fit' people on the downhills, but not him, so he's got the skills too. He's also one of the few people who I think can justify a 20.6lb full susser and get proper use out of it.
He's quite a nice chap too.
(Just to balance the praise out, his mechanical skills are shocking.... 😉 )
Woah woah woah PP, that's not true! I'm a decent mechanic, I just chose not to fix my hub bearings for a long time! 🙂
Not sure about this "quite" nice either! 😉
Terry's right though, I'm good on fast, flowing singletrack, but it all goes horribly wrong on anything properly technical! A bit of fitness can go quite a long way though, ride through things hard and hope for the best!
[i]I feel soiled, and I'm not sure why...[/i]
I am
Not sure about this "quite" nice either!
is that nice in the sort of gentleman youd take home to mother PP 😉
but it all goes horribly wrong on anything properly technical
Ahh, that's them cheap, plasic, dishwasher-safe bikes you use. You need one made from proper metal, my boy! 😉
YOUR ALL GAY..
Thats the drugs speaking eh KINGTUT...
I suspect it is, yes.
jonnyvegas - MemberYOUR ALL GAY..
Thats the drugs speaking eh KINGTUT...
Well it's either some kind of retarded troll or teh Crystal meth is really kicking in.
I think he's too far gone to even be able to tell anymore. Poor chap.
Off you go now, back to your cave. Good lad.
[url= http://demonpyro.pinkbike.com/ ]You're 41?[/url] Surely not, did you put in your IQ by accident? You seem to like World of Warcraft too. I don't need to know anything else about you.
It seems a little odd how many threads/albums you have just about 'pretty' things. Because I ride my bike, I don't give 2 hoots what it looks like! You seem to be a hypocritical little troglodyte.
Ahh, he's the chap with the purple Nomad that's too small for him, makes sense now.
[url= http://demonpyro.pinkbike.com/album/Zee-New-noMADlike-it-or-hate-it-/ ]Zee-New-noMADlike-it-or-hate-it[/url]
He's MAD he is. Kerazy!
[img] http://www.personneltoday.com/assets/getAsset.aspx?ItemID=4005 [/img]
You also take a lot more photos of your bike than I do! I have more photos of me riding my bikes than I have ever taken of them. We've yet to see a photo of you riding. Can you ride?
UR BIK IZ NICER THN MINE THERE4 I WIL TEK PIZZ IN TUH BAD SPELLIN.
Oh noes I think a pwning is being dished out!
U IZ MERKED AND PWNED BRUV.
Pants, you have scared him off, he"s priceless.