Frame reccomendation to change a RockHopper pro to a full sus

[grillpan]

Hi guys,

Im looking into buying a frame to change my Specialized RockHopper Pro to a full sus for spinning around Belvoir. My initial choice was a stumpjumper as i am a specialized fan. However i may be being a bit narrow minded and was wondering if you guys could reccomend a few frames for me to check out??

Want to spend £300 max. If you need any further info about teh rest of my running gear let me know but it is all good enough kit. Marz front forks, hope brakes etc.

Thanks in advance

Sean

[jimjam]

Hey man are you one of those 2 mentalists who rip round belvoir on matching rockhoppers with full facers on?

What do you need a full susser for in belvoir anyway?

[grillpan]

Dont think so because the last time me and my mate were out round belvoir with our full facers on i was on bighit and my mate rides a marin attack trail.

Although come to think of it when was this as it may well have been us. Im usually dressed all in black.

The reason i want a full sus is that im attempting to learn how to jump properly and dont really feel confident doing it on a hard tail. The middle bar is too close to my business end!!!!

I know everythinga round belvoir is achievable but i am both scared and vain so i want a good lookin bike that will soak up my crap landings!!!!

G

[jimjam]

out six months ago. Probably not you. No need to get a full susser for jumping. A hardtail with the right angles will be spot on. Kona shred or stuff, commencal absolute, 24 seven and dmr also make great jump/aggressive trail ht bikes. Cheap too.
If you really feel that you need to get a full susser to learn how to hit jumps then dont even think about a stump jumper. Its a very xc orientated bike imo. Something like a kona coiler or spesh sx trail or maybe a transition bottlerocket would give you bags of confidence for jumping or just aggressive riding in general. Depends how much jumping/ descending pedaling you intend doing.
I know those are well over your budget but maybe your intending to buy second hand?

£300 is a pretty tight budget for a full sus frame, you’ll need to be looking on ebay.

[Girvan]

trust me jumping is farrrrr easier on a ht ive got a demo and its harder learning to jump less monouverable and heavyer.

[Aaron p]

same thoughts hear, get a seond hand jump frame off ebay or hear on the cheep, should have a good bit of money to spare from that 300 pound, d you'll be amazed at the difference it makes. Jumping an XC bike = Scary shiz at times haha;)

[grillpan]

Sorry guys i should have clarified i definately will be buying second hand and on ebay.

I want a bit not just specifically for jumping bit for hard trail riding as weill. I looked at the Kona coiler actually so will bare that one in mind.

Maybe i will look a cheap set of b*lls as well when im on ebay and some match sticks to keep my eyes open as i approach the jumps!!!!

G

[jimjam]

Your gonna have a few problems if you buy a coiler or similar frame, few if any of your parts are going to fit or suit your new frame. Your forks for sure wont, and forks that will compliment a coiler will probably take a bolt through axle so your gonna need a new front wheel, and so on and so on. By the time you finish your build you will have spent the equivolent of a new bike or close to it.

Also a coiler sx trail or any similarly burly aggressive bike will have a few other problems. It will eat up everything you could possibly do around belvoir shaws (it'll take on anything on the island probably) and you'll quickly run out of stuff to test it unless you move further afield. It's pretty much overkill for that type of terrain, you can pedal a bike like that around but it becomes a bit of a chore really.

[barry_kellett99]

What about a 4X style bike like the blur 4X or Meta 4X?

Shorter travel than a big bike like a coiler, but still designed to be strong and sturdy and maneouverable.

[baz]

I have a 2004 Kona Coiler (http://www.mtb-freeride.com/news/news_images/coiler.jpg) frame that I'm not using anymore and would sell off pretty cheap (think closer to £100, rather than £300). The '04 has 5" of travel, rather than 6", which I think makes it a better NI trail bike, but is still made from the rather appropriately named Clump aluminium, which just seems to take beating after beating after beating. You can ride it all day, and still huck and jump off most things. Not that I ever did that obviously.

It will come with headset, seatpost and seat clamp, plus spare derailleur hanger. I also have a Mazza Z1 FR fork which suits it rather well, again going rather cheap.

Just a suggestion, but feel free to PM me if interested. I'd definitely reccommend one anyway, even if you aren't interested in mine.

[jimjam]

What about a 4X style bike like the blur 4X or Meta 4X?

Shorter travel than a big bike like a coiler, but still designed to be strong and sturdy and maneouverable.

That'd be perfect I reckon. If your small enough you could buy blooms.


I have a 2004 Kona Coiler (http://www.mtb-freeride.com/news/news_images/coiler.jpg) frame that I'm not using anymore and would sell off pretty cheap (think closer to £100, rather than £300). The '04 has 5" of travel, rather than 6", which I think makes it a better NI trail bike, but is still made from the rather appropriately named Clump aluminium, which just seems to take beating after beating after beating. You can ride it all day, and still huck and jump off most things. Not that I ever did that obviously.

It will come with headset, seatpost and seat clamp, plus spare derailleur hanger. I also have a Mazza Z1 FR fork which suits it rather well, again going rather cheap.

Just a suggestion, but feel free to PM me if interested. I'd definitely reccommend one anyway, even if you aren't interested in mine.

Thats stupidly cheap. Even I'm tempted! I sold mine for over £200 and it was probably in worse shape than baz's. I agree with baz that the 04 is a better handling bike than the later ones having ridden nearly all of them a fair bit. I dont agree that you can pedal it all day - but he surely can. Having said that Ive done 3 or 4 hours on one when I had a double chain ring.

Wish i hadnt sold mine.

[grillpan]

Hi Baz,

That sounds like a plan. Will need to go online and check out what it looks like or if you have any photos that would be cool.

Excuse my ignorance but how do i PM you?? Where do i find your email address?? Would liek to go through a list of what is on my bike to see what i can and cant salvage!!!

Speak to you soon mate.

Grill

[baz]

The frame, with Z1's, looks a bit like this (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c201/mtb_baz/Biking/coilerleftsidesmall.jpg). It's got a few dings and paint scrapes on it, but nothing structural. I see you are on the Ormeau Road, which is handy, as I'm on the Woodstock Road. If you want, you can come take a look at it some evening.

A PM is a personal message. It's a way of sending messages without everyone on the site seeing them. On the very top right of every page, you should see a box saying Welcome grillpan, You last visited whenever, and then a link to your personal messages. Click on this link and from the subsequent page you can check and send pms.

[grillpan]

Alright mate,

I can never get that photobucket to work on my machine at work. May be firewall related. Can you posrt a link??

Will try and get round to take a look this week. Will spin round on mine and you coudl maybe advise me on what i can and cant keep??

Anyone know a good place to get a frame powder coated as im thinking about getting my bighit frame re sprayed.

G

[barry_kellett99]

http://www.mtbrider.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10618/coilerleftsidesmall.jpg