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Tell Me About Hardtail Trailbike Frames...

proglife

Monkey
Apr 18, 2002
339
0
Annapolis, MD
I'm playing with the idea of picking up a new frame this summer. I currently have a Cove Stiffee FR and after spending lots of time on the road bike, the Cove feels a bit lifeless and porky to me....too much bike for me, really. I don't do any big-hit stuff it's designed to do.

What I'd like to know is: What's out there that's not a full XC hardtail, but not a huck bike either? Also, will these frames be too much of a sidestep from the Stiffee?

Stuff that's interesting:

Spooky Horror Taxi
On-One 456

what else is out there? thanks in advance.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,942
13,135
Portland, OR
Everyone makes a hardtail. Depends on what you are looking for as far as geometry, size, weight, bling.

<edit> I loved my long Azonic Steelhead. It was cheap, sturdy, and plenty rough without being tankish.
 

ultraNoob

Yoshinoya Destroyer
Jan 20, 2007
4,504
1
Hills of Paradise
I'm all about getting a well built frame, building it with good components, and riding the piss out of it.


My HT frame is a Scott Reflex that I got for $100
 
Mar 4, 2003
145
0
Somewhere in Alabama
I used to ride an Evil Sovereign, and my buddy rides a Sinister Ridge. Both are incredible frames with unique riding experiences. They can be found on the used market for reasonable prices every now and then.
 

proglife

Monkey
Apr 18, 2002
339
0
Annapolis, MD
Here's one in DC, she's an oldie, but a goodie

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/bik/1210868758.html

Full bike you can strip out, frame is disc ready

http://annapolis.craigslist.org/bik/1197883743.html
thanks for the links. the cannondale looks a little XCish and the Fuji looks like a piece of **** :)

My Cove right now is speced out like this:

Z1 FR QR20
LX-XTR gear bits
Sun/Ringle/XT wheels
Thomson stem/post
Easton risers
Tioga DH 2.3's (def replacing)

hoping to swap most of the parts over and get a lighter fork on there


I used to ride an Evil Sovereign, and my buddy rides a Sinister Ridge. Both are incredible frames with unique riding experiences. They can be found on the used market for reasonable prices every now and then.
always thought the sovereign looked nice. i'm not sure how different those are than the Cove, though. maybe not enough of a difference?
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,942
13,135
Portland, OR
always thought the sovereign looked nice. i'm not sure how different those are than the Cove, though. maybe not enough of a difference?
What size is your Cove? I always thought they made nice trail bikes in the larger size so it's less dirt jumpy.
 

4xBoy

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2006
7,016
2,849
Minneapolis
the chameleon has always looked great on paper, but it looks really awkward for some reason. ever ridden one, stinkyboy?
You haven't been here long have you. :disgust1:


Yeah I am a hardtail rider, maybe someday I will join the FS crowd, just really don't see a reason.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,921
borcester rhymes
Hardtails are great because they've mostly been figured out by now. I bought a homegrown from like 01 and it's one of the best riding bikes I've ridden. Super quick, stiff in the right areas....granted it's a decidedly XC ride, but there's no reason you couldn't spend a day on it or at least treat it poorly. I wouldn't necessarily do huxx0rjibbs on it, but I'd be more worried about the wheels than the frame, and if you're freeriding, you're better off with the hardtail you have.

If you're dead set on a new frame, I suggest the new spookies...in particular the darkside. I've wanted one forever.
 

manhattanprjkt83

Rusty Trombone
Jul 10, 2003
9,644
1,214
Nilbog
the absolute best trailbike frame out there right now is the Transition Trans-Am, i have been riding this bike for the past 2 months and basically dont ride anything else in the stable. It is well priced and a rock on the trail and i have ridden both Evil's and Santa Cruz trail bike frames in the past:

 

proglife

Monkey
Apr 18, 2002
339
0
Annapolis, MD
If you're dead set on a new frame, I suggest the new spookies...in particular the darkside. I've wanted one forever.
definitely a top contender for me, but i'm leaning On One 456 right now, if only for price. The geometry seems like what I'm after and (superficially) I like the look of steel.

that Trans Am is hot! are they horizontal dropouts only? definitely want vertical dropouts
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
Everyone makes a hardtail.
Turner doesn't. :homer:


Spooky makes some awesome looking stuff, as has already been mentioned. I'm really hoping they bring the Metalhead back. A year or so ago they said they were working on it, but I haven't heard anything since. I'd also be looking at Chromag, they've got some very light steel hardtails, some with less XCish geometry than, say, a Darkside.
 

MMcG

Ride till you puke!
Dec 10, 2002
15,457
12
Burlington, Connecticut
Just lighten up your Cove frame.

Most of these frames people are showing you are basically in a similar niche as your Cove frame. Your fork is heavy - sell it and get something lighter. Get a lighter wheelset.

Ride on and smile.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
Just lighten up your Cove frame.

Most of these frames people are showing you are basically in a similar niche as your Cove frame. Your fork is heavy - sell it and get something lighter. Get a lighter wheelset.

Ride on and smile.
You're one to talk about bike whoring. :busted:
 

proglife

Monkey
Apr 18, 2002
339
0
Annapolis, MD
Just lighten up your Cove frame.

Most of these frames people are showing you are basically in a similar niche as your Cove frame. Your fork is heavy - sell it and get something lighter. Get a lighter wheelset.

Ride on and smile.
maybe a fork and wheels are a better way to go. any suggestions?

front wheel is Ringle 20mm disc/Singletrack. rear wheel is XT disc/Rhyno Lite XL. Is that front wheel relatively heavy?

what about forks? The Fox stuff is interesting, but I had one of the original Vanillas on this bike before the Z1 and it was noticeably less stiff than the Z1 (why I swapped it in the first place). What's up with the QR15? Do you need a 15mm hub?