Need 29er bike build advice

[gohloum]

Hey Everyone!

Just found this forum and I see there are some very knowledgable people on here.   I've done a bit of research and quite honestly, my brain is starting to glaze over.  So let me give you guys some details about myself and what I want to accomplish and hopefully you can point me in the right direction.

I was a bike industry professional from 1985-95. I've built hundreds of bikes and the only thing I haven't tinkered with at this point is disc brakes.  Sure I can figure that out, so I will be building the bike myself.  Also, I am willing to be a guinea pig for some of the parts out there like LTWOO since there doesn't seem to be much feedback on them.  I ride 15-20 miles almost daily, so I will definitely put this bike through it's paces.  Also, I plan to race the bike in the Florida FSC series in 2017. I'm 46 and I want at least a year to get conditioned and comfortable on a new bike, especially a 29er which I have never ridden.

What I want to accomplish is a bike suited for the Florida circuit, meaning we don't have much for hills, so I would prefer geometry that is a bit more agile, especially since I am coming from a 26er with a 71 degree head angle. 

I've seen some chatter on here about the FM 057 and a few others.  What would you recommend?  I have a budget between $2000 and $2500 for start.  Also the only online vendor I have seen (until discovering this site) was aliexpress.  I did research on them and it's quite mixed.  Not sure I want to trust a site like that.  I'll go take a peek at the vendors topic next, but if you have any advice/experience, I am all ears.

Thanks and I look forward to any feedback as well as building a new bike. 

TJ

[carbonazza]

I don't know the 057 frame, but from my experience the 062 is much more agile than the 256 or the 041.
And I recently built a 036(full suspension, the previous are all hard tails), and found it quite agile as well.

[gohloum]

I don't know the 057 frame, but from my experience the 062 is much more agile...

Where can I source one?  I have not seen this number frame before.   Also, any advice on carbon wheels?

[Sitar_Ned]

Welcome to the forum.. Here's a huge thread about the 062: http://chinertown.com/index.php/topic,532.0.html

I have the 057 and it's great.. Proven track record of reliability and I think is a decent amount cheaper than the 062, 256, and 041 (double check that as it's been a while since I looked into pricing).. With your budget though you could go with either and be fine, and I think the 062 is a bit lighter and carbonazza isn't the first person I've seen say they prefer it's agility/geometry and stiffness. Of course, that's subjective but should give you a starting point for your research.

Most people here will recommend Peter from xmcarbonspeed.com for the 057, and I think workswellbikes.com is the source for the 062.

As for wheels, well.. I'm personally wanting a 29+ wheel sized bike but other than that I'd look into some 30mm width hookless carbon wheels with Novatech hubs. You can get these hubs built into wheels from whoever you buy your frame from usually. That should fit your budget and be very light, stiff, and strong.

[bxcc]

I got my 062 from Sobatostore on eBay. I'm definitely happy with it. I have posted some pictures and comments in the 062 thread.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sale-Full-Carbon-UD-Matt-Mountain-Bike-MTB-29ER-Cycling-Frame-350-Free-Shipping-/162091445520?hash=item25bd672d10:g:ALIAAOSwbYZXUPTz

As for the wheels, I would go this route. Peter is now selling on eBay and here is a link to some wheels from him. I just built up a similar wheel set for my wife's Tallboy3. I used Hope hubs on her build though. The DT 350 hubs are bullet proof and very cost effective. The only warning though is the low 18 points of engagement. But for $100, you can get the 54 point upgrade which makes them cheaper and have better POE than the 240s hubs.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MTB-Carbon-bicycle-wheelset-29er-mountain-bike-wheels-clincher-35mm-wide-UD-matt-/252517147517?hash=item3acb31e37d:g:wQEAAOSwgZ1XsZAU

[Sitar_Ned]

For the record, I'd much prefer the wheels bxcc linked to.. the Novatech hubs I mentioned are the more budget option.  imo the upgrade to 54 POE dt swiss hubs is definitely worth it, if there's room in your budget.

[Pack66]

I'm in the process of looking for a new frame. From what I've seen, the WW 062 is less than the CS-057. I like the geometry on the 057 better though.

[gohloum]

Nice!  Thanks guys for the help on this.  I have been trolling a few of the pages and links from here.  Checked out Peter's site too.  Just last week I read this article and one of the things mentioned was the BMC Teamlite that had an elastomer for give in the seat stays: http://marathonmtb.com/2015/08/10/why-the-hardtail-isnt-dead/

So while vigorously trolling (and drooling) over all things Chinese carbon, I saw this new model frame and it appears to have a similar concept.  The idea here is the diagonal offsets in how the stays are shaped and the kevlar placed in between.  As the stays attempt to deflect and pass each other, the kevlar would flex and retain the stays.  I am super interesting in this bad boy: http://www.carbonalbike.com/carbon-mtb-hardtail-29er-cross-country-frame-with-vibration-reduce-system-1080g-ckmb01-sl.html

However, I did notice a couple of differences in the geometry.  Chain stays a 1 cm longer.  Wheel base is 2 cm.  Most of the angles seem up to par though with something agile, best I can tell.  I assume the length in the chain stay is to accommodate room for the flexing action so the back tire doesn't rub the seat tube when the kevlar inserts are under heavy load.  Opinions anyone? 

A design like this which probably gives somewhere between 8 - 12mm of rear tire travel would be superb for me in Florida. In a race situation, I'd be more inclined to go total weight weenie with a full carbon saddle....  Just a thought. 

[gohloum]

Heh heh... I scrolled down to the bottom of those wheels on Ebay.  Say they have a warranty, but if you look at the list, "Normal Wear and Tear" is listed as voiding it out.... so is off-road riding... 

3.The following improper use will void your warranty
- Crashes and accidents
- Misuse (off-road riding, jumping, trick riding, Cyclocross, etc)   
- Modification of wheels or Improper assembly
- Tire pressure exceeding 140psi 
- Normal wear and tear
- Improper follow-up maintenance or maintenance by an unauthorized technician.
- Installation of parts or accessories not originally intended for, or not compatible with the wheel set as sold   
- Damage or deterioration on the surface finish or appearance which has no effect on the function
- Damages caused by natural disaster

Ummm... Errr.. Uhhh... Warranty?

[Patrick C.]

The "off-road riding" bit probably got cut-and-pasted from a listing for road wheels, along with the 140 psi number.

[carbonazza]

3.The following improper use will void your warranty
- Crashes and accidents
- Misuse (off-road riding, jumping, trick riding, Cyclocross, etc)   
- Modification of wheels or Improper assembly
- Tire pressure exceeding 140psi 
- Normal wear and tear
- Improper follow-up maintenance or maintenance by an unauthorized technician.
- Installation of parts or accessories not originally intended for, or not compatible with the wheel set as sold   
- Damage or deterioration on the surface finish or appearance which has no effect on the function
- Damages caused by natural disaster

Ummm... Errr.. Uhhh... Warranty?

This looks all fair to me, a clear defect will be warranted.

[gohloum]

Anyone know anything about the frame I mentioned 3 posts above?