Discuss.
Frame
quality all over. You dont need bling just solid parts.
Quality frame and quality parts bling is just decoration 8)
comfort and fitting
Its always the bling that makes you win 
The frame is the foundation for the rest of the build. You'd hardly put bling on a £99.99 catologue bike.
frame, steel is best 853 😆
You'd hardly put bling on a £99.99 catologue bike
this lad came into our shop with a nasty full sus Baracuda (babarararackaruda) a while back - he'd fitted (and we are reasonably sure it was paid for) hope bottom bracket, slx cranks, avid elixir brakes, xt derailleur, fox shock. The bike was still a shocking piece of shit.
bling: tasteless tat
quality frame: heart of a proper bike
wheels, seat and brakes for me.
Some of the great kit you see hanging from 7 badly welded scaffold poles, on this site, is a travesty
So the saying goes; you can't pollish a turd
Good frame, good forks, tyres that grip and a comfy perch.
The frame is just another component, Just as critical as any of the others Quality to me means fitness for purpose in any part, you can spend several grand on a super light Titanium, carbon whizzy bollocks frame but that doesn't mean it will fit properly and do the job...
[s]frame[/s]
[s]bling[/s]
[i]skills[/i]
[size=+2][color=blue]attitude[/size][/color]
[size=+6][color=red]fun![/color][/size]
A balance of parts. But, even very basic frames can do the job perfectly well, I'd sooner have a £150 frame and £850 to spend on the rest of the bike than a £470 frame and £530 to spend on the rest of the bike. The Carrera Kraken frame hanging up in my garage could, if I stuck all the parts off my Soul on it, do pretty much anything I ask of a bike.
But, even very basic frames can do the job perfectly well
Yeah. I have an ex hire bike (Schwinn Mesa GS) which is a bit too small for me but I love it. I'll be hanging on to it and upgrading it with good quality parts.
what really matters?
lots and lots of trippy* singletrack.
it helps if you've got a bike that sort-of fits, and sort-of works.
(*cosmic, swoopy, etc.)
To me, you need the frame to be a reasonable weight and have decent geometry.
For components, you're looking for reasonable weight and performance.
To me, that means decent forks are worthwhile, as are brakes & tyres, but the drivetrain can be whatever works well.
Thinking about it further I think the Days of bikes dripping with Blingy parts not over but they are certainly going on hold for a few people….
Look at it this way, the number of people able to afford a Full XTR/X0/XX spec bike will be less given the current state of employment and the economy… you’ll most likely see more people choosing not to replace that old “Heap of Crap” bike but opting to spend a Few quid on newer parts Deore/SLX/XT/X7/X9 bits All solid reliable kit that costs less and still functions as well just with some minor weight penalties…
Frame wise I think it’ll be a similar story, those who might have just thrown caution to the wind before and Spanked a large amount on something a bit Gucci will probably start shopping in the £200-£450 Price bracket as there are some well designed nice frames available now, the likes of On-one, Dialled, Ragley and Co are actually quite well placed for these sort of consumers, people looking for relatively good quality at a sensible priced frame to hang existing parts they already own on, upgrades rather than replacements…
And with all parts if it can’t last 2 years of regular use then it’s probably not worth having, Reliability has to be the key selling point I think now…
Slight Hijack Alert!!!!
On the subject of XTR/X0 V's Deore etc.
I run full XT gears, shifters & mech. If I replaced the rear mech with Deore but used the XT shifters would I actually notice any difference in the quality of shifting????
This is with a view to replacing worn/broken components in the future with my recently acquired family reducing my play funds.
Legs
Depends on what its for doesn't it?
For racing, I'd say the best money you can spend is on a set of good wheels and tyres.
For downhill racing, probably the best shocks, everything else gets trashed pretty quickly anyway
Parts wear out/break, frames tend to last for ages. If you get a good frame at the expense of poor parts you could always upgrade later. I like most over the years have been guilty of buying bling over function. These days it has to be reliable, well made and work before it looks pretty.
Frame first I would say.
It's all about balance IMO
It's pointless putting XTR on an inbred when SLX will be fine, but Deore on a Merlin titanium would be just as daft. 🙂