steel frame bikes

[iandg]

Ask them

I have (and am very happy with) a Surly LHT so not getting one - posed the question (as I wasn't sure) for @Bonefish Blues as OP stated that 35c tyres were a requirement.

Have found a thread in another forum that suggests 35c fit fine

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I did know that, Colin who designs Spa's bikes is a regular on CUK. IIRC it's only the Audax that's limited to 32c, everything else including the Elan will take at least 35c.

 

[rogerzilla]

The Surly LHT is the default option these days. Not much to criticise about one, except maybe that the option of 26" to 700c wheels may give average-sized riders a quandary (the changeover point is right in the middle of the size range), and a Tubus Tara front rack doesn't fit quite horizontally.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

So you wouldn't be a fan of this then John.

View attachment 455877 .

Not really my sort of MTB I'm afraid @raleighnut. Old-school ones that look like roadster frames on steroids are more my cup of tea. I've actually got an old bare Saracen frame kicking about that I found sitting on top of a bin, which I've since identified as a 1997 Fastrax. Bit small for me but I'll hang on to it as it could be used as a loaner-outer and it's a Tange butted cro-moly job, not gas pipe like the small Apollo frame I had previously earmarked for the same purpose. There's a load of old Saracen catalogues archived on the Retrobike forum if you look for them, useful for dating build features. I used them to identify mine, and it wasn't what another CC member thought it was although the colour was the same as theirs.

 

[raleighnut]

That one was actually a present, I spent a few hundred pounds changing the Crank, Pedals, Mechs, Shifters, Handlebars, Stem and having a custom Seatpost manufactured, it's great in snow.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I spent a few hundred pounds changing the Crank, Pedals, Mechs, Shifters, Handlebars, Stem and having a custom Seatpost manufactured.

My approach is different to yours, although I appreciate most of yours were frame-up builds, whereas most of mine were bought complete. I tend to change as little as possible on mine so long as parts are serviceable, apart from the pub bike Pioneer which was cobbled together around a bare frame using various old donors.

 

[raleighnut]

My approach is different to yours, although I appreciate most of yours were frame-up builds, whereas most of mine were bought complete. I tend to change as little as possible on mine so long as parts are serviceable, apart from the pub bike Pioneer which was cobbled together around a bare frame using various old donors.

No that was a complete brand new bike, I just replaced all the naff bits that Saracen had fitted with higher quality components, gave away a lot of the bits I'd removed.

 

[CXRAndy]

Boardman ASR 8.9. You will need to upgrade groupset to triple,. Fairlight do steel frame bikes aswell

My Kinesis Tripster ATR V2 is Titanium frame. I run a triple crankset and huge mtb cass with di2 . It can take 40mm tyres and all the eyelets for racks and mudguards.

 

[Pegasus00]

Is this frame geometry suitable for mtb use? I have the same bike, and all kinds of parts, that I would like to build mtb for my own use. With Alivio 3x8 groupset and so on. Frame hi teen steel, is it too bad?

 

[DCBassman]

I think it would be fine. All MTBs looked like that, once! Mine doesn't have the fron suspension, even!

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Methinks the geo was for a rigid fork, like what proper mountain bikes had

...but just ride it.

 

[DCBassman]

Methinks the geo was for a rigid fork, like what proper mountain bikes had

...but just ride it.

My Trek 800 is rigid, the 820 had front suspension. Same frame.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

My Trek 800 is rigid, the 820 had front suspension. Same frame.

I bet the 820 didn't have the travel that fork has, mind - nothing did in those days

 

[DCBassman]

I bet the 820 didn't have the travel that fork has, mind - nothing did in those days

I wouldn't know, never owned anything with suspension!

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Nor me!