any chinese mtb frame in 2023 ?

[crazyeight]

what frame would you recommand for a light 29" setup in 2023 ? ive read the forums but most of the frame are discontinued.
i m looking for a hardtail with a rigid fork setup

[sebejo]

I've built up 2 Workswell WCB-M-336's for my brother and GF, good quality and decent geo (pretty much spot on with my Epic HT). Can't find the weight in my documentation but I recall about ~1000g frame - so not super light but not porky either. They came about 9kg wo pedals using Deore XT, 100mm SID Select forks , carbon finishing kit and Farpsorts carbon wheels with DT350.

[sebejo]

duplicated post

[JaeOne3345]

I'm building up an SP Cycle M-05 very soon once the last few parts arrive. Give me a week or two. It is a straight up copy of the Epic HT. 30.9 post, same geo on paper, etc.

[js]

One thing I've always struggled with for these type of 'factory-direct' frames is that there's never an XL size. Glad to see the Workswell actually has an XL.

Is anyone aware of other chinese frame-makers (or anywhere else, but with a similar cost) offering a hardtail with at least 470mm reach?

[crazyeight]

I'm building up an SP Cycle M-05 very soon once the last few parts arrive. Give me a week or two. It is a straight up copy of the Epic HT. 30.9 post, same geo on paper, etc.

that SP Cycle M-05 looks very good, almost what im looking for.

[crazyeight]

but i ll be using it as a commuter and i want to run at least 42t, sounds like a prob:

Crankset:
Single chainring, Max 36T

[crazyeight]

wow there is the SP-M038 at 780gr in T1100 carbon !! only con in pf30 crankset

[froze]

I would not buy factory direct from China bikes, I've heard too many horror stories.

There are some great fully rigid mtbs on the market, though they may be made in China, buying through a known retailer affords you certain protections, plus they are made to much higher standards.

You didn't say how much you're willing to spend, so I'll stay on the low end since you think you can save money going direct.

Haro Steel Reserve 1.1 at under $700, but is a single speed which some people like.

State Bicycle Co. 4130 All-Road is a well-known brand for less than $1,000.

Marin DSX 1, this is the best bike for the money, very well built for the price of $1,200 with a carbon fiber fork which is unusual for this price.

In the same price range as the Marin there is the Genesis Longitude but I think the Marin is the better bike.

If you want a bike that you attach frame bags for camping or touring then you'll have to pay more, and may want to consider Brother Big Bro, or the Bombtrack Beyond+ but these sorts of bikes will cost more, this particular one is just under $1,900. These also are single-ring gear setup so the complication of a front derailleur is not there.

There is a bike that can do what those 2 above bikes can do for about half the price called the Sonder Frontier, but going that low on price does sacrifice the quality of components, and going off road, or touring/camping someplace far is not a good idea with lower end components.

Planet X website might have one or two as well.

Not sure where you live but a couple of these might not be available in America, but they might be able to ship them here.

[juditolleson]

In 2023, consider frames like the Santa Cruz Highball, Trek Procaliber, Niner Air 9 RDO, Canyon Exceed, Kona Honzo, or Salsa Timberjack for a light 29" hardtail with a rigid fork setup, that matches the rims from www.alicebicycle.com

[Koev]

Just build an Airwolf YFM 026. Ising it for beach and gravel and happy with it so far (800km). Total weight at 9kg, size XL.

[Upcountry]

I can't really see a reason to go Chinese-direct on a carbon hardtail these days... I'd much prefer to buy a used frame from a known quantity as a starting point. For around $1000 you can find an Epic, Highball, Procaliber and go from there. You're probably ending up with a lighter product and at a higher quality. I'm all for Asia direct components, but there are just so many good options at reasonable prices from the big brands that don't really leave you wanting much.

[froze]

The problem with going used CF bike is that damage a lot of the time is not visible on the outside, it may have delaminated on the inside, and unless you have it sent someplace to have it scanned, you won't know until it breaks while riding it that something was wrong. Most CF riders if they have a crash, and are not sure if the CF has been compromised, the seller won't take the chance and just sell it to pass it off to the next person. Very few cities have a scanning tool to check CF, which means you would have to send it somewhere, and I doubt the seller would want you doing that. And the likelihood of that happening to a hardtail is quite high since they are used off-road and banging around on.

What are the odds of buying a damaged CF bike? On a hardtail or MTB, I bet it's darn near 50%, on a road bike maybe 20%. So do you want to gamble with your life and or well-being, plus your money on buying a used CF and have it fail at some point? It's your money and life, I know I wouldn't do it.

The old "tap the frame with a coin" advice is not foolproof either, if it was there would be no need for frame scanners.

[Upcountry]

What are the odds of buying a damaged CF bike? On a hardtail or MTB, I bet it's darn near 50%, on a road bike maybe 20%. So do you want to gamble with your life and or well-being, plus your money on buying a used CF and have it fail at some point? It's your money and life, I know I wouldn't do it.

This feels a bit tin foil hat to me... To assume that half of used carbon mountain bikes on the market are damaged is silly... And also a bit cynical; people(aka re-sellers) aren't inherently evil. I'm not saying to go buy the cheapest used bike from an eBay seller with zero feedback. With even just a little due dilligence you're covering your ass just as much as you would be buying from AliExpress, where its safe to assume they're not ultrasound scanning their $400 frames coming out of the molds...

[froze]

What are the odds of buying a damaged CF bike? On a hardtail or MTB, I bet it's darn near 50%, on a road bike maybe 20%. So do you want to gamble with your life and or well-being, plus your money on buying a used CF and have it fail at some point? It's your money and life, I know I wouldn't do it.

This feels a bit tin foil hat to me... To assume that half of used carbon mountain bikes on the market are damaged is silly... And also a bit cynical; people(aka re-sellers) aren't inherently evil. I'm not saying to go buy the cheapest used bike from an eBay seller with zero feedback. With even just a little due dilligence you're covering your ass just as much as you would be buying from AliExpress, where its safe to assume they're not ultrasound scanning their $400 frames coming out of the molds...

Silly? perhaps, but you are talking about a bike that has probably seen rough riding, and thus some falls and crashes. Regardless, buying a used CF bike has its risks, you can accept that or not I don't really care since I would never buy a used CF bike thus it's not my ass on the line that's being risked.

Resellers are not inherently evil, but you name me one reseller who, after a crash on their bike, had sent their bike to a place that will scan the frame and fork for damage? Not that they are evil, they just do not want to chance it anymore with that particular bike, and it may be fine, but it might not, they don't know, so they sell it and let someone else deal with it.

https://fredhasson.medium.com/why-you-m ... 0a%20thing.