Due to a set of fortunate circumstances, I'm left with virtually a full bikes worth of parts - all ready for a frame to hang them on.
The forks are 150mm Revs and most of the parts are on the burly side of light.
I fancy building them up onto a hardtail to build something that will go up hill fairly easily and then rip down the other side.
What are my options? Would something like a Troof or Bagger be too heavy and slack? A Chumba HX1 would be quite nice but could make me do something silly like build it singlespped! What else should I be thinking about?
The only other real requirements of the frame are that the head tube needs to be tapered and the rear dropouts standard QR. I don't want to spend more than £200, less would be nicer.
Genuinely interested in people's thoughts - this is also a thinly disguised wanted ad too (16-18" please!) 🙂
Mmmbop? 1.5 rather than tapered headtube, and it'll be a shade overforked but they do work well with 150mm (is yours a Rev that can be spaced down?)
I didn't really get on with the stiffness of mine but the things it did right, it did very very right.
Ragley mmmBop? Lightish and great fun to throw down hills.
I happen to have a frame (18", blue, well used but nothing wrong with it) that I should be getting round to shifting if you're Aberdeen way. Otherwise worth a look.
Headtube is not tapered but it's a scaffold pipe of a thing that can take a tapered steerer fine. Rear is QR. Sounds a good match - even if it's not mine you end up getting.
Edit - Wot he said ^^^ 🙂
If you can get a Saracen Zen from 2011 on, they are brilliant with 150mm forks - and fit your parts.
Don't be scared by the aluminium, very refined to ride and quite comfy.
You would want a 19in though, they are short with lotsa standover
Will third the Mmbop suggestion, I got rid of mine a while back and I still pine for it!
Genesis Alpitude, latest version, mostly Reynolds 853 with replaceable hanger, 135mm rear end and 44mm headtube.
Rated at 120 to 160 forks but rides best at 140 in my opinion with either 16.5" or 18.5" frames.
Strange seatpost size, specced at 27.2mm but needs a coke can shim to avoid squashing the seat tube.
BFe.
Mmmbops are getting a bit old now and finding a decent one for a realistic price is nigh on impossible. They are a harsh ride but they are still a lot of fun. Don't pay over £50 for one regardless of how good the paint looks, you could get a Ragley Marley in the sale brand new for about £100.
How about on-one 456 evo? [url= http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FROO456E2/on-one-456-evo2-frame ]456 evo[/url]
The 456/evo/evo2 are straight steerer
As above Mmmbop would be perfect, mine has been great, light, fun to ride but the paint is falling off after three years of ownership.
C456 would be a good option too.
I've been using an Mmmbop as my only bike for the last 3 years, I've just put 150mm pikes on it and its great. Quite a few people say the back end is harsh but I honestly don't think its much different that the other hardtails I've owned.
I think the stiffness is different things to different people... I'd no issues comfort/harshness wise, I just found the back wheel didn't want to track at speed, it'd kick off anything in its way and robbed speed and control. I ran it with a fat tyre to compensate a bit but eventually got a Ti instead, which is still stiffer than I'd like tbh but much better behaved, really lets the bike get on with business
But seriously, for the price it was still awesome. Mine replaced a Soul so it had a big act to follow, and it says something that it took a lynskey ti one to really beat it.
On-One 45650b frame has a head tube that will take a tapered steerer, just run it with normal 26 inch wheels for excellent mud clearance, this also future proofs the bike should you decide to go 650b at some point.
I have a 20" 456 Evo titanium frame for sale in Aberdeen but you would need to be at least 6 foot..
Ragley Blue Pig, Dialled Apline, Cotic BFe, OnOne 456 - whether you can get old enough frames to be cheap enough with tapered head tube I couldn't tell you.
Would something like a Bagger be too heavy and slack?
Depends which Bagger you're on about...
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Top one is extremely heavy and only comes in one size, the bottom one fits your needs rather well and is only heavy on paper. A few riding buddies have Baggers (bottom ones) and love them. One of them uses it as his only bike and it copes rather well with all day epics, xc bimbles and a bit of DH too. I've a 456 SS and like some of the bikes mentioned above, it can take a 150 fork but they don't really work that well with that much travel (i run mine 120ish almost everywhere). The Bagger works properly with longer forks and somehow it still pedals and steers fine. Up steep hills the front end of my 456 goes a bit epileptic, not so on the Bagger, even with it's longer fork (170 on his) and slacker h/a. Downhill it's awesome.
I've got a 16.5" slackline 631 I might sell if you're interested
I'd say the bagger frame is a bit overkill for Revs, I ran a Blue Pig with 150mm revs for a couple of years and really enjoyed riding it, the revs are a great match for the blue pig frame.