I’ve got an old 26″ MTB with some nice components, XT 1×11 + brakes and racface atlas finishing kit with hopetech enduro wheelset on hope pro2. Plus a straight steerer reba 120mm

The frame is too small for me and I’ve never really got on with it so it’s not seen much use. More recently I’ve been doing lots of gravel/adventure style riding with easy single track.

I’d like to concoct something that would be fun to ride on these routes over winter, maybe with a rigid fork but that could ride some trail with a front suspension fork too.

All for as little money as possible, so using/selling/swapping as many original parts as possible…

Is it an XC bike I’m looking for? If I get an XC 27.5 frame I could probably use the 26″ wheels or should I sell them and spend the extra on the new formats?

Any suggestions welcome as I keep going round in circles at this point.

Pinnacle iroko or vitus sentier frame. I’d buy 27.5 wheels and you’ll have a ripper 🙂

See also dartmoor frames

I would head onto eBay/pink bike/Facebook and look for a frame.

Such as

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/list/?location=193-*-*&category=76&wheelsize=8

Just buy a VGC (used) 26er frame/bike of a useful size and geo for your purposes? I had a Giant XTC with Rebas, found I couldn’t get along with it at all so sold it and then replaced it with an Orange P7 of the same vintage, w/130mm forks. Cost me half of what I got for the XTC. Couldn’t be happier. Prior to that I bought a retro M-Trax and specced the whole thing with period-correct XT inc thumbshifters, to ride the same terrain as you mention. Couldn’t deal with muddy rim-brake paste any more so sold it and then bought an ex-demo Genesis Vagabond, which was just about perfect for dicking about on gravel and easy singletrack IME.

What frame do you have in mind? Fun in winter? I run my P7 singlespeed with a full rear guard.

Why not keep all the bits and get an old on-one 456 frame.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F333238004279

Try this

I bought a litespeed toccoa 3 years ago to upgrade my old 26er, then found a brand new trek 9.9 SSL frameset for £600 (£2500 retail in 2013) it’s a complete ripper, I’d suggest looking for a frame for the components, there’s some real bargains to be found out there if you have the time to look, the “cycling bargains” app might help as it searches loads of shops, hope you find something as good as my trek, it only weighs 9.2kg! I could make it lighter 🙂

OK, so if just a frame swap then what sort of frame should I be looking for??
The XT components are all m8000 throughout so the ‘bits’ are no bad, just the 26″ wheel format, they are good wheels otherwise (if not a bit weighty). The frame I’m coming from is a medium cotic soul mk 1 but I think I really need a large or m/l (I’m 5’11), especially if sticking with the 26″ wheels. Wouldn’t mind saving some weight by switching from steel, feels heavy compared to the gravel bike.

I confess, I get a bit confused with the finer points of MTB frames and geos… If going for an older 26″ frame that would be more akin to a XC bike of today, right? Or maybe I should be looking for a ‘hardcore hardtail’ with a modern geo? Could that be grim on the tarmac tho (most routes eat some road miles)?

Also, rigid fork options; good carbon ones seem to be 29ers but would that work if given the right suspension offset?

Echo comments re: getting s/h 26″ frames. I’m running M8000/7000 drivetrain/brakes on bomber old wheels, all currently attached to a Kona Lava Dome 2006 frame (£60). Quite like it, but after seven months it’s stripdown and service time, so while I’m at it I’m going to swap everything over (remember when you could do that?) to a 2012 Rockhopper frame I got for £35 – a pound lighter, steeper seat tube. The Kona’s a keeper, I’m just interested to see whether I want to hang on to the Spesh frame.

I think carbon cycles will do you any length of carbon fork you like.

https://www.carboncycles.cc/?p=197

But no use if your a biffer like me due to weight limit

I’ve a medium 45650b inc headset going spare – 75 posted