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Lightest Long-Travel Frame?

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Lightest Long-Travel Frame?
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flag hampsteadbandit
Posted: Dec 21, 2009 at 13:43 Quote
That I do, whether you like it or not, people like the feel of a light bike. Just because your view opposes this, it doesn't mean they're wrong to go the way of weight weenieing.


there is nothing wrong with a lighter weight bike - its generally more fun to ride

I ride a sub 30lb, 6" all-mountain bike that has titanium bolts, adjustable travel forks (Fox 36 Talas), adjustable shock (Fox DHX 5 air), tubeless tires and thomson finishing kit, but its not 30lb at the expense of durability or function, its all solid kit that takes the abuse I give it


but with long-travel bikes : as the OP of this thread asked Bikes, Parts, and Gear :: Lightest Long-Travel Frame?

YES, you can go for the lightest long-travel "frame"

but don't expect the frame itself to last too long, compared to a long-travel frame carrying an extra 1/2lb to 3/4lb of weight in the tubeset or frame components (b/b, pivot yokes, etc.)

don't get the FRAME and the PARTS confused (wheels, drivetrain, finishing kit,etc.)

the frame is the most expensive single part of a bike, and if your frame cracks, folds or fails...your expensive titanium axles, titanium shock springs, drilled-out brake levers and other wheenie parts are somewhat worthless
flag dh-pete
Posted: Dec 21, 2009 at 15:00 Quote
hampsteadbandit wrote:
there is nothing wrong with a lighter weight bike - its generally more fun to ride

but with long-travel bikes : as the OP of this thread asked Bikes, Parts, and Gear :: Lightest Long-Travel Frame?

YES, you can go for the lightest long-travel "frame"

but don't expect the frame itself to last too long, compared to a long-travel frame carrying an extra 1/2lb to 3/4lb of weight in the tubeset or frame components (b/b, pivot yokes, etc.)

don't get the FRAME and the PARTS confused (wheels, drivetrain, finishing kit,etc.)

Correct

Now, if the frame I posted, which happens to be one of the lightest long travel frames available to date at less than 8 pounds including shock, derailleur protector and headset etc. Were made by any other company, I may have agreed with you. However. Liteville is part of Syntace, meaning the bikes are all tested to the same standard. Take years to develop, test, refine etc. Syntace will never rush a product out, not until they are 100% thoroughly content that the part/frame is if anything too strong for what it is made for.

They have only ever recalled one part, and that was a sub 100g stem that was failing because of user error due to overtightened handlebar clamp bolts. They also sent free torque wrenches and allen bits with the replaced stems to prevent any other problems.

I'm not getting the frame and parts confused. I'm using simple explanations to prove my point in a understandable fashion without getting into ridiculous explanations, on how certain suspension designs allow frames to be lighter and overcomplicating my responses or anything else that is un-necessary to prove the point.

In the end of it what we are doing is slowly arguing to the conclusion of the cheap, strong, light rule. As evidently it is always correct.

You pay a hell of a large sum for boutique lightweight parts that have the whole company concentrating at one single product at a time. R & D on that sort of thing over long periods of time is extremely expensive and in turn that expense is then passed on to the consumer with the high price of the part.

Whereas cheap and heavy parts and frames are cheap. Because any generic can just weld up a bulky tank that has no chance of breaking and sell it to the consumer at a low price. Yet they still often cock that up..
flag Muttley
Posted: Dec 21, 2009 at 15:11 Quote
I got a Session 88 Down to just under 35lb's?




Then i broke it....
flag dh-pete
Posted: Dec 21, 2009 at 15:16 Quote
That's what you get for using an overhyped tin can frame. Smile


And still you only caused the back end of the frame to misalign. With a 1 piece rear triangle you'd have much less chance of that happening *cough glory cough*
flag Muttley
Posted: Dec 21, 2009 at 15:17 Quote
Its a pretty stacked rear end, im surprised i managed it
flag hampsteadbandit
Posted: Dec 22, 2009 at 13:34 Quote
In the end of it what we are doing is slowly arguing to the conclusion of the cheap, strong, light rule. As evidently it is always correct.

we have Mr. Bontrager to thank for that Wink

its a fair point

its REALLY hard to engineer and fabricate a light, long-travel frame that is tough enough to withstand both long term abuse (aluminium fatigue) AND day to day damage from crashes, uplifts, strange accidents, etc.


I'd personally always go for a slightly heavier frame that is well engineered and built using modern technology (hydroforming, cold forging, cold-form extrusion) and save weight (at high cost) on the bike components themselves - especially finishing kit and wheels / tires

look at Thomson - beautifully engineered stems and seatpost that are both light and crazy strong, but at a high price (thanks Keith Bontrager!)
flag pbuser102331
Posted: Dec 22, 2009 at 13:40 Quote
MarkASX wrote:
dh-pete wrote:
Your preaching for mediocrity is so damn boring.

Hampseadbandit I enjoy your preaching for mediocrity!

hampsteadbandit speaks the truth.Salute
flag brianhcm1
Posted: Jan 11, 2010 at 16:20 Quote
mr-wilson wrote:
With the compnents offered today you can pretty much get away with any frame that has the geo suiting what you want. May have to skip Knolly or Karpiel, but pretty much anything else can easily be made sub 40.
Really? My Karpiel Disco is 39.5lbs and that's with fairly heavy wheels/tires & brakes.
flag mr-wilson
Posted: Jan 11, 2010 at 19:13 Quote
^^^ Three comments later.

(granted I got your name wrong)
flag dylanhcrane
O+ FL
Posted: Apr 19, 2012 at 21:05 Quote
The Scott Genius LT has 185mm travel and with a carbon frame can be built to around 26lbs and the aluminium to around 29lbs
flag VTwintips
Posted: Apr 20, 2012 at 15:28 Quote
dylanhcrane wrote:
The Scott Genius LT has 185mm travel and with a carbon frame can be built to around 26lbs and the aluminium to around 29lbs
things have changed SOOOOO much in the past few years haha. This thread was long over, but now, a sub 30 freeride bike actually makes sense.
flag relscb
Posted: Apr 20, 2012 at 16:08 Quote
canyon toorque frx 5.0 playzoen comes stock 36pounds
has 185-203mm adjustable rear suspenion and comes ready equipted for fr/dh
http://www.canyon.com/_uk/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=2577
flag venturavin
Posted: Apr 21, 2012 at 6:40 Quote
I've always wondered how light you could build a tr250... seems like it'd be perfect if you had a fork you could drop on the fly to get reasonable pedaling geo. The frame is 10.8 lbs with a coil shock... promising with air shock? Not the lightest, but definitely no durability issues and no arguments about being fun to ride either if you can get it to pedal.
flag richerpoorer
Posted: Jun 5, 2014 at 19:51 Quote
The Santa Cruz Nomad carbon is 165mm and 6lb frame. I'm 3/4 of the way saving for it.
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