Luke

yep.....another Mountain bike thread!!

Thought about going back to steel. Ok I could get a "Cove" etc but what about these frames??

ADP

Dave Hinde has been doing frames and wheeels etc etc for yonks, Ive never ridden one but the press is generally pretty good. Aquired taste ofcourse,, consider a DeKerf instead though if steel is your cup of tea. Cove, nice Canadian frames a mate has one, quite rare, but becoming much more popular now.

IWatkins

Hi Luke,

Steel for urban use ? Serious off road ?

I've no direct experience of Hinde frames, so cannot comment, but a custom made steel frame will of course last for ever and is a fairly good investment. I've heard nothing but good about Hinde frames, but there again, I haven't heard much.

If not for urban work, can I suggest titanium ? The price of these framesets are coming down every year and have had quite dramatic drops this past year. Litespeed, Seven etc. are the more well known (kerching), but you can't go wrong with a British frame maker, On-One.

Take a look at their site http://www.on-one.co.uk/ and look up the Inbread and the Ti Inbred plus the fun named Il Pompino (Italian speakers will know why). OK, none are steel, but the Ti Inbred rides just like a steel frame but weighs, not a lot. However, singlespeed frame.

Cove are another good bet, easier to find in the UK then a few years ago but not really to my taste. The couple I've ridden had quite slack head tube angles so were not quicker steerers. I think one was a Stiffie, not sure on the other. I like my bikes to have very stiff front ends and to steer very quickly but nice flexible main triangles and back ends.

But I singlespeed only now, so I must be mad or something, so no need to listen to me

Cheers

Ian

ADP

If your into single speed, I would look at Surly then

IWatkins

ADP,

I don't think Luke is into singlespeed (but I keep trying ).

Yep, Surly make OK frames, but nothing special (IMHO). However, I do use a Surly Singulator on one of my singlespeeds to give tension to the chain (as the frame has vertical dropouts).

Cheers

Ian

ADP

Ian you sound like more of a bike anorak than me well than what I was, not mega into it now. However I do have a Ritchey Swiss Cross cyclo cross frame, now that really is a bike if steel is your thing(custom imported from Switzerland, only one in the UK excluding the one the importers own!)

Shame Greg Fuquay isnt still making frames

Luke

Guys

Got on to David Hinde today... These guys are realy friendly to talk to.. I am very tempted to go for a custom made (17.5) steel frame made out of some wicked stuf that will allow the frame to be under 3lb's!!!!

Anyone interested in a group buy??? Serious.

I had my knees re built last year.And that was without ever going Single speed or fixed !!!!!
THis months MBUK looks good


Luke

IWatkins

Luke,

Sounds you are a man with a plan and kind have already decided. Get a price ?

I'm actually not at all interested in a steel frame as I'm *still* saving for a Ti singlespeed jobbie, but thanks for the group buy offer.

MBUK does seem to be improving a bit lately, but the king of MB mags has to be "SingleTrack". Available from your local bike shop (if it is any good). Best read ever.

Cheers

Ian