How to find frame with correct geometry for old Manitou SXR?

[pealy]

Currently looking at replacing my 93/94 Marin Indian Fire Trail because I think I've bent it. I had a good look at some modern forks and see that the crown to wheel axle length is a good 5cm more than my good old Manitou SX-Rs. If I put these on the Marin they'd make the bars way too high. So how do I find a frame to suit them? At the moment I'm trying to find original specs of the bikes the frames came from, then finding specs for the stock forks but I'm not often finding the info is available.

Any good ideas?

Some might say I'm coming at this the wrong way but I just want to move all the bits onto a different (unbent) frame.

 

[chaser]

You could look for a new old stock frame from the same period.

What about the Sarace Bankrupt surplus guy on ebay... you could pick up a NOS Saracen frame for 20 quid. Might need painting though.

Just an idea.

Cheers,

Chaser

 

[Anthony]

I don't think this is as much of a problem as you're painting it. It would help to know which year SX-R you're talking about and what its a-c length is, but to be honest the final answer is going to be that no SX-R is too long for any suspension-adjusted frame.

You say if you put the Manitou on the Marin the bars would be way too high, but what is way too high for you?

 

[Dead Rats]

Yeah I think you might be looking at this wrong as if the Marin is bent then there's no point even putting it into the equation... echo'ing chaser somewhat, I'd forget modern forks, put all your bits onto an early-mid '90s frame (well under £100 on here for something nice like a Kona or even a Stumpy etc.). If the Manitou doesn't work with this new-to-you frame you'll find a decent fork on here for under £60 and if the Manitous are good they'll sell to someone. Doing this is a good way to hone your tinkering skills / clean all the parts. There will be the odd minor issue (BB length, spacers, steerer length etc.) but you will have parts to trade so costs will be reduced (unless you develop the usual RB forum magpie-itis)!

Show us a pic of the bent Marin frame!?

 

[SeeingisBelievingGTMuseum]

But I thought the frame was the "heart" of the bike and you build a bike around a frame...not a fork

 

[pealy]

Thanks for all the responses:

Dead Rats - I know you're right but I've already spent my life savings on a new frame, forks, disc brakes etc etc only to find that I hated the frame and couldn't get on with disc brakes - my tinkering skills are well-honed though! I'm trying to keep this cheap by getting a frame to move all the parts onto. I was hoping I could find something slightly newer than the one I'm replacing as I'd like it to last 15 years like the Marin frame did. And pictures wouldn't help - the frame's only a bit bent so you can't tell until you put a back wheel in - then the tyre only just clears the frame and simply isn't straight.

Anthony - Not sure of the year but they're yellow - maybe do some digging. I compared the length from middle of wheel axle mounting to top of crown where it joins the frame. On the Manitous this length is about 44cm, on my Rockshox Reba's this is more like 50cm. I like a fairly low bar and the Marin has been just perfect. In my post I meant that putting the modern forks on the Marin would make the steerer too high. I thought that frame geometry was designed around the fork length so a newer frame designed for something like the Rebas is going to be compromised by the shorten length of the Manitous?

Chaser - I've been keeping a very keen eye on ebay and have seen all the Bankrupt frames but so far they've all been just a tad low-end. I like decent quality light frames (I'm pretty light) but will keep watching.

gm1230126 - I know you're right - and I only wish it was the forks which were broken - I've loved the Marin frame, had it a very log time but I need something to ride and haven't got much money..

 

[Anthony]

Two suggestions then. You are correct to assume that a modern frame may not suit the Manitou, but any frame from the mid to late 90s should be fine. I know most about Konas, which are far from the cheapest as they are quite popular, but I would expect this 95 Lava Dome to go for around £50-60 and it would suit your SX-R just fine. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT Recently voted onto the Retrobike Cool Wall, what higher accolade could you wish for? But seriously, a good-quality double-butted frame, this one a size 18 (for 5-6 to 6-0)

A second suggestion is that it may be that all is not lost. Read this from the sadly-departed but immortal Sheldon Brown. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html If you don't feel confident, a good bike shop should be able to help you. It's unfortunate that the Marin is made of aluminium, as it's less pliable than steel, so there is less scope for cold setting, but it may be possible to straighten that rear triangle. I wouldn't give up without giving it a try.

 

[pealy]

Two suggestions then.

Thanks for the research - much appreciated. That Sheldon Brown link is awesome. I spent ages thinking of a way of working out which bit might be bent, I had a laser pointed taped to the frame so I could mark spots on the wall & everything. Who would have thought that a piece of string would do the job!

 

[mikee]

i've got orange sxr's that were fitted to a 2000 GT zaskar
they were perfect for it
only 80mm travel i think (tho they are now dead)
so any 80mm travel corrected frame will do

 

[pealy]

so any 80mm travel corrected frame will do

Is it true that most 80mm travel forks will have the same distance from wheel to crown then? And it'll be the same as my old SX-Rs? That would certainly make the search easier.