Looking to build my first bike
 

Hey, I'm new to these forums, and I guess you could also say that about the biking scene. I have a few friends that happen to be into bikes, and they've pretty much sucked me into bikes too. I'm going to be building my first bike soon, and I'm debating between 2 full suspension frames right now, and any advice, and pointers regarding the two will be appreciated.

I like the Giant NRS frame, since it's incredibly light, although pricey. But, I'm also considering the K2 Tirade 5.0 frame- but I'm hearing that it's pretty heavy, and not so great to have when hitting the trail. I did a search already, but didn't find out too much. I was wondering if anyone had any input on the K2 Tirade 5.0, and the Giant NRS frames. Which one would you use for riding trails? What about jumping off stairs etc.?

For picture references:
K2 Tirade 5.0 Frame (7 lbs):
http://i17.ebayimg.com/04/i/04/e4/d8/96_1_b.JPG

Giant NRS Frame (5.5 lbs):
http://i12.ebayimg.com/02/i/04/91/4f/75_12_sb.JPG

Thanks in advance :D

from the looks the xtc is more a xc(cross country) frame, and the k2 looks like more a am(all-mountain) frame. i personally dont care about weight.

wil full suspensions it is really what type of riding you are doing, i would go with the k2 as long as you can lock the rear out for climbs

Thanks, unfortunately the frames I'm looking at now don't come with rear shocks with a lockout. I'll keep that in mind for my "to be purchased" list. A friend of mine told me to look at Jamis bikes too, and this is what I found. The rear shock doesn't have a lockout, but does anyone have any opinions on this one? (I have yet to do a search on this bike, will in a minute)

http://i17.ebayimg.com/02/i/04/e1/9e/ac_1_b.JPG

i wouldnt say lockout is a must, but with a bike that isnt really a good climber, you dont want all that bounce in there too. so the lockout will help. but with a good xc bike there will be minimal to no pedal bob.

i dont know that much about jamis so i cant say.

so your Building a new bike well i should say its kind of hard but you could cutomize it yourself
disc brakes,
10speeds
any thing
wheels ,shocks

I'm definitely doing disc brakes with calipers (to prevent any rotor bending), I've heard a lot of great things about them. I can't wait to test them myself. I'm not going for the 10 gear casette, although I'm keeping it in mind, I'm currently aiming for the 9 gear. As far as wheels go, I'm looking at some XT quality Mavics. Front shocks, I'm considering a Manitou Skarebs, but it really depends how much I can find them for. I'm interested in jumping with this bike a lot, so a good suspension is a must. I'm going to be purchasing the following frame (K2 Razorback) in a few hours ($320 shipped):

http://emerald.paccc.net/documents/bike/01.jpg
http://emerald.paccc.net/documents/bike/02.jpg
http://emerald.paccc.net/documents/bike/03.jpg
http://emerald.paccc.net/documents/bike/04.jpg
http://emerald.paccc.net/documents/bike/05.jpg

The area near the waterbottle holder mounts has cracked a little bit. He said it was due to the waterbottle being smacked around. The cracks haven't expanded in 2 years, so I don't believe this will present me with any sort of problem. Any opinions on this frame?

I don't know about the cracked frame... I'd say it's a no no, but that's your call. I'd go for the K2 Tirade.

run away...fast.

Agreed, I wouldn't go jumping with that frame, the same goes for Skarab forks too.

I would never buy a bike with a crack in it. IMO the frame needs to just be tossed if K2 won't warranty or offer a crash replacement.

Whoever suggested going 10 speed on the mtb I would avoid doing it. Mountain bikes bounce around way too much for 10 speed to be a good idea at this point. Ten speed is just too finicky (sorry, best word I could think of). Nine speed is tough enough to keep dialed in with the abuse most mountain bikers put their bikes thru.

I agree, you seem to be looking at some of the wrong products. The XTC and down are all cross country frames. Jump too much, and say good bye to your frame. I think you need to do a bit more research before you buy anything. ALso that frame with the crack is so very suspicious.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm going to take a look at some other frames, and also figure out exactly what I'm going to use this frame for. The fact that the cracks haven't expanded in 2 years keeps me thinking. I've also considered JB Welding it shut, but am pretty uncertain at the moment. I'm not looking for a "serious" jumping frame, but I do plan on going down steps a lot. I'm about to do a search, but any frames to consider?

your gonna pay 300 dollars for a frame with a crack in it? you have to rethink what you are considering! I bought a jamis dakar xlt 1.0 frame for 320 new. It came with an spv rear shock by manitou. Great shock no bob at all! The frame can take a beating. The frame looks like the jamis you have pictured up top but red and black. Think about what your gonna do` before you go out and buy something you will regret.

I'd lean towards that K2, looks like it has a nice aggressive geometry and would take a beating, just like my cousin's Kona Dawg with a Marzocchi Drop Off.

A buddy has the Jamis, and he loves it. It is a xc bike, but he hucks a little on it. He's 220, so he can't huck too hard or he'll need a new bike. Jamis makes some really nice stuff, and it's cheap. Maybe also try a Norco. Do NOT buy that Razorback. First of all, it's cracked. RED FLAG!!! Second, it's a xc race bike. It's not something you want to jump too hard...

Once again, THANKS everyone for all these replies. I was a bit disappointed at first, since I saw so many users, but got so few replies, but it's definitely picked up. This is a great place :)

Well here's my update. I was reading the "Read before posting questions" sticky, lol, and I've placed myself at a level 2 - level 3 rider (XC - Trailbike). That defintiely sounds like what I like to do. That and, jump off steps around campus. We're looking at 3 foot - 4 foot drops (at the most). The thread is helping me a lot. Thanks for suggesting frames- anything else is welcome, I'm considering:

Giant NRS
K2 Tirade
K2 Razorback

Anymore suggestions are welcome, I'm looking to make the best decision before purchasing anything.

I can't speak for the other two but if you start jumping the Giant of off steps you'll snap it. Its a XC bike pure and simple. If your looking at older Giant frames the VT or the AC would suit you better.

how big are you? they are selling a jamis on ebay right now. My bike can definatly take 5 foot jumps easy. I weigh 225

I guess I'm looking for a sturdy frame at the same time- so these superlight ones might be a bad idea? I was shooting for a mid 5 lbs frame. I'm thinking I should bump up to a 6 lbs, or 6.5 lbs frame since it just might be more structurally sound under the impact of a 3-4 foot jump and land (on concrete). Another important thing is I'm building this bike from scratch, I'd like to research, and pick out the parts I choose, I'm not interested in buying a premade bike, unless it's priced around 300, and is literally a steal. In which case, I would just sell the parts I didn't like etc. I'm a DIY person, and building from scratch is a must.

What frames should I be looking at for an XC/Trailriding/3-4 foot jump mix?

edit: I happen to weigh 140 lbs, and am 5'11". I'm going for an 18.5" frame.

you better have some fancy tools my man, bottom bracket, headset, and fork are not exactly something you should do if your not familiar with and dont have the right tools.
You shouldnt worry about a frame being in the 5 to 7 lb weight class because it also depends on the parts you put on. You just better hope you have an extra 700 bucks to get parts, and that being pretty cheap. You should check out pricepoint.com they have build kits.
If you get every part one by one and want to get the best stuff, your gonna go into the thousands of dollars believe me i was ther in your situation, its not a cheap hobby.

Your willing to get a cracked frame but not willing to get a used bike?

with your weight you can get a lot of bikes and do what you want, The new k2 frame would be fine, also the jamis too. dont get the cracked frame.

Thanks, tools will not be an issue, between the 5 of us, and GT Cycling, we should have what I need to handle this task. Hands on projects are the best :D. As far as parts go, cash isn't much of an issue either. I build some car parts while I'm on break from college, and I'm going to be making around $800 in a few weeks when I go home for October break- I beleive that'll be enough to buy the rest of the components (give or take a few that I can swap off my current bike). I've been to pricepoint before, and they've definitely helped me out. I'm going to be buying most of my parts used, and seperately on ebay, just so I can take my time, and pick out exactly what I want, and learn about it at the same time. I don't plan on getting all new parts. I don't have a problem with used bikes, except that I'd like to get the frame alone at the moment.

I was !considering! the cracked frame. I wouldn't have minded if it was still almost 100% structurally sound, or if there was a fix I could've done myself. But I guess not :(, good thing I posted about it.

jensonusa has jamis komodo frames for incredibly cheap on closeout.

I picked out a frame to go with after reading a ton of reviews (again, lol). I'm positive that this one will fill my needs:

2002 Giant AC Air
http://i11.ebayimg.com/02/i/04/ee/ba/74_3.JPG

well, it is a giant.

i would not buy a used frame, dont trust stuff like that.