I need some help with the monstercross thing I'm looking at creating. I essentially want to smoosh my two current bikes together (a Rook Scout and a Momsen STR). I want a Curve GMX+ / Salsa Cuttthroat, but I don't have (and don't want to spend, if I'm honest, even if I had) that kind of money. A 2.4" tyre gravel bike with a dropper a.k.a. drop bar rigid MTB a.k.a monstercross bike is where I'm at.
Options:
Get a 410 - 430mm A-C , tapered steerer fork with MTB tyre clearance for the Scout. If such a thing existed, that'd be the cheapest / easiest way to do it, but alas. I'd be OK with running 650B/27.5, even though I'd prefer 29 for availability and the fact that I love my current wheels.
Throw my current fork/front wheel on the Scout. The increased A-C (70mm longer) can be somewhat cancelled out by removing stem spacers, but it'll likely handle weird and have a slack seat angle, which I don't like. It'll also have limited clearance in the back with a 29er wheel in it.
Get a frame that'll fit my current mountain bike's components, but has the right geo to work with a drop bar as the STR is too long / stretched out with a drop bar.
Ideal specs:
Tapered head tube.
Recommended A-C of 490mm (~100mm sus furk)
Threaded BB.
31.6 seatpost (or 34.9, so I can fit my current dropper with a shim)
460-560 seattube length
Effective top tube of 570-600
Rear tyre clearance for 2.4" MTB
70° or slacker head angle
Non-boost TA rear wheel (non-boost QR works too, I can just swap out the caps on my Rapide wheels)
Post mount disc calipers
Steel
If I could shorten my large STR frame's top tube by 40mm it'd be pretty much perfect. I tested this idea out, but it just wouldn't be comfortable for anything longer and I'm already on a 50mm stem, even with a 35mm it'd be stretched. Also, yes, I cable tied my shifter and dropper levers on for this experiment, for extra bodge points. I decided this concept needed testing at 22:15 on a Thursday night, k, so it fit the ambiance of the occasion.
I also know I can get a custom frame made, but there's fokkol money for that now.
So, bikehubland,
