Help to I.d. a frame.
Discussion
I need a bit of help from fellow Pistonheaders.
I built a mountain bike a while ago, from an alloy frame I bought and to be honest Mountain biking is not for me, the bike is lovely, nice and light, reliable (I've done about 50 miles on it since building it and it's been faultless) but I am just a racing bike man I'm afraid so I intend to sell this bike to fund building a new racer to replace my old one that died a sad death!
The trouble is I don't know what the frame is, when I bought it I was told they intended to build it in to a stumpjumper, which I now know is a specialised bike, and looking at the frame it does look very similar.
Another chap told me it was a marin hawkhill, I now don't think it is, it doesn't bear any resemblance to any that I have seen.
It also has a look of a Kona.
So my question is looking at the pictures is it a Kona, a specialised or something else, it has a 30.9 seat stem, and is Alloy, very very light as in the entire bike can be picked up with 2 fingers!
Just to add although it doesn't look like it on the pics the downtube is oval, also there is a number stamped in to the bb so it isn't home made, it is definitely a manufactured bike, and yes the fact it is bare metal does make life difficult to identify it!!! The finish is alloy laquered by the way, the strange thing is I am not 100% sure that isn't intended to be like that as there are no traces of paint anywhere, down any of the tubes, inside the bb, in the welds etc, and the laquering is perfect so I can't guarntee that it isn't the factory finish.
I built a mountain bike a while ago, from an alloy frame I bought and to be honest Mountain biking is not for me, the bike is lovely, nice and light, reliable (I've done about 50 miles on it since building it and it's been faultless) but I am just a racing bike man I'm afraid so I intend to sell this bike to fund building a new racer to replace my old one that died a sad death!
The trouble is I don't know what the frame is, when I bought it I was told they intended to build it in to a stumpjumper, which I now know is a specialised bike, and looking at the frame it does look very similar.
Another chap told me it was a marin hawkhill, I now don't think it is, it doesn't bear any resemblance to any that I have seen.
It also has a look of a Kona.
So my question is looking at the pictures is it a Kona, a specialised or something else, it has a 30.9 seat stem, and is Alloy, very very light as in the entire bike can be picked up with 2 fingers!
Just to add although it doesn't look like it on the pics the downtube is oval, also there is a number stamped in to the bb so it isn't home made, it is definitely a manufactured bike, and yes the fact it is bare metal does make life difficult to identify it!!! The finish is alloy laquered by the way, the strange thing is I am not 100% sure that isn't intended to be like that as there are no traces of paint anywhere, down any of the tubes, inside the bb, in the welds etc, and the laquering is perfect so I can't guarntee that it isn't the factory finish.
Edited by wildoliver on Monday 22 January 12:28
Not a Stumpjumper, cables go the wrong way and the seatstay yoke is wrong. Doubt its a Kona as the Seat tube size seems wrong.
The frame number might help ID it if you have it?
To me it looks like a Coyote frame, which would tie in with the bare finish.
Marin have also done a lot of bare metal frames, out of the 3 you suggest I'd day thats closest - they also have done a lot of funky shaped downtubes which have changed over the years - hence it not looking much like a new one.
The frame number might help ID it if you have it?
To me it looks like a Coyote frame, which would tie in with the bare finish.
Marin have also done a lot of bare metal frames, out of the 3 you suggest I'd day thats closest - they also have done a lot of funky shaped downtubes which have changed over the years - hence it not looking much like a new one.
I will cross check against a coyote I have in the cellar - if the frame number is in a similar format I guess that would confirm it. Small chance but hey!
On a side note - there are sooo many manufactureres out there its quite a difficult task. I reckon I'd definitely be able to tell if it WAS a Stumpy (Downtube cable routing, forged yokes, general sexiness), or a Kona (sloping top tube, square stays, RAD tubes etc ) just by those pics, but there's lots of people who make frames that are all quite similar.
I guess if you think the bare lacquer is the original finish, then thats your best clue.
My biggest concern is you didnt enjoy mountain biking. I think you must be bonkers
On a side note - there are sooo many manufactureres out there its quite a difficult task. I reckon I'd definitely be able to tell if it WAS a Stumpy (Downtube cable routing, forged yokes, general sexiness), or a Kona (sloping top tube, square stays, RAD tubes etc ) just by those pics, but there's lots of people who make frames that are all quite similar.
I guess if you think the bare lacquer is the original finish, then thats your best clue.
My biggest concern is you didnt enjoy mountain biking. I think you must be bonkers
snotrag said:
On a side note - there are sooo many manufactureres out there its quite a difficult task. I reckon I'd definitely be able to tell if it WAS a Stumpy (Downtube cable routing, forged yokes, general sexiness), or a Kona (sloping top tube, square stays, RAD tubes etc ) just by those pics, but there's lots of people who make frames that are all quite similar.
To be brutally honest with you, pretty much ALL alu frames come out of Taiwan, and mostly out of the same factories. Additionally, this could be anything - a cheapie, a decent frame, whatever.
I tell you what it is NOT:
GT, Kona, Gary Fisher, Trek or Specialised.
If it has no paint, thats not indicative of a cheap frame usually, however the stickers being stripped or simply never on there, absolutely points to a cheaper no-name frame.
I'd just sell it as an aluminium frame with disc mounts - I'd pay about £50 max for it - even if it was a good frame.
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