Looking to buy a 6in travel frame to build a lightweight/long travel trail bike.

Ideally looking for
150mm+ travel (adjustable travel would also be a bonus)
Long top tube (24" or more on a Large size)
Will be using with either Fox 32 150mm or Fox 36.

What's out there?

Can any of you recommend (or steer me away from) anything they've got or had.

Would be interested if you've got "real" frame weights (last frame I bought was nearly a pound heavier than the manufacturers quoted weight).

Ibis Mojo HD?

MSC probably do something…

got a XL yeti 575 with talas 36s and sensible kit and that weighs in at 31 pounds. can't mind frame weight by itself but they usually put down med size frame weight so if your getting a large or XL frame then you know its gonna be a bit heavier. think the top tube on a large is just over 24in.

i've been riding it for nearly 5 years now all round highlands and it copes well with everything round here.

I too got an XL 575 with full XT groupset and TALAS 150mm forks, the whole bike weighs in at 28.4 lbs. Suppose it depends on how much cash you want to part with. Trying to find a big comfortable bike was not easy. The "large" (20) orange 5 felt tiny.

Two bikes that spring to mind in the lightweight/long travel category are the LaPierre Spicy and the Scott Ransom

I've got a Scott Genius 20 which would fit your criteria. Don't know the exact weight but by the pick it up in one hand with another bike in the other one it is silly light.

Yeti 575 frames can be had for around £1K at the moment

Santa Cruz Nomad II would fit the bill perfectly. 23.8" top tube on the large or 24.8" on the extra large.

Depends what you mean by light weight. Whatever anyone says you cannot get a 6" travel full sus built to a "sensible" spec under about 32 lbs unless you spend stupid amounts of money on stuff like full XTR, Crank Bros wheels etc. "Sensible" means kit appropriate to a 6" bike, like coil shock, decent sized rims and tyres et. See numerous past posts on the subject.

Kramer, I used to have a Genius 20. They are great bikes, but designed around a 130mm fork and has pretty twitchy XC dimensions

Titus El Guapo. I've got no idea what they ride like but anything named after a character from The Three Amigos is OK with me.

Carbon Blur LT? Nice and light, probably fairly long too, but a huge pile of money.

El Guapo means "the handsome" in Spanish. I need to watch Three Amigos again though, remember it being very funny.

There's a good review of that bike on NSMB I think, or maybe Pinkbike. Very thorough.

Orange Alpine looks like it's got a longish TT. Dunno if it's particularly light though.

Fair comment from gingerflash as the BLT is 5.5" travel. The ordinary version is what I ride and is pretty much perfect for everything. I have a Pike 140mm on it, but it is designed to be able to take a 160mm. Reckon mine is about 30lbs

Trek Remedy 9?

large 575 is 24.9 inch top tube

mine has Revelations,XT, Air Shock (obviously), 819's and Ignitor 2.35 LUST's. I reckon 28 – 29 lbs

What's not sensible about that?

Not sure of TT lengths but I'd look at an Orange 5, Trek Remedy, LaPierre Spicy. Also a Cannondale Prophet if second-hand.

I've got a Remedy and its great. Not sure on frame weight but judging by looking inside the BB and the ping of the tubes I would not want to go any lighter.

Another shout here for the Scott Genius. Lightest in class, 150mm adjustable rear travel with Fox TALAS up front (110-130-150mm). IMO a simply superb bike, look no further.

Hemlock with long travel plates matches your description!

Intense tracer, the best I've ever ridden. Runs best with a 36 160mm travel fork, mine is just under 28lbs with a sensible build although its a small so a large maybe slightly heavier. Stunning build quality

CaptainMainwaring – maybe it's what I'm used to, but I find mine quite laid back with the Talas fork at 150mm and full travel at the back.

I reckon 28 – 29 lbs

Bet you 50p it's not…

Enduro SL?

I've got an Enduro SL Pro – SRAM XO, XT HT2 cranks, Roval Traversee wheels, Magura Marta disks, Thomson post & stem etc, and have replaced the Specialized suspension with 09 RS Lyriks, and an 09 RP23 shock.

It's a superbly capable bike regardless of what the badge snobs say! Approx 28.5lbs and will happily hammer downhill and really not too shabby on the ups due to the light wheels so fine for all day rides. For Aston Hill etc it's just a matter of putting some hefty DH tyres on, putting the frame in the low BB / slack HA setting and away you go.

Justablur

MSC do the Zion, its a 5" or 6" trail bike, in ali or carbon, 4 bar link design, email me at steveparr66@yahoo.co.uk for the 2010 piccies.
Top tube lengths go from 560mm,585mm to 610mm
Hope this helps
Steve

I've just built an Intense Slopestyle to 32lbs. I'd intended just using it for "larking around and all that", but have been so impressed as to how well it rides on 20 mile rides that it's getting used more than the 5-Spot at the moment. OK so it doesn't climb as well, but when you get anything pointing downhill or with some airtime involved, it's a riot.

howz about a nice pitch pro? 8)

Does anyone have experience/opinion of the Intense Tracer VP or the Nicolai Helious AM ?

nickc – yer on!

me on scales – 15' 7. Me and bike on scales 17' 7. Scientific huh?

not that I care particularly………………………

was bored at work and weight weenied all the bits and was under 28 lbs incuding cables, sealant etc

I'll take PayPal……………

160mm frame shouldnt be MUCH heavier than a 120mm frame.

its the beefierparts that add most of the weight surely?

If it were my money I'd go for the Titus El Guapo, the link to the NSMB is here. But I like Horst Link bikes and I know they're not for everyone.

That said a mate has a top of the range Remedy (full XTR etc) and it is ludicrously light. My Five in XC mode weighs about 29.5lbs and his Remedy is easily a pound lighter. It's survived a lot of Uplift days at Cwmcarn unscathed and the ABP design certainly seems to work nicely.

Got this in the classifieds at the moment, well the frame and fork to be correct. Frame was purchased in Aug 08, 20 hrs riding, immaculate. Fork 2009 FCR, again immaculate:

Sorry for the thread hijack!! 😉

email: andrew and rayna @ btinternet. com

if interested.