Hi folks

I’m after a HT suitable as a daily ride (15mile round trip), but with a bit of off road and can handle a drop or two if I take the fun route home.

I’m 5’11” and prefer to run a 50-60mm stem so ETT of 23-24.5″ would be ideal, will be using 120mm reba forks.

It’s a second bike to my full sus so can only justify approx £200 for the frame, options so far are;

On-one 456 for £185
BeOne Karma for £150
Rock lobster for £180
Merlin malt4 for £240 (over budget, but is it worth it?)

Any other suggestions? would consider a second hand frame but then I start looking at Cove Stiffee’s and they go for a bit too much….

Thanks
Alex

my inbred is nice with a 120mm fork in a 18″ same height as you to

Yeah, 456 doesn’t make an awful lot of sense for that, inbred would work better. Merlin Malt 4… Nah, there’s one in the garage just now, mate of mine’s, it’s a very nice looking frame but a bit weighty it seems. Lovely construction though.

That’s all depending how your mate’s built his malt 4? My fram tipped the scales at a weighty 1500 odd g 😀 Lovely bike

I’d have though that an Inbred would be a good choice based on your budget, presumably it’d bit a bit lighter than a 456 too.

thanks guys – looking at the inbred now.

Seems a good price.

Whichever has mudguard and rack mounts. Makes for a much more versatile bike if ever you want to go down the ‘proper’ commuter thang.

talisman?
http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/5473.html

I think an Inbred would fit the bill nicely but Merlin are doing a 2004 Malt frame for £99 including finishing kit, which seems a good buy. There’s no mention of what travel forks they’re designed for though – http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=product&productId=433&categoryId=87]http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=product&productId=433&categoryId=87

100mm PJay, though my GF is riding around on one with 80mm SIDs perfectly happily.

Pre loved mid nineties steel Kona. Virtually any model seems OK.

Rack and bottle mounts, and holes that approximate mudguard mounts (noit ever really got them to hang together satisfactorily.

I one for £50 off this very site some years back, love it to bits – it’s a very capable commuter, and I’ve ridden a few events on it when the SCs been on the rack being rebushed, or if I just fancied the extra mud clearance.

Errr… there’s isn’t one. A bike set up for trail riding will be a ball ache to ride regularily on the road and a bike set up for commuting won’t be fun on the drops.

Which one are you prepared to compromise on?

kinesis maxlight, i have a secound hand one , £120 ?

ha typical rich!

Got a Rock Lobster Tig Team SL from Merlin a few weeks ago for £180 – maybe rhe one you were looking at? Weighs bugger all (3.25lbs – would be way, WAY lighter than an On-One) and is as compliant as steel frames I’ve had, proper Easton tubing, and has been fine so far for my 6’2″ of 15st ignorance on commmutes and general fun.