Originally Posted by
HuffyMaster3000
I've been lurking but I'm new here.
I am looking to build a bike; MTB/commuter/ trail with hard tail.
I'm not sure if I want to go with steel,alloy or ti; it depends on which frames the coop has.
I'm looking for a late 90's to mid 2000's frame with aggressive geometry. I'm not really looking for comfort just light weight.
I don't really want to spend more than $100 but I'm not expecting to find one more that that where I'm looking.
When it comes to steel I don't know witch frames are double and triple butted. I know stumpjumpers and some jamis are but what about scotts, GT, pacific, bridge stone, etc.
I know there's steel used in frames like columbus and reynolds but how you determine quality when you are at a coop looking at random frames.
Many frames have decals that advertise the material used and butting.
Really though, that says nothing.
- Double butted tubing is not inherently better or worse than triple butted tubing.
- Two tubes could both be double butted yet weigh and perform differently due to the butting profiles.
- There are a couple ways to claim a tube is triple butted, which changes meaning and reduces importance(it was already pretty unimportant).
Do not buy a bike that is triple butted instead of one that is double butted just because it has 1 more butt. That makes no sense and it ignores actual important reasons to purchase a frame.
Most production bikes from the 80s have Tange, Ishiwata, Reynolds, or Columbus tubing. None of those brands are better or worse than the others. Tange offered a wide range of tubing and butting profiles, for example.
For what you want to spend, just go buy a frame you think is cool and will fit. That should be the priority.