[Closed] On One Carbon 456

goes nicely with 140mm fork, have they got some new colours out?

Here is mine - no bling on it i'm afraid - although now has 150mm revs and Hope wheels

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I had one as my only bike for a while with U-Turn Revs that suited it well. 140mm was a bit wandery on climbs so I'd adjust it up and down as necessary. Really stable and comfortable, I got mine to about 10kg with Stans/Hope wheels, Hope X2 brakes and 1x9 X0 and E13 drivetrain despite a Reverb.

A couple of blurry pics:

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banana - yes they have some form of new neon type colours, look quite nice, and not cheap i think!

mine would have everything swapped over from current bike, apart from id probs get a new reverb for it!

is there cabling for dropper post? ill be running it 1x10 anyways so dont need the front mech cable guides?

i genuinely dont think the frame itself is ugly, they just tend to be built up by 'cheaper' parts as most people run them as second bikes built up out of spares, i think it would look quite nice with decent kit on it..

My dropper cable runs in place of the front mech cable

what sort of weight do they come out at with say an xt build, reverb, flow wheels, carbon bars etc 1x10?

If I wanted a hardtail as a do-it-all bike (which I don't), the C456 would be at the top of my list.

This thread is making me feel nostalgic for my stolen one.

🙁

what sort of weight do they come out at with say an xt build, reverb, flow wheels, carbon bars etc 1x10?

I had that sort of build with a Rev Team, 25lb to 26lb depending on exact components. Bike shop scales.

I'd pretty much happily sell all my other bikes and keep the 456. Some people say the frame is too harsh/stiff, which may be true.

Iwent for raw as didn't want to be too precious with it. Was tempted by the plain bright yellow a few months ago.

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I can't quite get past that downtube. Though the new orange colour somehow manages to mask the horror of it to some extent.

Weight wise, the frame is 1.5kg, or 3lb!!! Thats only 200g heavier than an XC race machine like a whippet.

Factor in an extra 500g for big forks, +300g for a reverb, 400g for bigger tyres, 500g for stronger wheels, you have a Go-Anywhere LTHT for 2kg heavier than a XC race machine.

I also have the Raw Black special edition, and love the stealth look!!

I've found the carbon456 to be quite comfortable, although its mainly my 2nd bike. The ASR5c is for the bigger day rides. I don't know how much if any difference the carbon post makes to the comfort either. Weightwise i haven't got a clue, but its sensible

[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7164327752_de784bfdc5_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7164327752_de784bfdc5_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/66452821@N00/7164327752/ ]Carbon 456 down by the Tyne[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/66452821@N00/ ]ritcheyp20[/url], on Flickr

Mine weighs in at 12.2kg, takes climbs well, could be better if I dropped the travel to 130/140mm. Also the fact I use a 50mm x 25 degree stem.

Downhill is superb when running 150mm, secure and planted steering.

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*flat tyre fixed now, cracked elbow stopped me from changing it.

btw if you do buy one, don't be tempted to add the cheap On One smoothie headset, they don't last 5 mins. I've now got the On One/works component slackset on mine which hopefully will last a lot longer.
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Aye, I'd second that, the Smoothie is absolutely ****. Mine was free with the frame and still not worth it.

I'm going to damn it with faint praise. It's a capable, competent bike. It does nothing terribly wrong but it doesn't really stand out either... The handling is a bit odd, it somehow feels longer than it is when on the flats or descending, but shorter when it's climbing. Not up to, say, Soul standards IMO. So I decided to play to its strengths and slacked it out with a Works headset- now it's better descending, about the same climbing, but not up to Ragley standards. Never bad but never outstanding.

Oh and the finish is incredibly awful- just starting a warranty claim with On One over that, which they've kicked off by saying "Paint isn't warrantied", though I don't see anything in the warranty about that, but I've parried by "It's not painted". Topcoat has fallen off in massive chunks. I guess that's how you know it's a real On One.

But I can't be too critical- it cost me £300 and it's better than most £300 frames. Much better than a standard 456. I've just got higher standards.

Here you go:

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If it broke* tomorrow, I'd buy another. Fantastic value.

* I really, really don't expect to break it.

I have 1 x 10 mixture of XT and X9 with Fox float 140mm hope/mavic wheels and it's just over 24lb's

Frame was £250 so I don't feel overly precious about cosmetics athough I have put some heafty helecopter tape on the downtube and chain/seatstays where rocks tend to hit and heel rub.

Got this to replace a Cove Stiffee so I don't feel that it's harsh at all, climbs and descends really well, a little wondery on steep slow stuff going up but no surprise reatt with 140mm forks and a slack head angle. The cove was the same.

Why not frameswap and ride a c456 over winter and keep your Five frame to oneside. You wont lose anything on the Five frame.

Mr Phil - Is that my old one you've built up? Looking really good. I don't half miss it now 🙂

I run 1x9 + device ,Hope/DT wheels ,Hope M4/X2 tech brakes, 150 travel ,50mm stem

Id agree with most climbs better than I expected and surprisingly comfortable too.

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Mine started out like this and was pretty light;

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did emburlen it a bit later on;

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tbh, I never quite felt the love for it and got a steel Curtis after about 6 months.

Personally I think the Soul is magic on 140mm forks! 😀 I did almost buy a Carbon 456 instead but I'm very glad I went with the skinny orange steel pretty thing. Coming round to two years as my sole MTB and looking forward to many more!

[i]Coming round to two years as my sole MTB[/i]

this is just plain wrong 😉

In one word - "YES"
It is an excellent bike.
I have one with full XT, Mavic Wheels, Fox 140mm Floats and a reverb.
There is a spare cable guide on the left hand side that the reverb can use. Mine is a non decalled black satin finish with no paint to fall off of. Used primarily as my night bike, but keeps us with the full sus lot I go out with.

With XT, Mavics, Fox and a reverb, haven stem/bar combo its very light and goes up as well as down really well.

I use one as an xc bike with 100mm forks and it seems at least as comfortable as my 853 frame. When I first rode it I kept checking the rear tyre thinking I had a slow puncture.

MrPhil, do you work a lot with rocks? If you do I know you. The Dungeon is good fun if too brief.

If it's a going to be used as a true all round machine, ie taken to a proper DH track as well as XC tracks then I would recommend a 456.

The slack head angle and its stable manners make it very good descender. But the low front end and long front centre enables to you get back up the hill without too much trouble either.

If it going to be mainly used for XC and trail centre stuff then I'd probably say there are better frames about.

The C456 is good at everything but is not amazing at anything. Something like a Soul would prob be better trough some single track but then a Soul wouldn't be as light and let you descend a well as the C456.

I love my C456 but it does get used for a bit of everything and I don't think many other frames can match that ability. Other frames may beat it in their own niche's but not across the whole range of riding.

Some people say the frame is too harsh/stiff, which may be true.

tbh, I never quite felt the love for it and got a steel Curtis after about 6 months.

Why do some say its stiff and some don't? Is it harsh??!

I never found the c456 a harsh ride, certainly more forgiving than the steel 456 it replaced. (I transferred bits across). It just seemed to lack 'something' for me.

Reckon things like harshness is very subjective and probably based on what you've ridden previously. Some people might see it as being harsh, others stiff and direct, others as lively. Currently bike of choice is an mmmbop that often gets called harsh, but I find it very responsive and lively and find more compliant frames a bit dull.

certainly more forgiving than the steel 456 it replaced.

I found the 456's rear end to be very dull and heavy. I find the Sanderson Life's rear to be amazing.

Somewhere inbetween wouldn't be too bad.

heres mine

it is my only mtb so by default a do it all

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Marin - Member

MrPhil, do you work a lot with rocks? If you do I know you. The Dungeon is good fun if too brief.

No mate, I take it your from the wirral?

So folks- is the rear harsh, too harsh or have a little give (i.e. more than alu frame)???

MRPHIL......I bet there weren't too many folk around in the dark telling you you should be on the bridleway when you took that photo!!? I often go for cheeky rides round the Dungeons in the dark then up to Thurstaston Hill, so much nicer when its quieter!

I found the 456's rear end to be very dull and heavy. I find the Sanderson Life's rear to be amazing.

Rear triangles are triangular, which historically has been quite a rigid structure.

Any sense of "feel" from a chassis flexing vertically is from splay caused by the wheels spreading further apart under load, and not from the rear triangle.

may'be but some frames are much harsher to ride than others.

I owned an Armadillo and that was a total back breaker. It got so bad, I had to sell it and no bike before or after has knackered my back in the same way (and that's with identical components as I swapped frames)

So folks- is the rear harsh, too harsh or have a little give (i.e. more than alu frame)???

Which alu frame exactly?

Someone please give Hora a go on one so he stops asking the same question over and over?

😉

may'be but some frames are much harsher to ride than others.

I owned an Armadillo and that was a total back breaker. It got so bad, I had to sell it and no bike before or after has knackered my back in the same way (and that's with identical components as I swapped frames)

Massively stiff top tube and downtube. Nothing to do with the rear triangle.
I really liked mine. And it fitted (with a slight tyre knob trim) a 26 x 3.0in Gazzaloddi 26in in the back!

Hora a go on one so he stops asking the same question over and over?

I was about to buy one but then they went out of stock and the yellow 400quid one is erm 'is it too much with that paint'? 😐

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New Orange with contour graphics.

[i]I was about to buy one[/i]

you nearly bought mine ages ago.

New Orange with contour graphics.

Like the graphics but for me (ok its subjective) I'd have a burnt orange or gold one. It'd suit the shape better....

Why don't Gold-coloured frames make a come back?? This hue would be awesome..

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hora - Member

So folks- is the rear harsh, too harsh or have a little give (i.e. more than alu frame)???

Can't remember what you've had to compare... It feels more like a Soul than a Chameleon, if that makes any sense. Not too soft, not too hard. Not as springy. Carrying on the On One tradition of making non-steel frames that ride more like people expect steel frames to ride than the steel frames do.

Don't worry about where the compliance comes from, it doesn't matter in the slightest unless you're designing a frame 😉

Oh- and if you come across the mad Bikeradar review, ignore it. "Simultaneously both so stiff that you can't ride over a pebble without stopping for a rest, and so noodly that when you pedal it doesn't move 1!!oNE!"

The yellow one is lovely in the flesh, absolutely lovely. Makes an asset of those huge tubes. Not for the shy, though. You don't seem shy.

heres mine

it is my only mtb so by default a do it all

Was going well up Rivi on Saturday Mat! (Fat bloke eating bacon sarnie just out of shot)

SiB

MRPHIL......I bet there weren't too many folk around in the dark telling you you should be on the bridleway when you took that photo!!? I often go for cheeky rides round the Dungeons in the dark then up to Thurstaston Hill, so much nicer when its quieter!

lol, only saw 2 other cyclists that night. Both had no lights on, and ironically it was between Caldy and Thurstaston. They were on the walk/cycle path and I was on the Bridle way lol.

I like the ride from West Kirby to Neston, a nice 7.2 mile, much better in the dark.

Off out tonight on the 456c with a cycle club called Palefish, meeting in Greasby @ 7.30pm

Jeesus after my SX if I did ride a c456 I'd be a missile up a hill, especially if they opened a pie shop at the top or bottom.

New Orange with contour graphics.

Weren't you tempted to do a red-and-white "Starsky and Hutch" one?

I now have only one MTB and it's a c456.

Best fun I've had on a bike and I've owned a fair few - mainly full sussers too.

Heavy build but where I life the downhills are pretty scary.

Love it. It's a keeper.

Wotan 120-160s, SLX, big brakes, big sticky tyres.

Was going well up Rivi on Saturday Mat! (Fat bloke eating bacon sarnie just out of shot)

jeez... you never said you had bacon sarnies Tony! 😀

It's Glenn - tony wont be happy 🙂

I bought one of the yellow ones thinking it was end of line and didn't realise it was a new colour. Been in the garage for a week waiting to be built up and hopefully getting round to it this weekend.

It's Glenn - tony wont be happy

doh!

Here's a pic of mine. Other than an old skool Orange Clockwork that my daughter uses it's the only MTB currently in my garage. It's one of the best bang for your buck bikes I've ever owned

I love it. I stopped riding my 5 Spot when I got this

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Rear triangles are triangular, which historically has been quite a rigid structure.
Any sense of "feel" from a chassis flexing vertically is from splay caused by the wheels spreading further apart under load, and not from the rear triangle.

I've seen you write this before Brant but I'm not 100% convinced. You may not have noticed but the front half of a hardtail frame is also a triangle! 😉

Not having designed a bike frame nor chopped any up, I don't know the actual wall thicknesses typically found. But it wouldn't be a massive leap of engineering logic to assume that the total cross-sectional-area of the tubes in the rear triangle is similar to that of the top plus the down tube, but spilt between four skinny tubes rather than two fat tubes, as the frame needs to withstand similar loading before fatigue failure front and rear.

Having done the sums on a post-it note, if the front tubes have the same wall thickness but twice the diameter of the rear tubes their CSA will be equal (approximating for a thin wall tube) but their second moment of area will be four times as great. I'm sure the front triangle contributes to frame compliance feel but I don't see it dominating the back end flex, based on these engineering fundamentals.

Brant - do you have any pics of the orange 456 built up? Would quite like to see it as a complete bike, it looks a bit neon Orange ish ala Orange five colour?

I'm seriously tempted to do it, can I run my 1 1/8 th forks on it? Think I'd need a new hope headset?

Are you doing any discount for that colour at all? Like the others that seem to be 299?

Cheers

Those countour graphics do look quite nice. Already discounted to 399.

I've seen you write this before Brant but I'm not 100% convinced. You may not have noticed but the front half of a hardtail frame is also a triangle!

In which case this:

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Is also a triangle with 4 sides.

Northwind
Aye, I'd second that, the Smoothie is absolutely ****. Mine was free with the frame and still not worth it.

It's been fine on mine and to me it's just the same as any other cartridge bearing headset I've used. Not saying they're not crap for a lot of people, but not sure what the problem is. That's with a straight steerer however. Maybe I'll find out when it goes wrong though.

Anyway, onto the bike... 26lbs mine comes out at at the moment, with 130mm Recon forks, carbon bars, 1x10 with old Firex cranks converted to single ring, X0 brakes, X9 gearing. Basic Alex Rim wheels off my old GT and single ply Minion / HR tyre combo with tubes. Vault pedals. Alloy seatpost.

Migrating X0 cranks onto it however once I've converted them to 1x10 and may have a go at a tubeless conversion with the intention of keeping the single ply tyres same as I've done on my big rig. Theory goes a bit of a weight saving.

Ride... rides like a hard tail to me. I've not ridden many and can't comment on the flex other than it rides over all the same terrain as the big bouncy bike with no problem other than having to adjust for it being a hard tail and a little less comfort over the rough stuff.

Chuckable I'd say. More so than my Nomad. Climbs great. Any slacker an angle might be a problem however.

Raw finish which is odd but I like it and doesn't have paint chipping issues I've seen some have. Nice stealth black.

p.s. alloy seatpost + carbon frame = potential jam. Though that's not a criticism of the C456, just what you get with carbon frames. I use the carbon paste stuff and had no problem until I'd left the bike for a few weeks and found the post was bonding to the frame. Now I take the post out after every ride and put more paste on for next ride.

Oh, and top tube is longer on my small C456 than my medium Nomad. Hence why I got the small. Not sure that means it's a long frame or the Nomad is short. Leg reach is equal on both for me.

Northwind - touche 😉

How will it climb compared to a five, techy steep rocky etc? Running it with 140mm up front? I love climbing and as my five is 3 years old I'm totally use to it, should it be just as easy given the weight saving?

I've seen you write this before Brant but I'm not 100% convinced. You may not have noticed but the front half of a hardtail frame is also a triangle!

Indeed. Apparently it might look like that. But if you consider the way loads are applied to the main triangle of a bike, they are somewhat different to the way loads are applied to a rear triangle. And the way those loads are applied make it not a triangle in terms of analysis or practical purpose.

Consider the loading from the front fork of the bicycle. What's it trying to do to the main "triangle"?
Quite different to the way the rear wheel is loading the rear triangle.

Clearly the typical loads from the front wheel represent rotational leverage pivoting around a lateral widthways axis through the centre of the headset - that's the same whatever the bike. But we're talking about the loading via the rear wheel - you are claiming that the front triangle dominates the compliance because the rear triangle is a triangle. However, when you consider the forces applied to the front triangle via the rear triangle from the rear wheel, the front triangle is also a triangle!

Clearly the typical loads from the front wheel represent rotational leverage pivoting around a lateral widthways axis through the centre of the headset - that's the same whatever the bike. But we're talking about the loading via the rear wheel - you are claiming that the front triangle dominates the compliance because the rear triangle is a triangle. However, when you consider the forces applied to the front triangle via the rear triangle from the rear wheel, the front triangle is also a triangle!

Only if the front wheel axle is mounted at the headtube ...

Oh come on, do try to think! What are the force vectors on the contact patch when braking and what torque do they generate? Ditto when hitting bumps or landing jumps/drops? How do those forces apply to the moving masses of bike and rider? What are the resultant reaction forces? And when the action and reaction vectors act about different points, what torques are generated?

Isn't the front more of a Quadrilateral and the rear actually a pyramid?

Sooo how come Bikeradar gave it 2 stars out of 5 and said that it was so harsh even for a hardtail it barely sticks to the trail.

Because they're eejits. They've actually reviewed it twice, and the "first look" review was totally different.

And because their reviews are based on advertising revenue. After all they are a business, save the good reviews for those that spend lots on buying advertising space.

any one give me any feedback about the climbing skills of this? i only use a five, so im guessing it would be worst case scenario no worse than a five for climbing?

guessing descending may be slightly less uncomfortable or slower but i quite like the idea of testing myself a bit more....

i do like that orange though, but sounds like the pain may be an issue? is it powdercoated or just stand paint job?

I was about to buy one but then they went out of stock and the yellow 400quid one is erm 'is it too much with that paint'?

I was only half-teasing you Hora, but seriously - can't someone let him try one. Seems every other bugger on here owns one.

any one give me any feedback about the climbing skills of this?

cheers chakaping - what about the paint job? heard/read a few stories about it flaking off etc, i know its a cheapish frame but i dont want it to look crap after 3 months use

Oscilate Wildly

Lots of questions about every aspect of the frame and ride which suggests to me that you are nervous about your potential purchase.

You are currently on an Orange 5 that has 140mm of travel and a certain geometry and you ride the Peaks.

A 456c will be about as different as a bike can be (except a stiff ali ht).

Straight of you will notice the lighter weight but you may have to go to stronger tyres so that may take some of the zip out of the ride. You will then find yourself bobbing up and down, kinda bouncing on the saddle as you over pedal, be prepared to buy a replacement saddle to as you may well do the rails on yours as you adjust, staying seated through a fast hard compression puts alot of pressure on said saddle. Climbing it will feel good as geometry change is much less than on a saggy bottomed FS but traction over rocky ground won't be as forgiving. Descending on smooth trails will be ok but introduce rough ground and back wheel stoppies will kill your speed. General pedalling on rough ground will be much harder and fatiguing.

All sounds terrible right.... so why do i love riding a HT.... who blooming knows but i do and you do learn/adapt and then you will love it.... jump back on a FS and everything feels easy and fast, best have 2 bikes I reckon.

As for the paint etc... all my bikes get marked so I tend not to worry.

If worried buy second hand and try... if no good sell and the whole experiment has cost nothing or very little... how tall are you, do you know what size frame you want.

cheers mbnut!

really interesting read in great input! its certainly made me question it a bit, i dont think id be half as bothered, its just all my riding is done in the dark/white peak, so im in the perfect place for a f/s, if i was down south or something i dont think id even question swapping it...

the fives regardless of whats said on here are fantastic bikes, problem is, i cant afford a new frame as much as id love one even with discount....really unsure what to do, as hora mentioned above, may just buy a c456 and then save my five just incase i dont like it, that way i havent lost anything and im sure i could sell the c456 for not much loss

Hopk1ns - Member

And because their reviews are based on advertising revenue. After all they are a business, save the good reviews for those that spend lots on buying advertising space.

That must be why they test massive amounts of On One/Planet X bikes and most of them get higher than average marks eh. Doh!

I've had a c456 for a year or so (nearer 2 maybe?). To be honest I haven't ridden much offroad this year so I've not fully explored it's potential. Certainly, as for all hardtails in comparison to full sussers, it rewards practice and confidence.

Riding it after having no MTB practice for a few months in the Peak district was a pretty harsh lesson, and the guys I was with (who I was quicker than in the previous year) were whupping me on their FSers.

After the 1st day the margin decreased, but I think (if pace on technical terrain is important) you really need to be riding a HT a lot to reap the benefits.

Whips up the road though 😉

Certain reviewers/test riders at wmtb/mbuk/bikeradar are too pally with a certain importer in North Yorks, for my liking. A certain importer who relies on selling this mystical carbon black magic for upto £2600 a frame.
I have wondered if it's been a step too far by On One, selling Carbon frames at £249, and putting a lot of industry noses out of joint, devaluing the potential cash cow or something.

Northwind - As with most things in life it all comes down to money, while the guys that write the magazine are passionate about bikes. Its the guys in suits that really have the influence.

Those mags are no longer about passionate people making a magazine its baout a large corporation of magazine titles making a profit. Nice big double page advert, lets have a slightly better review for them. Not overating but you know, lets just like it a little more.

Sorry way off topic OP

I have a 456 as a 2nd bike (other is full sus 150mm). Pretty much agree with MBnut above.

If I was to only have a hardtail then the c456 would probably feature high on the list.