Rhygin Juke SS Mountain FramesetI'd wanted a slightly smaller, more aggressive and maneuverable hardtail frame to replace my trusty '93 Marin Pine Mountain 17.5 steel frame. After months researching various frames… Ti, steel, composite… and especially at the suggestion of my bike dealer, (Ray @ Open Road Cycles, Brooklyn, NY), I ordered a 16 Rhygin Juke METAX Stainless Steel Mountain frame w/custom downtube cable routing. The top tube is nearly the same length as the Marin 17.5, so it seemed like it’d be a good fit.It arrived (a bit late) and transferred all my existing components: full '97 XTR group (w/ '98 Rapid-Rise rear derailleur!), new 32-12 Ti cassette, '97 Judy SL fork, Chris King headset, KORE Elite Stem, Titec 118 bars, LP Braids bar ends, Mavic 217 rims, new Ritchey SpeedMax 1.9 Alpha/Omega tires, Moxey suspension post, WTB SST Ti rail saddle, Time ATAC Ti Pedal.
The frame itself is BEAUTIFUL! The graphics are understated. It has small diameter tubes in a world of FAT frames! The fit of the tubing, welds and finish are impeccable! The stainless steel tubing has a nice blueish satin sheen. The thing oozes elegance.Scratches are easily rubbed away with light abrasive pads. A quick spray of Pledge and the steel glows again. No worries about RUST either! It weighs 3.25 lbs… not too shabby for steel!
After about 7+ weeks of steady riding: New York City commuting. Prospect Park training laps. Sandy, muddy hills and twisty singletrack on Long Island. Hard-core wet rocky-rooty-muddy singletrack in the Catskills & Westchester County. I’ve got to say that this frame is amazing! VERY quick acceleration (critical in Manhattan traffic!). VERY maneuverable through gnarly and wet roots and rocks. It goes where I want it to go… and cuts like a knife doing it! Maybe this is improved technique and better conditioning on my part, but riding over terrain I’d definately have dismounted or crashed with the Marin frame, I can crank right through. This thing CLIMBS like a mo'fo' and flies down the other side,too.
The Rhygin frame's worth every penny of the $1400 I paid. If you’re considering a high-quality hardtail frame that’s nearly the equal of any top-quality Ti frame (for a GRAND LESS!), they're DEFINATELY worth considering!5 Chilis!!!!!

Beautiful to behold.
Never to scratch - Never to rust.
Tight rear triangle.
Oh so rare.

Tight Rear Triangle.
Hope it doesn't break.

This is a mountain goat. Live by it. Die by it. I smashed my first rasta Rhygin a year ago on my favorite trail mentioned above. Rhygin has been out of the biz for some time and I was so depressed. Then I found this lovely on mtbr. $400? You have got to be kidding. The frame was immaculate. Perfection.

The thing climbs like you would not believe. I like this. It descends scary as hell. I can deal with this. The rear triangle performs this little trick. It also makes chainline a pain. I am considering a 2x9 setup just to solve the shifting woes caused by so tight a rear end.

Similar Products Used:

Rhygin Juke
Curtlo Mountaineer
Bohemian Custom.