As a thrifty person I like to get a bargain, and have been patiently waiting for a flood of ridiculously good, ridiculously cheap 26″ frames to hit ebay, alas to no avail. It seems like good frames are still fetching good prices, regardless of wheel size.

I bought one of those bargain syntace wheelsets and what seemed like a bargain at the time – a genesis grapil frame. The wheels are amazing, and I have no complaints about the frame, although it seems like it cracking is going to be a matter of time.

Anyway, I was thinking about what frames to keep an eye out for to replace the grapil when it goes – what 26″ full sus are out there – tapered headtube, threaded BB and the 12mm axle rear?

tapered headtube, threaded BB and the 12mm axle rear?

So that is quite a specific mix of old and new, mixed in with 26 inch wheels

I would have thought the bargain would be straight head tube and 9mm quick release. Or am I missing something

Banshee rune or spitfire

Tapered headtube means you have what a 2-3 year window of 26″ bike production ?

Edit: sorry FS, have seen a small Trany Bandit for for £100, thats a steal. Love my Covert

Real value imho is straight steerers

Edit: sorry FS, have seen a small Trany Bandit for for £100, thats a steal. Love my Covert

I was going to suggest bandit but 12mm rear wouldn’t work. I think the 26″ ones are all 135 QR

And a small would be suitable for a midget. My large was just big enough for me at 5’10”

A late 5 spot, no 12 inch rear but that rear triangle is not going to flex anywhere, so a 10mm RWS would be fine. 44mm headtube.

mm the 12mm rear I was thinking because I don’t think you can get adapters for the syntace hubs. Straight steerer is doable.

Ok @jam bo

My 2012 Covert is tapered, through bolt rear, 26 inch – great bike

Empire mx6evo
Dmr bolt
Banshee Spitfire or rune
I found it tricky. I ended up with an empire. It’s a little heavy but it’s bloody rad!

I really wanted a dmr as I think they are cool and don’t have silly travel but they re sell super quick.

Simce its been mentioned, I’m going to have a bargain Banshee Spitfire mk1.5 frame from 2012 for sale very soon. Just waiting for distributors to have bushing kits back in stock mid October, then it will come with a complete new set of bushings installed. Cane creek headset (tapered with one ride old new lower bearing). Fox rp23 Kashima shock. I’m after £250 for it when ive done the bushings.

If the spitfire is xl, I’ll take it!

If not 🙁

Mapwin at yahoo dot Co dot uk

Back on topic, what about a giant trance or reign?

2005 to 2007 had straight head tubes, bit I think they would have had most of that stuff about 2009?

Some of the yeti and santa cruz might have had that mix?

transition coverts have everything you are after, and i enjoyed riding mine.

I bodged my rear Syntace to work 135×10 qr.

I’m with TurnerGuy on this. 5spots come up for relatively little money considering what you get, mine was sadly stolen a couple of years ago, but was the one bike I just instantly got on with. Rear end was plenty stiff, even with QR.

Orange 5 or Alpine, Transition Covert or Bandit, Spec Enduro,

FWIW my Covert was £1250 new in 2012 and there isn’t a snowballs chance I’d sell it cheap but possibly that’s just me, I had a sniff around for a used 2012 Bandit in Large with view I’d swap bits between the frames summer/winter, I have spare rear wheels to run QR if required

What size you looking for?

I’m 6ft so probably a large or extra large for transition sizing from what I’m reading.. liking the look of the bandit right now…

the last turner 5 spot did have 12mm rear axle 😀

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/turner-5-spot-dw-frame-2012/rp-prod82595

Last of the 26″ Turner flux. Love mine.

Last Fives , 135×12 rear .. full bounce smiles

Mondraker Dune and Foxy XR might be the closest you’ll get to modern geometry. Not frames for riders who tend to break stuff, but they ride really, really nicely.

Otherwise Orange 5 or Alpine as mentioned. Nukeproof Mega, AM or TR. Kona Process 2013.

Any frame that would allow you to size up and saw a bit off the seattube mast?

140mm fork, 26″ full sus, tapered headtube, threaded BB and the 12mm axle rear

Yeti 5

i managed to get remedy 9.9 full carbon frame for 600 from pinkbike about 6 months ago.

Do your homework on headtubes. The majority of people still seem to think that if the headtube is not physically tapered then you can’t fit a tapered fork. There are loads of 44 mm headtube frames out there that will happily take a tapered fork and probably go for cheaper than they should as people simply don’t realise.

^^ Yeti is a good call too.

I have a large yeti asr5 frame I need to sell!

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/68440820@N05/sets/72157659329763163/

Last model 5spot was 142×12 rear – before the Burner came out

you can still get a transition suppressor from the UK distributer. they have a few frames in medium and large. not cheap though

I just picked up a Zesty frame for £200, it’s QR rear and pushfit BB though. I’ve been looking for 12 months, it’s about the only really cheap thing I found, Five’s are still decent money and not many Nukeproof Mega’s about.

I’m waiting for it to crack, but hoping it doesn’t………….

Core Zesty’s very good bikes, the cracking issue was only those with carbon rear triangle afaik.

Depends on your definition of a bargain, but there’s a little used Evil Uprising on pinkbike for a grand that I was half considering buying as a spare. This should tell you 2 things –
The Uprising frames are so good I think I need a spare.
Evil’s reputation is so bad I think I need a spare.

I’ll add another recommendation for the banshee Spitfire, bought mine new last year as I already had nice (fairly new) forks and wheels and a stack of tyres. Was originally looking at the Transition suppressor, but the last large had just been sold when I placed my order so ended up going for the Banshee instead. No regrets about that as it is an awesome frame.

@jambalaya – So I have read, always got good reviews, this is 2011 vintage, I’ve paired it with a 140mm rev dual air and it came with a fox rp23 shock, all seems good so far, oh, has got both offset bushes in shock too, so it’s all modern and long/low/slack etc. Doesn’t seem to be hampering me on the climbs (even with 1×10 which is higher than previous 2×9 gearing, but which inversely to my thinking actually makes me faster up most hills as I just have to mtfu and get on with it), and much smoother on the descents than my hardtail was.

Frame, forks and a few other bits basically meant it was about £400 to go from my soul to the zesty, and I’m reckoning on getting over £200 back for the soul when I sell it on.

Think the alu ones did crack by the way, but I’ve at least 2 friends who can tig weld aluminium so even if it does I reckon we’ll repair it.

Been keeping my eye out for a bargain Five or Mega TR. Both still seem to be fetching decent money for tapered headtube versions.