Walter

I know this has been asked about and yes, I know there is a search function but I really don't care. Well, I do but not alot.....

I have a complete drivetrain and most of the rest in my attic and I want to build a 2nd or maybe 3rd bike for my wife. The bike will stay at her father's place in TX. It will be ridden 2-4 weeks a year but it will be hard rides as that area of TX is quite hilly by our standards (so is everywhere really ) So, a generic aluminum frame that can be had as cheap as possible is the goal. My wife is a pretty decent rider and knows cheap aluminum ain't great but it's only a few hundred miles a year at the most.

When we're riding I'm not dealing with my in-laws too.

ahsposo 

Nashbar Touring frame with a CroMo fork is my suggestion...

This was built with the carbon fork with disc, I ground off the disc brake flange; on a do over I would go for a CroMo fork unless you want disc...



It's a sweet riding bike. Versatile...

Lazyass

Nashbar has a few Alu frames for less than $200.

MagicHour

Scattante team XRL or XRL comp from performance bike. I have the team version with carbon stays handles great, stiff and really comfortable isn't the lightest but built up with ultegra 11 to just under 18lbs. The team XRL has a nicer full carbon fork than the comp as well. Another cheap option is the nashbar aluminum frame or carbon fiber frame which look ok as well. Look at the velocite Selene those are supposed to be nice cheap aluminum frames as well.

hueyhoolihan

i've got the Performance Bike (some sort of subsidiary of Nashbar, IIRC) aluminum single speed version of the Nashbar touring frame referred to above. i liked it so much i bought a second one.

i've said it before on this site and i'll say it again. it's just as good as any of my other 6 frames. including reynolds 531, ishiwata 022, MTB cromo, titanium and carbon. they sell (or used to anyway) three versions. a touring, a road and a singlespeed. you'll need to get a fork, or at least i did.

they cost about 89-99. i even saw the singlespeed nashbar version on sale for 69. unbelievable!

datlas 

Agree with Nashbar Al frame. Watch for sales.

Walter

SirHustlerEsq

Caad10?

wphamilton

Ditto the Nashbar road frame, I really enjoy mine. There are not a lot currently on their site though.

megalowmatt

For some reason Nashbar hasn't had that frame on their site for a while now. I have one I built up as well. Nice frame.

Nagrom_

Far from cheap, the frame retails a grand.

hueyhoolihan

i recently had a "chat" with Nashbar about their inexpensive aluminum frames, specifically the singlespeed version. they said that they were sold out and did not know when and if they would offer them in the future. said something about "enough interest expressed" blah, blah, blah.

i suspect Nashbar makes large purchases of what they deem to be good values, some of which are one time deals, never to be seen again. hope this isn't one of those.

canam73

I race on a bikesdirect Mercier frameset I bought on eBay that I am pleased with. Similar frames are available at BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping.

ahsposo 

You pointed me to this, Thank You!

SirHustlerEsq

They are throw-away frames for most cyclists, I constantly hear about how terrible and how poverty they are.

megalowmatt

Good to hear! I like the way yours looks with the carbon fork. I'm still commuting on mine 2-3 days a week.

RollCNY

Pake has an inexpensive steel frame, as does Fyxation (Quiver). I have owned several of the Nashbar frames, and they are the cat's pajamas in dirt cheap nice riding frames. Performance carries the same frame, but it is slightly more expensive. The only comment I would make is the Nashbar forks don't do as well with the frames as other forks (Nashbar carbon forks are 43mm rake, steel 40 mm, and the frames are 72.5 HTA).

rpenmanparker 

Could be wrong, but I think you have the ownership order backwards. Performance bought Nashbar I believe.

zymphad

Quiver looks nice. How is the ride? Looks like a good frame to build a commuter bike.

Bah Humbug

Also, the Nashbar aluminum frames have wonky (very tall) geometry, which kept me from using them to build up a spare bike.

RollCNY

They aren't as wonky as you think. They measure the seat Tube up to the collar (not to tube center), and the really short Top Tube is coming from a 74° STA. You have to use a set back seat post (at least I do), but once you push back toward KOPS, things fall in decently. Granted, for my height, I have short legs, so a 25 setback gets me there. If I had normal bell curve leg proportions, 25 mm setback post might not get me to KOPS.

Walter

Good stuff here. Thanks.

My wife rode a Caad10 and loved it. If I got her that her current bike would be the one hanging in the rafters up in TX 49-50 weeks a year. Way out of the price range though.

megalowmatt

One thing I have noticed about the Nashbar touring frame is that Nashbar has the numbers wrong on at least the size 52 frame. They list the top tube as 52 but it's really much closer to 54. They had left out the "effective" in the description though so maybe they didn't care to list the ett.

hybridbkrdr

I was told about the same. I have the Nashbar Touring frame and fork (still not built yet). The build above with it looks amazing.

Another frame that I find interesting is the Pake C'Mute. Another cheap frame some people don't mention often is the Sette Xion. Chainreactioncycles, BikeIsland and Cambriabike have a multitude of frames. Sometimes Nashbar has brand name frames they sell off at low prices although I wonder why they don't include the forks.

Walter

There is a veritable slough of cro-moly fixie/ss frames on the bay right now for $100 shipped. Nothing with vertical or horizontal dropouts and a rear derailleur hanger though.