Please help me choose a frame

[justanothermtb]

My bike got stolen yesterday and I'm thinking about building a bike with a chinese carbon frame. This is my first time building a bike. There are so many different frames and I don't know which ones are worthwhile, which is why I'm asking here. I'm about 5'9" with a 29" inseam so I think 17" would be a good size of frame. I see so many models like 057, 218, M009, 062, 202, 256, 041, etc, and I'm not sure which ones are reliable and would be good for me. How do I go about comparing them?

Thanks in advance.

[Midwest-MTBer]

Welcome to Chinertown!

So your request is sort of vague, but I will try to help answer and provide a few starting points for you to consider. I guess picking out a frame is really a personal preference. Do you want a hardtail or full suspension bike? A 27.5 or 29 wheel size? There have been quite a few builds with the 256 and 036 so those frames are very proven and have a lot of documentation on this site for your use. Those other frames probably have been built up and you just need to find the threads that have them. I would start by looking at geometry and component compatibility and go from there. Just as a warning, the information on here may seem overwhelming and confusing, but just google the stuff you don't understand. There's plenty of information availible online to help you figure out your build. I'm actually starting my first build here at the end of this week and this forum has basically been where I have accumulated all of the information I needed. If we all agree on anything in this forum, it's that you should probably look into getting your frame from Peter at xmcarbonspeed.com. Check out his site and come back to this thread with some more directed questions based on specific frames.

- Midwest

[justanothermtb]

Thanks for responding! I'm looking for 29 wheel size, and hardtail. Most of the posts here seem to be comparing geometry of frames, but I honestly don't know what kind of geometry would be good for me. Maybe I should go to a LBS, test ride a few, and find one similar to one I like?

[7]

I would not recommend wasting the LBS salesperson's time nor would I recommend taking his/her knowledge without actually giving them a chance at the sale.

There's a bunch of knowledge here...

For starters tell us about your trails. Smooth, roots, rock, elevation change, technical or flowy.

Tell us about the bike you had and what you did or did not like about it. Maybe you could use that bike's geometry as a jumping off point.

We can help.


 

[Carbon_Dude]

Your best bet is probably a CS-057.  It's a time proven, reliable, good quality hard tail.  You get internal cable routing, tapered head tube, 12x142 through axle, BSA bottom bracket, and if you want you can even have it custom painted to your liking.  It's been out for about 3 years now so the pricing is a bit less than some of the new frames.

[Sitar_Ned]

Your best bet is probably a CS-057.  It's a time proven, reliable, good quality hard tail.  You get internal cable routing, tapered head tube, 12x142 through axle, BSA bottom bracket, and if you want you can even have it custom painted to your liking.  It's been out for about 3 years now so the pricing is a bit less than some of the new frames.

I second this.

I have one and it's been great but now I want to "upgrade" to 29+ tire size and frame, so maybe consider 29+ for yourself? Just a thought.

Welcome btw.

[adbl]

I'll third the remarks regarding the CS-057! I've had mine for about 4 months now and love it!!! The handling is crisp and precise for a 29er, something i was concerned about coming from a 26er FS. I feel the CS-057 handles better than my 26er ever did. Build quality of the frame is excellent and as many can attest to, Peter is very good to deal with. A comfortable thought considering you're sending money half way around the world..........

Any specific questions please ask or even PM if you'd like.