SS Mtb Frame Advice

[Wyatt Earp]

Why dont you use an existing (non SS specific) frame and do a SS build and determine if you enjoy it or not before committing to a dedicated SS frame?

 

Yeah , it's called a Ritchey P29er.

[amasendeinja]

Dangle's such a singleminded sod, he'll convince you to buy that Ritchey soon. Nice bike, but maybe that pornostar on meth paint scheme's not for everyone. You'd be doing yourself a disservice if you don't have a look at the Cotic Simple: 29 or 26 wheelsize as takes your fancy, track style horizontal dropouts are as simple as it gets, good design and handling, only in steel which is no bad thing unless you're a podium threat and best of all, well within your price range at around R6k. Give Matt a call and take a look.

[Stretched@Birth]

Dangle's such a singleminded sod, he'll convince you to buy that Ritchey soon. Nice bike, but maybe that pornostar on meth paint scheme's not for everyone. You'd be doing yourself a disservice if you don't have a look at the Cotic Simple: 29 or 26 wheelsize as takes your fancy, track style horizontal dropouts are as simple as it gets, good design and handling, only in steel which is no bad thing unless you're a podium threat and best of all, well within your price range at around R6k. Give Matt a call and take a look.

Tell the kaaskoppe and frenchies their flag's colour scheme looks like a pornstar on meth, they may take offence

[Wyatt Earp]

Dangle's such a singleminded sod, he'll convince you to buy that Ritchey soon. Nice bike, but maybe that pornostar on meth paint scheme's not for everyone. You'd be doing yourself a disservice if you don't have a look at the Cotic Simple: 29 or 26 wheelsize as takes your fancy, track style horizontal dropouts are as simple as it gets, good design and handling, only in steel which is no bad thing unless you're a podium threat and best of all, well within your price range at around R6k. Give Matt a call and take a look.

 

Not quite as bad as most posters who give recommendations.

I will explain.

 

We can give a recommendation based on two main reasons.

Our personal experience and our personal taste.

Most give opinions based on their personal taste, it's very similar to me telling someone to buy a Porsche CaymanS yet I have never owned one, but I suggest it because it appeals to me.

 

The OP. asked for opinions on a SS frame.

Getting a feeling that the OP. likes fuss free stuff and also bearing in mind that he might just end up using the bike as a geared bike, I suggested the Ritchey.

 

Some posters suggested something that can be used with gears at a later stage rather than SS only, I suggested the Ritchey again.

 

Bikes are quite a simple undertaking.

We ride them , they need to stand up to abuse and have to make up for our mistakes at times.

 

So quite simple for me when I look at a bike, and we are talking hard tail only here, there are two things I try and avoid at best.

T-bone style stays and DeKerf style stays.

I have been there, done that and have been beaten up by bikes like that.

The next thing is the materials.

 

Steel for me trumps carbon and alloy and titanium hands down.

It's more affordable than both carbon and titanium and has a much better ride quality than alloy.

For me the ride feel, and value for money ticks a box.

 

The Ritchey ticks all the boxes except that for the fashion conscious, the colour does not appeal to most.

The older MTB riders on the other hand who lusted after the P-series bikes, don't mind the paint job.

 

So is it steel , box ticked.

Rear stays to my liking, tick.

Good geometry, tick.

Good steel and not plumbers tubing, tick.

Elegant and simple in design, tick.

Affordable, tick.

And pertaining SS has it got a good solution around chain length , TICK.

 

So other than it's paint job and keeping in mind what the OP's original question was, and also knowing that I can give an opinion based on a real personal experience.

 

My suggestion, the Ritchey P29.

Edited October 17, 2012 by Dangle

[Giant]

I think the Ritchey P29 might be worth looking at

[Hairy]

Not quite as bad as most posters who give recommendations.

I will explain.

 

We can give a recommendation based on two main reasons.

Our personal experience and our personal taste.

Most give opinions based on their personal taste, it's very similar to me telling someone to buy a Porsche CaymanS yet I have never owned one, but I suggest it because it appeals to me.

 

The OP. asked for opinions on a SS frame.

Getting a feeling that the OP. likes fuss free stuff and also bearing in mind that he might just end up using the bike as a geared bike, I suggested the Ritchey.

 

Some posters suggested something that can be used with gears at a later stage rather than SS only, I suggested the Ritchey again.

 

Bikes are quite a simple undertaking.

We ride them , they need to stand up to abuse and have to make up for our mistakes at times.

 

So quite simple for me when I look at a bike, and we are talking hard tail only here, there are two things I try and avoid at best.

T-bone style stays and DeKerf style stays.

I have been there, done that and have been beaten up by bikes like that.

The next thing is the materials.

 

Steel for me trumps carbon and alloy and titanium hands down.

It's more affordable than both carbon and titanium and has a much better ride quality than alloy.

For me the ride feel, and value for money ticks a box.

 

The Ritchey ticks all the boxes except that for the fashion conscious, the colour does not appeal to most.

The older MTB riders on the other hand who lusted after the P-series bikes, don't mind the paint job.

 

So is it steel , box ticked.

Rear stays to my liking, tick.

Good geometry, tick.

Good steel and not plumbers tubing, tick.

Elegant and simple in design, tick.

Affordable, tick.

And pertaining SS has it got a good solution around chain length , TICK.

 

So other than it's paint job and keeping in mind what the OP's original question was, and also knowing that I can give an opinion based on a real personal experience.

 

My suggestion, the Ritchey P29.

 

So my interest has been tickled ..... how is the tyre clearance on the rear with the the P29 ... can I comfortably get a 2.25" tyre in there?

[Seadog]

Anyone with any experience with belt dive systems?

[Wyatt Earp]

So my interest has been tickled ..... how is the tyre clearance on the rear with the the P29 ... can I comfortably get a 2.25" tyre in there?

 

Great tyre clearance.

 

 

Anyone with any experience with belt dive systems?

 

Yip, I have a belt driven baby.

[CAAD4]

Trompie en die Boksombende.... Dis Blikkies, Dawie, Rooie en Boesman die brak......

[rouxtjie]

Recently built a SS with a niner EMD, would have loved a SIR. Great advice above, what is nice about SS'ing is you can use whatever spare parts you have around to build it, but start with a nice frame I would say.

[jcmeyerSS]

I'm probably riding one of the cheapest steel SS specific frames around. It handles like a beaut and at R350 a tie I can powder coat it and change the color as often as I like.

Pity GT don't do the peace 9er here anymore. If you can find a frame take it.

Steel frame and fork are such an awesome combo.

Come in two versions

Horizontal drop out or ECC BB

 

I LOVE MY BIKE.

Edited October 17, 2012 by jcmeyerSS

[Hairy]

I can arrange a Medium GT peace frame (V-Brake frame) with ECC BB if anyone is interested.

 

The seller is asking a bit much, but won't sell for less .... if you are keen drop me a PM and I will send pics / pricing.

[jcmeyerSS]

Whata

I can arrange a Medium GT peace frame (V-Brake frame) with ECC BB if anyone is interested.

 

The seller is asking a bit much, but won't sell for less .... if you are keen drop me a PM and I will send pics / pricing.

Whata bike.

To be honest id have to be offered crazy money to part with my baby.

[Flippa]

Ok, following on from Dangle's unsubtle hint that we should give recommendations based on personal experience, here goes:

 

I've been riding the Kona Unit since the beginning of the year after lusting after a steel SS specific frame with sliding dropouts. I had a whole list of wants when I was shopping for the frame:

 

Steel

SS specific

Sliding dropouts

Short chainstays

Affordable

thin tubing

clearance for a biggish tyre

 

To be honest, my first choice was the Ritchey. Unfortunately, at the time, I would have waited around 6 months to obtain a frame, as all the frames in the first shipment were taken. However, after riding the Kona for around 9 months now, I'm glad I made the choice I did. It feels a lot like the XTC I was riding previously with regard to handling. Its (relatively) light, compared to a GT Peace, it softens the trail without feeling dead. Its affordable, around R5500 including the Kona P2 rigid fork. The sliding dropout system is great, I've changed ratios quite a bit looking for the right gear and its been really easy. The only complaint I have is that the paint on the sliders is cracking off, but other than that, a great bike. I am running an Ikon 2.2 on the back and there is easily clearance to go bigger.

 

I have ridden it back to back with a Peace 29r and the Peace feels a little dead on some of the hits. Not sure if this is due to the weight difference or the difference in tubing material.

 

my 2c

[Stretched@Birth]

So my interest has been tickled ..... how is the tyre clearance on the rear with the the P29 ... can I comfortably get a 2.25" tyre in there?

I'm running a Kenda Nevegal 2.2, which has ample clearance. We had a muddy ride on Saturday, where my tire ended up looking more like a 2.6, which caused some rubbing on the frame, but under normal circumstances, you'll easily get a 2.25 in there.

[Seadog]

Great tyre clearance.

 

 

 

 

Yip, I have a belt driven baby.

Is it worth considering over a chain drive? Does it solve the chain stretch issue?