"Sporty" rim brake frames with decent clearance

Posted on
Page
of 5
/ 5
Last Next
  • What rim brake frame options are out there that will take a 32c+ tyre? A quick ride on the weekend tells me i'm not going to enjoy riding my CAAD much whilst injured so am looking out for something more plush that would be comfortable on the odd off road route. Rim brake because i have everything including TRP's that'll clear a 35c and i'm attached to an Arkane rim brake wheelset that has had very little use.

    Standard (57mm) drop caliper options:

    All City Mr Pink
    Cielo Sportif Classic
    Condor Fratello
    Dolan Prefissio
    Dolan Dual
    Enigma Ethos
    Genesis Equilibrium
    Kinesis 4S
    Kona Honky Tonk
    Ribble Audax
    Salsa Casseroll
    Surly Pacer

  • Why not an old dawes/raleigh/similar?

    E.g., this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115831603453 is really nice, but there usually nice ones for less? E.g. the trek in the classifieds rn.

  • For >32c you need a frame with mid reach brakes and those are pretty rare if you want something not too old.
    The mr Pink uses mid reach brakes and Kona Honky tonk too I believe. Soma has one called Pescatora (or something like that).

  • Pescadero* I've been considering one of these but it's too expensive for what you get imo.

    https://www.somafab.com/archives/product/pescadero-frame-set

  • Why not an old dawes/raleigh/similar?

    I want something that resembles a road bike and uses modern standards. Reviews of the Equilibrium suggest it's a comfortable frame that handles relatively well but i'm struggling to find one with a steel fork. On the latter i'm not wedded to steel but other than the Whisky 7+ most carbon forks seem to limit clearances and look crap.

  • Condor Fratello rim brake model is pretty modern and will take large tyres. I've squeezed 32s on them, but thats very much borderline

  • Tricross comes in a geared option?

  • Spa audax?

  • For >32c you need a frame with mid reach brakes

    Yeah i have some TRP 957's

    those are pretty rare

    Yep, Surly, All City and Cielo (mega bucks) currently the only options i've found that'll comfortably take a 32.

  • Spa audax?

    Quite like these, similar to the Equilibrium but the TT is closer to horizontal which looks better. Not sure i could justify 3x the cost of a used Equilibrium frameset, i wonder if Genesis ever sold the steel fork on its own?..

  • Can't recommend the Salsa Casseroll highly enough if you're not too bothered about frame weight. They come up on eBay occasionally.

  • I want something that resembles a road bike and uses modern standards

    I always feel like threadless steeres are the only notable difference, but considering adapters, it's mostly aesthetic. But you do you. I second Spa frames, or maybe an odd used Thorn? There's a club tour kicking about on Ebay rn.

  • Pickup a nice carbon or alloy canti cx frameset and put trp cx 8.4 on it

  • I've been looking for those many times but I never see them for sale. I'm after one in size 61

  • Not very helpful but I really liked my Mr Pink. I only sold it to buy the Zig Zag which is pretty much the exact same bike but disc brakes.

  • Also not very helpful, but I never got on with my Mr pink. Loved it on paper but no matter the build, i didn't enjoy the ride.

  • What about it didn't you like? Too boring? Too twitchy?

  • Surly Pacer- loved mine but needing more stack, Surly innit!

  • I really like the Pacer especially with the horizontal TT but the lack of stack isn't great for me. Also hard to come by these days. The forks do pop up a bit more frequently on the Bay and might pair nicely with an Equilibrium frame which has much better geo for me. Trying to find out what the max tyre size you can fit on the back on an Equilibrium would be as i've been told the Pacer fork will take a 35.

  • I knew that would come back to haunt me! Yeah regret not grabbing yours but at the time i wasn't a box of broken bits.

    I'm really not doing enough riding to justify going deep on this but figure a more comfy bike might entice me to get outside a bit more often.

  • Equilibrium will take 30mm at the rear, maybe a skinny 32mm, yes paselas I'm thinking of you.

  • Thanks, that might rule it out then as my CAAD takes a 28. Is the limiting factor the stays or the bridge? If the latter Winston at Varonha could sort that.

  • Mainly the bridge, considering it's designed for long drop brakes, Genesis kinda fucked up, it's about 5mm too low.

  • The bridge in my equilibrium is high enough for 30s and mudguards. Fits a 32 without no prob. There might be some variance between frames? Mine is 2017

  • Post a reply
    • Bold
    • Italics
    • Link
    • Image
    • List
    • Quote
    • code
    • Preview
About

"Sporty" rim brake frames with decent clearance

Posted by Avatar for jono84 @jono84

Actions