$250 custom cromo frame?! Marino Bike.

Submitted by dontcoastmuch on Feb 16 2011 9:10pm

Frames

just spotted this in blogland

http://www.marinobike.com/frames

these guys (marino bike) are doing a promo: $250 for a custom frame (WTF?)

they seem to mostly make DJ, trials and street MTB's, but also have made custom stuff like fixed freestyle bikes. I wouldnt bet on 700's tho but who knows?
for all you 26" heads out there who want something polo specific this seems like a sweet deal, wish i had a spare 250 kicking around.

if someone gets one show us the results

chris bottles

Edmonton Bike Polo

Prolly had this up today: http://prollyisnotprobably.com/2011/02/bmore_fixed_colins_custom_mari.php

For a dumb bike it looks pretty cool. Short stays.

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

scored one at the online auction, shipping wednesday. curiously similar geometry to the Joust, except for the crazy short chainstays. makes me wanna wheelie just looking at it. built pics to follow.

Size: 560mm
Seatmast: 560mm from center of BB to top of seat tube
Top Tube :570mm
Seat Angle: 73
Head Angle: 74
Chainstay Length: 369mm
Headtube Length: 175mm
Bottom Bracket Drop: 35mm
Wheel: 26 in
Rear spacing axle: 135mm
Tire clearance: 26x2.30
Seatpost diameter 25.4mm (bmx size)
Bottom Braket 68mm english
Long Horizontal drop outs
dual V-brakes and disc brake option
Soporte para freno a discos en cuadro y horquilla
Brake cable guides below TT 90
Headtube 1 1/8

Urban Editor

DC Bike Polo

you have my attention...

Awaiting review
R
T

Realistic bounce

raul

Bici Polo Tapatío

Some guys from spain got their frames made by this guy. I've ridden one of those frames, it felt sturdy and with all the right angles for polo, cromo 4130 tubing so it's a little bit heavy, but i don't think that matters much for bike polo.
You can see pictures of his polo frames here

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

thanks for the pics, now i can see that the one i have coming was an earlier model. mine is a standard-ish frame, no triple triangle, no yoked seatstay, mtb style v mounts (on top). your brief review is confidence inspiring, went out on a limb buying without seeing, but heck, it has a 1 year warranty (for a polo bike)!

raul

Bici Polo Tapatío

1 year warranty?! that's cool!

prairiepunk

Saskatoon Bike Polo

i wanna know what the reviews are like from anyone who's ridden one for a while?
verdict?

BoozeKruse

COMOPOLO

A dude from our club is getting his built right now. From what he's told me, the guy has been super professional, sent pics of the build while it was being done, sent a cad drawing of how it would look before he started, and has responded quickly to questions.

The welds look great, and it seems he's already proven himself in the world of trials riding and dirt jumping. I'm thinking about getting one just as a back up! And on top of that, he's fast.

I know that my opinion is not what you asked for, haha. I'm just saying, I would order one of these before he realizes how much more he could charge for it.

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fixcraft.net

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

I'm happy with mine, now. First frame showed up "bent", looked like a early version as the replacement frame had cleaner welds and bends. I'm anxious to see how the welds hold up, much smaller and shallower looking than my Eighthinch Scrambler's welds, but time will tell. Customer service was easy to deal with and fast to ship a straight frame. Much happier with the new. Let's be clear I didn't order "custom" - but starting at a 56cm (my road size), comparing to the Joust, with shorter chainstays, but I wouldn't know how better to fit it.

So, turns on a f%#ing dime. All the good parts of riding a track frame: small 5hole, steep angles, tight turns, and a mtb:deep cushy turns, tougher feeling wheels and tires (fits 2" Serfas Drifters). Wheelies like a funny car, but as soon as I get used to it it'll be a game changer. Only been 2 weeks, gonna post to bikes page when the new wheels get laced up and will have more info.

#10

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

verdict?! 2 weeks and I love it. Time will tell the rest.

#11

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BIKE-POLO-FRAME-HARDCOURT-CROMOLY-BIKEPOLO-FIXIE...

here's another.

10/19 EDIT:

that listing has changed!?! I don't know if it's the same exact frame as I had before, but the original listing had pics of a raw colored frame with triple triangle and inverted v's, now it's all pics of a blue non-tt frame. wtf? be wary bidders. might be better off direct.

#12

Polo Camo

Christchurch Hardcourt Bike Polo Inc.

The original listing sold for $99 yesterday at auction close, the new translucent blue frame is a totally new listing... I wish I could fit a 56cm frame!!!

http://downlowpolo.wordpress.com/

#13

MusicSucks

Winnipeg Urban Polo Association (WUPAss)

^ Was that bike owned by someone from here? I want to see a bike of that thing complete

Preying mantis on the court and I can't be beat...

#14

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

http://leagueofbikepolo.com/bike/voidcore/marino-custom-polo-bike

not mine, but i have one.

#15

Polo Camo

Christchurch Hardcourt Bike Polo Inc.

Is anyone here bidding on that?

http://downlowpolo.wordpress.com/

#16

MusicSucks

Winnipeg Urban Polo Association (WUPAss)

I miiiiiight. I'm still torn about whether i want to get this frame and go get some 26' wheels; of if I should just order a frame built for 700's. It depends on where the price is tomorrow; if it goes up i'll probably just wait and get a 700 frame.

Preying mantis on the court and I can't be beat...

#17

MusicSucks

Winnipeg Urban Polo Association (WUPAss)

Why is the picture on the ebay site of the complete bike not the same bike?

Preying mantis on the court and I can't be beat...

#18

henry

Victoria Bike Polo

What the heck, right?

#19

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

see my comment from 10/13. the "bent" frame is the blue one built in the pic.

#20

MusicSucks

Winnipeg Urban Polo Association (WUPAss)

what was bent about it?

Preying mantis on the court and I can't be beat...

#21

MusicSucks

Winnipeg Urban Polo Association (WUPAss)

Okay, i'm totally ordering one of these frames.
I'm getting a 560mm with basically the same geo as a joust.
I'm debating the following options:
- should i get a slightly lower BB given that i use spd's which aren't going to pedal strike regardless?
- integrated vs. regular? (I think the answer is regular)
- Tripple triangle vs. not? (I think triple triangle is the way to go. No weight weenies in polo. And it looks cooler)
- rear axle spacing: 120 vs. 135? My current bike has 700c's on it, so i'm going to have to get some new wheels regardless. It seems likely that i'm going to wind up with 120's, but 135 spacing gives me more options.

I'm really really excited about this.

Preying mantis on the court and I can't be beat...

#22

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

the drive side dropout was angled out, d.o.'s paced 135 at the tips and 130ish in the bb side. the guy i dealt with said i had to be shipping damage so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt and calling it "bent". make your own conclusions, he did make it right with a replacement frame.

- tripple triangle, yes, it makes for a stronger stiffer frame, more places to weld too.
- rear spacing? 135 all the way. unless you have bomber wheels and are happy with skinny tires.
- never had a problem with a regular HS
- lower bb? why not? i saw a pic of me diggin deep, spds, no threat of strike.

i'm curious to see what/why you decide.

#23

MusicSucks

Winnipeg Urban Polo Association (WUPAss)

Can i see pictures of your bike? Are there any options that you think you should have done differently?

Also: I'm going with the triple triangle. I'm pretty slight, so i'm not too worried about strength. I'm kind of torn about what looks better, but I think the TT sets the bike apart- and maybe will even give me more breaking strength in the back- kind of like one of those brake boosters. This is probably silly. I am going with 135 in the back. I don't know what wheels i'm going to be using, but i don't want to be prevented from taking crappy wheels of old mtn bikes. Going to have a little bit of a BB drop, but still going to be pretty high. On my current bike, i've got a 280mm BB Height, and that seems to be plenty. The bike that is pictured above (voidcore's) seems to have no BB drop at all, and that seems plain old silly.

Preying mantis on the court and I can't be beat...

#24

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

here's the only pic so far, waiting to showcase it with it's new wheels.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=160068450749405&set=a.15713765437...
my bianchi pista (former polo bike) has a 280mm bb ht, with 170mm cranks i hit often.
this has a 320mm ht with 165 mm cranks and I can't hit if i try. couldn't guess how much lower I could go, but have no complaints, and didn't buy mine custom so had no choice.

#25

Joe-P

Bloomington Bike Polo

My four questions are:
1. How's the toe overlap?
2. How is the weight compaired to say, a Joust/
3. Does it come with a fork when you order it from him?
4. Does he do finishes in house?

#26

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

1. with my spds i always have at least a 1" gap
2. about $450 lighter
3. no fork, got a redline monocog 26 (don't like it, suspension corrected)
4. painted in house, transparent, thin, but no chips yet.

#27

dhn

Saskatoon Bike Polo

Is there any value in having this builder use BMX spaced dropouts (110mm) so that one could use the very prevalent and very affordable 48 hole BMX hubs?? Or is there a reason I'm not catching as to why this is not being done on custom polo frames?

#28

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

bmx hubs can be spaced out to 135 usually.

#29

Joe-P

Bloomington Bike Polo

Okay so I have all of my dimensions set up besides chainstay length, headtube length, and wheelbase. I know my reach on my roadbike is 485mm from the tip of the saddle to the center of the bars. I want a curved seat tube and I'll probably be running 1.5" tires and try to see if he can do the clearance for 1.5"s as opposed to 2.1" , any suggestions?

#30

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

i'm no geo wizard, so I'll measure mine if you want. the chainstay and headtube measures are earlier in this thread - quoted not measured, I've never compared. the fat 2"ers are nice, but I'm a mtbiker. 1.5 would make for a stronger and shorter frame imo. then again i blocked a shot with the rear tire while skidding last week and sent the ball, not that you couldn't with a 1.5, but the sound was very satisfying.

#31

Joe-P

Bloomington Bike Polo

How much space do you have with that chainstay length? and those measurements would be greatly appriciated! I emailed him and he said he can start taking orders again November 7th...... So I guess I'm ordering a frame November 7th!

#32

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

measured:
chainstay: 365 +-5mm (10mm tire to seat tube, 5mm tire to chainstays w/ 2" serfas drifter)dropouts could be waaaay longer, 'specially for those that flip flop regularly.
headtube: 177mm (had to get a new uncut fork, no scavenging success)
head tube angle: 71deg (due to surplus fork length, could lose 40mm there, and will when funds allow, this will aslo drop the bb)
wheelbase: 965mm
bb height: 320mm

if i was getting custom: longer (deeper?) dropouts

#33

Joe-P

Bloomington Bike Polo

Thanks so much!

So as of now my specs are going to be:

26" rims
4130 Chromoly
1 1/8" headtube
175mm head tube (His order form online only has 100, 110, and 120?)
No integrated headset
Hollow Headtube (I don't know why you'd have a solid headtube?)

Euro BB

V-brakes
80mm pivot spacing
No Disc brake tabs
Horizontal Dropouts
120mm spacing
10mm axle (I think that what Phil Wood uses?)

2.1" tire clearance (Ill talk to him to see if I can get 1.5)

960mm wheelbase (I think that'll work well, still up to debate)
360mm chainstays
35mm bb drop
74 degree headtube and seat tube

50cm seat tube
51cm top tube (maybe up to 53cm, I know my tip of saddle to middle of handlebars on my road bike is 48.5cm so I don't know how that'll translate, help?!)

Custom fork with 60mm rake and v-brake mounts.

Also I am going for a curved seat tube and hopefully internal cable routing, if I can't get it internal Ill just get it under the TT.

Does that look reasonable/right to other people?

#34

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

tell me about the fork?

my 56 cm road bike is about 55 saddle tip to hbar center.
my 56 cm polo bike (with a 56 cm tt) is 49.5 saddle tip to hbar center.
I'm not sure about the validity of comparing these #s though.

I ride polo waaaaaay more upright that I road ride. and the polo stem is shorty short bmx style.

i'd personally go 135 on the rear and space out your 120 wheels.

oh and internal cabling would be sweet.

my 11 cents.

#35

Joe-P

Bloomington Bike Polo

Im ordering high flange Phil's so I would like the 120. And he does custom forks for $60!!!

#36

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

if you're ordering from Phil he can spec it for 135, and drill for 48. me I'm about to build up some Profile Racing 48h polo hubs spaced 135. and yes my hubs cost more than my frame.

#37

Joe-P

Bloomington Bike Polo

What are your reasons for saying 135 as opposed to 120? Is there a strength thing that I'm missing?

#38

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

only that I have never seen a 120 spaced 26" wheel. I understand you'll be building yours from scratch, but what happens when you need an emergency (or for one week) replacement? i'd rather use my ss mtb wheel or buy a junker from the LBS than have to build up that hub again on the quick. folks also say there is lateral stability (wider spread for the spokes = stronger) to be gained w/ 135. not true for me as i will have a hub that has been designed for 120 and spaced to 135 (by Profile). i also have a 14mm "slotted" axle on the rear.

edit: check here if you have some time.

http://leagueofbikepolo.com/forum/gear/wheels/2010/03/11/strong-48h-hubs
someone in there got a custom phil hub that starts out with a mtb shell with wider center to flange spacing than the track hub if you're interested.

#39

Joe-P

Bloomington Bike Polo

Thats some pretty solid logic! Also Phil KISS-off hubs are quite sexy....

#40

Zachary-Blmgtn

Bloomington Bike Polo

you've never seen a 120 spaced 26" wheel??? pretty common in polo circles at least.

better than 135/110, why not go 120 front/120 rear and only need one spare wheel...

and Joe, you know what would help you more than phil wood hubs? traveling to more tourneys ;)

#41

Joe-P

Bloomington Bike Polo

You know I would if I didn't have other obligations!

#42

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

my polo circle is small. traveling to tourneys more would help, but then I'd have no $ for new wheels.

#43

MusicSucks

Winnipeg Urban Polo Association (WUPAss)

My decision(s) have been complicated by looking at this lovely bicycle: http://leagueofbikepolo.com/node/17337
I think i'm gonna go with the sloped top tube; mostly because it looks better, but also because it seems like it would give me more flexibility with the set-up.

Akarnitz: How do you feel about the wheelie factor on this bike? Is it too much?

Preying mantis on the court and I can't be beat...

#44

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

so i did circles in the yard last nite until i pedal struck, it happened, but i had to try hard. i could see having a lower tt and bb being an advantage, but I like to ride up high and already have a fair bit of seatpost showing.

i've wheelied off the back twice, but never on the polo court. i was never the kid who wheelied to the end of the block, but I can use the wheelie now to place my front wheel, not too much imo. maybe tonite i'll try a wheelie shot?

#45

MusicSucks

Winnipeg Urban Polo Association (WUPAss)

Bam. Dollars have just been paypal'd to peru. Here's hoping that a bike arrives in the mail as promised. Internet shopping sketches me out.

Also: I went with a straight seat post and an offset BB. This allowed me to use a 27.2mm seat tube, and apparently ends up being lighter. As well, i kept the BB reasonably low (28mm) and the top tube slanty and kinda high; so not so much with the seat to bars drop.

Gon' be sick y'all.

Preying mantis on the court and I can't be beat...

#46

MusicSucks

Winnipeg Urban Polo Association (WUPAss)

Stoked.

Preying mantis on the court and I can't be beat...

#47

l'autre_Paul

Montreal Bike Polo

Hurry up and put that together will you. It's been four days since a new build was posted in the "bikes" section, and some of us have needs...

#48

MusicSucks

Winnipeg Urban Polo Association (WUPAss)

Hah, that frame is far far away. Don't hold your breath. But i promise that it shant disappoint when it finally goes up.

Preying mantis on the court and I can't be beat...

#49

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

now i understand how you got the short stays w/o bending the seat tube, nice! you can see where mine was bent in "stages". you're gonna like it when the time finally comes. you get a fork? I'd like to see the clearance with a 2" tire.

#50

MusicSucks

Winnipeg Urban Polo Association (WUPAss)

Yup. The fork looks sharp too.

Preying mantis on the court and I can't be beat...

#51

AirInHand

COMOPOLO

first day on the Marino, it is an amazing bike!

#52

Zachary-Blmgtn

Bloomington Bike Polo

Whoa looks nice! lovin all the matching teal and those patented como short risers. a couple quick questions as lots of our newbs have been considering this framebuilder...

1 how's the weight?
2 how's the turning radius?
3 is pedal strike an issue at all?

#53

BoozeKruse

COMOPOLO

Shit's dope, Zach. It's a bit heavier than a joust (I'd even consider this a good thing) but within the bounds of reason for a polo bike for sure. Definitely not too heavy.

It handles really nice, wheelie turn approved. Frame is totally custom so you can set the bottom bracket height to whatever you want. Pedal strike is not an issue.

I'm getting one just to have a back up. :X

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fixcraft.net

#54

Zachary-Blmgtn

Bloomington Bike Polo

Thanks nick, your word means a lot.

#55

BoozeKruse

COMOPOLO

No, I love you more.

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fixcraft.net

#56

stl_nick

St. Louis Bike Polo

i believe STL brought the short risers to como.

Big Tides!

#57

BoozeKruse

COMOPOLO

Yeah but did you PATENT it?

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fixcraft.net

#58

hellochris

Chicago

snap!

#59

pete

Portland Bike Polo

now you need to go front brake and never look back!

Pro-friendly bike polo!

#60

AirInHand

COMOPOLO

Setting up dual brakes tonight :)

#61

zulu hotel

Austin Texas Bike Polo

is it 250 total or 250 plus shipping?

hardcourtbikepolo dot org

#62

Tim A

COMOPOLO

Express shipping (roughly a week) will cost you $100 on top of the $250 frame price. Forks cost between $60-$80.

www.comopolo.com

#63

Joe-P

Bloomington Bike Polo

I ordered mine yesterday. Its: $250 for a finished frame and another $60 for a fork (both finished, candy apple red FTW). Then another $50 in shipping (I chose standard).

#64

shane00001

dublin bike polo

can't beat those prices. from what i know, he's a totally reasonable guy, and will try and build whatever you give him. if you have suer weird geometry, he'll do it for you. and if you end up comletely fucking it up, you still haven't wasted too much money for a 100%custom frame. seems win win to me.

#65

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

So I went ahead and contacted Marino. Thinking about right now, its a great deal for frame and fork. Q is how much for the rest of the build? Who built it with all new parts and who used 2nd hand parts? Plus, how is the bike holding up? How do you like it? The bikes look sick!

#66

AirInHand

COMOPOLO

Since I was building up a new frame I treated myself to nice components, so in the end (not including wheels, but including new tires for the bigger clearance) I spent between 600 and 700 dollars.

#67

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

I spent about 500 for all but the wheels, with used bars, seat, and brakes. then I spent another 5 on the wheels. profile 48h hubs, salsa gordo rims, posting to bikes soon, just took the wheels on the test ride. frame is holding up just fine. paints a bit thin, but it is a polo bike.

#68

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

So going with a Marino your looking at about a $G. Still very reasonable considering its custom. Man, my decision keeps on getting harder. I think I need to start a new thread to help me decide on this. Thanks for the info guys.

#69

shane00001

dublin bike polo

if you went for second hand components, i'm sure you could get away with a full build of decent quality for $600. profile hubs are a few hundred on their own. there are much cheaper options that hold up well enough if you're on a budget. second hand mountain bike wheels on ebay or local forums would be very easy to find, and probably quite cheap.

#70

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

x2. this is my 4th polo bike, in the process of switching the others back to their orig. purpose (city, track & mtb). when i got the frame i had all used parts but the frame, fork, crankset and stem, so technically my first build with this frame set me back about $400 with pre-abused parts.

#71

Joe-P

Bloomington Bike Polo

So I got these three pictures in my email today!! It just got the brake pivots on, and it's getting painted soon....
http://i.imgur.com/0ohpw.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/tux9T.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qErik.jpg

Edit: took off obnoxiously large pictures, just links

#72

shane00001

dublin bike polo

looks great

#73

TimD

COMOPOLO

First impressions of my frame set are very good. Now give me a few months to beat the shit out of it and I'll get back to you...

Bike Polo Ronin

#74

akarnitz

Eureka Hardcourt Bike Polo

mine gets beat every wednesday, last night lost a mallet shaft, spoke and some skin in the front wheel and the tank keeps rolling.

#75

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

Oh snap!!! Just put my money down via paypal. Also getting the fork and his squarebuild handlebar. I'm not going to lie, Im rockin a serious chubber right now.

#76

snoops

London Bike Polo

some_text

Here's an image of my Marino.

There's more information, including my geometry sheet, over on the Cosmic blog.

Flickr Vimeo

#77

retrodirect

Edinburgh

Well I got one too.

These are certainly not up to the quality of your average custom frame, but then they're not the price of your average custom frame.

The bends on my chainstays and seatstays feel like they've been done by a monkey with a hammer; the welding looks like chicken-shit, undercut all over the place; my seatstays have been mounted at different heights, albeit by only a few mm; the whole frame needed reaming and facing due to the various bits of sharp metal protruding from all of the ventholes,scoring seattubes and stopping BB's from going in; my frame was inaccurate, slacker by a full degree off the stated design(yes, we measured).

But all this is fine, all this is sortable. I am fitting a set of forks 20mm shorter to steepen it up again. all the rest is cosmetic. Functional and fuck! it's a polobike!

Nothing else in the price range.
Would I get one again? Probably.

There will be a full proper review soon, but I want to ride it for a bit before I start waxing on about it.

Imperfect budget custom. Yes please!

#78

BoozeKruse

COMOPOLO

Really nice picture.

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fixcraft.net

#79

BlindSight

North Texas Bike Polo

Johnny and Joe, get yours built up!? Thinking about picking one of these up in the near future and just waiting to hear what a few others think of them. Anyone had any big issues yet? Really love my AL 26" monocog flight but would like something with a little shorter wheelbase and would be amazing to have a custom built frame.

Polo at Denia Park in Denton Tx Sundays and Thursdays 5pm-Dark

#80

Kyle_Casteline

I play on an Aluminium 26" Monocog as well. I just got one of his frames in the mail today. I'll post in a couple days how it is. He built me a 29er mtb that I copied the geo from the Kona Honzo and the thing rules.

#81

Joe-P

Bloomington Bike Polo

Mine won't be built up until I get a full time job (lucky I do have one for the summer, so expect an epic build around june/july)

#82

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

I am still patiently waiting, but Im starting to get itchy with stomach pains . He emailed me with a pic of the front triangle about 2weeks ago. This is all I got so far.

#83

BlindSight

North Texas Bike Polo

so is everyone just using bikecad or what program and what are some of the big things to consider when doing the geometry? I was playing around with some ideas on bikecad and just too the dimensions of the monocog 26" and shortened the chainstays and curved in the seattube for clearance to shorten the wheelbase.

Polo at Denia Park in Denton Tx Sundays and Thursdays 5pm-Dark

#84

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

Let me start by saying, I am not a geo expert. I just did alot of research on bike geometry to help me choose my dimensions. There is alot to consider when it comes to geo. Before I did anything on my geo. I figured out what I wanted out of my bike. I wanted mine to handle like a FS bike(Bruiser, Thrasher, Urbis), I wanted to run 700c, and I wanted the shortest possible wheelbase. It is a polo bike so I looked at the Joust as well. So i checked out geo specs. on all those bikes. I also, looked at my current polo bike a Masi Speciale 49cm. I considered my height into the size of my frame, as Im short as f**k(28" inseam). I took what I liked and made my own Frankenstein bike on BikeCad.

Here are some of the things I thought about and hopefully answer your Q; a short chainstay makes the bike whip around quick.
head angle is personal preference, slack 71.5deg better turning at highspeed, 75deg better turning at slower speed. (I used 73.5deg happy medium)
fork offset and/or trail, fine tunes steering and helps with jack-knifing, 60mm is a good place to start
BB height to avoid pedal strike. Went with 302mm, might be a little high but oh well now
seat tube height low so that the top tube isnt in my nut. 47cm
even weight distribution is one thing I didnt consider. I figure I can get it with my seat position, stem, and handlebars
Front center distance to avoid toe overlap

Thats what I did to get my geo. Hopefully it turns out alright. If anyone else has any insight please chime in as Im still learning this geo thing.

#85

Joe-P

Bloomington Bike Polo

Johnny hit the nail on the head. What I did was take the front end from the Joust (headtube angle, rake, and whatnot) and then fit my dimensions to it, and shortened the hell out of the chainstays.

#86

islipaway

Glasgow Bike Polo

Yeah that's pretty much exactly what I did, joust with slightly shorter chainstays, clearance for a bigger rear tyre and trimmed front centre till it was right for me. Mine's nearly finished and it's not been without issues, the fork isn't even so I'm going to try and dish the wheel, which may cause issues with brake caliper clearence but I won't know for sure till I do it... You get what you pay for, don't expect a bargain, the frame is right on the money for the quality. Two other local players got frames at the same time as me and one's fork is a total right off, the other's frame is visibly twisted and had lots of really rough metal edges at the vent holes. Geo is a bit slacker than specified as well.

#87

Zachary-Blmgtn

Bloomington Bike Polo

shots of the two new bloomington Marinos (including a few close-ups of welds)

http://polo-velo-bloomington.blogspot.com/2012/02/first-look-marino-custom-polo-frames.html

#88

Jouche

LA Bike Polo

That Blue one is effin clean!

"You're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't" Bart Simpson

#89

nedderweevil

San Francisco Bike Polo

Here is one example of something cleaner. These retail for 4 bills and change. I believe that SOMA's frames are built with nice Japanese tubesets, very nicely welded in Taiwan. Anyway, if shorter stays and overall wheelbase are the consensus, then there's no reason that a quality frame can't happen in this price range. Quick and dirty hackema-jig with cheaper tubes is a great way to prototype geometries imo ...

(clickey for lovely) http://www.somafab.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/soma_frame_analog_bott...

--
Credo quia absurdum

#90

stevenso

Tulsa

That everyone is able to custom build these frames and try some extreme geometry for cheap is a bit of a godsend. As people ride these bikes longer I'll be very interested to hear how they feel their choices worked out. I'm not sure you were suggesting any of soma current frames are ideal for polo but I bet the ANALOG would make a fine polo bike.

#91

nedderweevil

San Francisco Bike Polo

My thoughts are pretty much aligned with something Rory wrote when he switched from an old Norco beater ... You figure it out, whatever you're riding. Not saying that a Pixie is going to win any polo outside of Seattle, but ... anyway yea. This could be a nice polo frame. And I wouldn't mind trying shorter stays. But what I've got is working just fine.

--
Credo quia absurdum

#92

Medic.Mike

Seattle

What does this pixie statement mean?

____________
West and East squash the beef
That shit 's legit as fuck!

#93

nedderweevil

San Francisco Bike Polo

Was it called rollo? I've only heard about it - never played. I do have access to an schwinn pixie though ... would love to give it a show. Seriously!

The point I clearly internets-failed to make funny is there's some limit to (competitive) benefits from extreme geometries.

http://bikehugger.com/post/view/bike-polo-in-seattle-and-the-t

"... My favorite are the mini bike events – like the Bruised By Bike event detailed on Alex Wetmore’s blog earlier this year. These folks are totally nuts in the best possible way. I hope I get a chance to attend next year’s bike rollo."

--
Credo quia absurdum

#94

Medic.Mike

Seattle

Ohhhh, yeah, that happened a while back. Leon was the last person I saw play on a mini bike. I've heard some interesting stories.

____________
West and East squash the beef
That shit 's legit as fuck!

#95

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

Its been a long wait so far for my frame, fork and handlebars. I put in my order on Jan. 23, so when everything is said and done, it will be about a 8-9wk wait, compared to the 5wk I was told. He must be getting busy. I've seen alot of Marino bikes pop up on here since I ordered mine, and that doesnt included any other bikes that he's building. The wait is almost over though, just got some pics and I couldnt be happier. He is working on the handlebars this week, so Im assuming that it will be ready to ship out next week.

this is the parts list I've got so far:
Profile 33t blue imperial sprocket
Eighthinch EuroBB splinedrive blk 160mm crankset
Eighthinch blk stem
Eighthinch blk half-link chain
Velocity B43 32h
Velocity front and rear ATB 32h disc hub
Avid BB5 160mm mechanical front brake
Avid BB7 160mm mechanical rear brake
Resist Nomad 700 x 45c (monster truck'in)

I tried to post some pics and its not letting me for some reason. Anyone have an answer? I'll post if I figure it out.

#96

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

i dont know if this is going to work.

nope it didnt

#97

Redbeard

Lexington Bike Polo

not so sure the imperial sprocket is compatible with the 1/8 inch spline drive. may want to check that out.

#98

shane00001

dublin bike polo

good call. i think the imperial are non-splined. profile have a range of splined sprockets that would work though. splined components are usually a little more expensive, but they're usually a lot stronger. check on tricktrack.org for a second hand one. they're the fixed gear free style guys and usually have loads of good quality second hand stuff, especially useful if you don't want to shell out $70 for a new one.
get up photos when it's ready johhny.

#99

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

tricktrack.org is definitely a good site. Thats where i first see the Kilroy. I like going on there for ideas on choosing components for polo. I believe, FGFS bikes and polo bikes are very similar, if not the same(Bruiser). They both need to be tough and nimble, and most the times the goe.'s are the same. So, I like going on that site to reseach on components cause they seem to go into greater detail about parts.

#100

Tim A

COMOPOLO

It will fit. Profile's Imperial sprockets use an older mounting system that simply slides over the outside of the spindle and is attached to the driveside crank arm via one bolt. Adapters come with it to fit either size spindle (19mm and 22mm). Most BMX 3-piece cranks have a 48 splined spindle, but not all. Some models have less splines which will not work with a spline driven sprocket which is geared strictly towards a 48 splined, 19mm spindle.

www.comopolo.com

#101

Tim A

COMOPOLO

Whoops! I take that back! Looks like it won't fit with the 1/8 inch cranks because theres no way to attach it to either of the arms. Only works with spline driven sprockets.

www.comopolo.com

#102

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

I see what your saying. I guess I can just tap drill it and see how that works out. A little ghetto but it should work, if it doesnt then I have to change out cranks or sprocket. Thanks for the heads up guys

#103

Tim A

COMOPOLO

I wouldn't due that. Either return the cranks and buy replacements, or return the sprocket and buy a spline driven one.

www.comopolo.com

#104

shane00001

dublin bike polo

Tim A wrote:

I wouldn't due that. Either return the cranks and buy replacements, or return the sprocket and buy a spline driven one.

+1. get a 48 spline sprocket. you'll have a lot less problems. you won't have to worry about shearing the bolt and messing up your bike.

#105

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

Ya, I know you guys are right. Im just reluctant to part with the sprocket, I had my heart set on that one. Its hard to get a 33t sprocket for some reason and that one just looks sick. I'll probably just change the crankarms just for the fact that I have a bike shop that has a bunch of crankarms and the sprocket I would have to order cause its not a standard bmx size.

#106

Tim A

COMOPOLO

My best bud owns Tree bikes and happens to have the best sprockets on the market. He also came up with the spline driven technology that other companies are now starting to use.

www.comopolo.com

#107

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

Well I hope so. the imperial is made for a 19mm spindle and thats what the eighthinch spindle is. Their spindles look very similar, so I assumed they are the same. I could be wrong though...guess we will find out.

#108

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

finally it work. Crossing my fingers on it shipping out next week

#109

Jouche

LA Bike Polo

Hey Ark, you had the first Marino outta everyone here... How's she holding up? Dents? Rust? Flex?

"You're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't" Bart Simpson

#110

Mr.Carrillo

Barcelona

This is the first Marino polo bike ever. Some of you might have seen it.
http://leagueofbikepolo.com/bike/gponx/beer-point-v10
It's holding pretty good. 4 transatlantic travels included. It's retired now though, as I'm playing with a better bike. La Hija de la Coneja.

*Somebody please think of the children!!*

#111

ilkejav

Montreal Bike Polo

Whoah where can I get a fork like that (in your second link)?

If it's custom, is 700c possible?

#112

Mr.Carrillo

Barcelona

That's the fork that comes with my bikes. It's for 26'' wheels, though.
Drop Marino a line, he'll be able to do a custom fork for you.

*Somebody please think of the children!!*

#113

Medic.Mike

Seattle

I thought you built that thing!

____________
West and East squash the beef
That shit 's legit as fuck!

#114

Mr.Carrillo

Barcelona

I did the design and technical development.
Marino did the rest.

*Somebody please think of the children!!*

#115

Medic.Mike

Seattle

makes more sense.

____________
West and East squash the beef
That shit 's legit as fuck!

#116

D-Rod

North Texas Bike Polo

Thoughts? I'm 6'1" with a 32" inseam so I have a pretty long torso and long arms.

#117

islipaway

Glasgow Bike Polo

How long are your cranks? I have a 295 drop with 170 cranks and wide bmx pedals. I thought this would be fine as my old bike was 290 drop, 165 cranks same pedals but the extra confidence I have in turning now means I can lean further and it's no longer enough drop if I really turn/lean hard. This may be moot if you use small/spd pedals, or shorter cranks...

http://www.bikecad.ca/BCADimages/1321201677495.png

#118

D-Rod

North Texas Bike Polo

170. This is basically what I had on my old bike and had no clearance issues.

#119

islipaway

Glasgow Bike Polo

Gear Monger wrote:

170. This is basically what I had on my old bike and had no clearance issues.

Ah, I have no clearance issues, I have had pedal strike though, but my cranks have quite a big Q factor and I use those big wide plastic pedals. If you have a similar setup to me crank/pedal wise I'd suggest you go for a drop more in the region of 300.

#120

retrodirect

Edinburgh

Hi GearMonger

If you're lifting the steering geometry from another bike you like, you should be lifting the headangle and mechanical-trail not headangle and rake. If you do this you can get the steering will feel the same regardless of wheelsize.

If you're a not lifting the steering from a bike you like then the rules are that the headangle will define the speed at which the steering starts to self correct (and start to give you force feedback through the handlebars). i.e the steeper it is, the better it will ride at slow speeds.

The trail will define the point at which the bike will Jack-knife. More trail means you can turn the wheel more in a turn.

Don't go too crazy though, as both of these variables (along with rear wheel trail, centre of gravity and handlebar width) affect the heaviness of the steering which is THE thing which seperates nice feeling bikes from horrible out of control ones with loads of wheelflop.

If you're a sprinter and like to play fast then up your chainstay length a bit. I'm running 375mm and keep lifting the front wheel under power. I would ideally go up to 385-390 but my dropouts aren't long enough to do that.

Also the shorter your stays/longer your front end the more weight will be going through the rear wheel rather than front. If you play on a slippy court you're better trying to get more weight on the front wheel by bringing it in closer or lengthening the rear end. The more weight on a wheel the more grip it has.

Don't be tempted to spec huge clearances, spec the largest tyres you'll realistically use. The smaller radius the bend, the less of a fatigue life it will have, especially in the highly stressed chainstay-bb area.

To give you an idea of ballpark for toe overlap: I can run flatpedals on 170mm cranks and a 642mmOD wheel/tyre with 575mm front centre. Any shorter and I start needing to clip in to avoid overlap. I have size 9, Euro 42 feet.

Hope this helps.

Colin
Edinburghbikepolo.com

#121

Zachary-Blmgtn

Bloomington Bike Polo

Just in case anyone is interested...

Tim D's (COMO) Marino geometry + photos

Evan K's (Bloomington) Marino frame only (scroll down), built up, geometry

#122

islipaway

Glasgow Bike Polo

Marino sent me an image of a coupled frame he is working on, might be worth enquiring about if anyone is considering ordering one shortly?

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/4274/img01981.jpg

(how do you post images on this forum, [img] tags don't seem to work nor

#123

D-Rod

North Texas Bike Polo

On it's way to me. Should be here in less than two weeks.
Just time for my collarbone to heal.

#124

marinobike

Peru Bike Polo

Hi all,
I am glad to see my work on this forum.
I'm working on a new project, more news soon.
regards

#125

howl

Looks interesting- couplers are a good thing on a polo frame. I think you might want to make the top seat tube junction lock together somehow, rather than that angled interface. With the angle, sideways pressure along the top tube is going to work the junction apart.

#126

Apocalypse Maow

Russellville

wishbone seat stay looks goooood. think i will pull the trigger on a marino.

burn purge kill

#127

islipaway

Glasgow Bike Polo

Here he is on TV, has Johnny Rooster's polo frame in hand too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edUHuBAqiVs&feature=player_embedded#!

#128

AirInHand

COMOPOLO

What a legend!

#129

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

Ya buddy! Im still waiting on it. I got an email over the weekend, that said their was troubles with the building of the handlebars. He said he's sorry for taking so long and that he is going to give the handlebars to me for free. I was getting frustrated but Im totally happy with that too. Id rather have the bike do right and not quick.

I just dont know how much longer my current bike is going to last. That thing is falling a part quick.

#130

D-Rod

North Texas Bike Polo

Mine just showed. I should have it all built up by the weekend. So stoked!

#131

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

Ok. so Im totally stoke for you. But didnt I order mine before you?

#132

shane00001

dublin bike polo

he probably didn't order troublesome, bike-delaying handlebars.

#133

D-Rod

North Texas Bike Polo

Yeah. Looks like it was two months before I did. Those must be some kick ass bars.

#134

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

haha...lol. I was promised that they will increase my polo skillz by +50 experience points and my damage by +30. I hope its true, better be worth the wait.

#135

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

Finally!!!!! Ships out today.

#136

Apocalypse Maow

Russellville

what does marino charge for just bars? those things are sick!

burn purge kill

#137

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

Ya they are. $50

#138

Urban Editor

DC Bike Polo

Everyday I think about this more and more...

Realistic bounce

#139

ApocalypseMaow

Russellville

i hear that! you just can't beat the price.

"rubber side down boys"

#140

D-Rod

North Texas Bike Polo

Played for the first time on the marino yesterday. Loving it so far.

#141

D-Rod

North Texas Bike Polo

Here she is. Still some tweaking to do. Will probably cut the bars down a bit more. New saddle, this one is killing me and of course wheel covers. May try a dual brake set up as well.

#142

Urban Editor

DC Bike Polo

wait...

You had your canti posts brazed on the back of your fork? I get why people do the opposite for the rear wheel on the seat stays, but I don't know that I've seen any pics of it done on the front. I see you're running disk in back so maybe this is an irrelevant question as you may be putting disk up front.

Realistic bounce

#143

D-Rod

North Texas Bike Polo

A few of these bike have them mounted on the back of the fork. Protect the brakes from hits. If I do run a dual brake set up I will probably run discs in the front. I told him to go ahead and put the posts on there in case I decided to run v-brakes.

#144

ApocalypseMaow

Russellville

post some geo!

"rubber side down boys"

#145

D-Rod

North Texas Bike Polo

Here ya go

#146

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

Nice. She looks sexy and classy, with the raw finish and the straight seat tube.

#147

Sean Phenomenon

Richmond Bike Polo

forgive me for not wading through this whole thread, the frame and fork looks nice. Doesn't all of this stuff look strikingly similar to the squarebuilt stuff that Lance is doing? I mean the frame design is admirable with the rear end and forks being almost dead on with the look of Lance's stuff but even the weird "square" handlebars, am I missing something? Are those squarebuilt bars?

#148

Sean Phenomenon

Richmond Bike Polo

for my own sanity Im just going to assume that that frame up there was built with the squarebuilt design in mind and leave it at that, sorry for interrupting. Im probably way late and missing some whole section of the thread where someone explained that they were planning on taking that design and asking for a similar copy. carry on. I like bikes.

#149

ApocalypseMaow

Russellville

i hardly think that lance invented or has a patent on wishbone seat stays and square bars...

"rubber side down boys"

#150

VA Sprinks

Richmond Bike Polo

He may not have invented either, but he was the one to popularize the current squarebuilt bars. Hell, Marino even calls his bars squarebuilds. Kind of a low blow to jock the design. Wishbone seatstays are nothing new in particular and i doubt that's what sean was referring to.

http://sprinkskinks.bigcartel.com

#151

ApocalypseMaow

Russellville

i missed this comment. well i guess i will get my panties in a wad too. i have ringle uncle jesse bars and i cant believe someone would "jock" the design...

"rubber side down boys"

#152

Zachary-Blmgtn

Bloomington Bike Polo

are you referring to Nate NYC's squarebuilt? while i agree that thing is awesome it's a very new bike and Marino has been pumping these frames out for quite a while now... all the Marinos are (for better or worse) designed by the customer who is buying them. i've personally helped design four of these things for local players and all four used the Joust's geometry as a starting point... so aside from the simple design of the handlebars i'm really not sure what you think is so specific to Squarebuilt.

#153

l'autre_Paul

Montreal Bike Polo

Might not be the correct thread to put this in but you know what I would love to read? A whole lot of opinions from people like yourself on some of the geometries being used now in polo. I think there are some smart people out there whose opinions I'd like to read on the costs and benefits of certain geometry choices.

For example, I notice most of the Marinos seem to place the riders weight near the rear, Nate's Squarebuilt, on the other hand, while sharing superficial visual similarities in geo choice (offset seat tube, short top tube if I'm not mistaken) seems to place the riders weight more central to the wheel base. In another comparison, Bruisers seem to stretch rider's upper bodies out a bit more than Jousts, maybe? While experimenting in response to what I was seeing (monkey see, monkey do) in bike setups, I tried shifting my weight toward the rear of my current bike (moved seat back, installed a short stem) and after weeks of absolute crap handling I shifted myself quite a bit more forward (seat forward, longer stem, higher bars) with a resultant significant handling improvements (relative to the old bastard doing the riding).

#154

Zachary-Blmgtn

Bloomington Bike Polo

aw hell yeah i like where you're going with this.... start that thread and i'll have lots to say :)

#155

TimD

COMOPOLO

Pfft...you guys just hate wheelie turns.

Bike Polo Ronin

#156

l'autre_Paul

Montreal Bike Polo

Didn't someone say if you aren't hatin' something your'e not being serious enough?

But, on the contrary I'm trying very hard to execute the damn things (wheelie turns) consistently and quickly, rather than spending a few minutes thinking about doing one, then positioning my body just so, then painfully lurching about with mixed results. In the spirit of what I was writing earlier, I found that putting my ass over the rear axle wasn't necessarily the best way to initiate doing such turns. When I returned to clipless pedals (set MUCH looser) I found it was mostly the way I used my legs that pulled the front end up in a controlled manner. Something I noticed some fixie riders did. Push with one foot, pull with the other, using those two opposing forces along with using my abdominals to hold my upper body in a forward position as I pull the bars up, only a short distance, toward my chest. This as opposed to throwing my whole upper body weight backwards in order to tip the bike backwards. However, I am longer in the body than legs so a different morphology might not find this effective.

A bit off topic, I do apologize. But my point is, and I should post a new topic, I would love to read some opinions (ones better informed than mine) that discuss/critique geometry choices (including stems etc, not just chainstay length!) and their possible effects. Kind of like post game bar talk, but not as beery smelling, and making a bit more sense. And possibly funnier.

#157

TimD

COMOPOLO

Before I got the Marino I'm on now, I rode an old Raleigh MTB. It was possible to find the pivot point to do wheelie turns on it, but it was much harder. My new bike does have very short chainstays, a relatively short top tube, and I use a BMX stem...so short. I also have my bars level with the saddle, so I ride very upright...all of this does put a ton of weight over the rear wheel I know, but it's a 26" 48 spoker...so I believe it can handle it.

I don't have trouble putting weight forward and sprinting hard, but so much of the game I play is based on tight, low speed turning. Being able to capitalize on mid-court turnovers and getting out of corners fast and effectively...this is what I had in mind when I went with the geometry I did.

Bike Polo Ronin

#158

Lance

Thanks guys I'm glad you like my stuff. Nate's bike is just the newest of our polo frames that NYC polo players have been riding and a lot of the east coast players had a lot of input into those frames too so they may be a little protective of our work, I've spent a lot of sundays at the pit trying to distill everyone's opinion into a frame. But my point here is that any good idea will be copied I'm kind of proud that so many people have tried to copy our P-Bars it means we are listening to what you want, besides all the copies I've seen have not been exactly right, but we've been sponsoring so many tournaments that eventually someone will get their hands on a set and make a good copy. Keep in mind though complete autonomy over your own frame design is not always a good thing.I'm just saying

#159

ApocalypseMaow

Russellville

i hear you on being protective about your work. i just thought it was a little far-fetched to say that square bars are an east coast or squarebuilt design... i have been running ringle 90ish style squar mtb bars for a long time. so i thought i would be a wet blanket on sean's hi horse comment. all in good fun dude and btw i think your bars are sick anyway. i could use a little higher rise so i'm sure i will end up with a pair. plus who wouldn't want to support the poloverse!!!

"rubber side down boys"

#160

Lance

I have however just patented the square wheel so we will see who has the last laugh

#161

pete

Portland Bike Polo

more goal blocking area... it's genius!!!

Pro-friendly bike polo!

#162

ApocalypseMaow

Russellville

DAMN IT!!! do you have aliens giving you insight into the future?

"rubber side down boys"

#163

pete

Portland Bike Polo

Do you like the Eighth Inch Bruiser? Wait I meant Butcher.

Pro-friendly bike polo!

#164

VA Sprinks

Richmond Bike Polo

I'm pretty certain he does.

http://sprinkskinks.bigcartel.com

#165

ApocalypseMaow

Russellville

haha! i guess there is nothing new under the sun.

"rubber side down boys"

#166

Zachary-Blmgtn

Bloomington Bike Polo

yet another beautiful Marino finds it's way to the Bloomington stable...

http://polo-velo-bloomington.blogspot.com/2012/04/jeremys-orange-and-cre...

#167

ApocalypseMaow

Russellville

lets see some full build pictures!

"rubber side down boys"

#168

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

She is finally here and built-up. Havent played on here yet. Took her out for a spin, she feels good and she's not wheelie crazy at all. Still not battle ready, but will be for the weekend.

#169

TimD

COMOPOLO

Oh wow...crazy. The small frame/big wheel & tire combo is freaking me out. Looks cool, though!

Bike Polo Ronin

#170

VA Sprinks

Richmond Bike Polo

What's with the back break line? Doesn't that shit get spongy with all that wrapping and cable twist?

http://sprinkskinks.bigcartel.com

#171

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

Hydroooohoooh

#172

VA Sprinks

Richmond Bike Polo

Ah, so it is. Well then, carry on.

http://sprinkskinks.bigcartel.com

#173

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

Ya, I was running out of funds, so quick goat thinking I grabbed my Deore LX shifter off my MTB. Now I got hydro in the rear and mech. in the front, all in on brake lever, 3D braking at its fines.

#174

shane00001

dublin bike polo

any toe overlap on this yet? looks pretty tight.
it's looking good.

#175

l'autre_Paul

Montreal Bike Polo

Please do keep reporting on this. I like the idea (and the kooky look) of a Marino frame with 700c wheels. I assume this DOES have 700c wheels? I wonder whether it is the larger wheels that help keep the nose down? I enjoy a good wheelie like anyone, I just want to do them when they were needed. Would be pretty nice to do a side by side comparison of handling (and toe overlapping!) with a 26" wheeled model.

#176

ApocalypseMaow

Russellville

i'm diggin the dual brake set up. i guess the rear is hydraulic and the front is mech?

"rubber side down boys"

#177

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

Yes they are 700c, I do get slight toe overlap, but less harsh then my last bike. So Im use to it. If I go with smaller wheels Im pretty sure it will disappear. I will be trying out different tires as I burn through them. I went with these monster truck wheel cause the FSFG crowd seems to like them and they need to be nimble as well, and it doesnt seem to affect them. Going from 23c to 45c is so different, its like riding on pillows. I must say for there size the are extremely light, which means I'll probably burn through them really quick.
As far as wheelie turns is concern, she is willing and able to make them, but she doesnt do them automatically. The bike is alot heavier than my last bike and I have to get use to that first, plus Im still going to mess with my stance. I can pull 1/4 turns with ease and pulled a couple 180 turns already, just riding it once. Thats more then I was able to do with my other bike. I think with time its going to become easy.
My ass end whips around very easily, and the whole bike feels very strong and sturdy.
Im not ready to give up 700c just yet, but with the size of frame going to 26" will be easy and I'll still have a small frame. that was part of my thought process on that. Im still going to get the tape out and pull some measurements and compare it with other bikes.
I might get a chance to play today, so i'll get a better feel. I'll definately keep posting up dates

#178

notquitealibrarian

Memphis

I burned through some resist tires in one tournament. Put 'em on new at Southeasts last year, didn't last the whole tournament. Granted, this was on a drag strip, which is designed to give tires resistance. But still. If you want some hard-wearing ones, try the Michelin pilot city tires. They last a very long time, but they're also heavy as fuck.

-Brett

#179

ApocalypseMaow

Russellville

heck yeah. i got the pilot sports and they are stupid t u f f.

"rubber side down boys"

#180

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

I absolutely love the Nomad 45c. They are extremely grippy on the dry surface. But that does mean soft rubber, so we will see how long the last me. One weekend and a shit ton of skidding and it held up for the weekend. If I get a month out of one I'll be happy. I'll look into those Michelin

#181

JohnnyRooster

Portland Bike Polo

So after a weekend of riding on this thing, I must say this thing is awesome. The geo is perfect. The bike is extremely agile. Everything is strong and stiff, there is no flex that i can feel. I took a few good falls on it, didnt even faze her. I couldnt be happier with the bike.