axis vs poprad
 

Any thoughts on these two frames... I am 190 lbs and want this for both on and fairly agressive off road use

I love the Poprad. The frame is pretty awesome.
I think-not sure- the Bianchi is aluminum which might be better if you get larger sizes with your weight. I also think the Axis comes with better components.

As a frame only, I would go with the Poprad. Whole bike, Axis.

I work for a Bianchi Dealer so I can vouch for the Axis being a very trick cross bike. It is well spec'd and light - a great racer. The poprad is also a cool bike but it comes with low end components and is also a heavier frame overall. The poprad will ride smoother on long rides but the Axis is better for racing.

-Ryan

I think I'd agree with RacerX. I do not like the componentry on the Poprad, but the frame is great. I rode both the Axis and the Poprad and opted for the Poprad for the smoother feel. I found the Aluminum to be too harsh for my tastes. I bought the frameset, CK headset, Ritchie Pro stem/bars and Ritchie seatpost. Everything else I pulled from the used parts bin in the garage.

I don't race X-cross but like the idea of being able to do a route that mixes road and non-technical dirt.

I like the Poprad frame a lot, but the components are definitely low level. I have no experience with the Bianchi. Depending on availability for you, you might want to consider the Kona Jake the Snake as well. Works great for offroad technical singletrack and is comfortable on the road as well. It is aluminum so might be closer to the Axis in frame feel? That's what I went with, but due to the fact that I could not fit the Lemond very well. A frame that was the right size made me feel way too stretched out compared to the more compact feel of the Kona. The Lemond had a nice ride though.

I love my poprod although I did build it up myself with a lot of parts I already had (ultegra, dura-ace) I could not think of riding a aluiminum frame off road with no suspension, go with the poprod-Steel is Real!

For offroad use I wouldn't go with an alu. fork. I have heard them described as "brutal". However, the Axis is available with a carbon fork which I would have to beleive absorbs more shock than a straight blade steel fork. I wouldn't worry about alu. unless you are riding a very small frame. My alu. Empella rides as well (if not better) than my steel Bianchi did, but I ride a 63cm.

I agree heldveld, I think the fork has a lot to do with it too. My Jake actually rides smoother in the rough terrain than my Surly Crosscheck. The Jake is Aluminum w/ a steel fork and the Surly is a Reynolds 631 steel frame with a steel fork. Go figure, anyways, can't always dismiss aluminum as a bad ride, it depends on the frames. My frame sizes are 55cm for the Jake and 54cm for the Surly. A carbon fork would definitely dampen any vibrations felt on the trail too. There are a lot of nice cross frames out there and the Poprad is one of them. I just can't fit it very well so I stay away from it, but if it fits, it's a nice frame for sure.

I ride a 2001 LeMond Poprad. I bought it this last year and since it was last years model I got a huge price break. With the price break I had them rip off the entire drive train and replace it with all Shimano 105 components (including a triple crankset, which it didn't come with). It rides great in my opinion. I've done several centuries with it and I really love it. It's definitely not a racing bike. I'm more of a recreational rider and the bike is really great with open straight road. It does corner very well however. It's not the best at stand up sprints, feels a bit awkward.

Also the headset is already wearing out after 10 months (3000-3200 miles). And the wheelset that comes with it is not very good, IMHO. The brakes do not feel very strong, but they are adequate. They are cantilever (Avid Shorty 4). The front fork tends to flex on hard stops. I would definitely recommend the frame, but I'd replace the drivetrain with your favorite groupo, put a good headset on it (King, etc), a carbon fork, and your favorite wheelset. The frame only allows for cantilever brakes in the back so you'll have to live with those. The fork does too, but if you put your own fork on, then you can choose.

PBW