Looking at the current STW thread on Jones, now topping 130 posts is easy to forget one thing, the Jones is a just a bike, nothing more, nothing less, it’s not a magic bullet, it’s not a cure for cancer or create world peace.
Ok now we’ve got that sorted, here goes………
Continue reading
Coming fro
m having only ridden hardtails (mainly due to the high cost of full sus frames) I decided to take the plunge into my wallet and buy a new frame. The hardtail I had was a Yeti Arc, although fast light and great for Stanmer trails, was aimed at the more xc end of riding.
I wanted a stronger frame I could take most places and not worry about breaking it, or myself, in the process, plus the 100mm of travel up front limited me to what I rode and how fast I rode it.
Ronnie had recommended I try a light weight carbon hard tail as a winter race/training bike as my steel 29er is too heavy with gears. As much as I’d love a Scott Scale or a Santa Cruz Highball the high frame costs are out of my reach. I’d seen a forum thread on MTBR which featured Chinese carbon 29er frames, it was almost 100 pages long and mainly positive views. Continue reading
First impression after getting the frame out of the box was how light it was; compared with the steel 456 it replaced it’s incredible. Lacquer finish etc was ‘ok’ but for the price you can’t complain. I bought 2 sets of bolt on dropouts – one for gears and one for singlespeed – I’ve used some thread lock on the bolts attaching these and had no problems. The various inserts seem to be aligned well – I quite like the idea of the BB being inside a threaded aluminium sleeve – any water that does find it’s way into the frame isn’t able to get to the BB bearings.
Originally I had planned to be running it with gears but, following a frame failure and a complex parts swap across three bikes it turned out to be a singlespeed in the end. I built it with some 130mm Pace RC41’s but have subsequently fitted some 140mm Marzocchi 44 Micro Ti forks with a QR15 axle. Other parts are Easton low rise carbon bars, 90mm stem and carbon seatpost, Magura Louise brakes, XTR cranks, Salsa cog/ring and Hope Pro2/DtSwiss wheelset. Complete with the 44’s it weighs about 22lbs.I rode it for about 3 months with the Pace forks and was never entirely happy with it – the front end just didn’t seem to allow me to ride the woods at Stanmer the way that the back end seem to be indicating it could. After the fork change the whole bike seemed to come together – the solid front end now tracks really well, deals with roots and obstacles cleanly and the back end (helped no doubt by weighing next to nothing) obediently follows wherever it’s led. I do sometimes miss the ability to lock down (rather than out) the forks but even with a 140mm forks I don’t seem to suffer from wandering climbs – probably as much a result of the bikes geometry as the fact I’ll be stood up pulling faces on anything with a significant gradient due to the lack of gear choices. I know this is a frame review but these Marzocchi forks are great – I’m so impressed I’ve got a set at 120mm on my steel Kinesis Decade Versa.
As well as pinging off and over logs and roots around Stanmer I’ve taken the bike out on a 31 mile Wiggle organised ride on the North Downs (route here – http://connect.garmin.com/activity/83177769) and whilst this was by no means a technical ride it did show me that the bike is far more comfortable over a reasonable distance at good pace than the steel bike it replaced. It’s a solid feeling bike (more so than the steel in some respects) but it has an ability to not transmit ‘chatter’ off the trail that leads to a much more relaxed ride feel.
So, is it worth a couple of hundred quid more than the steel 456? At the moment I’d say yes – it seems to flatter my somewhat mincing approach to obstacles more but at the same time not leave my lower back asking for a rest after 15 miles. This is my first carbon frame and whilst I’ve no reason to doubt its’ longevity there is always a slight worry about crash damage and overall lifespan. I’ve heli-taped the whole down tube and various other places where cables may rub. A good chain stay protector is a must – the stays are so deep I get chain slap occasionally, even running singlespeed with a well tensioned chain.
Things that bother me about this frame – mainly transmitted noise – the slightest squeak from a component (and I’ve not got that many running it SS) seems to be amplified through the frame to the point that you think it’s about to fail – a ‘failing BB’ turned out to be a chain that needed a bit of lube after one very wet ride. It can sound like a Tupperware box full of marbles being shaken on fast descents with loose stones on them as various bits of high speed geology hit the frame. I had some problems getting a disk calliper to fit – they run inside the rear triangle and with the slidey dropouts there was no room for a Magura Marta calliper. On-one do a different non-drive side dropout for geared use that runs the calliper above the seat stay but this won’t work with a SS setup. The only other issue I’ve had is with the On-One headset I use to run a 1 & 1/8th steerer in a tapered frame – it’s been difficult to get it to run consistently tight enough without being ‘too tight’ – the bottom bearing also needs cleaning out and re-greasing far more frequently than I’d expect on a £40 headset.
So, overall as an upgrade from a steel 456 what have I gained? Well, I’ve not lost the geometry and dimensions that made the steel frame into such a nice ride, which was critical for me. I’ve now got a lighter frame that seems to do everything the steel bike did but it does it all with just a bit more panache.
Oh, and it’s not pink.
Luke
‘Radical Amusment’
I bought a Nicolai Helius AC in July 2010. I rode it for a couple of months until the winter mud set in, now that the local trails are drying out it is fast becoming my favourite bike.
This is the second Nicolai that I have owned so I knew what to expect in terms of industrial looking tubes and lovely big welds!
Frame
Pivot and axle braces
Although Nicolai are famous for offering a wide and wild range of colour finishes mine is ‘raw’ eg unfinished aluminium (not polished or laquered) with plain black stickers and black anodised fixtures and fittings. I think it looks great and on almost every ride someone passes favourable comments. The frame is typical Nicolai with the front triangle made from round tubes and the rear made from bulky square section. I think the shape and stance of the frame just look right and perfectly proportioned. The tubes are all joined by huge symetrical welds that are a stand out feature on their own. All the pivot points have sealed bearings with protective covers. At each pivot plane there is a supporting strut of aluminium, this is not noticable on first glance but it means that any lateral movement on the frame is taken by these struts and not translated into sideways stress on the bearings. I have owned a number of FS bikes including a few boutique brands and non have had this degree of thought/design put into removing bearing stresses. There is zero lateral flex in the frame, it is incredibly stiff and the bearings are silky smooth.
The suspension can be adjusted from about 100mm to about 150mm, it is simple task that involves moving the upper shock position into one of a number of pre-tapped holes in the swing arm. For me adjustable suspension adds no value to a frame, I wanted 150mm of travel so put it in the maximum travel setting and have left it there. I figure a 150mm travel frame lends itself to a particular build that is wasted on a 100mm setting, if you want 100mm of travel buy a different frame and build it with light-weight components. The suspension is a Horst link design with the upper shock position fixed to a swing arm dropped from the top tube, the suspension action is very smooth and works well – nothing more to say on it.
Build
The build is my usual tried and tested components many of which have been donated from the spares box and other bikes in the garage. Wheels are Mavic 719 built onto Hope ProII hubs with Maxxis 2.5 inch high roller tyres and Dr Sludge tubes. A Fox 32 140mm float R fork with 15mm axle, Formula brakes with180mm rotors front and rear, SRAM X9 shifters and rear mech, XTR front mech, cassette and crankset (outer ring replaced with a bash guard), Thomson seatpost and stem, Fizik Gobi saddle, CK headset and Azonic bars ‘high rise and wide’. The frame is a large size and came fitted with a Fox RP23 shock. It weighs in at 27lbs, it rides well and thats what matters. The fork and shock sag were set and that was it, build finished.
Ride
I’m not one for fiddling with shock or fork settings etc, I set the sag and rebound (2 clicks from maximum speed on the fork and 3 clicks off slowest speed on the shock) and leave everything else alone, the RP23 ‘Pro-Pedal’ is left in the open position.
My Helius AC
The large size frame fits me very well and my favourite components mean there are no surprises. Cruising along it feels like a bike, it is comfortable the suspension is invisible not over active and not wallowy, it smooths small bumps nicely and the bike is very comfortable. I have done a few 35 mile rides with no signs of discomfort such as sore shoulder or lower back, neither do I feel like I’m dragging a dead-weight along. A 150mm travel bike is designed for more than cruising and I like technical trails, not steep or smooth but technical eg rooty, rocky and full of awkward stuff. Basically the faster I go on this bike the more alive it feels. On contour hugging singletrack it whizzes along, the bottom bracket is fairly low and the bike feels glued to the ground, all humps and bumps, roots etc are dealt with without any drama, it just gets on with the job. On my favourite technical terrain I have clunked the bash guard a few times but thats what its there for. Big obstacles and fallen trees are no problem and can be taken much quicker and with much less caution than on my hardtail. I feel confident on steep rooty descents. The front is reasonably relaxed without being like a chopper. As I said as the speed increases the bike feels better and better, it just flows along, around and over everthing and encourages me to find roots and rocks etc to launch off. The ride is awesome on the Surrey Hills trails.
The Helius AC was a replacement for a SC Blur LT2. The Blur was nice to ride aggressively but was heavier and felt more sluggish on slow stuff; however the main problem I had was that the lower swing link was proud of the bash guard. This meant that the swing link and lower grease nipple regularly clunked on trees and rocks resulting in a couple of replacements. Also, the head angle of the Helius AC is slacker than the Blur LT2, increasing confidence on steeper stuff. These two factors together with the lighter weight of the Helius AC mean that for me it is the better option. I have an Intense Tracer which is an absolute blast on anything technical – a total hooligan; however the weight and ride position of the Tracer are noticable on longer cruising rides so it is reserved for playing and twating about when I want to get carried away. The Helius AC is the bike I reach for if an all day xc ride is planned or if I’m going somewhere new as I happy doing everything on it. A great all round bike.
Conclusion
I like the Helius AC a lot, a real lot and I can’t see me getting rid of it for a long long time – coming from me that is a great compliment!
On One steel 456
On One appear to be developing a family of 456 frames with the original steel, titanium, carbon as well as the Summer Season versions. I bought an 456Ti in July 2008 and it has been my main mtb ever since. After communication with Luke via the STW forum we met up to try each others bikes and offer our opinions on both the Steel 456 and Titanium 456.
Frames
Both frames were 18″ size.
The 456Ti looks like two separate bikes joined together, the tubes of the front triangle are very ‘substantial’, the down tube in particular is huge and bi-ovalised from top to bottom providing large weld areas around the headtube and bottom bracket. In contrast the outer diameter of both the seat and chain stays are about that of a marker pen. Leaning on the saddle it is possible to see the frame rear triangle flex vertically.
The outer diameter of the tubes on the steel frame look much more in proportion with each other than the Ti version with both the seat and chain stays appearing to be no larger than those on the Ti version.
We have no information on the thickness of the tubes used on either frame.
Bike Builds
The bikes were set up differently according to our personal riding and comfort preferences. My 456Ti has a Fox 140mm 15QR TALAS fork that I just leave in the 140mm travel setting, X9 transmission, Mavic 831 rims with Hope ProII hubs, Formula ORO K24 brakes with 180 mm rotors. Luke’s 456 steel had Stans ZTR rims, a Pace air fork, Magura Louise brakes and XTR transmission. The biggest difference was the handlebar department. I use an Azonic B52 high rise bar and a Thomson 90mm x 15 deg rise stem, it is fitted with a 2.1″ Trailraker on the rear and a Michelin all mountain extreme tyre on the front. Luke’s bike had flat bars and a 0 deg rise stem. It was fitted with Maxxis Minion 2.35 supertacky tyres. Both bikes weighed in at about 26lbs.
We swapped pedals and seatposts then set off me on Luke’s steel bike and Luke on my Ti version.
Test Ride
The test loop had a section of dried mud cow-hoof pocked marked field that was very bumpy, a gentle doubletrack climb, plenty of rooty and twisty singletrack and a short but steep gully climb.
My first impression of the steel frame was of immediate familiarity, despite the lower bars I felt at home; however as we got to the more technical section of the test loop the differences in set up had an impact on my riding. The steel frame also had a noticable feeling of 100% direct power to the rear wheel, much more so than the Ti version, in fact the steel frame felt a gear faster to my legs and lungs.
Chatting away we hit the dried mud of a pock marked field. With no option but to ride over it a difference in the frames was immediately noticable. The steel frame transferred every bump and judder into me, whereas Luke commented that the Ti frame was noticeably much more comfortable (as if the Ti456 had an inch of suspension) and allowed him to keep pedalling smoothly as I started to get bounced about, I was quickly dropped. Luke said that 20 miles felt a long way on the steel 456, whereas I have done 60 miles on the Ti version with zero discomfort.
The singletrack also showed up a marked difference in the frames. I rode everything but was conscious of the roots and small stumps as I went across the tree rootballs. Luke on the other hand immediately said that the Ti frame was much more forgiving and comfortable than his familier steel version. The low bars on Luke’s bike made it much more difficult for me to wheely over the many fallen trees, I’m sure I would get used to it but I missed out a couple of the bigger trees.
As soon as we hit the gully climb the steel bike was on blast off. Those who know me will testify that I tolerate hills as a means to more ‘fun’ stuff, in view of this I was doubly shocked.
Conclusion
Both the steel and Ti version have the 456 magic geometry that we both feel is perfect for a hardtail trail bike, we both commented that the On One 456 is an absolutely ‘sorted’ geometry for a hardtail. We have both owned and ridden aluminium and UK designed steel frames from other small UK firms and agreed that the geometry of the On One 456 is streets ahead of everything we have tried. It is easy to see why On One have kept a common geometry while expanding the choice of frames (frame materials) available to the customer.
At the end of the test we both told each other that if we ever want to sell our frames then a buyer is in line.
Value
The steel and Ti are at opposite ends of the 456 price range, they have the same (fabulous) geometry and as our bikes show the final weight of the bike will depend heavily on the components that are fitted to it.
Is the Ti version worth approximately five times the steel version?
If the bottom line price of a frame is the only consideration then the steel 456 should be at the top of everyone’s list for a hardtail trail bike. At the current price it is almost given away.
However, value is not just a bottom line price and in our experience buying an mtb is rarely a purely objective decision, the heart often over-rules the head. The Ti frame has the same awesome geometry but it does give a different ride, a more comfortable, zippy (Luke’s description) and forgiving ride. The lower frame weight will also enable a much lighter bike to be built. Ti does not rust and needs very little looking after to retain the original finish.
Conclusion
The geometry dictates the suitability of a mtb for the intended use, the 456 geometry is fantastic.
If you have the money buy the Ti456, the geometry, additional comfort and ease of maintenance make it a superb bike. If you are on a budget or want a bike that can be abused without too much thought for the cost of it get the steel 456.
Bottom line. Try any version of the On One 456 before spending any money on a hardtail frame.
Satin 456Ti
I’ve been riding an On-One 456 Ti for the last 14 months, here are my thoughts.
My previous hardtails have been aluminium and although I’d heard that steel and titanium give a different ride feel I was dubious until a test ride (previously written up on this site). The test ride blew me away, I bought one and I’ve been riding it ever since. Continue reading
One of the brightonmtb crew has been nagging me for months to write a review of my Trek Fuel. When that person is obviously incredibly technically-minded, whereas I can only change my pads and mend a puncture but little else, that is quite a daunting task. However, a promise is a promise so I will do my best.
The Trek is my first full suss, after happily riding a Rockhopper for 3 years. I loved the Rockhopper (and still do), as it was my first ‘proper’ mountain bike and introduced me to the joys of off road riding. I explored miles and miles of bridleway on and off the South Downs Way on the Rockhopper every weekend as soon as the sun rose on a Saturday morning. However, it wasn’t till I went to the Brecon Beacons and rode up and down the Gap that I realised that hardtails and slabs of granite are not the best combination!
I started the inevitable months of research for a full suss so I could revisit South Wales, and narrowed my choices down to a Scott Scale, Stumpjumper, Giant Trance or the Fuel. On the way to Whiteways is Southdowns Bikes in Storrington, owned by the very helpful and friendly Martin. At the time they stocked 3 of my options so I was able to test all three easily and cost effectively. While I was drawn to the Stumpie, the Fuel just felt right as soon as I started to ride it and the white and black finish of EX9 08 version looked brilliant.
So how have the first 18 months been? It took a while to get used to the Fuel and I tended to alternate between the two bikes each weekend. However, a trip to Cwn Carn really showed the benefits of the Fuel. While it is not the lightest bike(at 28 plus lbs), it stills climbs well but it was the bike’s descending capabilities that really made the difference giving me far more confidence as it soaked up nearly everything thrown at it. This is where I believe the ABP system, which places the pivot on the rear axle to remove brake influence on suspension movement plustheFull Floater, where the rear shock is placed on the extended chainstays, moving down as the rocker compresses the unit from the top, really come into their own smoothing out the trails.
The bike is well specced with 130mm travel up front (Fox Talas) and 120mm at the rear (Fox Float RP2), Juicy 7 brakes and a Shimano Deore/Sram combi drivetrain. I have made very few changes to the bike, apart from replacing the uncomfortable Bontrager saddle a with a Fizik Gobi (a popular saddle amongst the brightonmtb group). Despite the tubeless ready Bontrager Race Lite wheels I have still not converted to tubeless preferring to replace the Bontrager tyres with Panaracers (Trailrakers, Cinders and Razers depending on the conditions) as I have found these to be the best for puncture resistannce.
So would I recommend the Trek Fuel?
I love it and I would highly recommend that any first time buyer of a full suss who wants to build their confidence, tackle more challenging terrain but still enjoy a mixture of xc plus singletrack riding should really consider this an option.
As What Mountain Bike said in a recent review ‘What really elevates it above some strong competition is its ability to flatter pretty much everyone’s riding style’. It certainly flatters mine.
Neil’s Holdsworth
Riding another mountain bike whilst mine is at Commencal UK being judged and assessed would seem like cheating on it – but I’ve got to keep my legs moving so I thought I’d try a road ride being a totally different experience – there would be no comparisons to make, so . .
. . . out came the Holdsworth vintage 10 speed . . . Continue reading
Freedom Bikes Intense Tracer
Our good friends at Freedom Bikes in Brighton lent us their two Intense Tracer demo bikes for a couple of days riding around our local singletrack. The large size model was put together with a XC build while the medium had a burly build. Its worth repeating that every demo bike we have had from Freedom has been spotlessly clean with brakes, gears etc adjusted to perfection and these were no exception.
XC Build
Large size frame with Fox 32 TALAS forks, Shimano XT cranks, mechs, shifters and brakes, Easton XC One wheels with Hutchinson lightweight tyres, a thomson seatpost and a 70mm stem. I like a reasonably relaxed head angle so the shock was bolted in the 6 inch travel setting to make the front less steep. The bike weighed in at about 28lbs with my Time pedals.
Burly Build
Medium size frame with Fox 36 TALAS forks, Shimano XT kit, Easton Havoc wheels with Hutchinson Enduro tyres, Easton Havoc Stem and Easton bars and seatpost. It weighed at 31 lbs with my Time pedals. The shock was bolted in the 6 inch travel setting.
Demo Rides
The ride loop contains a couple of fireroad climbs, one rocky drag of a climb and lots of singletrack. The singletrack varies from smooth and flowy to steep off camber and rooty with plenty of fallen trees and obstacles to get over.
XC Bike
Intense Tracer large size with XC build
On the fireroad climb the XC bike didn’t feel particularly light or heavy and was easy to pedal; however on the flatter fireroad sections I soon noticed that I was going along in a couple of gears higher than usual and the speed just seemed to increase effortlessly. After 5 minutes it was apparent that the ride position is noticeably stretched out along the 24 inch top tube and that the front end is low. No doubt this ride position helped when getting the power on but it was not particularly comfortable for me. In contour hugging smooth flowy singletrack the XC bike was amazing in fact the major problem I had was going too fast! The low front and the riding position put a lot of weight over the front wheel, which was perfect for getting the front to dig into the corners. The steering is very sharp and the head angle is noticably steeper than my own bikes (a 456 Ti and a SC Blur LT2). I did notice that the steep front with long top tube and rider weight distribution made the XC bike awkward to jump off or over things and was nowhere near as friendly as my own bikes on steep descents. It took time to gain confidence to rag it about but once I was in the swing of things the bike was rocketing up the hills or it felt like it and just flowing over smooth singletrack at a fair speed. The long top tube and steep headangle with the Fox 32 fork would make the bike tiring on my neck and shoulders on a long ride. The XC bike felt almost identical to the Intense 5.5, a bike used exclusively for two years a while ago.
Burly bike
Intense Tracer medium size with burly build
I really thought this would be too heavy, and too cumbersome for me to like and I only took it out to make a direct comparison between the two builds. In summary, I absolutely loved this bike. I was laughing out loud as I hooned it about for 3 hours of singletrack blast. The burly bike has a higher front and a riding position that is almost identical to my SC Blur LT2. The bottom bracket is just right height to clear logs etc but it feels 100% planted and the shorter frame with the higher front end rides like a completely different bike compared to the XC build. Smooth flowy singletrack was just cruised, rough sections were just swallowed and technical stuff was ridden with so much ease it was almost unfair to have to go back to another bike. The weight did become an issue on climbs but I soon got used to spinning up hill and saving my strength to hang on when I hit the singletrack. The balance of the bike was perfect for jumping off and over things, I’m no serious or skilled jumper but it was as easy as my Blur LT2 to get into the air. I had so much fun that I didn’t stop to take any photos of it. For me this bike is a fun machine for 2-3 hours of singletrack blasting, I think the weight would be noticeable on a long ride or a XC trundle.
Conclusion
The XC and Burly builds are so different that you really getting two different bikes for the money; however the low front and stretched top tube combine for a riding position on the large size XC build that would rapidly become uncomfortable for me. Combine this with the lack of fun I had on the xc build compared to the burly bike and the XC build is not an attractive option for me. It must be said that a medium size frame would have a shorter top tube and therefore may just be a better fit for me in general. The moral of this is most definitely to try the bikes for size before you commit to buy one. On the other hand the burly build was fantastic fun for 2-3 hours of full on blasting it but the weight would become an issue for me on a longer all day ride and the bike is just made to blast! Having said that the burly build is 100% the one I’d go for and I have asked for a price on the frame and fork, no doubt it will be wallet drenching!
The Tracer frame has fantastic details and is a world away from the functionality of the SC Blur LT2. The machined and cast sections across the seat and chain stays will add bags of rigidity and also look great. The grease ports on the Intense and SC bikes are also very different. The SC has large grease ports that stand proud of my bash guard while the Intense has very small descrete ports that are tucked out of harms way. It is the these small differences in design together with the ‘Handmade in USA’ sticker that shows where the money has gone on the Intense frame. However the main difference between the SC Blur LT2 and the Intense Tracer is the rides they offer. If you are looking for a racey bike with lots of travel then no doubt the XC Tracer is awesome. The burly build Tracer and the SC Blur LT2 are very very similar, both have an upright riding position with relaxed front ends and feel capable of a lot more than I am likely to do on them, one point is that the Tracer takes a Fox 36 fork much better than the LT2. The LT2 is the more neutral and ‘safe’ feeling bike but it is not as quick as the XC Tracer uphill or as quick as the Burly Tracer downhill or in singletrack, On the other hand I have done 50 mile rides on my LT2 without any problems or tiredness.
Many thanks to Alan & Ben at Freedom Bikes, contact them (01273 681698) to sort a demo on clean and working bikes and a cracking deal on builds.
