Posted by: Endurimil
The Stylus was a heavier bike compared to the Wideangle
Makes sense. From Chromag's website:
"The Stylus is the bruiser of the fleet. Featuring aggressive, low slung geometry, the Stylus is built around our most robust chromoly tubeset."
"The Wideangle is our lightest, most nimble 27.5" machine."
Love seeing the resurgence of the Chromag on this thread!
Here's my poorly-photographed Surface Voyager.
Posted by: Vikb
Posted by: Endurimil
The Stylus was a heavier bike compared to the Wideangle
Makes sense. From Chromag's website:
"The Stylus is the bruiser of the fleet. Featuring aggressive, low slung geometry, the Stylus is built around our most robust chromoly tubeset."
"The Wideangle is our lightest, most nimble 27.5" machine."
It does. Admit was more using the weight in hand feel as reference. But to me if was to go back to the whole one bike for everything situation would lean to the Stylus as it can take more in the end as it was built for it. Where as the Wideangle or Rootdown is the second bike choice for more general riding shall we say more leaning to XC and more moderate trails. At least that is how view the frames.
Posted by: [email protected]
Posted by: fartymarty
Sounds like you guys need to do a mini road trip to Bellingham...
With the ferry roundtrip and the border crossing it's a lot less attractive for a mini road trip. Too many good riding destinations closer by on the main island as well as easier ferry trips like Powell River, Quadra Island etc.
Fair enough. I forget how spoilt for riding choice you have it in BC.
Posted by: Endurimil
It does. Admit was more using the weight in hand feel as reference. But to me if was to go back to the whole one bike for everything situation would lean to the Stylus as it can take more in the end as it was built for it. Where as the Wideangle or Rootdown is the second bike choice for more general riding shall we say more leaning to XC and more moderate trails. At least that is how view the frames.
Personally if I have a choice I'll choose the lighter more flexible frame. I just hate how stiff hardtail frames ride and there are loads of frames like the Rootdown being ridden hard all over BC [amongst other places] and not exploding into pieces. Not that I would suggest the Rootdown is a particularly light/flexy frame in the wider hardtail market. That said if you are someone that regularly breaks a hardtail frame your needs are different than mine.
Vik - I've got to agree with you. Hence I got the Solaris over a BFe or anything else slacker / burlier.
For me a HT is something to complement my FS bike (which hasn't been ridden since I got the Solaris).
I gave my WideAngle a fair amount of abuse and it did eventually fail (~4 years). Top tube crack in the same spot as a few Rootdown frames of that generation. Perhaps it was a little too light of a frame for my needs.
The Stylus (two rides in) is noticeably stiffer but not harshly so. I went up to a large from the old gen M/L so the reach is way longer, about 45mm more, which is significant.
Contemplating throwing in the Works -2 headset I had on the old WA just to see what it rides like with a Doctahawk-esque head angle…
Posted by: fartymarty
Something that popped up on my google https://bikepacking.com/gear/mone-light-bar-review/
Good find. I would love one of these - perfect. Price is hard to swallow once shipping to the UK is added unfortunately. Ohhh you tease Marty.
Posted by: DanL
I got out for some great leaning this weekend, first for a long time after a new years day injury that kept me out of anything short of hobbling.
Chromag finished the frame early autumn for me with a clearcoat red/purple. It's deep, rich and changes look based on the light which is really something whilst still being able to see the work underneath. I wanted to keep it subtle and low key so the lettering is black and you really have to look for it.
It's a subtler change from the Rootdown frame in terms of my riding position - I always use SQLabs 12 dgeree sweep bars but I felt too far back with the short stem I was using so I swapped it for a 60mm stem to try to get my weight back over the front again. It's red because it was on sale at Chromag, not due to inept color matching haha. Wax push ons complete the Chromagerry and add to the plushness.
There's a little more up front with the 170mm Z1 coil. It was on the Rootdown as a 160mm fork. I just had to alter the spacers when I swapped frames. I like the simplicity of the Z1, I'm not a complex/competent suspension fettler so the more/less compression dial just works.
RaceFace Arcs, Vault Hubs, Cushcore front and back.
Hope rotors and a Hope Tech3 V4 brakeset. Gods how I love external routing.
28t XT cog x 10 speed 11-46 cassette with 11 speed derrailleur and XTR shifters as they were going for a song in the LBS parts bin. Daggas and XT crankset.
I also wanted a smaller cassette range to help with cadence and chainline which in turn lets me use an HG hub for both the Doctahawk and my DH bike so I get a lot of parts overlap like singlespeed setups etc
Lovely looking bike and nice deep red colour. I had a custom Curtis Supercross frame once with a similar colour but lighter shade. I kind of want a Doctahawk. What size rear tyre are you running?
I was running a 29 x 2.6" on my Docta - lots of clearance.
Posted by: Vikb
Posted by: Endurimil
It does. Admit was more using the weight in hand feel as reference. But to me if was to go back to the whole one bike for everything situation would lean to the Stylus as it can take more in the end as it was built for it. Where as the Wideangle or Rootdown is the second bike choice for more general riding shall we say more leaning to XC and more moderate trails. At least that is how view the frames.
Personally if I have a choice I'll choose the lighter more flexible frame. I just hate how stiff hardtail frames ride and there are loads of frames like the Rootdown being ridden hard all over BC [amongst other places] and not exploding into pieces. Not that I would suggest the Rootdown is a particularly light/flexy frame in the wider hardtail market. That said if you are someone that regularly breaks a hardtail frame your needs are different than mine.
It is definitely personal preference. And for a while from 2007 on was on the one bike thing so if you can only have one to me get one that can handle a lot. My original Stylus was that. And when got the 2007 Samurai which was more XC and such was still definitely more overbuilt then what is now. Raced the Samurai, rode it on gravel, XC, big rocks, and downhilled it off Camp Frotune. It took getting crushed by a vehicle to break it.
Hmmm… probably is why you rarely see those older Samurai, TRL, and Stylus frames for sale anywhere online. They just fucking keep going. LOL
Since already have the hardcore HT went with the Rootdown as the replacement for the Wideangle to do more of the other kind of rides which was already using the Wideangle for.
Admit did have some nervousness around the Rootdown. Because past experiences with 29er hardtail frames haven’t been good. Reality is the geometry at the time sucked and left much to be desired.
29x2.6 front
29x2.4 on the rear
future plans may include trying out a 27.5+ 3.0 setup for jollies but the mullet idea is next in line as I have the parts available.
Posted by: DanL
29x2.6 front
29x2.4 on the rearfuture plans may include trying out a 27.5+ 3.0 setup for jollies but the mullet idea is next in line as I have the parts available.
I'm quite surprised I like my mullet set up so much. I'm even considering buying a second 27.5 rear to try a plus tyre, maybe 2.8 with a plus Cushcore. They are better for technical riding but the 29 rear still covers ground quicker.
I still have the Torrent frame that I stripped to build up my Fluid. Not 100% sure what to do with it. Considering building up a 29er street ripper for fun grocery trips, bar / restaurant / coffee shop bike. Something I can throw some fat semi slicks and a front flat rack on, something that I wouldn't mind blasting down stairs and hucking off things on the way, the types of things I don't really want to do on my carbon Threshold which is the only non mountain bike I own right now.
That just seems like a lot of work and a bit of money for something totally unnecessary lol
My relatively new Stylus
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