Mountain Biking - Steel Hardtail - Kelly, almost gone!

Just ordered one of the few remaining Kelly hardtail Deluxes today. For those old mountain bikers out there (yes, mountain bikers- not free ride, DH, mountain, whatever you want to call it...) you know about Kelly.
He has eight frames left for $499, normally $1100. No shipping and no tax (for WA at least).
The frame is made out of this interesting material called steel.
Time to build her up!!!

I'm thinking I should have purchased three of them.
After talking with Chris Kelly on the phone for half hour, I would say more good things about his bikes/company, but I proabably should wait until I get it, which should be in 2-3 days.

Kellys are ok, but in that price range, I'd sooner save up a bit more and get an Independent Fabrications frame instead. $499 is a nice deal though.

On a side note, this bashing on freeride and downhill is getting really annoying. If you have never tried it, do not knock it, you are liable to really like it.

I also find it ironic that one of the best xc racers of all time was a pro downhiller. Does a certain John Tomac come to mind?

Why are you excited about buying a run of the mill steel frame from a welder who has gone out of business?

I don't get it.

You are completely correct.
I apologize for any bashing for there is WAY too much of that on this forum and I certainly do not want to be part of that. I very seldomly post anything here and was just making light of the changing sport (with buying a steel frame and all) and was not aware of any bashing. Yes, Tomac is an amazing rider, if not the most amazing in the sport along with Ned and Tinker.
Correct again, I would love a new IF, but for $499, they are hard to come by and so hopefully I will be satisfied with my Kelly.

On a side note, this bashing on freeride and downhill is getting really annoying. If you have never tried it, do not knock it, you are liable to really like it.


I think the mountain bikers here who have been riding for 15 or 20 years, have done xc, downhill, freeride, and anything else.. we just call it mountain biking, and we do it on the same bike.

I think the mountain bikers here who have been riding for 15 or 20 years, have done xc, downhill, freeride, and anything else.. we just call it mountain biking, and we do it on the same bike.

You assume too much.

You assume too much.

Probably.

I just think that before mountain biking was broken down into specialties by marketing departments, we did whatever we could on our bikes, and didn't limit ourselves to what our bike was designed (marketed) for. Just look at some of the current threads here.. people worried about taking their hardtail off a 1 foot drop.

Just look at some of the current threads here.. people worried about taking their hardtail off a 1 foot drop.

Those threads are truly stupid but when I'm riding my 43 pound, 8"/8" , bike with a super slack head angle, I don't consider myself to be riding "XC."

Those threads are truly stupid but when I'm riding my 43 pound, 8"/8" , bike with a super slack head angle, I don't consider myself to be riding "XC."

Hijack: Kristian and I may be heading over to visit Tim for a week or so, mid September. Happenstance has given Tim and I the same week off. If you don't already have a trip going, head on over with that big bike.

For the OP: Kelly made some nice frames. That's a good deal on one, just remember should anything happen to it, you're likely SOL. Try to really be sure on the sizing before you plunk down the money just because it's a good deal.

To hell with the naysayers. $500 for a new OX Platinum frame is a nice deal indeed, and Kelly makes some good stuff. Man, if I hadn't just spent a load of dough on a new fork, I'd be real tempted to pick one up myself (FWIW, my current 4 bikes are all steel).

So do you know what you're going to build it up with yet? And remember, we need pics!

Personally, I never say "i'm going freeriding", nor do I say "I ride a freeride bike".

I go mountain biking and I ride a mountain bike.

Those threads are truly stupid but when I'm riding my 43 pound, 8"/8" , bike with a super slack head angle, I don't consider myself to be riding "XC."

Of course not, but if you were out on a hardtail, would you walk your bike down the hills, or walk it off the 1' drops?

My point is, I can ride the same trails on my hardtail that you can ride on your 43 pound, 8"/8" bike.. not necessarily as fast or easy, but I can ride them. KonaRider was suggesting that someone who rides "xc" doesn't ride down hills or do any "freeriding", which is ridiculous.

My point is, I can ride the same trails on my hardtail that you can ride on your 43 pound, 8"/8" bike.. not necessarily as fast or easy, but I can ride them.

That's a mighty big assumption that would be very funny to see you try to prove.

Seriously, do you have any concept of the technical difficulty of trails like Pink Starfish, Flying Circus, (insert many other trail names here)?

Maybe our defintion of "ride" differs greatly.

Flying Circus is one of the few trails I would even consider a fully for.

I mountain bike. Today, I've done shore, XC, DH, and street trials all in the same day on the same bike. Differences exist, but bikes can be used for more than one thing.

To the OP, I have a freeride hardtail, and guess what, IT'S STEEL!

And KonaRider, Guns'n'Roses kick ass.

And Hank, people like you piss me off, they're so arogent(sp). They think they know everything and think they're better then anything and everything out there. Guess what, alot of people think they are so OMG HARDCORE they can justify the 8/8 bike, when it can still be done on a hardtail. At the local hills I show up people on Demo's all day on my Steelhead, I keep up with pro riders like Vanderham and Schley on our hills. you dont NEED a fully for damn near any trails, it's just nice to have.

That's a mighty big assumption that would be very funny to see you try to prove.

Seriously, do you have any concept of the technical difficulty of trails like Pink Starfish, Flying Circus, (insert many other trail names here)?

Maybe our defintion of "ride" differs greatly.

I said "not necessarily as fast or easy". It probably would be funny. I'm not saying I am a better rider than you or anyone I haven't ridden with.. except Pheard, I am just saying its the rider, not the bike.

I said "not necessarily as fast or easy". It probably would be funny.

Staying upright on those trails, i.e "riding" them on a short travel XC hardtail with a steep head angle would be a challenge for incredibly gifted freerider types who are intimately familiar with the big drops and stunts that litter those kinds of routes.

That was my point.

Different weapons for different challenges.

From reading some his previous posts, if Hank "doesn't get it", that makes me feel that much better about my purchase! Maybe one day-- he will get it.

Obviously it has no warranty, but if it breaks, I can easily have one of the local steel frame manufactures fix it and still be WAY under the original price.

Peek the Geek. I almost was going to get a Rockhoud (my brother has one a loves it) until this Kelly deal came up. I'm pretty old school so still working on how to build it up. My friend has a two-year old SID that needs a new seal that he said he would give me. From what people say, Juicy Sevens are the way to go...
I would like to keep the total price under $2500 (and weight under 25lbs) and with eBay, I think I can do it.

For $499 (no tax and no shipping), what frames are magical?

call me ******** or whatever, but wtf is a "steep head angle".

I know what the handlebar heads are, but is a steep angle referring to a long forward rake (making the rider lean farther forward) or does it refer to a more upright positioning?

I mountain bike. Today, I've done shore, XC, DH, and street trials all in the same day on the same bike. Differences exist, but bikes can be used for more than one thing.

Hell yeah dude. I can see the advantage to having a purpose-built bike, but I'd rather not have 15 different bikes to learn.

I wanted ONE bike that I could get to know, and that was capable of doing just about anything I wanted it to do.

I remember the old days where I would take a cheapo rigid chromoly from wal-mart and ride the SHIAT out if it until I completely trashed it. It got to the point where I would actually keep spare forks with me in case I bent one. I would simply reuse my higher-end components like derailleurs and brakes, etc on different frames.

I would do stuff on those bikes that would make me cringe today.

To say that a bike is only good for one thing, and one thing only is pretty ignorant. I agree with you totally on this.

don't let Hank, Rank, John, (whatever other name he can come up) get to you.

You get used to him. He likes to bash on new posters to the website. Makes him feel superior. We've tried to get rid of him, but he refuses to leave!

head tube angles describe the angle that the head tube makes with the ground.

They vary anywhere between low sixties and the low seventies.


Steep head tube angle (example 71 degrees) on xc bikes makes for quicker handling, better climbing, and a twitchy feeling. but make extreme technical riding really difficult compared to slacker head tube angles (example 63 degrees).

head tube angles describe the angle that the head tube makes with the ground.

They vary anywhere between low sixties and the low seventies.


Steep head tube angle (example 71 degrees) on xc bikes makes for quicker handling, better climbing, and a twitchy feeling. but make extreme technical riding really difficult compared to slacker head tube angles (example 63 degrees).


I dont think I'm getting it (brain drain from anatomy and physiology class).

angle is measured as opposed to horozontal right? The headset on my Kona cants upwards slightly...so that would be a slight angle correct?

the angle would be the angle from the top of the headset, through the steerer tube, through the end of the fork to an imaginary point on the ground. 90 degrees would be a fork that is vertical, and zero degrees would be a fork laying on the ground.

So imageine the fork at 90 degrees (vertical) and tilt the steerer tube towards the back of the bike 20 degrees. There you have a xc style (steep)headtube able. Another 7 degrees or so, and you have a slacker head tube, more downhill head tube angle

See, I don't get upset, I just delete Hanks, Ranks, John's post.

It's fun AND easy!

See, I don't get upset, I just delete Hanks, Ranks, John's post.

It's fun AND easy!

Wow that is really lame. You are acting like a power tripping high school principal. You are deleting posts just because they offend you. When did BikeForums become a fascist dictatorship?

When posters like Hank, Rank, John Galt won't follow the rules and purposely insult other members after being asked nicely to stop.

Then, after being banned after numerous offenses, re signs and continues in his rule breaking ways.

When posters like Hank, Rank, John Galt won't follow the rules and purposely insult other members after being asked nicely to stop.

Then, after being banned after numerous offenses, re signs and continues in his rule breaking ways.

He turned me into a newt!

See, I don't get upset, I just delete Hanks, Ranks, John's post.

It's fun AND easy!


You can delete posts? Automatically, so I never have to see them? From a particular person? I notice there are a lot of helpful people on this forum, but unfortunately, there are just as many annoying, post pubescent, neophytes that have nothing constructive to say.

Wow that is really lame. You are acting like a power tripping high school principal. You are deleting posts just because they offend you. When did BikeForums become a fascist dictatorship?
Why would the staff at a privately owned site be able to do that! ludicrous I tell you!

Wow that is really lame. You are acting like a power tripping high school principal. You are deleting posts just because they offend you. When did BikeForums become a fascist dictatorship?


Most of his post don't offend me, they just break the rules. As a moderator, part of my responsibility is to maintain these rules. Mael, Kona and I are usually pretty lax and let a lot of things slide, but when there is a blatant situation and a member who purposely attacks, then we put on our "Mod" badges and remove the offensive posts.

Hey John, err Pete, I can only keep deleting your posts until 5:00 p.m. e.s.t. after which, you childish behavior will be public.

Why would the staff at a privately owned site be able to do that! ludicrous I tell you!

you're the biggest hypocrite on here:


The mods played into all the whiny wh0res who complain more than my mother.


If by stating my opinion I'm whining, then label me a whiner.


I'm sick of these kind of situations where the side thats complaining get their way. It's completely unfair and total bullshlt.


Goodnight! enjoy the ban. Good luck with getting around the ban, see you in a few

You don't think I get warned for the things I say? I'm one warn from a permanent ban buddy, don't see me complaining.

Nice job mixing up multiple posts, from multiple situations without anyone knowing what they are about.