bafrank

"I want a light bike but am concerned about the shock that aluminum delivers, even with carbon forks, for someone without enough density to just absorb big jolts, but steel is heavy and carbon is risky/ short lived when you beat it up as I plan to and I can only dream of being able to afford titanium."

Be patient. I ride a steel Sycip that I bought used of a woman who raced for them. I'm on the short side for a man (5'6"-5'7") and have similar problems finding frames. Just so you know, the after a recent overhaul she now weighs in under 17lbs (pretty light for steel), and is the fastest damn thing I have ever been on.

Overall, I think you're looking in the right direction a good CX frame will let you ride 30 miles to the trail head and still have fun in the woods. Be patient. Good luck.

msteather

thanks for the encouragement/ and advice!

that said, being patient is HARD!! Especially as I see a rare perfect MT summer around me and I recently completed work for our states Primary elections and no longer put in 18+ hour days and have the precious commodity of time to do things I enjoy .

Also I may post another thread as I'd love advice on preferences of frames other than moto people may have for a person like me. Wondering also if it might be fiscally prudent to buy a separate frame and sell the moto after scavengin all the components. 1000 for top of the line shimano and other nice bits sounds like quite the bargain. I was told by a friend of mine that the integrated head tube on the model I looked at was a HUGE nono.

I have pals that are in the male 5'6" range but they've got about 40% more wieght than I do and that couple of inches makes a difference in fit...

msteather

BTW, dang cycip looks NICE. Is it a pretty spendy route to go?

himespau 

I know it's probably not the route you want to go, but you mentioned you already have a mountain bike. If it's a rigid framed bike you could just throw some drop down bars on it and some cyclocross tires and you've almost got what you want and it's cheaper than waiting around to find someone put something up on craigslist (might take forever). Not exactly what you want and it'll be a lot heavier than a true cyclocross bike, but it'll still give you the sturdy frame with the drop down aerodynamics and the slightly reduced rolling friction. Sort of the route I took (though I bought mine already converted off the CL), and it's not for everyone (especially if you've got the cash to try something more), but it might be a quick solution to get you out on the trails/hills sooner...

mrtornadohead

msteather, while steel may be heavier than carbon or aluminum it really is not that heavy. Especially the nicer frames. And while carbon has some nice properties, the "immediate catastophic failure" is one that I'm not prepared to deal with so for now, I don't use carbon where I'm going to be beating it around - stem, steerer, bars.

Now finding a frame in your size. That's going to be the tricky part. Offhand, I think a Terry might be able to be designed right for you, or a custom from Sweatpea but this is a thread on inexpensive bikes.
Also, not so sure I'd buy a Moto CX bike to shuck and sell the frame/fork. The frame/forks don't have a high resale value so as long as you have in mind you might not get more than $150 for f/f, you're good.

AndrewP

If you think you might need a triple, you do. Look at the Windsor tourist which comes with the 32 mm tires. https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...rist.htm#specs The triple allows you to get a good range of gears, while keeping a tight cluster at the back, which makes for slick shifting.

msteather

Be patient. I ride a steel Sycip that I bought used of a woman who raced for them. I'm on the short side for a man (5'6"-5'7") and have similar problems finding frames. Just so you know, the after a recent overhaul she now weighs in under 17lbs (pretty light for steel), and is the fastest damn thing I have ever been on.

Overall, I think you're looking in the right direction a good CX frame will let you ride 30 miles to the trail head and still have fun in the woods. Be patient. Good luck.[/QUOTE]

Thanks so much for encouraging me. 17 llbs in steel is light! NOw I know that it's indeed possible. How much $$$ should i anticipate saving to accumulate such a prize for myself?

Does such an object come specifically from patience and building from the ground up?

I've been especially frustrated in that my LBS seem to sell shodilly built versions of the frames I like, or have been reviewed well that come in @ around 25 llbs. or do not carry items of interest at all.

It's especially difficult factoring in a womans shorter torso and small size.

I know I'm trying for a different sort of enjoyment from cycling than I'm accustomed to. It's also a challenge to really test out bikes right now as I'm in a walking cast from a broken ankle.

Lord Chambers

That bike is has 11-32 9speed cassette. If that qualifies as "tight" what do you call everything else?

himespau 

Youch...

I can imagine that would make it hard to test ride a new bike. I guess you do have something to force you to be patient.

Good luck with the hunt...

ted grant

the height difference between seat and handlebar is variable as much as 3 inches by using a 40 degree rise stem. I use one on a bike i have thats a medium (I should ride a large) beater bike and the position is exactly the same as my large bikes. you will need to recable though.

msteather

I really appreciate the support and encouragement.!!!!!

I feel that I can now understand the "bridezilla" phenom. I am obsessing over this bike as I've seen gals fret over a wedding. Which is funny because I've never ever cared so much about every little detail of a thing that wasn't a work project in my life.

I bet I'll be so happy to be riding again, on any bike, that all this will seem horrid in retrospect. But I do so want to love my new bike.

Thanks again for helping me figure out this complex puzzle.