I have felt the need to build a bike for some time as I haven’t done one for a while now. The trouble is the type of bike I want to build seems a bit mad – and I haven’t seen anyone riding such a beast which may mean it will be a dog. There are many arguments to not build this bike but for some reason I still want to do it?

Bike is as follows…..

short travel slopestyle frame (100mm ish travel) with a concentric BB and sliding dropouts so I can run it SS with no tensioner. Something like the NS Soda but with less travel.

I’m only 5’9 but I’ll get a large to make it more suitable for trail riding. I will run an air shock and keep the pressure quite high to stop it bobbing as this type of frame will no doubt be prone to do (I only want to take the edge off the hits).

Alfine 8 rear wheel with some sort of mid weight rim and as small as possible chainring (where I ride its very steep with no flat sections ).

Maverick SC forks with associated 24mm front wheel – 120mm upsidedown goodness.

Dropper post of some description – probably KS i950 as these have yet to let me down (if it will fit the frame of course).

Everything else will be pretty standard equipment.

I realize it wont be the best uphill or downhill but I have bikes to do both of these already – im hoping this new one will sit somewhere in the middle.

So – am I mad??

You certainly don’t like doing things the easy way.

I’m not qualified to comment on your mental health though.

I realize it wont be the best uphill or downhill but I have bikes to do both of these already – im hoping this new one will sit somewhere in the middle.

Ideal for towpaths?

Probably just interesting…

I will run an air shock and keep the pressure quite high to stop it bobbing as this type of frame will no doubt be prone to do

Just get something with proper pro pedal tuned to the frame.

I guess your after something like this with dropper & gears?

Saw one on the weekend and it looked nice (in a not riding up the hill sort of a way)

That looks interesting!
What is it?

You might also want to have a look at the Blackmarket Killswitch. Beautiful bike that, I’ve always wanted one.

it’s a specialized slopestyle

Ah the Kill switch is beautiful and would be ideal – Iv almost discounted it though unfortunately due to cost. I cant really spend more than a grand (Mostly second hand of course)

no thi thread has MC Battery as you describe . lovely

http://forums.mtbr.com/mountain-cycle/mountain-cycle-battery-531518.html
and here http://www.freerideoklahoma.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=878&sid=46779754d6f831d5facfd4e368d2f136

Something like the NS Soda but with less travel.

You want 100mm, the Soda Slopestyle has 107mm.

You’re a tough cat to please.

You want 100mm, the Soda Slopestyle has 107mm

My bad – I thought it had way more than that……

I ride something similar… a Dartmoor shine but have geared it. It has horizontal dropouts though, 100mm x fusion rear shock.
I was running some 100mm RS argyles but just stuck some revs on it to see how it goes with more travel.
I’m short so can get away with sitting pedalling up the hills. Edit… Picture added below. Paid £400 2nd hand for the frame and shock.

Kona Cowan DS? CRC had some old frames they were selling off a while ago.
I’ve got a Kona A with Maverick SC32s – concentric BB and USD forks seem to be a good combo!
I know there’s a couple of A/Cowans kicking around with Alfines and Rohloffs. I’ve thought about putting my Rohly on theA but haven’t got around to it. Besides, its too much fun running SS lightwieght.

concentric BB also means belt-drive is possible…

My bad – I thought it had way more than that……

There’s two flavours of the Soda, one with 180mm and a regular sort of single pivot rear end, and the Slopestyle which gets shorter travel & concentric pivot.

Cheers for all the info
Soda now an option
Dartmoor too!

Trouble is these bikes are hard to find second hand

Theres a few options especially if you go looking for some 2nd hand older slopestyle bikes:

The old cove hooker:

Kona Cowan FS:

or the Kona Bass:

DMR bolt:

Dartmoor Shine:

And the others posted already…

I had exactly that till a few months ago

Commencal absolut sx with alfine & dropper, I’ll see if I can find a pic

Another question…..

Half the reason for wanting some rear wheel travel would be to help protect the Alfine a bit from landings – big hits etc – since its really only a touring part!

But will this actually help since the hub is un-sprung mass?
Will the hub experience the same impact forces as if it were on a hard tail or will they be damped?

Obviously the hub is not isolated from impacts like the rider but for some reason I cant help thinking rear suspension should help somehow??

Here is mine (cant seem to show images from skydrive)

I dont have it any more, I ended up having to run a tensioner as the dropouts weren’t long enough to accommodate my chain & figured if that was the case then there was no reason to be riding a frame that was too small and weighed loads.

As far as I’m aware this is the full list of every BB pivot frame

24 Bicycles Flextoy
Blackmarket Killswitch
Commencal Absolut SX
Cove G Spot
Dartmoor Shine
Descendence Lovemachine
DMR Bolt
Doberman Le Pink
Edge Blade
Edge DH 1
Fire Eye Match
Kona A
Kona Bass
Kona Cowan
Lenz Milkmoney
Macmahone Kingdom
NS Soda Slope
Oneghost Wakazashi
Solid Flair
Specialized P.Slope
Tank Hone
Tank T-Works

I built it!
Not quite to the original idea but not far off
thanks for the help everyone

How is it?

Can’t help thinking 2kg of Alfine hub would ruin a bike like that

I think it looks good. It’s a Commencal, right?

No not bad in concept, tuned shock will get it to pedal better, only question I’d have is the fork, which is a touch flexy in comparison to what will be a pretty stiff frame.

So far so good!
Iv taken it round my local trails and Coed y Brenin so far and its performed flawlessly. Its a bit heavy but to honest that’s more to do with the frame – its bullet proof!

It doesn’t feel at all dead though and flows over the bumps just like any other full susser Iv had. Im not sure what the Alfine would be like on a hard tail but on this it works really well.

It does bob more than i’m used to when climbing but not excessively so – just more than my Mondraker. That has propedal though so Im probably going to change the shock when I get round to it.

Havent launched off anything yet so cant comment on jumpability – but from the way it rides I wont be apprehensive about doing so.

Yip – Commencal absolut

The fork was a bit of a nostalgic touch. I run fox these days but my first decent forks were Marzocchi Z1s and I loved them. These are 2006 – Z1 SL Doppio Air and really helped to keep the costs down 🙂

Sorry, was refering to the OP 😳 and the Maverick usd fork, should learn to read the whole thread IGMC 😉

Holding out for a xl/l bottlerocket frame to come up sometime for a ‘play’ bike.

Yeah – Unfortunately the Maverick fork had to go when I decided on the 140mm frame 🙂

probably KS i950 as these have yet to let me down

You are a lucky bunny! Or you don’t ride your bike?

Must be lucky I guess – I have another on my Mondraker that’s done 3 Megavelanche’s

…actually thats probably 2

Exact. I like it. 😉

I only mock because I had to strip my i900 every month. Not a huge job, just an annoying faff. There’s a very good chance that things improved for the i950 (I would have hoped so).

I had the i900 too
I know what you mean – not the greatest
i950 supernatural is niiiiice though

I joined the great unwashed and bought a Reverb. Which reminds me – I really should take it apart at some point…