# Anyone riding a bent tube hardtail?



## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

I might be selling my roadbike tomorrow. The money from that plus some left over tax money is going to buy me a new bike. I am either getting a crossbike or a new mountain bike. What I am looking for in a new mountain bike is a bent top tube frame, hardtail, and I plan on running it 1x9 to start and when/if I get the fitness level to do it, changing over to single speed. So for right now I am just wondering if anyone is riding a bike with a bent top tube and what your thoughts are. Also, if anyone wants to chime in on clyde friendly components feel free...I can use all the help I can get speccing this thing out. I am 300+ pounds and ride XC. Some pretty rough and nasty stuff at times but no drops, jumps, or downhill.

The frame I am in love with is the Misfit diSSent just to give an idea what I am looking for in a frame. The picture I lifted from a thread in the SS section. My bike would be different in that I am going with a 1x9 drive train to start and a front suspension fork.


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

no real input here, but that thing looks clean as hell!
(aesthetically)


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Yeah...that bike is pure sex.


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## MikeOnBike (May 22, 2009)

Nubster said:


> Yeah...that bike is pure sex.


Love it!

'10 Jamis Exile is a bent tube hardtail. Not a 1x9 but might work for you with a quick crank change.

Jamis Exile II
Jamis Exile I

I ride a '08 Jamis Dakota 29er. It is a straight tube but I believe the geometry is the same. I'm 6'1", 280 and the bike is a sweet ride. I ride rough rocky trails and the Rock Shox air fork has been excellent. It really soaks up the bumps without any excessive bounce or wander.


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## kyrus (Aug 27, 2008)

How is this bike standing up in the pic?


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

The bike is so hawt it is magic.

Actually there is a stick under the pedal on the other side that has been PS'ed out.


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## Sasquatch1413 (Nov 6, 2008)

My brother is also in love with the Dissent frames. One thing to note about them is the rear dropouts. I think they are redesigning them and the new ones won't be out for a few months.


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Yeah, but that is a good thing because the old frames are on clearance for $100 off


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## GrannyAbuser (Jan 31, 2004)

Surly Instigator with a Dirt Jumper 1 fork. A fat man's cross-country machine:


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Too bad Surly doesn't have a 29er offering in that frame or I might have been all over it. I was tempted to go with a KM but I really want a bent top tube. Great looking bike.


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## GrannyAbuser (Jan 31, 2004)

The "'70's bell bottomed jeans" look of the frame drew to to the Instigator. I also ridiculously overbuilt it for my needs which meant I wouldn't outgrow it. You asked about clydesdale friendly components. I highly recomend the Marzocchi Dirt Jumper 1 fork. I'm about 360 and with only 10psi in the forks I have NEVER bottomed out. The Azonic Outlaws are quite stout as well, were pretty cheap and come with all hardware for either quick release or through-axle.

I'm not sure how heavy you are and I may start some controversy here, but if you are over 300lbs, you are better off with 36 spoke 26" wheels for strength and reliability over 29's


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

I am at 300 pounds and I think you are correct about the 26" wheels being stronger. But with some of the rims out there now wheel strength does not seem to be too much of an issue. My plans are to use Kris Holm 29" 36H unicycle rims which have developed quite the reputation of being bombproof cycle wheels. Heavy but strong. I do have a 26" bike but after I got my 29er there is noway I could go back to little wheels. At least not for the terrain that I ride. Too bad too because the more I look at your bike the more I like it. I even sent Surly an email telling them if they don't offer the Instigator frame in 29er format I was going to blow up their headquarters....ok....maybe I didn't say that but I did ask them if there was a chance something like a 29" Instigator frame could be in the future.


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## GrannyAbuser (Jan 31, 2004)

Those unicycle wheels sound cool. I've never ridden a 29'er so I guess ignorance is bliss...8) I'm just happy to have my first REAL suspension fork after a life of rigids and a less than stellar experience with a Marzocchi DH3 fork.

A MAJOR part of my clydesdale status comes from my extreme love of beer. I've been know to prop a bike near my favorite TV spot and look at it during commercials.... There is usually a cold one within quick retrieval distance and after several I often feel "creative" and grab my camera. Here's a good beer-induced Instigator bent tube angle for you:


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Nice.

I got an email back from Surly and no plans for a 29er Instigator. I guess it would be easy enough for a frame builder to make a similar bike. Not that it matters much now as I just laid out a deposit on a semi-custom Siren John Henry frame so I will have my bent tube goodness in a couple months.

As far as you being in ignorant bliss...I don't know about that. I think the 26" bikes are fine and I enjoyed my time on the one I have. I think the two things that the 29er offers over the 26er is just it tends to roll over stuff better/easier and where I ride that is a huge plus. LOTS of roots and rocks. And the 29er just has better proportions for bigger riders. I don't feel like I look like a circus bear on top of a tiny little bike anymore. But I really do love the look of your bike, no doubt about that.

What does your component list look like? I still have a few things to get for my build so i am always up for seeing what other bigger riders are using with success.


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## GrannyAbuser (Jan 31, 2004)

Thanks. This bike was built strictly for durability and a long life. I see no forseeable need to ever replace this bike.

Keep in mind that I gathered the parts in 2005 and very early 2006 and built this for the 2006 season. I built this bike up for about $1100 due to patient shopping but retail would have been much closer to $1800-1900. It's basically a 36lb anvil that is more than capable of anything I will ever be brave enough for or get my self in shape enough for. I'd like to own this at least as long as I've had my 1992 bridgestone MB-4 (bought new and now my "road bike")

2005 18" Surly Instigator frame(e-bay win: came with uncut rigid fork I've never used)
2004 Marzocchi Dirt Jumper 1 fork
Azonic Outlaw 36 spoke wheelset
SRAM X7 drivetrain
XT crankset
Avid Juicy Seven disk brakes
2.4" Ritchey Motovaders with heavy duty shrader valve tubes
WTB saddle (can't remember model but it has steel rails) Pure V maybe?
$10 off brand seat post
$10 Ringle handlebar
$10 Ringle 5degree 90mm stem
ODI Ruffian grips
Wipperman chain
XT crankset with Octolink BB. I REFUSE to pay $300-500 for an external bearing setup until I start killing these older designs regularly.
Crupi Pro Round bear trap pedals. Bought new in 1998 they are fully rebuildable but I have NEVER touched them. Still spin for 10 seconds with a flip of the finger.

Building your own bike is fun but makes you think about EVERY component. I cheaped out in simple non-critical areas.


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Yeah...speccing is part of the fun but trying to find the best prices on those parts is frustrating to say the least. Right now my biggest issue is the fork. The 29er crowd gets screwed on the fork options, especially the mid-range forks. The Rockshox Tora 318 Solo Air seems to be about the best clyde fork for the 29er without paying an arm and a leg at least. Of course as my luck would have it they discontinued it and replaced it with a piece of crap Tora XC SL. Been trying to find a used one. Have one in line but the guy selling it is kinda acting like he isn't too interested in selling now. Not sure what's up with that. Other than the Tora...the Manitou Drake seems like a viable option. Not checked into the Marzocchi forks yet but that is on the list of things to do.

Right now including the frame I am looking at about $2200-2500. That is about $1000 over budget....lol


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## GrannyAbuser (Jan 31, 2004)

Two possible thoughts for you: Ride an Old school 26" mountain bike for now and slowly build your bike like I did buying only when things are on sale or killer e-bay deals. If you don't have one they can be picked up for peanuts, will laugh at your weight and make a great commuter/bar crawler after your build. I bought my 1992 Bridgestone MB-4 new for $650 and i'd be lucky to get $150 for it now. It's fully rack and fender ready and can transition from MTB to road/cyclecross with a bar/stem and tire change. Finishing this bike would be a reward to yourself for having lost some weight and then you'd be at a more acceptable weight for available shocks. This would also allow the next year's options to show themselves. 
The other option if you absolutely can't wait to build the bike would be to run a rigid fork for now the way we did it before suspension existed (or at least for me since I'm old). Two things would happen by doing this. 1.) You'd be going back to basics and learning/remembering (depending how young you are) how to ride lightly. You'd be able to shave about $400 off your budget right now, getting back to the roots of mountain biking (all puns intended), getting to really know your bike and feel the frame, gaining fitness and losing weight, and lastly, allowing time for the next generation of 29'er forks to arrive.
2.) Doing the above will have lowered your weight making more fork options available to you. But the best part of going this route will be that you will really appreciate the suspension fork when you get it and it will be like having a new bike again!

Option 3 You can always "Come to the short side" and just build a Surly Instigator. You know you want to... I built my Surly with mostly DH and Dirt jumping components for their strength which I don't believe are even options for a 29'er (happily I'm out of the loop with new gear since I'm supremely happy with my build) My Marzocchi Dirt Jumper 1 ROCKS. It's a boat anchor at about 7.5lbs but I've ridden it at over 360 and NEVER bottomed it out with only 10psi in the forks. 

I'm not really trying to talk you out of your cool build. It's just that patience will net you a huge cost savings while netting far more options as the 29'er market keeps expanding.


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

I hear ya. I still have my 26" actually (needs a new shifter and cassette) and I also have a Rockhopper 29er. 

I have thought about going rigid and I might still grab a rigid fork that I can switch out with my suspension fork as the mood strikes. I could without a doubt use the extra skills building.

So far most of my parts that I have ordered have been on sale or from ebay so I am saving some money. I think a lot of it has to do with not realizing how much really actually goes into building a bike before taking on the project. I plan on doing a write-up when I am done not on how to build a bike but what exactly is needed. I have looked on here and on the net and perhaps missed it, but I couldn't find a list of exactly what components are needed to do a complete build from scratch. 

And you're right...I would like to do a Instigator build. That bike of yours just looks tough. Perhaps it will be something to look into next year.


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## Instigator (May 10, 2006)

Thread still active?

I have an instigator as well, I weigh in at about 330, height at 6'4", and its taken all sorts of abuse. I have nothing but praise for that frame. It feels so beastly compared to the tradional frames I've ridden. The "junk saver" bent top tube seriously works. 

I ride alot of cross country around the area, the only real problems I have are rims coming out of true once every few weeks, breaking pedal pins and wearing out pads like no other.

Compnent break down:

-Z1 freeride fork (overkill i know, but it works for xc so well)
-Rhyno lite rims laced to ringle 439 lites (spoke tension is a must for this setup)
-HG93 chain (they last forever) running around a diablous crank, deore derailer (that derailer has taken more abuse than any of my other xt's)
-Michelin Hot S 2.1 tires
-Performance Forte Stomp pedals (some pins missing... weight savings  )
-Single rear rim brake, shimano xt with kool stop pads and a xt lever works suprisingly well for how heavy i am

(I'm probably going to get reamed for component selection here)


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Still active....sort of. I already selected my bike, two of them technically but I would still like to see what others are riding in the bent tube variety. If you get a chance, throw up a picture of your bike. If I would have known about the Instigator before I bought my diSSent and ordered my John Henry I may have considered it. I would have had to test ride some decent quality 26" bikes to see if I could go back from a 29er though. I do love the look of the bike and Surly has a great rep for being quality.


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## GrannyAbuser (Jan 31, 2004)

I've ridden Rhyno Lites for years on my rim braked Bridgestone MB4. They aren't bad but they do go out of round now and then. I've had great luck with my Azonic Outlaws on the Instigator but they are disk brake only. If you keep killing pedals, seriously consider the Crupi Pro Rounds. They are expensive, but it's doudtful you'd ever hurt them.

Just one rim brake? I'm too fat for TWO! 8)


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## p0n3y (Sep 17, 2008)

i got an 08 Giant Rincon with the bent top tube. im 315 and the frame is holding up great.
i love it


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