Salsa now at the top of the list as Speedgoat in the US have a full build With Reba's at $2750 (£1700ish)!!! Plus a bit of international postage (less than £100) that seems a very good deal so the only problem would be import duties payable. Any idea what they might be anybody??

Sppedgoat will not mark the value down.

I would guess with 4.7% duty, Parcel farce's handling fee, and then **** tax (the biggest sting) on the whole lot (inc shipping) be between £100 & £200. At least the pound has recovered. It was low when I had to cough for the balance payment on the Lenz

The Big Mama was my second choice before the lenz. i would defo have one. A gorgeous looker for for. and as you say all feedback positive. An excellent and strong trail bike. Built by Salsa too. Go Steve Go!

Your wlecome to try my Dos Niner which is a 20" as I think the geo is pretty similar to the Big Mama. I'm 6'3" and from post extension I'm probably at a bout 70% of the max size although I am going to switch to 180mm cranks in the not too distant future.

(I can't quite bring myself to go back to a Full suss hence the soft tail)

I started a thread about Duty and people seem to think it would be more like $1000-$1100. I'm guessing you bought the Lenz frame only which is 4.7% duty (cycling componentry), whole bikes appear to be 14%.

I wonder if they could send the frame and then the componentry to get around it? Double charges then though i guess.

Bloody import duty and tax…… 🙁

Nobody seems to sell a full build one in this country. Full build i think looks lovely in the orange. Very tempted once i get confirmation of duty and geometry. Might have to talk to you about that as i'm not really sure what the angles mean in the real world.

Kind of you to offer Duc, thanks.

Whereabouts in the UK are you? And do you like the Salsa?

Here's another option: I'm 6'4" with 36.5 cycling inseam and this is a Niner Jet XL with a 90mm stem. I'm only 75KG and I can feel some flex, but it's a great bike, bought before the pound crashed so decent value.

Yes I do like it although still playing with stem length and things.
I'm in Northampton but can have the bike up at SITS if you are going to be around

flex with someone who weighs 75kg……………
thank **** i never bought a niner………………….. 😯

Compared to a SC Blur I had last time. Some of that flex is in the wheels 🙂

Just off for some pies…

I'll second the Dos Niner, I have a 20" at 6'5" and I rather bloomin love it. Not entirely a full susser, only 1" at the back, but its just enough to take the worst of the sting out of it. With the angle of attack of the wheels, it rides like it has about 3" at the back.

I find the wheels flex at low speeds and tight turning circles, but once out on a flowing bit of trail, its superb.

My baby:

Andyl – did you buy that one off ebay – i saw one on there in that size not too long ago that went pretty cheap? i like the look of them.

Starting to look like i may go for the frame only option as it's in the sale at $1250 when its £1400 here! Even with the worse exchange rate now, it's still a hell of a saving and duty is lower if i don't get the whole bike. I can get wheels and fork over here and swap the rest of the kit over from my trance although i would prefer new shiny everything! Should be able to get frame, fork and wheels for around £1600 and then recoup a bit from selling trance wheels and fox fork.

I like the Ventana but at £1500 compared to £1100ish it's a fairly easy choice to make.

Gonna talk to Bonesetter and sort it out soon hopefully.

Duc, I'm in Brum so northampton is not too far for me i guess, i may well toy with having a look before i get the 22".

Ton, i thought the same as you about the Niner, i'm 100kg so would not want a flexy bike. Salsa seems pretty stiff from the reports but the Niners do look nice. Love the Salsa in Orange. 🙂

MrT,

Yup, I got it on Ebay, £500 for the frame and a set of brand new reba race with poploc and all that gubbins, £200 for the wheelset and a good rummage in the spares bin for the rest of the build. A ss figid forked version just went as a full bike for a song on there too, a real bargain (check completed listings, but you may cry).

It was a bit of a gamble, but the frame was mint, and the forks looked like they hadn't been fitted… It rides beautifully, and the softtail gives me near hardtail weights (4.1 lbs on a Park scale for the 20" frame and shock) with the comfort of a short travel full susser. And it handles my 100+kg without complaints, climbs without the front end wandering about and the back end is stiff (however the wheels are a little flexier). Paint job needs protected though, the drive side chainstay has seen the worst of it, and it is a thing of beauty in my eyes!

Frames regularly listed for £750 new on fleabay.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Niner RIP. 😉

I'm 290lb on a bad day and couldn't find any noticable flex in the back end which for a 120mm rear travel 29er i was plesantly surprised about. It was so much like sitting on my BlurLT, only with more stability, it was uncanny. 😛

Definatly on my list if i decide on a full suss 29er despite the price 🙄

Niner are lovely and the XL is good for up to 6 foot 8 inches.
You would need to special order a 22" dos Niner – this could take some time.

The Foes 29er will be available around September we hope.

Prices are expected to be the same as the Prolite 2:1 (approx £2399 with the Curnutt shock).

Its all dependant on the exchange rate but hopefully 2010 may see some small RRP reductions.

J

Mr Tall
I have the same problem and I am currently looking for a bike the same size as you, May be get a discount for ordering two the same ? or poss sell your rock hopper to me ?
Nick

jamie@balfa – Member
The Foes 29er will be available around September we hope.

Prices are expected to be the same as the Prolite 2:1 (approx £2399 with the Curnutt shock).

Its all dependant on the exchange rate but hopefully 2010 may see some small RRP reductions.

ton shakes his piggy bank, to see if there is owt left in it……… 😉

Nick,

Looks like i'll be ordering a 22" Salsa Big Mama frame later today so should have it in a few weeks time and am already in the process of buying the build kit (1st bits due to arrive today!!).

I'm keeping the Rockhopper as i like to have a choice of HT and FS for when the weather is awful. I'm in Brum so not a million miles away from you and i'd be more than happy to let you have a test ride on either as i know from experience how difficult it is to find a tester in a tall bloke sizing (the Rockhopper was one of two i could find in the entire country).

On that note i have been wondering about sorting out a STW 'Tall Blokes' club where we could 'pool' our current collection of bikes allowing fellow tallies to be able to try out a big size before buying. I know Ton has kindly offered to let me have a go on his if i'm up near Leeds but i've now chosen the Salsa over the Ventana (mostly cos it's way cheaper!). Just a thought as even now i'm still a bit nervous that the Salsa will fit me as i've never sat on one. Had i gotten an opportunity to just throw a leg over somebody elses then i'd be far happier.

Good idea or not?

Mr Tall

Good idea, maybe if enough names are collected a list could be presented to a dealer in the hope he would stock some xl size bikes. It could be a good Business for someone I am sure people would travel to buy a bike if it was the right size, I would.
Its good of you to offer the chance to try your bikes for size poss take you up on that, thanks.
Good luck with the Salsa Big Mama

Nick

good idea mate
i have 3 29rs now.
people are free to try them…………. 8)

Very good idea Steve – what would the criteria be for being a tallie?

Look forward to seeing the pics…

Like Ton I also have three 29er- Haro Mary SS, Turner Sultan, and an Inbred

And one of which used to belong to Ton!

Here's a pic of my Turner…

And count me in for the tall blokes club…

3 29ers-

Turner Sultan (Large)
On-One Inbred (19.5")
Haro Mary SS (20")

All available should anyone want to try- based in Surrey, close to Swinley.

May have a Singular Swift to add to the list soon too… 🙂

For the win!

Well i ordered my 22" Salsa and Maxle Reba this afternoon so it should be here within a month, maybe less than 3 weeks if things go well.

It'll be my 2nd 29er to go with my 23" Rockhopper. I also still have my 22" Trance (for sale soon), 22" Hoss (singlespeeded) 21" Hardrock (ex commuter), 63cm Roadbike and 25" Nexus Geared Hybrid (plus a 22" hack and 25" ancient roadbike)

I'd suggest the criteria for being a 'tallie' would be if you can not fit on anything under an XL frame (21" minimum) as anything under 21" is reasonably easy to get a test ride on (when i lived in London, Evans always had a fair few 21" bikes in various stores). It's the 22" and above bikes that are pretty rare and very hard to get a sit on as no small stores will stock them. Also frames such as Ton's Ventana, my Salsa and the Turners which are not available as fully built bikes here.

As this thread has shown there are plenty of taller chaps with shorter legs who can fit on more normal bikes and then there are freaks like me who find XL and XXL frames are still too small.

I just felt that as there does seem to be a growing number of taller chaps riding now (my group has 2 0r 3 others up to 6'5") that it would be useful if we could find a real bike to sit on first before we blow several thousand pounds on a bike we hope will fit. If somebody else on here had a 22" Salsa i would have been prepared to drive at least 100 mile radius from my home to have a look before i bought one. It would have been extremely helpful. At least we now have a thread here we can look back on if one of us is buying a new bike which somebody else already owns in a bigger size. Most of the decent choices are catered for in one way or another.

Steve