spectastic

I've got a chinese open mould frame that I want to sell because I don't want to ride it around campus, at the risk of people bumping their bikes onto mine. I want to sell it for $400. The problem is that I can't seem to find a cheaper replacement for this frame that's not heavy AF. there was the planet x london frameset that was going out for $250 shipped to the US, but it looks like they jacked up the price. nashbar is selling a cheap cross frameset, but it's 130 rear spacing, which none of the disc wheels use. So what am I left with? Am I pretty much stuck with my carbon frame for commuting and touring?

NormanF

Buy a hybrid that can take up to 45 c tires or buy a rigid 29er.

Your best bet is eBay for a complete bike.

Kopsis

I'll be mighty impressed if you can get $400 for a used open-mold CX frame. Not saying it's not worth it, just that people are really skeptical about used carbon and really skeptical about open-mold carbon. Put the two together and I think you'll be lucky to get $200.

Regardless of how one feels about open mold carbon, you really do have to go into it with the mindset that the frame is "disposable" and not some kind of long term investment. So since you're likely to take a big $ hit changing, I'd just ride it until it breaks. You'll probably find it's not nearly as fragile as you think it is (it's supposed to be able to handle CX racing after all). It will probably be lots of fun to ride and if you get a year or two out of it then it isn't a total loss.

himespau 

+1

tarwheel 

If you can increase your budget to about $500 for a frame and fork, you would have lots of nice options. Two that come to mind are the Soma Wolverine and Soma Saga disc.

Skankingbiker

State Thunderbird is $519. Takes discs

garciawork

Mt Traitor Wander frame was $280 on sale, $350 regularly. Just took it out on some singletrack and had a blast. Not light, but I have 20 lbs to lose, so who cares. And, since you are worried about durability, a little heft isn't a bad thing.

rms13

+2 on all accounts. It's a carbon frame not a glass frame. People bumping into it isn't going to break it. I'd be more concerned about theft since it probably looks much more expensive than it is. You already have that bike so riding it makes more sense than selling it for a loss and spending money a new frame where you will end up into it for the same money that you already have invested just to ride a lesser bike around.

ksryder

Kona Rove ST and Sutra framesets are about $550, +/- $50

rms13

So OP could spend $550, maybe get $200 selling his current frame and end up spending $350 and going through the hassle of tear down and build up (or paying someone else to do that) and end up with a bike that weights 5 lbs more. I still say ride the bike he has and worry about the frame if something actually happens to it

ksryder

The original inquiry was as to affordable cyclocross framesets with disc brake mounts. I happened to have priced Kona framesets recently so I added my knowledge. At no point did I make any statements pro or con regarding the OP's plan. I don't really care what the OP does in the long run. But if feel like you need to be right, then I agree. You're right about everything ever.

rms13

Sure. He also said he wanted to spend around $250 and not have a frame that's "heavy AF". Those frames are twice his budget and are heavy AF