[delerious]

I've been running off of my old Norco Storm 2003 18.5' for the last 7 years. Over time, I've replaced most everything on it save for the handlebar and stem. At present, I've got it , equipped with X9 drivetrain. Formula Oro K18 breaks, Dart 3 front fork and a Shimano crankset that matched the stripped paint/roughly sanded look of the bike.

But I've been wanting to get a new frame for a lil while, mostly to get something a bit lighter. I just can't seem to commit to a frame since I like the feal of the bike. I'd previously purchased a dualy but ended up missing the hardtail.

I've also never tried any other hardtails since most shops in my parts dont have demos to try out ... meh.

So, my question ends up being, if I like the general feal of the bike ( of course improvements would be great ), what should I be looking at when looking for a new frame ? What properties of my existing frame should I be measuring, calculating, etc... so as to find something similar ? And what should I be looking at to possibly improve on ?

[edit]
Figure I should also mention it's desired usage .. This is a multi use bike .. Aggressive trail riding, I guess between XC and AM ??. Yet I also swap out the wheels for my commuter runs.

 

[rlouder]

I've seen several people recommend the performance frame at performancebike and the sette at pricepoint. The older Access (sp) frame at performance looked pretty decent when I looked at it in the store.

I would think the most important specs to compare with your Norco would be the effective top tube and head tube angle. If you want to use your present fork, you need something designed for the same amount of travel, and the head tube needs to be short enough for the fork's steer tube.

You might want to list your budget.

Edit: Brake mounts.

 

[delerious]

In reality, considering how much time I spend on my bike, my budget is pretty flexible.

I naturally tend to go for the deals when I can find them, but the frame'll be with me for quite some time. I figure anything 1k or less ought to be fine.

I will have a look at those that, thanks for the info.

 

[GPRider08]

At $1K, you could pick up a very nice HT frame. Heck, you could get some good FS frames for that price.
If you like the fit and feel of your current bike, I would look for something with similar dimensions. I can't list them all, but I do know top tube length should be a high priority. You'll want a frame with a similar length to yours. Beyond that, I can't be of too much help, other than to say you probably don't want a pure XC rig (think Stumpjumber HT).

 

[delerious]

Dude, props on the sig, well said !!

 

[GPRider08]

Yeah, I can't even explain how pissed I was when it happened :madmax: . I walked out to my car, got in, and looked up at my balcony and said "Oh s**t, the bikes aren't there!" The bastards climbed up onto my second story balcony to steal mine and my fiance's bikes. About two weeks later, we got a call from a LBS worker saying he spotted two bikes matching ours at a grocery store in the area. We went looking around and thought we spotted them, except the people didn't match what we were looking for, so we didn't stop to talk. These were a couple in their late 20s, early 30s with a kid in a carrier. We were looking for a couple of teenagers because some had been hanging out at our apartment's pool after hours the night before the bikes were stolen.
Well, I talked to the guy who called, and he said those were the people he called us about.
So, we drove right by them :madman: . That was nearly a year ago. I haven't got a new bike yet. The kid and upcoming wedding aren't allowing me to get the money together. Maybe next year, after this is all over and the wife is working full time as well, I might get one. Or, I might win that drawing MBA is having for a Pivot Mach 429