To all you 29er's out there!

Might be a bit pricey but Shand Cycles have their 'Stoater' Allroad frameset that can come with Rocker dropouts:-

http://www.shandcycles.com/frames/allroad/stoater-overview/

James, have you got some details on the Soma please, or a link to some?

I have a Nature Boy you could have a go on if you want (fnar)

Soma juice 16" frame

Might be a bit pricey but Shand Cycles have their 'Stoater' Allroad frameset that can come with Rocker dropouts:-

http://www.shandcycles.com/frames/allroad/stoater-overview/

James, have you got some details on the Soma please, or a link to some?

http://www.somafab.com/archives/product/juice

With so much attention on full suspension and carbon fiber you would think
that steel hardtails were dead. Well I'm glad to be able to tell you that they
are alive and kicking. With the explosion of 29" wheeled bikes, the steel
hardtail has made a come back. All of the properties we've grown to love about
steel bikes are present in the Soma Juice. Tough but smooth riding. Reasonably
light with a snappy feel on the trail. The Soma Juice is a jack of all trades
trail bike that can adopt whatever personality you'd like.

The look is distinctive with the curved top tube creating a unique profile
and giving a ton of crotch clearance. With rear entry drop outs and a derailleur
hanger, the Juice can be built up single speed or geared, depending on your
mood. It has enough tire clearance on the rear to run a 2.3" tire with plenty of
mud clearance.

Over a season of riding the Soma Juice, I had it built up single speed,
geared and as a road bike with drop bars and skinny tires. I spent most of the
time racing it during endurance events ( 8 hour solo) as a single speed. The
handling was solid with the usual 29" wheel stability at high speeds. The
combination of short wheel base and rigid fork made for snappy climbing out of
the saddle. In technical terrain, the low bottom bracket made for the occasional
pedal strike but it's no worse than most bikes.

It's hard to quantify the differences in how a bike rides as it is mainly
feel, but the Soma Juice is a fun bike to ride. I had my best races finishes of
the last 5 years on this bike, so this bike holds a special place in my heart.
The Juice has the advantages of the 29" wheel with the old school feel of a good
steel hardtail. Built up with a Bontrager carbon rigid fork, Chris King wheels
and On One Mary Bar, the complete bike came in at 23 lbs.

Made from Tange Prestige heat treated double butted tubing, the Juice strikes
a balance between price, ride quality and weight. They could have made it light
making it from Reynolds 853 or True Temper OX Platinum but it would have
increased the price dramatically. Available from Soma as just a frame you can
build it up yourself or get a complete bike from your favorite shop. The Soma
Juice is the kind of bike that turns heads but still works great out on the
trail. You won't see many of them on the local group ride or race scene so you
can have something unique without breaking the bank.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3588324

I don't know about Ti anymore. Many years ago, this was the ultimate dream frame for me.

My tastes appear to have gone a little downmarket since then. Less pretty, more practical.

• Hopesbetterhalfneverreadsthis
  
  

what the heck is going on with that rear triangle ? does it screw together or something ?

Its a Softail, thats a shock for a small amount of suspension, no pivots it relies on the flex in the chain stays

what the heck is going on with that rear triangle ? does it screw together or something ?

Its a soft tail. The chainstays flex, and the seat stay is pushed into the opening. You can lock it out by tightening the bolt.

Too slow :(

How tall are you? Come and try the soma juice

Thanks James, but 6'7" so I'm a bit big for it.

hope the welds on the chainstays are well done !

Might be a bit pricey but Shand Cycles have their 'Stoater' Allroad frameset that can come with Rocker dropouts:-

http://www.shandcycles.com/frames/allroad/stoater-overview/

That's lovely! Stock sizing is a little too small. However.... They appear to do custom :-)

Thanks! Will investigate further. Liking the orange too!

• Goes on 40th Birthday wishlist.
  

I have a Nature Boy you could have a go on if you want (fnar)

Thanks! I might have to take you up on that when I'm next down in London.

I just asked about your Nature Boy over on the BBB thread yesterday. I notice you have a short stem & long post ( not euph ). Without getting too personal :-) are you more leg than body?

hope the welds on the chainstays are well done !

Moots have been using a softail design for around two decades now. I think they've held up pretty well.

I still can't afford one :-(

That fatbike softail doesn't look very comfortable. You need a downhill fatbike!

http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/New-Downhill-Bikes-at-Eurobike-2012,4249/WHAT-THE-Santa-Cruz-V10-Fat-Bike,41635/bturman,109

Check the bike porn thread.

pokes tunge out

My commuter today.... :)

Check the bike porn thread.

pokes tunge out

Check the let's offroad thread from last night.

;-)

^^ Liking the terrifically uncool bar ends.

Prices and ordering

                     Frame with standard rear dropouts and replaceable hanger: £1,295

Frame with adjustable rockers: + £200
Straight blade unicrown or lugged crown fork: + £175

That Shand Stoater frameset, however nice is coming in around At nearly £1700 with the rocker dropouts & fork. Whereabouts does this fall in overall custom pricing hierarchy?

I know they're are plenty of more costly options, ( eg Mather ) but I might be pushing it to go over a grand on frame & fork.

I can't help feeling that a Jackson/Roberts/Mercian is for the over 50's.

This obviously needs more research. I should stop hijacking the 29er thread.

^^ Liking the terrifically uncool bar ends.

They're so shockingly naff looking.

Use them all the time though. I cant get up hills without them.

Oops. Hadn't noticed the BBB thread sorry.

I'm 6'8". My jeans inseam is around 35" and I'm about 25" from nape of neck to belt so I'm fairly evenly proportioned - I find it about equally difficult to buy trousers AND shirts :-)

Since I took the pic in the BBB thread I've lowered the seatpost quite a bit after some ad hoc fitting advice from James and Clever Pun. I also crushed my ulnar nerves quite badly a while back so I prefer to have as little weight on them as possible hence the short stem.

Let me know when you're around and you're welcome to come try it out.

Thanks! I might have to take you up on that when I'm next down in London.

I just asked about your Nature Boy over on the BBB thread yesterday. I notice you have a short stem & long post ( not euph ). Without getting too personal :-) are you more leg than body?

^^ They look a bit like the titec carbon?

I have a pair of them. Very comfortable. I prefer either narrow bar + bar ends or wide bar + no social stigma.

Prices and ordering

                     Frame with standard rear dropouts and replaceable hanger: £1,295

Frame with adjustable rockers: + £200
Straight blade unicrown or lugged crown fork: + £175

That Shand Stoater frameset, however nice is coming in around At nearly £1700 with the rocker dropouts & fork. Whereabouts does this fall in overall custom pricing hierarchy?

I know they're are plenty of more costly options, ( eg Mather ) but I might be pushing it to go over a grand on frame & fork.

I can't help feeling that a Jackson/Roberts/Mercian is for the over 50's.

This obviously needs more research. I should stop hijacking the 29er thread.

Thats mad expensive.

If you have 8 or so months to wait. Get Triton to make you one out of Ti, and choose the drop-outs you want from Paragon yourself. Probs looking at 750 for the frame.

Also. The 29er thread is a bit niche, so hijack away as far as I'm concerned (CX blurs into 29er anyway).

Let me know when you're around and you're welcome to come try it out.

Cheers! Will do. I'm 6'7" & more body than leg. I think my Ogre is fairly close to your Swift in size, so it might work out.

^^ They look a bit like the titec carbon?
I have a pair of them. Very comfortable. I prefer either narrow bar + bar ends or wide bar + no social stigma.

I have my bars pretty wide for my size. But the gorgeous 17 deg sweep of the Salsa Moto Pro has one issue for me. The angle doesnt allow for full SS bike wrestling up steep hills.

Its a amature looking set-up. But it works well.