I was wondering about the Meinier "Snake" 29" hardtail frames also. Just started noticing these since about 1 year ago maybe, but haven't been able to find any reviews on them yet.
I really wish some folks start uploading youtube videos about them, since their product listing looked pretty legit on aliexpress.
So, aside from having to source 7mm tall headset bearings specifically, folks didn't have any issues installing parts? No notable quirks of having to internally route up to 3 cables (rear derailleur, rear brakes, dropper) through the headset? Was there any need to deburr threads, face spray off the bottom bracket shells, or sand anything down? Is there any vent holes of sorts around the bottom to let some water drain when the bike is washed?
As i just went through the cable routing i thought i should leave my experience here...
I got the "full blown" experience yesterday because in my application there were 4 Lines to fit:
1. Brake Line Front to feed into the Meininer fully internal fork
2. Brake Line Rear
3. Shifting cable for rear derailleur
4. remote cable for the dropper.
To make things more "interesting" i opted for the RYET VISR Integrated Handlebar, which guides the Cables internally another few centimeters before they come outside pretty close to the mounting position of the Levers.
So what can i say about this. It is doable, but not nice. As you may need to put everything together and disasemble it several times to make measurements for where to cut the steerer, decide on number of spacer etc. the setup can be a real PITA. I used the Headset top cover and Spacers from the RYET Handlebar and all 4 lines fit actually in there. Surprisingly there´s also some wiggle-room for all the lines when fully installed. But as soon as everything is tightened you can´t pull nor push cables forward or backward as there are some pretty tight curves around the Steering shaft as you can imagine. To make steering smoother i also put a little bit of grease on the blob of cables for final assembly.
NOTE: If you (or i) ever have to get the Dropper Line out, there is a big chance that you have to open up the Headset area as you cant move anything around there. You might not be able to get a new cable inside the Housing, depending on how deep its end sits in the Seat tube - so a strong recommondation to go either rigid post or wireless here!
The RYET C-Ring sits a little bit tall on the upper bearing. I tried every possible combination i had on hand and used the "stock" set that came with the Handlebar in the end. Doing so there´s a 1mm gap when combined with a 7mm thick upper bearing which doesnt look super nice. I might go ahead and put something else in there at some point but i wanted to get things done...
One addition regarding the Headset that Meinier delivered with my frameset (and i didnt end up using): the C-Ring and upper Headset Cover are razor-sharp! This definitely should be sorted out before installation!
Otherwise everything is straight-forward. Nothing to clean up on the Frame, threads and Mounting Faces are machined nicely and flush. There is no drain hole on the bb area nor anywhere else. Im also positive that the tight fit is a general problem with this kind of routing and pretty much the same for other manufacturers aswell
