Hey guys. Looking at the 1st gen of the new 650b plus Pine Mountains, they look like incredible value, was wondering if there was a reason not to get them for £500 or so quid. Have been looking for a steel 650b plus bikepacker for a while. The fargo is £950 for the frameset alone ffs. I do notice the sad absence of any rack mounts. There was the fork recall, but that can be sorted out right? And I remember there being something iffy about the hub standards but I can't quite remember.
Bike Forum
Is there a reason not to buy one of the old new Pine Mountains?
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Posted 11 hours ago #
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i too thought they were like the Alpkit Frontier - an odd hub spacing.
I may be wrong.
Posted 4 hours ago # -
If its this one https://www.marinbikes.com/gb/bike-archive/bikes/2016-pine-mountain-1
then I cant see anything about funny hub standards, but I also recall something odd about themPosted 4 hours ago # -
Were these the ones that had a fork recall?
Posted 4 hours ago # -
My mate's got one of the original ones. They did cost £750 when they first came out. The fork had a recall and the new fork had tape wrapped round the bottom of the blades with a couple of stripes to identify that it was the "new fork" The rear spacing is odd. 141 by 9mm QR. Apart from that a capable bike for the money.
Posted 4 hours ago # -
You need to ask yourself who else makes Boost width hubs with 9mm QR fittings (and the extended skewers you'd also need). Would you be buying it for future upgrade potential, or just as a cheap bike in its own right? I was tempted back when they first came out (as I was by the Frontier) but decided the potential futureproofing problems weren't worth it. At £500, though, that decision isn't as clearcut - where are they selling at that price?
Posted 3 hours ago # -
We have a fleet of them at work. We’re never going to upgrade them so the weird hubs don’t bother me. They’ve all had the fork upgrade too.
They are a really fun, if a little heavy, bike on woody singletrack. They really remind me of my original mountain bikes from the early 90s but with brakes that work and massive tyres.
Stock tyres are terrible in the mud but everything else just works.Posted 3 hours ago # -
If you need a large I'd just get this: https://www.ukbikesdepot.com/m15b185s1112p23787/Mountain_Bikes/650b_Plus_27_5+_Mountain_Bikes/GENESIS_Longitude_2017/RS_GB/86030
Posted 3 hours ago # -
Isn't the Fargo a wierd combo of 100mm front and boost rear!
OP a Genesis Longitude frameset would meet your bike packing criteria. Also comes with the front fork mounted cages.
Edit: to slow.
Posted 3 hours ago # -
I have one, wrecked the gears so running it SS. Great fun in the local woods, but it is a bit heavy. I added a simple t-mars dropper which helps to throw it about. Hub spacings are a bit weird, but they have been fine so not looking to change them. Wheels and tyres went up tubeless ok. Tyres I think are pretty good, but I tend to work with what I have rather than swap tyres constantly so don't have much to compare them too.
The steel fork is over 2kg so I have just got a 29er carbon fork and in the process of going down to 2.8" tyres that will fit in.Posted 3 hours ago # -
Thanks for the responses all. The upgradability of it does slightly worry me. I've never seen a 141mm qr length anywhere. I really wanted a decent bikepacker that I can do some serious trips on this summer. I would much prefer to build one from the frame up, as almost all of the completes come with bits that won't really last, unless you pay an extortionate amount. And shame to hear it's that heavy, that really doesn't sound good!
The Genesis Longitude does look fantastic, but the problem is I find the ETT too long. I was looking for something at about 570mm with a slightly more relaxed geometry for all day riding. I have a Moonlander which is so perfectly comfortable, but its tyre size is too overkill. On the other hand I have a Krampus, but at 585mm I find it to be too agressive a ride and very uncomfortable. I'm 5'5" and have them both in a small.
I can't seem to find anything with a relaxed geometry, 650b plus and steel at a reasonable price. It's really frustrating! There is the Kona Unit, which is availible as a frameset from Jenson USA for ~$600 hmmm. But then it's sold as a bike for £600 here, but that's SS. But the dropouts are replaceable. But the parts look terrible!
Posted 1 hour ago # -
Hope pro 4 boost hubs work with their standard qr end caps to make qr 141, i imagine similar applies to a few manufacturers.
The mk1's (2016) got moaned about for being short in the TT, not sure how true that is really, but 2017 versions were 'sorted' apparently, so if you're looking at mk1's, it might help your desire for shorter TT's
Nice looking bikes!
Posted 1 hour ago # -
I find the same with my Pugsley. It is really comfortable for all day riding, day after day. I can't find anything to rival it.
Expensive compared to longitudes and Marins I know, but I'm thinking of an Ogre with 650b+. I would ride a large but I recon the small is in your range ETT wide. I guess you will have considered this though and it isn't a cheap option. I would swap the stuff over from my Troll which is a good bike - but I want bigger wider wheels.
My only query really is whether I should go straight for an ECR and that I don't know if I like the dropouts with fiddly extra bits to slip in to make my Rohloff work on it.... That's two queries I guess.
Posted 1 hour ago # -
@cp, wow I am very tempted in that case! Should I go for it?! My other concern is, does it really look like a bike you can put thousands of miles on around the world?
@gowerboy
You really get what I mean. Maybe I should just give the Mainlander a go? It's fine for short trips, e.g. 60 miles, but I worry at how feasible it is doing longer ones on it.
Funny you mention the Ogre, I had an ECR, which I would expect is similar to the Ogre in the sense of it's build and stiffness, and I found it ridiculously overbuilt. It felt completely dead and the ride was horrid unloaded. I sold the frame and ended up transferring all my stuff to a Krampus, which has a much livelier ride, but like I mentioned the geometry just doesn't work for me. I worry the Ogre would be similarly overbuilt and dead to ride.
Posted 1 hour ago # -
I would and did buy the pinnacle ramin 3 plus but alas that's aluminium frame steel forks
Posted 55 minutes ago # -
officerfriendly » @cp, wow I am very tempted in that case! Should I go for it?! My other concern is, does it really look like a bike you can put thousands of miles on around the world?
Don't take this as a dig at you, but are you really going to be doing "thousands of miles around the world" on it? I only ask because lots of folk make purchasing decisions based no some dream that will never happen rather than for what they will actually end up doing and so make the wrong decisions.Classics;
Stick with 26" wheels because they are stronger and you can get spares even in remotest Africa
It must be steel because anyone can weld that up if it breaks.
or in another way...
It must have 180mm of travel so that I can do the Megavalanche on it.
I'm sure you get my drift
Posted 52 minutes ago # -
@firestarter I definitely don't want the aluminium frame!
Scotroutes, it's lovely to hear from you! I'm not sure if you remember me, but I definitely remember you.
I definitely see what you are saying. I finish college this year and have a long long break before I start uni, which I'm already looking at routes for. I'm honestly really excited. I'm hoping to find some group rides, but foregoing that, I'll just find some routes to do on my own. I don't know about thousands, but I definitely plan on doing a good few hundred!
Posted 41 minutes ago # -
* waves *
I never forget an (officer)friendly face
Yeah, good to hear you are still biking and that you have plans. As always, if your travels take you to the Scottish Highlands, let me know and I'll share/show you some nice bikepacking-friendly routes.
Posted 35 minutes ago # -
I think they are around 30lbs off the shelf so they aren't 'too' bad but it is quite a lot for a rigid bike, and a lot of that is in the forks. I think the Alpkit wheels would fit with their adapters.
If you went Hope it would allow an easy swap to Boost and then open up more forks as there aren't many QR tapered plus options.As for long distances, it's what I bought it for but never got round to doing! I will probably stick some gears on this spring and do some longer rides over the summer.
I have a 17" down in Brighton if you are nearby and want to have a look at one.
Posted 14 minutes ago # -
I've been looking at them since launch. I am still tempted, but really in the position to buy a new bike.
I have seen that some Cannondale bikes use the 141mm QR standard, as do some of the Norco bikes. As has been mentioned boost hubs with QR end caps allow conversion too.
For the price they're going for I think they're worth considering, but the Pine Mountain 1 is also appealing due to having suspension, and the Genesis Tarn looks great too.
Posted 11 minutes ago # -
Funny you mention the Ogre, I had an ECR, which I would expect is similar to the Ogre in the sense of it's build and stiffness, and I found it ridiculously overbuilt. It felt completely dead and the ride was horrid unloaded. I sold the frame and ended up transferring all my stuff to a Krampus, which has a much livelier ride, but like I mentioned the geometry just doesn't work for me. I worry the Ogre would be similarly overbuilt and dead to ride.
That's interesting. My Troll is ok, but it can be a bit harsh unladen with 2" tyres pumped up for the road. The Pugsley is actually built of quite skinny tubes (noticeably skinnier than the Troll) and I think that really contributes to the feel of the bike.... Even though it has 4" tyres,. I may have a think about the Ogre then! I guess the K Monkey is a bit long like the Krampus.
Posted 5 minutes ago #
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