I've got a 29er h/tail xc race bike (100mm forks), which is great for going flat out but isn't much fun and lacks playfulness. It has its place but I'd like to ride more techy and committing stuff this summer and know the bike will hold me back. Is there a solid 100mm fork compatible full suss 29er frame out there with a slacker head angle for this type of riding or am I better off putting my £1000ish into a second bike for this purpose? Cheers macca
a frame with a slacker head angle usually is designed for a longer travel fork...therefore fitting a 100mm fork to such a frame would not give you the best results.
if you have £1k to spend then you're probably better off buying a complete bike even if its second hand...that way you get the best of both worlds
I'd throw the Whyte M-109 into the mix, I wouldn't suggest it's that slack or that playful (not compared to 120mm bro) but from the quick go I had on one it bleedin definitely fast, fun & very capable.
swapping to a new frame always turns out more expensive too, with various things not being compatible/not quite right. You get a lot more for your money with a second hand complete bike.
nice one guys, as I thought then really. 2nd hand giant trance or zesty of Ebollock. Just wanted to check in case anyone had done similar
More playful = 26"
How about a FS 27.5 bike with 130mm travel for a grand?
[img] http://i1.adis.ws/i/washford/592990?$pd_zoom$ [/img]
[url= http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_991934_langId_-1_categoryId_165499 ]Looks fun.[/url]
Grab a 456 carbon X9 for £999 in the sale, or a second hand 456 steel and build it up, you'll have change from a grand and lots of big grins
I have an XL SC Heckler frame i'm just about to put up for sale. Takes about 150mm travel. Was going to sell it for £400 if you're interested? Need to be over 6'1" or so.