[Bubba]

Well, since I've killed my Chameleon   

I need a replacement - something for general purpose XC/Trail Centre use, etc.

It's got to be cheap - £350/£400 max.

Main contender I guess is the Specialized Stumpjumper FSR but just wondering about any alternatives people can recommend.

PS apart from ebay/SDH, where's the best place to look these days?

[Oli]

Singletrackworld might be worth a look, as they're definitely more in to pedalling round than SDH.

[cofe]

i reckon you'll get plenty of frame for that money word.

what about this:

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-specialized-stumpjumper-fsr-expert-2005-medium-frame

[joel]

I would seriously consider a Giant - I'm looking at similar frames for the future, and Giant seem to come out cheap 2nd hand.

The Anthem is the best one I reckon, it rides like it's got lots more travel and the angles are sorted...

I guess it depends on your exact criteria, I quite like a light "feeling" bike on the climbs (it doesn't actually HAVE to be light in weight; just avoiding that bogged down, heavy, sitting in the middle of the travel Full suss feel on climbs) and out of the fsr and the anthem the giant felt better in this respect, and was as good as if not better on the downhills....

sorry that's a bit stream of consciousness; why is it that when discussing how bikes ride it's impossible to avoid cliches?

otherwise look on singletrack or even retrobike.co.uk (good modern things come up on there occasionally, and the sellers are generally very trustworthy)

[Bubba]

I want something that can be used to go reasonably fast downhill so not an all out XC beast but not as burly as an Enduro either.

[soapy]

cheap, retro and, er............shit

..though a collector'd prolly pay good dorrah

[Bubba]

Singletrackworld might be worth a look, as they're definitely more in to pedalling round than SDH.

Btw hello again Oli, I thought you'd disappeared.

[Oli]

No, no, still here. I went to the states for 4 months after graduating and have then been away off and on since then, so haven't been posting much.

[bigd942]

found this today looking info on Lynskey frames, may be worth a call to see what they have

http://www.thehubintheforest.co.uk/Bike/Bikes_For_Sale.html

[soapy]

chameleon on teh bay right now > http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Santa-Cruz-Chameleon-Frame-and-Bomber-z1-drop-offs_W0QQitemZ140394270959QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR?hash=item20b02690ef

[Bubba]

Cheers, but it's too small - the mediums are tiny so a small would be like a toy.

Think I'm after a stumpy now, a bit more general purpose.

[Bubba]

i reckon you'll get plenty of frame for that money word.

what about this:

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-specialized-stumpjumper-fsr-expert-2005-medium-frame

Thanks for the link Cofe - i've spent the day building up my new bike onto this very frame 

[cofe]

I'm a legend. What can I say?

it looking like a good ride yeah?

[fatdoc]

it was a bargain...

nice.

[Bubba]

it looking like a good ride yeah?

Hard to tell yet as I'm waiting a few bits from CRC to finish it off but I reckon it should be ok, they've got a pretty solid rep. At £240 posted you can't go wrong.

[cofe]

Crikey that is a bargain.