Another which 29" frame / bike.

[The Reverend]

Having recently killed my Trek Fuel 29 frame I'm looking at replacements and I must admit I didn't think this would be that hard.

Me: 100kgs
193cms tall with 36" inseam (long legs and arms)

Riding: Lysterfield but prefer the very limited and select rowdier bits. Redhill, Buxton, Bright, YY's.
Definitely more trail than XC. The lycra & hardtail days are a distant memory.

I've already got a Remedy 27.5 set up at 160mm / 150mm and love it.

I'm now after a mid-long travel 29.
Reach at XL has to be 480+
Min travel at ~140mm as I've a 160mm fork. Granted I could drop it to 150 I believe but I'm disinclined to.

Would prefer threaded bb over PF.
I also have a 31.6mm seat post. Current Reverb.

It needs to pedal well (not for its class but generally) and not be a dedicated DH sled.

At the moment it just seems like compromises everywhere.

SCHLT - slack STA and too short chainstays, plus it's bound to be updated this year.

Intense Carbine - Press fit and mixed reviews for pedalling lighter trails.

Yeti 5.5 - 30.9 seat post, cost and bottle mounts. That's likely to get updated this year too.

Orbea Rallon - Stunning looking bike, reviews well and great geo. won't be here until July, eye watering cost.

RM Instinct BC edition - PF BB, 30.9 seat post, reviews well though.

Norco Range 29". Size specific rear centre, tubing and shock tune, countered by PF BB, not supposed to climb well,

Transition Sentinel - DH sled

Trek Slash - Enduro sled and slack STA plus PF BB and cost,

All Evil bikes have slacks STA's

Anyone got any other recommendations? I'm even tempted by the Banshee Prime but less so by the 2 yr warranty and I'm not sure if it's just going to be really heavy regardless of build...

It'd be great to hear from taller riders with their views. The STA issue is a real PITA as my long legs mean too much weight over the back wheel, coupled with short chainstays means horrid climbing.

Thanks in advance. I always thought I'd know exactly what I wanted but with my size it makes life a little more risky, especially as XL demos are like winning lottery tickets.

 

[Oddjob]

Secondhand Turner Sultan. I got one and you can't have it.

Canfield Toir. Alu, very boutique, direct import. 77 degree sta.

Ibis Mojo 3. 27.5+, carbon and threaded bb.

Pivot Switchblade. Carbon, pf bb, super boost 157mm rear.

Guerilla Gravity The Smash. Available locally, alu, switchable horst link. 76 degree sta.

Pole evolink 140. Threaded bb, 76 degree sta, loooong, available locally. You might even be able to test ride one in xl.

They all have 66-67 degree headangles which can be tweaked with angleset.

Apart from the GG all have a DW-link style sub frame so should climb well. I've never had much luck climbing with horst link.


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[Oddjob]

I wouldn't let the seat tube get in the way. A Brand x ascend is <$200 and more reliable than a Reverb.

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[The Reverend]

Secondhand Turner Sultan. I got one and you can't have it.

Canfield Toir. Alu, very boutique, direct import. 77 degree sta.

Ibis Mojo 3. 27.5+, carbon and threaded bb.

Pivot Switchblade. Carbon, pf bb, super boost 157mm rear.

Guerilla Gravity The Smash. Available locally, alu, switchable horst link. 76 degree sta.

Pole evolink 140. Threaded bb, 76 degree sta, loooong, available locally. You might even be able to test ride one in xl.

They all have 66-67 degree headangles which can be tweaked with angleset.

Apart from the GG all have a DW-link style sub frame so should climb well. I've never had much luck climbing with horst link.


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The Canfield is really nice. A friend has one (Riot) and loves it. Chainstays are a touch short for my tastes though and I don't think they have any XL's left.

No to the Ibis as it has comedy reach figures for XL and it's not 29".

No way I could agree to Superboost so the Switchblade stays on the bench.

The GG is an interesting alternative. I might look into that.
The view on Horst Link is what's on my mind too. The fact is that reviews always state that bikes climb like XC bikes and descend like DH bikes and when you get them home you realise that reviews can be full of lies and hype.

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[The Reverend]

I wouldn't let the seat tube get in the way. A Brand x ascend is <$200 and more reliable than a Reverb.

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That could be interesting, my Reverb is flawless but once I take it out of the Fuel frame and bleed it I'm sure it'll give me pause for thought. It's also only 125mm drop and something longer would be ideal.
Thanks!

 

[Zaf]

https://www.rotorburn.com/forums/in...-29er-large-frame-in-raw.311956/#post-3172216

Go and buy this!!!

 

[The Reverend]

https://www.rotorburn.com/forums/in...-29er-large-frame-in-raw.311956/#post-3172216

Go and buy this!!!

Interesting but the A-C max measurement is quite a bit less than the 160mm Lyrik I have planned for this bike.

No idea what they're like though but that finish is stunning! It's what I like about the Prime and Toir.

 

[Big JD]

Hey Rev- the endless search continues.

Few questions buddy

• Why do you need a mid travel 29er when you have a mid travel 27.5 that you really like.
  
• If you arent into HTs anymore - why not a short travel fun 29er. Transition looks good, Kona are really long, Specialized and SC do great XXLs
  
• Also you are taller than me- why you looking at XL. XXL for you my friend. You are a solid machine of a man too- so make sure you have good wheelset. I got some Nextie carbons built up on some old hubs and the difference is very clear over alloy.
  
• I have an XXL SC TBLTc which is exactly what you want- angles/ geo. I believe the new Tallboy is closer to the old LT.
• There is a Tallboy XXL frame for sale on here. The guy is in Woolongong and a pleasure to deal with.
• You can change your fork length for about $80
• What happened to your Fuel carbon frame? I found it a little flexy which is not ideal for giant mountain men
  
• You are welcome to borrow mine for a spin. Happy to meet you for a ride and swap.

So many questions........................

 

[Zaf]

Interesting but the A-C max measurement is quite a bit less than the 160mm Lyrik I have planned for this bike.

No idea what they're like though but that finish is stunning! It's what I like about the Prime and Toir.

Get a shorter airspring for the Lyric? You've got the Remedy on hand for a long fork bike, this would be an amazing switch from a Fuel.

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[The Reverend]

Hey Rev- the endless search continues.

Few questions buddy

• Why do you need a mid travel 29er when you have a mid travel 27.5 that you really like.
  
• If you arent into HTs anymore - why not a short travel fun 29er. Transition looks good, Kona are really long, Specialized and SC do great XXLs
  
• Also you are taller than me- why you looking at XL. XXL for you my friend. You are a solid machine of a man too- so make sure you have good wheelset. I got some Nextie carbons built up on some old hubs and the difference is very clear over alloy.
  
• I have an XXL SC TBLTc which is exactly what you want- angles/ geo. I believe the new Tallboy is closer to the old LT.
• There is a Tallboy XXL frame for sale on here. The guy is in Woolongong and a pleasure to deal with.
• You can change your fork length for about $80
• What happened to your Fuel carbon frame? I found it a little flexy which is not ideal for giant mountain men
  
• You are welcome to borrow mine for a spin. Happy to meet you for a ride and swap.

So many questions........................

Hey JD, good to hear from you.
The Fuel, which I was loving had an incident with a tree on Follow Me and came off second best.
The underside of the down tube at the HT junction collapsed like it was made of tissue paper.

So, replacement 29" time.
I've a set of 140mm Fox 34's with Fast Cartridge damper in it but felt like I'd like something sturdier.
I saw a and bought set of Lyriks and so I thought it'd have to be something reasonably big / robust.

XXL frame size would work but I don't want some huge behemoth because almost all brands only lengthen the front centre which makes for unbalanced bikes. It makes uphill switchbacks painful.

I tried an XL OGHT and due to the faulty shock I hated every second on that bike. The STA was too slack and the chainstays super short making for a fidgety ride.

The Remedy is great and I'd like a 29" for the general feel and roll over.

It feels like there is a compromise I need to make,
Either PF BB, bottle cage placement, buying another seat post or living with short chainstays/ slack STA's.

Some are going to be painful on occasion and others all the time.

I did try a mates XL HTLT which was lovely but it's easy to get swayed by brand and travel. His shock, an X2 hosed all over the shonky one on the OG.

I don't want two bikes doing the same thing but like you I did find the Fuel to be flexy. I've a set of carbon wheels to go on it which are superb so I'm good there too.

Decisions decisions....

Thanks for the offer on the TB btw, it's very kind of you. I'm after robust and more travel. :^)

 

[The Reverend]

Get a shorter airspring for the Lyric? You've got the Remedy on hand for a long fork bike, this would be an amazing switch from a Fuel.

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Agreed. I'm not looking to replicate the Fuel, as with most people, my riding is changing and whilst I don't want some quasi DH / Enduro sled, I want robust and more fun.

Getting the balance of what to keep bs what to leave is a real challenge.

The air spring change is simple and inexpensive so it's something I'm prepared to consider too.
I fully understand I'm being a little bit "selective".

 

[FatMuz]

Interesting but the A-C max measurement is quite a bit less than the 160mm Lyrik I have planned for this bike.

No idea what they're like though but that finish is stunning! It's what I like about the Prime and Toir.

If I was rebuilding my Nicolai G13 I’d be running it with a 150 mm fork. As an extra, Mojo in the UK will sell you a modified Fox coil shock for the G13, increasing travel to 148 or something around that. I went from a 160 mm travel Evil Wreckoning to the Nicolai. The Nicolai is more stable, just as capable on the downhills and is a better climber. I loved the Evil Wreckoning (and the Following I had before that) but just couldn’t live with the slack seat tube angles. The Nicolai is very comfortable to pedal all day...even with my dodgy knees (4 knee ops).

 

[Oddjob]

If you're worried about chainstay length then the Pole evolink is the bike for you. Tight uphill switchbacks would be tricky though.

I know you think the Banshee Prime might be heavy but given your weight and what you're asking the bike to do...

A Liteville 301 in xxl accepts 29er, can be run at 140 or 160mm, 10 year warranty...

Another thing to consider is that you can use offset bushings and an angleset to play around with ha and sta.



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[The Reverend]

Thanks @Oddjob and @FatMuz, there will be much staring at the internet over the coming days!

 

[Oddjob]

Ps I've got a xl Liteville 301 mk13 (the current model is mk14) running DVO suspension and forks in Sydney. It hasn't been built up yet, but I could put it together if you want to test ride it. We could also test if a 29 wheel will fit in an xl.

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[Nambra]

Throwing the Rocky Mountain Pipeline or Whyte 150 into the fray too Reverend...

It's a shame you had a dicky shock on the OGHT - my demo experience on one was different to yours. Suspect that it's not so much a geometry issue as having a shock that suits the rider and riding style. Can't go past SC warranty either.

 

[The Reverend]

You're too kind fella. Many thanks indeed. Let me look onto it first to see if it's a contender before asking you to faff about fitting wheels on. :^)

 

[The Reverend]

Throwing the Rocky Mountain Pipeline or Whyte 150 into the fray too Reverend...

It's a shame you had a dicky shock on the OGHT - my demo experience on one was different to yours. Suspect that it's not so much a geometry issue as having a shock that suits the rider and riding style. Can't go past SC warranty either.

I'm gutted over the OGHT / LT. I'm tempted to try again but I feel there are better options for less $$$ too.

The Whyte is a left field suggestion. Thanks!

@Oddjob that Liteville is a touch too boutique for me I think, whilst I feel the geometry approach is good (size specific rear centre) the different sized wheels is a non starter. Thanks though!

 

[hifiandmtb]

The Rev is a fussy bugger.










Which is good

 

[The Reverend]

I prefer the term "precise" :^)

Believe me, I know I'm asking for a lot. Interestingly I didn't put anywhere near this much effort into the Remedy and it's a wicked bike. But in the past I've thrown the dice and landed on a right hound, which I'd like to avoid this time around.