[spacemanspiff06]

i want to see what 'yall think about my situation. i'm getting a HT soon.
-i'm 17 (read broke) and have ridden a big full squish for the past 5 years, so i have gotten lazy (it's not that bad, but i know it's there.)
- i've been riding my squish in the park, street, DJs and on smaller, techier obsticals on the droped travel mode.
-i work at a shop that sells C-dale, kona, santa-cruz, and i can get a aznoic at shop cost.
-i want a single speed because i have grown a hatred of rear ders due to the many i have killed.
-i like the feel of 24's and i'm a little worried about how well 26's will hold up to my lazyness.
-i also liked the way that steel feels vs. aul. since it was a little softer and forgiving.
-my options are, in order of which i'm most favoring, are:
1) cannondale chase 4 which is the cheepist, and a SS. http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/06/CUSA/model-6FSD4.html
2) azonic steel head bulit with outlaw wheels a DJ3 hussefelt cranks, ect. this is the third cheepist.
3)on-one gimp that i would have to pay full retal for or find used. i'ld most likly put a DJ street and built my own wheels. this is the most expencive option i've seriously thought of, but it has the most of what i want.
there is the kona stuff (http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/FrontEnd/Products/product_detail.aspx?productid=319&parentid=253) but it is the secound cheepist and not what i want. also the jackel , but thats costly, isn't what i realy want eather, and one of my riding buddys just got one (castle) and i can't top that. which of the three should i go for or is there somthing else that i'm not thinking of that would be worth paying retail for? thanks.

 

[formermtboarder]

looks at soul cycles roscoe (steel ht)

isnt sean selling his jackel yet? if not im sure he will soon.....

 

[Muuqi]

Well, speaking just from my own personal experience, I'd EP a Kona Cowan frame, or a Chase, they both ride really well. The Kona is super easy to set up as SS and the cool thing is it has dropouts that slide, rather than just having slotted dropouts, so your disc caliper moves with your wheel, so you don't have to worry about aligning your wheel everytime you change a flat. I've ridden the Jackal, and I dunno, for urban it just felt weird. I suppose on DJs it'd feel better, but it's funky. I ride a Kona Cowan and it's perfect for everything. . .just my two bits.

 

[escapeartist]

if u want cheap steel, go for the steelhead, those are really popular and really affordable. If i weerre you I'd save up a little more and get a better fork, like a pike or a gold, I have a djIII and it leaves something to be desired

 

[spacemanspiff06]

isnt sean selling his jackel yet? if not im sure he will soon.....

Ha ha! i'll give it 2 more months.
i dono, i felt weird. overly stiff almost.

i also forgot to mention what's behind door #2! after i get a ht i'm planning on getting a kona howler, (http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/FrontEnd/Products/product_detail.aspx?productid=309&parentid=253 BTW, any one know what the review sez?) then traiding drivetrains with my gemni so the howler has a double chainring and is my AM/light FR/DJ/mess-around-in-the-back-yard bike. so what i was thinking is get the howler first, set it up, then still stay off the park/street and keep it to the DJs and small techy stuff. my though is that i would be weening myself off all that travel, so buy the time i got the HT i would be smother and less likely to beat up the ht and myself. sort of nicoderm gum of big bikes... am i crazy and should i just suck it up and get a ht, or am i on to something with this? (i have been riding almost all dirt lately and as of yet have had no urge to get back to the park...)

 

[spacemanspiff06]

if u want cheap steel, go for the steelhead, those are really popular and really affordable. If i weerre you I'd save up a little more and get a better fork, like a pike or a gold, I have a djIII and it leaves something to be desired

said^ howler is getting a pike. my ht i want to be a fix it and forget it for a year or two bike, so i wanted to stick with a zoke. thanks for the tip, i'll try and save for the DJI.
the thing aabout the stuff/chase 4 is that they are almost the exact same bikes (geo, stand-over, weight, fork, wheels...) but with the stuff, i'm paying for gears and stuff that i will not use.

 

[Castle]

psshhhttt you should start with servicing your current rig, (poor sherman, if you don't service it, it will damage the stanchions, I've seen it happen more then once, you've probably read about it as well I'm sure) you also need a new rear wheel....

reason for busted ass der's is you use the sx 5 or esp3 or whatever 15 dollar cheapy deal you find on comfort bikes; at that price they are disposable...

we can also get .243s or most any other small brand you want just so you know..... oh yeah santa cruz was blowing out the jackal completes rediculously cheap...... the geo is real nice....

The eccentric b.b. on the s.s. chase concerns me for an abusive rider or riding.

out of the 3 listed the steelhead....

look into the black market Riot frame also! http://www.blackmarketbikes.com/riot.html

Riot, .243, or DOC would be my recomendation

 

[zahgurim]

I'm happy with my Identiti 666. It's steel, with sliding vertical drops. Cheap, too. Takes either discs or Vs.
Check my sig pic out...

 

[spacemanspiff06]

psshhhttt you should start with servicing your current rig, (poor sherman, if you don't service it, it will damage the stanchions, I've seen it happen more then once, you've probably read about it as well I'm sure) you also need a new rear wheel....

reason for busted ass der's is you use the sx 5 or esp3 or whatever 15 dollar cheapy deal you find on comfort bikes; at that price they are disposable...

we can also get .243s or most any other small brand you want just so you know..... oh yeah santa cruz was blowing out the jackal completes rediculously cheap...... the geo is real nice....

The eccentric b.b. on the s.s. chase concerns me for an abusive rider or riding.

out of the 3 listed the steelhead....

look into the black market Riot frame also! http://www.blackmarketbikes.com/riot.html

Riot, .243, or DOC would be my recomendation

fork oil for the manitou is on the way now, and a rear rim will follow next paycheck. (psshhhtt!) i get sx5's cause i go through x7's just as fast. my ders don't get bumped worng and have to be replaced, they get riped into unrecognisable bits and take half the hanger with them. thats just how i roll.
totaly forgot about the .243 i would most likely take that over a steelhead.

 

[spacemanspiff06]

the chase's BB does freek me out a little...
that riot is a sweet bike. the only diffrence between it and the mob is the tubbing? hmmm....

 

[spacemanspiff06]

I'm happy with my Identiti 666. It's steel, with sliding vertical drops. Cheap, too. Takes either discs or Vs.
Check my sig pic out...

looks good. what fork is that? it's to thick to be a dorado or shiver.
how are those funn rims?

 

[Castle]

the .243 is a sweet ride, I'd go for the SL......

difference on the riot is the tubing yup, still a nice tubeset. S&M knows what's up.

 

[zahgurim]

looks good. what fork is that? it's to thick to be a dorado or shiver.
how are those funn rims?

The Funn wheels are heavy but indestructable. The profile of the rim is pretty big and box-like. They laugh at obstacles that I've destroyed other wheels on...
The fork is a DNM 120. I got it last year from their distributor in Korea, to test out. Pretty cool little fork, actually. Developed a bit of play in the bushings at first, but hasn't gotten any worse. Still feels ok, and has lasted til now. I will prolly put a Jumper or Gold Lable on the 666 this year, and put the DNM on the girlfriend's bike.