Have been wanting to upgrade my Arkose for a Tripster for a while now but haven’t even seen a sniff of a frame on the classifieds or peebay so I’m thinking of casting the net a bit further… but what should I try to snag?

So far…

Tripster

Stigmata

Trek Crockett

Specialised Sequoia

Mason bokeh

Any other ideas?

Van Nicholas Amazon. Precedes the Tripster by several years.

Tripster AT

Lapierre Crosshill

Scott Addict gravel

Is it more gravel than cross? touring? main use?

How tall are you/What size you looking for?

Budget?

I’m interested to see where this goes. I’m really enjoying my Arkose and have ridden it more than both of my other bikes since getting it but I have considered that I might “upgrade” the frame at some point. Sonder Camino ti and Kinesis Tripster AT would both be on my list.

I’m sure I read a comment on here the other day that Jameso posted about weighing an Arkose frameset alongside an aluminium Tripster and a Mason Bokeh and it was a lot lighter than the Tripster and a tad lighter than the Mason.

Lighter, really? The forks are pretty heavy and the frame is no skinny super model AFAIK

I thought all that oversized tubing on the AT made I lighter? Be interested to see that thread if anyone can dig it out.

I’m definitely doing more gravel miles than anything else right now but will do some bike packing with it also.

Budget is probably £500 tops. FYI I meant he tripster AT, I realise a Ti frame isn’t really possible on this budget.

+ I’m 5’11 which lands me right in-between M & L usually, which is a plus with the Tripster as they do a M/L at 55.5cm or something

Found it

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/new-bike-time-genesis-specialized-or-pinnacle/#post-9975260

I’m also interested in the “Arkose vs Tripster AT”  frame dilemma, although I wonder how is the Tripster an upgrade except for the rear thru axle (and price) – it is (marginally) heavier, fork is not internally routed and has only one set of eyelets on the seatstay. Clearance seems to be the same on the recent Arkoses and the Tripster.

Maybe I just need to update my arkose frame 😉

On-One Bish Bash Bosh. Stupid name, decent bike.

I know On-One get a bit of a bad rap on here but I’m getting on great with mine. Most-ridden bike since I got it last year. £600 for carbon frame and forks, thru-axles, huuuuge clearances, nice colour.

If you aren’t bothered by the newer tyre clearance of ~45mm tyres on adventure bikes, the PX Full Monty isn’t a bad deal for ~£200 for frame and forks.

I thought all that oversized tubing on the AT made I lighter? Be interested to see that thread if anyone can dig it out.

Guy in the office bought one. Small size, 1950g. That’s more than 300g over the Arkose in a M. Heavier spec tubing, chunky stays etc, it all adds up and affects ride feel. It’d be a tough frame if you really need that toughness (though other frames in this market/area at 1500-1700g or so don’t have a rep for failure, for perspective).

Bias disclaimer from me etc, all I’m  saying is don’t assume a frameset is an upgrade just because of the RRP. If you prefer the colour or fit though, that’s fair enough.

That’s more than 300g over the Arkose…

Sorry to be pedantic here, but the devil is in the details. Was the Tripster AT 1950g with axles, seat clamp, accesories, headset? You mentioned several times a weight range for the Arkoses around ~1650g (“from memory”), but again, was this with seat clamp, headset? Evans quote “2.68kg for a size medium and just under 3kg for a size large” for a 4 2017 frameset (ie. “450g [fork]”), and the math just doesn’t seem to add up.

A more precise weight comparison could well put the two frames within less than 150g of each other, making this a moot point.

I’m not trying to start an argument; I completely agree that riders’ needs (and preferences) vary and may trump objective features like price and weight.

This being said, the perfect Arkose for me would have a rear TA option and interchangeable cable guide plates (for 1x, mechanical and di2 options). And still in black. Yeah, I’d pay more for that.

I’d be interested to know the exact weights, I have no hands on experience of the Tripster AT but it does have favourable reviews so must be doing something right?

The main reason for a new frame is that I have the SS version of the Arkose with the EBB and although it started life as SS I’m not going back there for this kind of bike, it also has QR forks.

The Arkose is a nice frame but I thought the Tripster AT would handle better on lots of fast landrover track, which is mostly what I’m riding. If they are at a similar level and it’s only the cost of marketing on  the big brands that pushes their frame prices there probably isn’t much point in an upgrade. Where’s the fun in that tho?

Shand stooshie?

 it does have favourable reviews so must be doing something right?

Sure, weight isn’t the biggest concern imo. It can be an indicator of other things that are more important – stiffness, likelihood of comfort, etc. A Croix de Fer is heavier and has fans as well as detractors based on similar stuff.

Was the Tripster AT 1950g with axles, seat clamp, accesories, headset?

Bare frame with any bottle bolts fitted as supplied, out of the box, popped onto a park scale just out of interest. May have been 1920, maybe 1960 – approx 1950 anyway. As ever with weight stuff I’m not saying it’s 100% accurate or even that important. I was slightly suprised by the AT weight but at the same time I ride fairly heavy bikes quite happily if the weight is justified for ride quality or parts durability etc. I expect it’d be a stiffer frame overall than the Arkose.

Edit for balance – Kinesis site states 1770g for the small.

Evans quote “2.68kg for a size medium and just under 3kg for a size large” for a 4 2017 frameset (ie. “450g [fork]”), and the math just doesn’t seem to add up.

It doesn’t add up, no. Something wrong there.

alpkits sonder el camino in either Ti or Ali ? – have the ali one set up with mud guards and panniers for touring  and its versatile only downside is QR – prefer thru axle for fast (for me) gravel stuff and have a Bish Bash Bosh for that  which is a great fun ride

Anyone had a blast on the on-one space chicken?

Another suggestion from the PX/On One stable … The On One Pickenflick. No good if you need mudguards and/or rack mounts (doesn’t have any) but a stonking good ride and at a very reasonable budget, either full bike or frameset. Coming from my Saracen Hack (which I guess is similar to the Arkose), I’ve been really impressed with the way mine rides, feels light-ish, stiff-ish, compliant and responsive. Been great as a road bike on (dry) winter days, and really loving it now it’s back in ‘gravel’ mode with 42c Conti knobblies.

In time honored STW tradition of recommending what you have (and cause it’s bloody lovely)

Have a look at a Reilly Gradient, had one a few weeks now, and it is great…

I’ve been in a similar position to the OP for a few years now – always wanted a Tripster ATR, but could never justify the cost. I went for a Cotic Escapade a couple of years ago and , despite it being a really nice frame with a good compliant ride, the geometry never quite gelled with me.

There have been very few bikes with similar geometry to the Tripster ATR that I could find for a reasonable outlay – I really like the short reach and the high stack. Most bikes of this ilk seam to be very roadie in their stretched position and low front end (including the Escapade), and I really want something a bit more relaxed – shorter reach, higher stack, slack head angle.

So, a few months ago I came across the Light Blue Darwin, and the medium as as near as dammit to the Tripster ATR as I’m going to find off the peg. It’s Reynolds 725 (mainly, and I like steel), has sliding dropouts to make it single-speedable (which I like, and the Tripster ATR doesn’t have), got some good reviews, so I ordered a frameset. It’s built up into a really nice thing. Off road it’s great and it feels ok on road. Basically it’s a touring bike, but I like it and it does the job.

I’ve had one of the 2012 Arkose frames for quite a while now. I’ve thought of upgrading it on and off, but the value never seems quite worth it. If you’re happy with the ride then why not keep it? They are really versatile with good clearances and neutral manners (a bit too neutral maybe?). I’ve come to see my Arkose as a ‘budget tripster’, the frame was £110 on sale and it weighs 1850g in XL with triple butted tubes, it has a tripster fork, and it builds into anything a tripster can pretty much.

I will replace it eventually and may go more touring style with a Light Blue Darwin or El Camino, or more road oriented with something like a Canyon Endurance frameset.

This also looks nice, although I know little about it and still has a QR up front:

http://www.fearlessbikes.com/vulture-page/

A way off OP’s £500 target, but the Lynskey Cooper CX is down to £900 @CRC.

still has a QR up front:

that is no problem if your hubs are convertable as you can use a 10mm DT RWS skewer.