[jebfour]

It has been roughly a year and a half since I have ridden DH and need to get a new frame. I want to build things up so that it is not a race bike, but more of a DH bike with a front derailleur and a single crown fork. Think of a bike that you could take all over the mountain at Mammoth, not just the insane DH runs – but could still handle the Santa Barbara trails.

I’m likely going to scavenge most things from my trail bike and a few things from the wife’s AC.

The build will have a full XT drivetrain. The cranks will be 175mm, a little long for DH but I already have them and they will help on the mild uphills and times when I’m not doing full on DH runs.

First, can someone point me in the direction of a bashguard/guide that will still allow me run a front derailleur with two rings?

Second, I need some ideas for a frame. Like mentioned before, I’m going to run a SC fork (a 66), and the bike would need to have no more than 6”-7” of travel. It also needs to be SLACK. Low standover with clearance for the Santa Barbara rocks would be a big plus too. That’s right, I want everything

SX Trail? Blindside? Ideas?

EDIT: I forgot to mention that I'd be buying this used, so brand new models are out. Think about frames a couple years old.

 

[DHS]

check out,

www.canfieldbrothers.com

they have what you're looking for.

E13 makes a Dual ring security guide. on my canfield i run XTR cranks with 2 rings and a bash. no chain guide. works fine

 

[Sir_Crackien]

also check out www.Knollybikes.com

 

[jebfour]

check out,

www.canfieldbrothers.com

they have what you're looking for.

E13 makes a Dual ring security guide. on my canfield i run XTR cranks with 2 rings and a bash. no chain guide. works fine

Which Canfield do you ride?

 

[rowlands]

2009 commencal supreme

 

[rockwool]

E13 DRS and, for about half the price, Blackspire Dualie. Haven't tried neither but I have good experiance from two other Blackspires.

Intense SS,
Devinci Hecktick or Frantic,
Zumbi Mini DH (if it exists),
Corsair König and Maelstrom (very exciting brand)
http://www.corsairbikes.com/fly.aspx?layout=bike&taxid=59
http://www.corsairbikes.com/fly.aspx?layout=bike&taxid=60

I would recomend you the Commencal Mini DH because of its lovely Contact System but I have to warn you that they crack like Ellsworth's..

 

[chic06]

Cannondale Perp or the Cove STD is pretty cool both are closer dh than trail bikes

 

[mrpercussive]

Chumba Evo

 

[William42]

what size are you? I'm on a canfield lucky (7 inch setting) that is a 7 inch DH bike. Its climbable with 175's, but you do smack your pedals alot (I have one). Its 65 degree HT angle, 13.7bb, 17.1 stays. They're also on clearance so they're pretty inexpensive. I think they still have a large and small left.

 

[FCLinder]

I have a almost brand new 08 Trek Remedy 6"x6"er I am letting go due to new Sponsors for 2009. Sorry for the spam, but it is a super fun do it all bike. 31lbs and feels like a Mini DH bike that you can also climb on. Let me know?

http://www.ridemonkey.com/classifieds/cat-2/ad-5195/

 

[norbar]

E13 DRS and, for about half the price, Blackspire Dualie. Haven't tried neither but I have good experiance from two other Blackspires.

Intense SS,
Devinci Hecktick or Frantic,
Zumbi Mini DH (if it exists),
Corsair König and Maelstrom (very exciting brand)
http://www.corsairbikes.com/fly.aspx?layout=bike&taxid=59
http://www.corsairbikes.com/fly.aspx?layout=bike&taxid=60

I would recomend you the Commencal Mini DH because of its lovely Contact System but I have to warn you that they crack like Ellsworth's..

Asked Pawel about mini dh zumbi and as far I know not really it for 09 although I may be wrong or forgetfull

Commencal mini dh has the same problem as the old joker - it's a bit between classes and ppl tend to use it a bit harder than the producer intended. Still rumor says it that 09 supreme model will be stronger.


Anyway Commencal or Canfield seem like great options. Ordering a lapierre froggy from Canada may not be that bad. The bikes are of amazing quality and if they are half as strong as my dh frame I doubt you will have any issues.

 

[rockwool]

Asked Pawel about mini dh zumbi and as far I know not really it for 09 although I may be wrong or forgetfull

Commencal mini dh has the same problem as the old joker - it's a bit between classes and ppl tend to use it a bit harder than the producer intended. Still rumor says it that 09 supreme model will be stronger.


Anyway Commencal or Canfield seem like great options. Ordering a lapierre froggy from Canada may not be that bad. The bikes are of amazing quality and if they are half as strong as my dh frame I doubt you will have any issues.

The poor quality I mentioned was about Commencal as a whole, and not only the Mini DH/Supreme 6. The Frensh build their bikes like they build cars (but I guess that people who like US made cars won't notice..), and I say this regretfully. I leased a -99 Citroen (an economic desaster for me) and owned a Meta 4x.

 

[rockwool]

I have a almost brand new 08 Trek Remedy 6"x6"er I am letting go due to new Sponsors for 2009. Sorry for the spam, but it is a super fun do it all bike. 31lbs and feels like a Mini DH bike that you can also climb on. Let me know?

http://www.ridemonkey.com/classifieds/cat-2/ad-5195/

I would have hit it if it had been my size, one of the best looking bikes I've seen, even though I hate Trek..

 

[Tetreault]

http://www.xprezo.ca/en/xprezo_prod_raah.html

 

[norbar]

The poor quality I mentioned was about Commencal as a whole, and not only the Mini DH/Supreme 6. The Frensh build their bikes like they build cars (but I guess that people who like US made cars won't notice..), and I say this regretfully. I leased a -99 Citroen (an economic desaster for me) and owned a Meta 4x.

That's like saying don't buy a boxxer cuz I've had a faulty totem 2step. Be reasonable. I have a French bike and the build quality... It blows away ANY dh bike I've seen and the new one is supposedly hotter (only seen the new enduro frames). I'm 100% sure that the build quality on lapierres(and they are french) surpases most of the butique frames that most ppl rave about in RM.
Anyway from what I know even the old supremes were a bit improved over the first models and held quite ok.
BTW. I also own an Ellsworth Joker XC and done some stupid non xc stuff on it (don't ask why I tried to jump on it) and for some reason it still holds.
Simply don't bash the company - bash the model. At least not in terms of durability.

 

[Kanye West]

My Sinister Splinter MX gives me a 65.0* head angle with a 66. With the Roco TST, ATA fork, dual ring, and seatpost extention, it does basically anything and you can pound the thing like a full DH bike too.

 

[norbar]

http://www.xprezo.ca/en/xprezo_prod_raah.html

Had any contact with their DH frame? What's the real BB heigh as the one on the site seems awfully low (well its good actualy )

 

[al-irl]

morewood mbuzi is worht having a look at. Theres a pretty good tread about them if you use the search function

 

[RPG]

SX Trail is a good frame, as it has 2 HA options. I have it and almost prefer it over my V10. I ride Highland Mountain and find it more flickable and overall more fun. I like the Morewoods too. Nice single pivot. Go to MTBR.com and go into the specialized forum. They have a lot of builds in the 'post your sx trail' thread.

 

[gemini2k]

I've been riding my GT sanction on SB shuttle trails from time to time. It's mostly my Jesusita/Romero/Cameusa bike, but I found it REALLY fun on Knapps, and useable on Tunnel and CS. Stock its a 67 HA, but with the 66 at 180mm its more like 66. With a coil shock and maybe one or 2 other tweaks I bet it would be just fine for regular shuttle usage. I just rode it all day yesterday at big bear with hacktastic, it was amazingly fun.

 

[Bikerpunk241]

Demo 7....

 

[MattP.]

Chumba Evo

Do you have any trail time on an Evo? Or are you just recommending it because you are 'sponsored' by them?

 

[RayB]

Do you have any trail time on an Evo? Or are you just recommending it because you are 'sponsored' by them?

uh oh................................

 

[mrpercussive]

Do you have any trail time on an Evo? Or are you just recommending it because you are 'sponsored' by them?

no trail time, but i'm just putting a suggestion out there...

 

[MattP.]

uh oh................................

Not trying to be a dick, but it just seems like he is always recommending a Chumba, regardless of what kind of bike the poster is looking for. I'm pretty sure that the dudes over at Chumba told him to quite his mouth over at MTBR.

If he has some decent trail time on an Evo, I'll shut my mouth, and respect his recommendation.

 

[jon-boy]

The Intense SS is a great little bike for railing DH and generally messing around on. I got mine in March and rode it all season at Whistler and on the trails around Vancouver. It pedals up well so can take some trail riding if you don't mind doing it on a 35lb bike, but point it down and you will have a massive grin on your face. The bike rails. It's light and short so is super fun to ride fast and you can pick it up and place it where you want it. It's good on the jumps too. I've never had so much fun on Frieght Train and Dirt Merchant at Whistler. The bike all round rips.

Oh, just for reference, previous rides include 7-Point, Canfield Lucky, SC Bullit (old one) and Intense M1.

 

[DirtyMike]

Transition Dirtbag, load it with a 66 ETA, your good to go.

Here is mine

ETA is awesome, locks it i n a lowered postion. And, the bike can take one hell of a beating. As far as teh Dual ring, E13 DRS is awesome, never have I had anyh problems withmine, works great, very dependable product.

 

[DirtMcGirk]

Nomad.
Love mine long time.

 

[rockwool]

That's like saying don't buy a boxxer cuz I've had a faulty totem 2step. Be reasonable. I have a French bike and the build quality... It blows away ANY dh bike I've seen and the new one is supposedly hotter (only seen the new enduro frames). I'm 100% sure that the build quality on lapierres(and they are french) surpases most of the butique frames that most ppl rave about in RM.
Anyway from what I know even the old supremes were a bit improved over the first models and held quite ok.
BTW. I also own an Ellsworth Joker XC and done some stupid non xc stuff on it (don't ask why I tried to jump on it) and for some reason it still holds.
Simply don't bash the company - bash the model. At least not in terms of durability.

I am reasonable, the Contact System is the shiz, but their frames tend to crack. I know of three (3) Meta 4x's that have cracked in the same place (one of them was only trailridden and 2 month old), one Mini DH that was pampered, and to boot I heard from a reliable source that the 09 Supreme has baaaad alignement.

People I know that know of Sunn's question them. Lapierre isn't represented here so I know nothing about them, I was speaking of French products in general, but good for France I you say so, they finally made something propper! As for Ellsworth and French cars, sauerkraut please. Common knowledge, end of story.



Sorry for the slight derailment of your thread Jebfour, but I belive that the quite extensive experiance of poor Commencal quality I have might be of a lot of peoples interest.

The Raah looks nice!

 

[RayB]

The Intense SS would fit your bill nicely. The 'Slopestyle' geometry lends itself to a slack head angle, super low standover, shorter chainstays, etc. If you like the "feel" of the VPP suspension design, you should definitely consider the Intense on your short list of frames.

Another option, in my opinion, might be a Turner RFX. Turner is blowing frames out for dirt cheap right now, and the RFX is a killer bike. My boss rides a medium with a 66SL and it's quite the rocket. Some people are going to rip the RFX's geometry for being more "all-mountain, aggro-XC" but with a taller fork like a 66, you're really getting into, in my opinion, the sweet spot for that frame. With a conservative build, you can get it sub 35 lbs and 2 rings up front -- burly and versatile for both going up and ripping down. The stiffness/ease-of-maintenance of Turner's bushing system and customer service are unrivaled.

Just throwin' a couple options out there for ya. G'luck!!

 

[RJM]

i've used both the dualie and the e13 drs(dual ring sys). They both worked fine. no real issues or hangups cept the drs will bend on rocks easily. i'd prolly go dualie by blackspire for the santa barbara rocks.

i really like the turner highline. rode it at interbike last year and compared it to every bike even close to it. its a low & slack mini dh feeling bike that accepts frt der. and a 66 quite well. HA would be about 67 with a 170mm 66 and closer to 66.5 with the 180mm version. want it slacker and lower get a shorter shock (i think its a 7.875 or something) it will give about 6" but drop the bb and slacken.

build weights are around 40lbs depending on $$ put into it.

i really like foes bikes as well. the fly was setup more trailworthy when i rode it. the shock put me off a little but love the looks, the ride was decent.
the cove ss bike felt weird to me, actually it was a prototype so this comment doesnt really count. i'm sure its a solid bike.

i dont really like special ed but they make a decent riding machine imo.(sx trail)

in the end my highline is the favorite, theres a few around. I know of a couple for sale actually. mediums. built to last.

 

[dilzy]

Sx trail or Intense ss.

The SX has the reputation of being very strong. They are quite slack and you can slacken them up another degree or 2 by going an 8.75*2.75, rather than the standard 9*2.75 It doesn't bind and feels great on my bike.

I wouldn't consider the Giant reign x, as they don't pedal as well as the sx, the head angle is too steep and they are way too short. The large has a decent tt length, but then the seat tube is 20". The stays are also too long.

SX trail FTW.

EDIT. All these people suggesting things like Demo 7's and Cove STD's, well I don't know what bad granola you've been smoking, but I'd like to see you take one on a long trail ride. The SX and the Intense at least have a seat tube angle and weight that is a reasonable proposition for a climb.

I'd also recommend going with a single ring at the front like a 34 and a large cassette at the back 34, so you can run a short cage derailleur.

 

[jebfour]

Thanks to everyone for their responses - they are most appreciated.

I'll have a look at the Intense SS (as well as many of the others posted in this thread).

I won't be doing much trail riding on this thing (well, maybe a little) so I'll ask this - can a Demo 7 accomodate a front der.? Figured it couldn't hurt to ask...

Thanks again!

 

[jackalope]

^^
Not sure about the front derailleur on the Demo 7, but given how it's marketed, I would presume it has the room to accommodate. That said, unless something has drastically changed, the Demo 7 is the same frame as the Demo 8, just a different shock shuttle set up. In short, it would pretty heavy IMO. I think you'd be better off with a SX Trail or Intense SS.

Been a lot of good suggestions, so I'll throw my mine out there:

Mongoose Super Khyber...I know I'm a homer b/c I ride one, but it's hard to beat for the money...67* HA, 13.7" BB (with a Van 36), and 6.5" of travel. Maybe not slack enough for you tho.

 

[DirtyMike]

Thanks to everyone for their responses - they are most appreciated.

I'll have a look at the Intense SS (as well as many of the others posted in this thread).

I won't be doing much trail riding on this thing (well, maybe a little) so I'll ask this - can a Demo 7 accomodate a front der.? Figured it couldn't hurt to ask...

Thanks again!

I know you can set it up with an Etype for sure, not sure if it has a post for a normal derailer



If you happen to decide on a Demo 7, I have a brand new frame sitting at the shop. If your interested let me know

 

[Horror Business]

I think the Intense SS is a great bike and would fits your needs nicely.

 

[evolutionbike]

How about a Commencal Mini DH? I love mine its adjustable headtube angle makes it adaptable for changes in riding.

 

[MattP.]

Nomad is you are looking to pedal a lot, but since you said not much trail riding, I would go with something a littlre burlier.

Canfield Can Diggle is awesome, when in the 7" setting, it pedals on par with the Nomad. The frame is light, and can be built as light as 35# without too much effort. If you are heavier, or like to go big, or not the smoothest rider, I would say Highline. Heavier, but soo much more stable in the rough, drops, ect.

 

[jebfour]

Damn. Coming from a DHR this is going to be a hard decision. The DHR was the most incredible bike I have ever owned - but good only for 100% down. Many of the trails that I ride are DH but have short uphills.

Life is tough sometimes! Looking at some of the bikes mentioned makes me think "man that's a really nice bike, but not really a DH bike" but then again, not many bikes do what I'm looking for....

Let me ask this -what do y'all think of the 7point? -BB- don't you own one of these?

 

[djjohnr]

I wouldn't consider the Giant reign x, as they don't pedal as well as the sx, the head angle is too steep and they are way too short. The large has a decent tt length, but then the seat tube is 20". The stays are also too long.

A Reign X has a 67 degree head angle - 66 degrees with a 66/Totem. It also pedals better then the SX Trail standing in the middle ring.

If you're looking for a used 6-7" frame that rides like a DH bike both of them are great, although both have low BBs. The SX Trail rides more like a short chainstay bike (easier to get the front end up - like a Demo), while the Reign X rides more like a long chainstay bike (better high speed cornering/handling - like a Glory DH with a much lower bb).