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-   -   In YOUR Opinion... (https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-biking/87856-your-opinion.html)

incipit 02-12-05 10:05 AM

What is the best frame designed for XC... Strength, Geometry, Etc...

Reasonable choices though... $2k and up frames constitute as UNreasonable.

We are talking about frames attainable by the average working man... :D

Other than that No Holds Barred...

skiahh 02-12-05 01:00 PM

Given that I bought a Specialized Epic, that's where my vote goes. I think the S-works frame lists for just under $2K and you can probably get a couple hundred knocked off that; I did.

phantomcow2 02-12-05 01:20 PM

welll i dont know about the BEST frame, but certainly of high quality and affordable. That is the Leader LD515. I was not expecting much when i got it but i was very much surprised. try google and you will find their site, its not overly heavy. I htink the 21" for 05 is 3.6 pounds, with all things considered thats not too bad

jeff williams 02-12-05 02:00 PM

2 Attachment(s)
Let the slaughter begin.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

Good pictures on ebay.

If I was flush, I'd be bidding. 3 lbs 12.5 oz proprietary Chromoly. This is not much lower than new, say 850$ showroom I think.
No complete builds available.

On the second picture, notice the round seattube is ovaled and flared where it meets the bb, this reduces flexing and a smaller diameter seattube can be used.
Also the seatstay\ seattube join is fillet brazed.

phantomcow2 02-12-05 02:53 PM

ooh thats nice frame. I think Ritchey makes some of the best components, i want to try their frame at some point

DjRider04 02-12-05 03:15 PM

Scott carbon or the new Turner that weighs something nutty like 4.5lbs.

jeff williams 02-12-05 03:25 PM


Originally Posted by phantomcow2
ooh thats nice frame. I think Ritchey makes some of the best components, i want to try their frame at some point

You might like to browse this site. Check post 90's p-20-23 series. They are worth tracking down and rebuilding.
Nice bike http://www.oldmountainbikes.com/cgi-....cgi?bike=7P39
The site http://www.oldmountainbikes.com/index.html

The Project series frames often can be found around $300.
Beware of over used frames, this is the original racer, could be a noodle if raced several seasons.
I beleve NORBA 90-93 wins were on P-series bikes.

skunkty14 02-12-05 03:27 PM


Originally Posted by jeff williams
Let the slaughter begin.

I won't be one to "slaughter" that opinion. That is a beautiful frame anyway you cut it, especially if you like CrMo. I've been thinking of going back to a hardtail for my next bike, so maybe that will be a contender. My first 3 MTBs were all steel of one form or another, the last one was nice CrMo, flexed a little but I loved it. To bad it was stolen from a friend in NYC (it was his at the point, he bought off me <u>very</u> cheap.

Otherwise, my vote(s) would probably go for Specialized Epic, SC Blur, Klein Attitude......this is starting to read like my current list for next frames, better stop now :p

skunkty14 02-12-05 03:41 PM

You should jump over to the road forum if you haven't ever and check out the "steel is real" vs. every other frame material discussions. Never seems to end :p.


Sub 20lb CrMo would be amazing, you'd be required to race that by some rule somewhere I'm sure.

incipit 02-12-05 05:14 PM

I honestly feel the whole steel thing is just hype... but until I spend a long time on Aluminum then switch to a comparable steel rig I'll never know for sure. I'm a big guy and I think that there will be too much flex in a steel bike for me... could be wrong though.

seely 02-12-05 09:06 PM

One terrible XC frame is the Kona Kula. Terrible geometry... 69deg headtube angle with an 80mm fork... what the heck were they thinking?

phantomcow2 02-12-05 09:12 PM


Originally Posted by seely
One terrible XC frame is the Kona Kula. Terrible geometry... 69deg headtube angle with an 80mm fork... what the heck were they thinking?

it is kind of strange for an XC bike i will say.
http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/...Kula-bikes.jpg

cryogenic 02-13-05 05:30 AM

that just looks all sorts of wrong. Very strange angles for sure. My hardrock is 70 degrees with a 100mm fork. That Ritchey above is 71.5 degrees.

incipit 02-13-05 06:57 AM

Reason I'm asking is that I rode my done up Trek 4500 and Specializedman's stock Hardrock Pro Disk back to back and although my Trek is 2lbs lighter his Hardrock felt Lighter than mine while riding, and just seemed more responsive as well. I'm guessing that it's due to the bikes geometry advantage or something. I just felt faster on the HR than my Trek, and would like to shop around for a HOT performing frameset.

KrisA 02-13-05 11:00 AM

I agree the Kula sucks... for flat borring easy XC courses. The short, slopping top tube geometry is GREAT for technical singletrack, I've never heard ANYONE complain about how the Kona/Rocky Mountain/Dekerf etc geometry does not RULE in tight technical singletrack and especially going down. One of our best local racers just switched from Kona sponsorship to Specialized, went from a Kula Deluxe to a S-Works Epic. His opinion is that the Kona handles much much much better in ANY technical environment DESPITE being a hardtail. He says his downhill performance has been compromised on the Epic, but likely makes up for it whith the higher spec of his new bike in the borring secions.

As for my oppinion on what the best frame is... I'll take one of these please:

http://www.bikes.com/bikes/2005/vertex/vertex-tsc.aspx

hooligan 02-13-05 11:56 AM

Whos the one who bought a King Kula, or something like that, earlier this year?

seely 02-13-05 10:26 PM

My friend Jordan did... maybe he posts on here? Anyways he just sold his King Kula partly because it handled so poorly with the 69deg head tube angle. My Cindercone was the same way when I went to an 80mm fork, and wouldn't climb worth crap, and felt twitchy on the descents. My Stumpjumper by comparison is 71 or 72 and is extremely sharp in the technical, and stable on the descents. Best bike I've owned, hands down.

cryogenic 02-13-05 11:03 PM

I've found my hardrock actually handles technical switchbacks pretty well... I have no complaints about the geometry.

Dannihilator 02-14-05 12:10 AM

You have to remember where Kona is located. Not defending the Kula, as for all, I'm not a xc person, I'm a freerider. But when I'm out trail riding with other people where I may lose distance on flat smooth surface, I always catch up in the rough sections.


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