Best frame for a climber/road defector

[seahog32]

Hi guys,

I am new here and new at this sort of net activity too so excuse me if I ask stupid questions or  break some etiquette rules unintentionally.

I would appreciate suggestions on which frame should I get. Just asking for subjective opinions, won't hold anyone responsible if I'm not satisfied with my own final decision.

I am a life-long roadie, still very competitive even if far and long past my prime. Got to mountain biking through commuting on some gravel roads first and single tracks more recently, managed to earn a few Strava KOMs in the process and got bitten by the bug. I don't think of myself  as a mountain biker though, my downhill skills are rudimentary at the best and at my age they are quite unlikely to improve much. However, I really like the climbing part of the deal so that should be taken in consideration when choosing the right frame. Currently I dont even own a real mtb. I am using my Specialized Crosstrail commuter for riding trails and I like the geometry of that bike for that purpose quite a lot (did I mention I was a roadie?). However, that thing weights a tone.

So here I am. I'll appreciate any suggestions and opinions on what may be the best frame for me.

Thanks in advance!

[carbonazza]

Compared to my previous Cannondale Rush 26", FS carbon.
The 256 hard tail frame + 29" carbon wheels is definitely a true racing bike, for gravel, mud and roots.

All this, said in total objectivity 

[brmeyer135]

What kind of riding are you doing?
As I get older, I know I would prefer a FS bike.
An overall, good frame would be the 057....the 256 will be lighter and is getting way more common and preferred.
If you like the fit and feel of your cross bike....you should probably take the measurements and compare them the many Chiners....there is a list or two of them on here.

[seahog32]

Yeah, I've noticed that the 256 seems to be quite popular on this forum but what about other manufacturers/distributors? Anybody has anything good to say about bike(s) other than IP?

[carbonazza]

I did not order my 256 from IPlay, but from Honsen Bikes.
As it was the new "super light" model available back in June.

Since there is no copyright there.
Someone has probably designed it(IPlay claims they did it for the 256).

Then many companies, seem to collaborate/improve them and either build or just sell, the same models changing the first letters and keeping the same number.

[seahog32]

I did not order my 256 from IPlay, but from Honsen Bikes.
As it was the new "super light" model available back in June.

Since there is no copyright there.
Someone has probably designed it(IPlay claims they did it for the 256).

Then many companies, seem to collaborate/improve them and either build or just sell, the same models changing the first letters and keeping the same number.

Yeah, I am kinda zeroing on the 256 frame. I like the geometry and its more straight/less S-shaped down tube. I think, correct me if I am wrong, that I saw you mentioning in some other thread here that you are running it 1 x 11. What is the tooth-count of the largest chainring you can use with that frame? Even though, I live in a mountainous area and 32T ( the granny chainring in my current 2x10 setup) is what I am using likely 95% of the time  so that should not be a problem.

[frankR]

Largest 1x11 chainring I hear you can mount on the 256 is 32t. I am running a 30t right now, but have a 32t that I have not mounted yet. You can see how close the teeth are to the seat stay with the 30t so I can believe 32t is as large as you can go.

The 256 should be a good choice for you. I am happy with it, and a road defector / climber myself.

[seahog32]

Thanks for the answer, frankR, although it is a bit disappointing. I was hoping for something like 34 or even 36T. Even your 30T looks awfully close from this angle. A look straight down from above would be better. And mounting the 32T to see for sure would be the best  . I did not place any orders yet, still feeling that I need to learn more. So are there other frames that may accept 1x11 chainrings larger than 32T? Anybody?

[frankR]

I am not very familar with any other Chinese 29er frames, so someone else will need to answer.

Unless you will be riding on the road frequently, 10x32t should be all the gearing you need on a cross country moutain bike. Pedaling at 100rpm will net you 28mph, which is moving fast on an XC mtb (while pedaling).

I am new to the 1x11 drive train, but I feel under geared on the other end, with climbs hitting over 30% in my area. To cover both ends fully you may consider a 2x10 or 2x11 setup.

[Vipassana]

The 32T fits the 256 easily. I'd bet a 34T will fit fine as well.  A 36T may be pushing it, but I think with a spacer or two installed, it can be made to fit as well.  That said, I really don't feel that I'm missing any gearing with the 1x11. 

Warning: in getting on my soap box here...

If the climbs get hard, harden up and get stronger.  But in reality, with lower and lower gearing, you just start to go slower.  If you have the low gears you'll just be conditioned to rely on them.  If you don't have them, you'll get stronger.  Nothing is more humiliating than having an old guy on a single speed out climb you when you're sitting in your granny gear.  It's all about hardening up.

I had some really steep climbs in the races I've done and at my longest race, even coming into the last climb which was over 900 feet in a two miles or so, with 95 miles under my belt, I was still able to struggle up the climb.  You get used to it.  If you don't have the crutch, you don't use it.

And on the other end, a 32T with the 10T rear cog will take me to ~24 & 25 mph on the street.  Rarely do I need more speed than that off road.  That's at-risk behavior!

I guess I'm a huge fan of the 1x11/1x10 stuff.  I don't miss the extra gearing in the least. The deleted front derailleur is a liberating thing and allows me to focus even more on riding.

Sorry for the semi-off-topic rant!

Everyone is different though and I can appreciate that.  But if you are used to climbing on a road bike, which sucks a lot, this 1x11 gearing is no problem.

[seahog32]

Sorry for the semi-off-topic rant!

No off topic at all, sir. And I agree with you 90%. The current gearing I am using is 48/32 x 11/36. The big chainring is for paved roads only (it is my commuter bike) and the 32 x 36 is even for the steepest trails. Well, at least if the surface is not too loose and/or too wet. In those cases the torque becomes too much for the traction - those are the other 10%. The 42T cog may be the answer to that problem, of course.

Anyway, if you say that 32T fits the 256 frame easily, that is reassuring. Thank you!

[seahog32]

To cover both ends fully you may consider a 2x10 or 2x11 setup.

I find the 2x11 setup unnecessary for my daily riding, however, I may appreciate it on a occasional marathon ride. Guess I should do my own research but what is there available in that group?

Quick search seems to be showing shimano xtr only and it is quite pricy, to put it mildly. Too pricy for me to buy both sram 1x11 and shimano 2x11 drivetrains. Would the shimano 2x11 crankset work with the sram 1x11 chain? Just a thought. Probably too much of a hassle to install and uninstall the front shifter/internal routing cable/front derailleur for that purpose.

[cmh]

If the climbs get hard, harden up and get stronger.  But in reality, with lower and lower gearing, you just start to go slower.  If you have the low gears you'll just be conditioned to rely on them.  If you don't have them, you'll get stronger.  Nothing is more humiliating than having an old guy on a single speed out climb you when you're sitting in your granny gear.  It's all about hardening up.

FWIW, that's good advice for the most part, but this weekend I was on a very snowy ride with some other folks. The guys on the fat bikes made it look easy, but then there was my wife on a 1x10 and two other guys, one with a 1x10 and another with a SS. At the beginning of the ride I was off the back of the group, making do with my 22t granny and comparable lack of fitness, but as the ride progressed, I was fresher for the lower gears, being able to maintain something like a spin in the slushy snow vs. constantly having to apply maximum pedal pressure, and first passed the singlespeeder, then the guy with the 1x10, and finally - and most shockingly - my wife. Understand I haven't passed her on a climb in a couple years now - nor do most guys.  So, those low gears paid off in the long run. Pushing gears that are just plain too big for the conditions might work for a little while, but unless you're a pure hero (or your last name is Schurter) that approach may backfire. For normal riding conditions, hard pack, stuff like that, then yeah, sure... but don't push big gears just to be a hero.

Of course, the two guys on the fat bikes were dropping us while having a casual conversation, and that's the lesson I really took away from it.