Frame buying advice

extremedave

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
In the market for a 29er HT and need advice. I'm honestly trying to find the ultimate rainbow farting unicorn. :D Quick handling, easy to lift the front, but good climbing also. Not as worried about downhill as it's a HT and I don't expect it to be terribly stable. Also would like to have options for SS or geared but the plan is 1x10.

Custom is probably out, budget reasons and I'm not advanced enough to really notice/need that much cool in my life.

Currently thinking steel. I have a steel XXIX which won't lift the front without a crane but I like the ride. Rode the GF X-caliber, love the handling but it's harsh. Plus it feels like I'm gonna break the thing, ham-handed as I ride. But it is fun to wheelie and bunny hop.

The Canfield Nimble 9 and On One Inbred have the shortest chainstays. I'm a little leery of the On One dropout setup but it is cheap and the geo looks good. The Canfield is double the price and I've read it's a little stiff. My Xcaliber has shorter than average (445mm) stays so that's kinda what I'm basing upon. Oddly, the Inbred reviews make it sound somewhat slower turning despite the the short stays. Weird.

Looked at Singular, Gunnar,(both $$$) Soma (nice but n/a) and Salsa. I know Jdog has the El Mariachi set up pretty nice for about 2000.00 but I'd want to do the new Shadow Plus if I go geared so be wasting a bunch of parts. I'd probably try the Canfield first frame only, about the same price.

Also not entirely against aluminum, the ever popular Misfit (pretty long chainstays tho) and the Soul Cycles Dillinger are top of that list. Dillinger is EBB, so...:hmmm:

Right now, I could get a frame, borrow parts from the XXIX, ride it and upgrade as I go. Or sell everything and go all bling!!

Not sure how much I should be reading into geometry. I've been looking pretty hard at chainstay numbers but it's not the whole story, I understand. ETT had been pretty comparable throughout as well as head angle. What else should I be considering here?
Oh, going to run 100mm fork.

Enough already. Thoughts?
 
Last edited:

MikeP

Well-Known Member
I rode an X-Cal and 08ish Salsa Selma beforw pulling the trigger on the Misfit. The diSSent IMO is more nimble and climbs better than the Selma and doesn't feel as harsh as the X-Cal. On the Salsa it felt like I was driving a bus (the cockpit wasnt set up for me) as far as getting the front end up I had to try a few different stems before I got the handling dialed in. What size X-Cal are you riding? I'm sure somebody up htere would let you take a test spin
 
Last edited:

extremedave

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I rode an X-Cal and 08ish Salsa Selma beforw pulling the trigger on the Misfit. The diSSent IMO is more nimble and climbs better than the Selma and doesn't feel as harsh as the X-Cal. On the Salsa it felt like I was driving a bus (the cockpit wasnt set up for me) as far as getting the front end up I had to try a few different stems before I got the handling dialed in. What size X-Cal are you riding? I'm sure somebody up htere would let you take a test spin

Medium '09.

Glenlivet12 was kind enough to offer a ride on their Misfits but I'm a little out of the area.
 
Last edited:

soundz

The Hat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
You're welcome to try my Inbred. It's rigid, got some funky bars, heavy as a tank, and the front doesn't come up as easily as gtluke's canfield, but I do like the way it rides, esp on long excursions. Fyi, it (maybe frame only) probably be up for sale this summer for cheap.

554071_777434158558_711381_35218684_387205668_n.jpg


I also have a mistfit set up as ss, but have to get my spoke fixed before ridable.
 
Last edited:

extremedave

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
You're welcome to try my Inbred. It's rigid, got some funky bars, heavy as a tank, and the front doesn't come up as easily as gtluke's canfield, but I do like the way it rides, esp on long excursions. Fyi, it (maybe frame only) probably be up for sale this summer for cheap.

I also have a mistfit set up as ss, but have to get my spoke fixed before ridable.


Huh, all three on my list. :) I know personal preferences and all that, but of them which would say is the most fun? Assuming you've ridden the Canfield (which gtluke raved about). This is going to be my everyday bike, short rides or long, by myself mostly. I want it to do it all, but I also want it to make me wanna get out there. Jeez, that was a horrible sentence....

Your on one, what size? Based on the color is it horizontal dropouts? I would love to try it one day and seeing as you're on of the few people on here above the darn mason Dixon line, it could work out. Where do you usually ride? And yes, I would probably be interested in it when it's for sale.

Thanks for the offer!
 

mattybfat

The Opinion Police
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Lets here what size you need, I can help in a large or small misfit. 1 test ride will tell you everything else needs to bring the game up. Canfields been breaking left and right so be aware, sorry Luke the internet doesn't lie ;)
 

extremedave

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Lets here what size you need, I can help in a large or small misfit. 1 test ride will tell you everything else needs to bring the game up. Canfields been breaking left and right so be aware, sorry Luke the internet doesn't lie ;)

Peter suggested a large, but he's mad at me. The discount code he offered me doesn't work anymore...:cry:

Mattybfat, what about the chain stay length and it's effect on handling? Between the larger size and that I'm wondering about how nimble it'll feel.
Thx.
 

mattybfat

The Opinion Police
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Peter suggested a large, but he's mad at me. The discount code he offered me doesn't work anymore...:cry:

Mattybfat, what about the chain stay length and it's effect on handling? Between the larger size and that I'm wondering about how nimble it'll feel.
Thx.

Geo is racey pedal stroke and go!
All I can say is try it, Take my ride to DP, run it, try and break what ever, then make the conclusion. Your close enough so no excuses...
 

soundz

The Hat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Huh, all three on my list. :) I know personal preferences and all that, but of them which would say is the most fun? Assuming you've ridden the Canfield (which gtluke raved about). This is going to be my everyday bike, short rides or long, by myself mostly. I want it to do it all, but I also want it to make me wanna get out there. Jeez, that was a horrible sentence....

Your on one, what size? Based on the color is it horizontal dropouts? I would love to try it one day and seeing as you're on of the few people on here above the darn mason Dixon line, it could work out. Where do you usually ride? And yes, I would probably be interested in it when it's for sale.

Thanks for the offer!

I ride a 18"(M) on the InBred and M on Misfit. I'm 5'8" and the On-One site says I should ride the 16"(S), but I think those Brits must like things on the small side. I compared the geometry to a Haro Mary and they have exactly the same geometry, at least on paper. My InBred is from 2009'ish and yes, it's horizontal (slot) dropouts and I've run it both SS and 1x9 (which is what it is right now). The swap out frame looks kind of interesting though.

I bent my derailleur hanger once which is steel and part of the frame, but I just bent it back, joys of steel.

I pretty much ride everywhere cause I gotta drive at least 40-60min to get to any trailhead. I could meet you at LM or maybe Mahlon if you prefer some tech. Or if you wanna trade bikes for like a week or 2 that's fine too.
 

extremedave

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Soundz, I could absolutely meet you at lm one evening. That'd be cool and its one of my main weekday spots as well. Sweet.

Mattyb, where are you? I've got no shame, love to take advantage of you too! Wait, did that come out right?

Great offers from both you guys, thank you.
 

soundz

The Hat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Soundz, I could absolutely meet you at lm one evening. That'd be cool and its one of my main weekday spots as well. Sweet.

I usually like to ride early AM, but could probably do an evening ride as well. Let me try to get my wheel fixed so I can bring both bikes.

Btw, I just rode luke's Canfield around the lot so can't really give an opinion on it. Probably part of the front coming up so easy is due to the lefty, but I can see it being really good in rockgardens.
 

extremedave

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Soundz, I'm an 8 to 6 schedule so off hours is ng. Gotta love retail! Conversely, my inlaws are in pal park so if you'd be ok swapping the xxix then I'd just pick it up when I'm that way.
Mattybfat,let me see how it works out with Soundz first.
Thanks again for the offers guys. Really appreciate it.
 

ItsWin

Member
Banshee Paradox V2 is a good way to go for aluminum. My V1 Paradox is an absolute beast, and it looks like Banshee made all the right improvements with the V2 (slacker, tapered head tube, direct mount FD, more tire clearance).

Transition TransAM 29 looks like a good way to go for steel.
 

bkaushansky

Member
extremedave,
I'm right there with you. Looking for a frame to build a ss. Thoughts on 853 v 4130? Assuming both are built right. Didn't see Niner SIR in your list? Cost concerns?

Just to complicate thing, I right a short effective TT making my choices difficult.

-B.
 

extremedave

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Yeah, the niner is a little too rich. Since I was shopping a price point, I was focusing on geometry moreso than material. 400-600 was my range.
The Misfit has a pretty short TT for the frame size, you might want to look at that. Normally I ride medium (5'10") but Peter there said large for me.

I'm currently hoping to work out a deal on a complete bike that's for sale so that's where I going now.

Itswin...man, TMI! Too many choices!!! I will check those out though.:D
 
Top Bottom