Hello All,

I am struggling to find a freeride / mini DH frame that fits my requirements, suggestions welcome to help me! I’d like:

180mm travel ideally
Simple robust frame
30.9mm seat tube
Taper or 1.5 headtube
At least 600mm eff tt or 420mm reach
Short chainstays

I have so far got the Orange Patriot and Specialized Status on my list but neither are perfect – the Orange is a bit short and expensive, the Status cannot be bought as a frame only I think.

Help!

The Uzzi looks very nice , I have a Tracer 2 rides awesome.

http://www.tweekscycles.com/components/full-suspension-frames/intense-uzzi-frameset

Not sure if the long version will be long enough, but Scott Voltage hits the rest of your criteria. Very versatile frame, can be built up in various lengths of travel, different length chainstays (with the replaceable dropouts) and mine has a 1.5″ HT so can run any forks. Currently set up 150mm rear/160mm front and it’s awesome.

Large torque frx meets most of those requirements, not sure what would be considered short chainstays on a freeride bike though.

http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=3057#tab-reiter2

CRC have the Kona Entourage Deluxe in medium for only £1700 for the complete bike. TT is only 585 but reach is 430. Not sure on chainstay length or seat tube size though. A friend has the basic Entourage with a set of 180mm Vans on it and loves it.

However much extra the Patriot costs initially, you’ll soon recoup it by never having to fix it, replace bearings etc etc. Frames don’t come any simpler, more reliable or cheaper to run. Fantastic to ride, too.

Aren’t Patriots pretty long on the chainstays/wheelbase etc though? But they do look very nice 🙂

fwiw the Voltage has really short chainstays which translates into fun as **** to ride! When I first got on it I was surprised to discover it’s easier to manual/get the front up than my old Blender.

edit – the entourage is a deal though!

entourage at that price!

These have a long TT, although not available frame only…
http://www.yt-industries.com/shop/en/Bikes//Noton-2.0-Comp

The higher spec version is much better value actually.

WL do you own a new type patriot? I must admit it would be my first choice due to simplicity and durability – I’m not keen on a VPP type bike as I can’t be doing with all those bearings…

To be clear I am after a long-ish wheelbase, but without very long chainstays.

Intense Uzzi – Full bike for the price of the frame

Still loving my 2012 Patriot.
Brilliant with a ‘zocchi 66RC3ti fork on it.
As I’m 6’2″ and also ride a 20″ Five, the Patriot does feel very short but that’s not been a problem. I can still pedal it up reasonably comfortably with a 420mm post at full height and a double & bash setup.

Commencal FR?

Transiiton TR250?
or a Specialized status?

I have a Scott voltage fr20 in bright green for sale mate..full bike £900

Not sure about the Commencal – not heard great things about the customer service. I think the Scott Voltage comes up too short. Transition TR250 is a good call – expensive but the Large looks like an ace bike and great reviews… hmm. Specialized Status a posibility too but not available as a frame only unless someone can tell me different?

The Entourage looks like a lot of bike for the money! No larges left though…

I think its the Partiot or the TR250 leading the way at the moment.

Bike active have Patriot frames cheeep.
I love mine <3

Nothing that comes from andorra.

SX trail personally

Wow Godzilla I think you may have just swung it for the Orange! Custom colours too!

dd – I’ve actually got a medium 2008 Patriot with Maxle rear. I’ve owned a Patriot since 2001 – on my third one now. Can’t comment from personal experience on the current ones, but I’m very confident it’ll just be a refined/improved version of my own. I’ve done pretty much everything on mine – BC, Alps, Lakes and long local xc rides in the Pennines. I use it through winter too. In 12 years of ownership I think I’ve replaced the pivot bearing once and it cost around a fiver. Great bike to ride – predictable, communicative, solid, all the right angles, never any issues. I know folk with the current Patriots and they love theirs too. Mine weighs in at 34lb with 55s up front, double ring set-up and sensible tyres. So happy with the single-pivot simplicity and performance that I’ve just bought a 26″ Five for epic xc duties.

EDIT – that BA deal mentioned above is a steal.

My finger is on the trigger… 🙂

That 180mm rear 170mm front enduro evo with the ohlins shock?

If you want to save quite a few pennies we can come to a very agreeable deal on my medium Intense Slopestyle 1 (Link to photo)

Sorry medium frames are too small and VPP bikes have too many bearings.. 🙂

Doesn’t the slopestyle have the same number of bearings as the spesh status?

Oohh that 180mm travel enduro EVO looks AMAZING. Nuts.. indecision rules.

Doesn’t the enduro have more bearings than a VPP?

No worries, enjoy whatever you decide on. 😀

Wrecker – not sure, not sure if as many are load bearing in a four bar vs a VPP

SX trail – as above

I suppose what I’m trying to get at is don’t discount a very good frame at a very good price because you’ve heard that they eat bearings; they don’t.
The Uzzi looks near perfect for what you’re describing IMHO. Certainly more so than the enduro, which is a burly AM bike.
I’d add to the mix; knolly delirium if you can get one. Lots of bearings, but very very high quality bearings.

Seems like they don’t make the knolly delirium any more, but it would have been good in the XL size. The new burly trail bike the chicolitin looks good too but only 160mm travel. Sadly I think the Patriot is too short, so it looks like I’ll have to wait a while yet and see what comes up. Ho hum, orange please could you make a 180mm travel frame like the Alpine 160?

So finally decision made – I got one the last 2013 Orange Patriots in the clearance sale, bargain! I thought long and hard and decided I may as well get something pretty different from my Enduro bike which is a long fast four bar thing. This bike should be an out and out fun hooligan bike so a really long top tube not such a big requirement as I an not going to be trying to go as fast as possible, just trying to jump off everything I can find 🙂

Got some Marzocchi 66 RC3 Ti’s to go on the front, should be fun!