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urban ss frame?

vtrider

Monkey
Apr 11, 2005
150
0
vermont
im lookin to get into the ss scene, and i need suggestions on a frame. i would be riding mostly urban/park, with some djing thrown into there. any ideas?
 

arboc!

Turbo Monkey
Dec 18, 2004
3,288
0
spokane, WA
im kind-of ify about those frames. its a great frame, but i think $550 is a bit steep when the p.1 with the exact same frame is $700
 

Niall

Chimp
May 16, 2005
28
0
Olympia, WA
My number one suggestion would be an azonic steelhead frame. It's a bombproof frame built up around the basis of urban/park/dirtjump riding. it has replacable dropouts in case you decide that singlespeeding is not for you, and best of all it retails somewhere in the range of $350 (depending on where you get it.

second suggestion would be the surly instigator. built entirely with the purpose of urban riding in mind, it is a little pricier, but certainly a solid bike

third suggestion would be a mountain cycle rumble. this one is aluminum, but is totally burly so it will be a little more rigid than the others however beware of older models (2003 has known frame defects) and if you expect to break it make sure you have your original receipt of purchase on hand, cause mountain cycle won't do squat for you without it. It is also pricier that the two afforementioned frames. all that aside, it is a tatal blast to ride.
 

vtrider

Monkey
Apr 11, 2005
150
0
vermont
price really isnt too much of in issue, i rode my friends ss at a skate park with a z150 up front, and im hooked. :drool:
 

arboc!

Turbo Monkey
Dec 18, 2004
3,288
0
spokane, WA
you can follow the rm crowd and get an evil doc, also look at p.3 frame, stp frame, kona cowan, rocky mountain flow, and the steel head (great deal).
i wouldnt ride a z150 in the front that a bit long... look into some shorter travel forks 80-130 mm. and dont get a manitou stance, what ever you do
 
Jan 18, 2005
14
0
dirty jersey
i did the p2 thing for a bit... was just getting into it, got a "long" because i was so used to how an xc bike felt.... needless to say my short ass couldn't get the front end off teh ground to save my life, so i bought a steelhead frame that fits and swapped all the parts over, going SS in the process.
i like both bikes a lot, would gladly suggest either of them, or a DOC, geekhouse, etc, but those are much pricier. can't really go wrong... unless you're short, then pay a bit more attention to geometries. - and if u'r not, i've got a great deal on a p frame for u ;)
 

arboc!

Turbo Monkey
Dec 18, 2004
3,288
0
spokane, WA
i find the p. bikes are better for people coming from bmx or riding smaller bikes. and bike like the steel head are better for people who have been riding maintain bikes a while. i rode bmx for several years and found my self right at home on my p.1, but not being able to jump my friends mtbs
 

vwmtnbiker

Monkey
May 15, 2004
129
0
manasscrack
planet x pitbull, i made mine a single recently and wouldnt go back to a geared bike for urban riding. the bike is just so tossable. little on the heavy side at 7lbs for the frame alone. and the '05 model has horizontal drops so no need for a crappy tensioner
 

vtrider

Monkey
Apr 11, 2005
150
0
vermont
yeah im def. not short, at 6'0 and 185 lbs, pretty big guy actually.
i am, however, used to heavy mtb geometry. would a p. series be awkward after that?
 

arboc!

Turbo Monkey
Dec 18, 2004
3,288
0
spokane, WA
well its about feel, these arent large frames (even the long) so go to the shop and do the p. lot test... its all about feel, not all people fall into classifications people give... every one is different
 

mikeG

Chimp
Nov 14, 2004
77
0
Menlo Park, CA
I just built up a Black Market MOB. I went with the long and I am 6'2 and it feels great. I have been DJing quite a bit and I have been to the skate park a few times and it works great. The geometry is perfect for what you want to do. I run a 100mm fork & the bike feels well balanced and will work great for both Street & DJ. I prefer steel over aluminum.

Check out...

www.blackmarketbikes.com
 

corey_rideDC

Turbo Monkey
Sep 1, 2004
1,368
0
DCmetro
the rennen rollenlager is a the best friggin tensioner out there... especially for riding street or djs. i've bent and broken countless derailleurs and tensioners by grinding them to death or catching them on a crack during a grind. the rollenlager hasn't budged.



STP + 100mm DJ3 ... super budget ride, but it's the best bike i've ever owned.

 

skajumper

Chimp
Mar 22, 2005
66
0
vtrider said:
yeah im def. not short, at 6'0 and 185 lbs, pretty big guy actually.
i am, however, used to heavy mtb geometry. would a p. series be awkward after that?
Hmm, well i wouldnt rule out a smaller frame. Im 6'0 and weigh about 150 lbs and i ride an XS mongoose thunderball for Dirt Jumps, Urban and Trails. I love the **** out of it! I find it easier to ride than my friends medium frame. So yeah, i guess that just shows its about your own personall prefence and feel for the bike. Be sure to ride it before you buy it! :thumb:
Tell us when you get it and what you end up getting!
 

pxmd

Chimp
Jan 31, 2005
9
0
The Trailstar is a nice jack of all trades hardtail (DJ/FR/urban). It's steel and has a great solid feel to it. A bit cheaper than the PX, and has a more solid feel to it than the P1s. I've been riding one for a while that I'm looking to sell or trade since I haven't been jumping much lately (in case anyone is interested). It's definitely worth considering if you can get your hands on one. I always like trying out bikes like that before buying them.
 

boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
7,887
6,180
Yakistan
corey_dcstreet said:
the rennen rollenlager is a the best friggin tensioner out there... especially for riding street or djs. i've bent and broken countless derailleurs and tensioners by grinding them to death or catching them on a crack during a grind. the rollenlager hasn't budged.
that looks better than my singulator..... whered you score that thing?


theres this frame somewhere out there called the jibster, i dont know who makes them. But i rode one once and it kicked ass. Felt great. I was jumping it smoothly after 10 minutes. The most interesting part about it was that the rear triangle was interchangable for either horizontal or mtb dropouts. I also have a friend that builds custom steel frames that are very badass. Its called Simple Bike Company. There was a pic of one of his frames in the issue of decline that covered the Gathering, a contest up in Renton WA. It was orange.
 

vallEbikes

Monkey
Oct 20, 2004
252
0
amherst mass
i have a sinister DNA an i love it, but ive also heard good things about blkmrkt.
they are both quality frames, made in the usa but sinister is made by ftw so tha automaticaly gives it the upper hand for me.
 

zahgurim

Underwater monkey
Mar 9, 2005
1,100
12
lolAsia
I am more than happy with my Identiti 666. Solid 4130 frame, and adjustable drops make it awesome to SS. Bmx BB is strong as fook, too.

 

JTVW

Monkey
Jun 17, 2004
373
0
somewhere hot
Evil DOC or Black Market Mob
both are built and designed really well, and have really good geometry
they really are BMX bikes with big wheels, if that's what your looking for (which you should be)
 

Strakar

Monkey
Nov 17, 2001
148
0
Portugal
I have an Endless Lifetime, and I love it to death. Great handling, quick yet composed, and incredible worksmanship. Mind you it's a 24" rear wheel only frame. I've seen some very good deals at the buy and sell forum... (I have no relation to the sellers, in fact I live in a different continent :) ).

I'd look at the 243 offerings too, and if money is not a problem, I'd check Curtis UK, they build some of the nicest frames around.
 

erastusboy

Monkey
Mar 5, 2003
470
0
i have been looking for exactly what you are for a long time (with a little bit more specific ideas) and i found that almost every high end dj/urban frame has drop outs that are horizontal in atleast some sense. so figure out what kind of geo you want. and the more boutique steel frames are what i would recommend. it might just be in your head but they really do inspire more confidence.