.243 ride quality:Similar to Balfa?

[NewYorker]

I plan on getting a .243 and wondering how it fares against the Balfa Minuteman as far as ride quality goes. They are both 4130 steel and have simlar geometries but the balfa has rectangular chainstays and round, thin tubes for the seatstays. The .243 seems to have round thicker round tubes for both the seat and chainstays. I am not a fan of aluminum hardtails and rode a friends balfa and feel it rides sooooo smooth for a hardtail. will a .243 be simlar? if not, how come? thanks!

[Neo]

ive ridden both and i think the 243 is slightly more forgiving, simply because of the aforementioned stays.

the 243 is without doubt the nicest freeride hardtail i've ever ridden, let alone owned :thepimp:

here's mine:

http://members.shaw.ca/blaine_louis/images/bike_pix/243/10_14_03/left_1.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/blaine_louis/images/bike_pix/243/10_14_03/right_1.jpg

[Mountain Dewd]

blain you have the nicest .243 i have seen for actual "mountain biking" it really looks like a bike that can do anything, and the old 15 inch frames are so sweet:thepimp:

[Neo]

yea i ride mine all mountain, freeride, xc, hucking, urban, etc... works awesome and yes, the 15" frames are the shit :thepimp:

[DangerousDean]

Originally posted by Dante Alighieri
xc

omg
ghey:rolleyes:

i love splaines bike
hugos is still better...

[dudski]

balfa= crap!

243=heaven

[umbullit]

blain= walking talking riding .243 ad.. lol
so are you still moving forward wiht he sc shiver blaine?

that ride is great..

[Neo]

Originally posted by umbullit
blain= walking talking riding .243 ad.. lol
so are you still moving forward wiht he sc shiver blaine?

that ride is great..

ya when i can afford one :S

[agressor3.zer0]

my new balfa rides like a dream Kills all of those 243sout there and also i think that you can get you balfa considerables smaller than a 243 but i'm not to positive about that?

[agressor3.zer0]

by the way have riden 26 26 and 26 24x3.0 both ways ride awsome but I perfer the 26 26 both ridinen with 5-4" sherman

[Neo]

why would you want smaller than 13"??

im 6'1", so i love my 15" 243 and i don't want anything smaller.

[agressor3.zer0]

well for me it works perfectly for you i guess not

[Neo]

here's some pics the beast in action: :thepimp:

http://members.shaw.ca/blaine_louis/images/bike_pix/nov_2_03/blaine_wall1.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/blaine_louis/images/bike_pix/nov_2_03/blaine_wall2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/blaine_louis/images/bike_pix/nov_2_03/gap_to_manual_sequence.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/blaine_louis/images/bike_pix/nov_2_03/hop.jpg

[Neo]

Originally posted by agressor3.zer0
well for me it works perfectly for you i guess not

hey no worries i like the balfa, believe me, i think its fucking pimp frame. different strokes for different folks bro. :thepimp: 8)

[Onegear]

I'd choose .243 beacuse of the feel for me, and the axle locks on the new 04 frames. The balfa is a good frame but I think that the .243 is built a bit burlyer. and a bit cheaper at least here.
But we're splitting hairs over 2 quality rides. :)

[sirbikealot]

243 is lsightly burlier and therefore heavier, it also has a slightly steeper headangle, bit better for street but not for bigger forks

the reason the 243 exists is because of the minuteman, it was the first real hardcore steel HT

both bikes are amazing, the minuteman and 243 have their own purposes in mind and it comes down to if you care about having a canadian made bike or a taiwanese made bike

i love my minuteman, it takes all i throw at it and never whines, i also like the horizontal dropouts and custom wheel tensioners it comes with

[NewYorker]

Originally posted by sirbikealot
243 is lsightly burlier and therefore heavier, it also has a slightly steeper headangle, bit better for street but not for bigger forks

the reason the 243 exists is because of the minuteman, it was the first real hardcore steel HT

both bikes are amazing, the minuteman and 243 have their own purposes in mind and it comes down to if you care about having a canadian made bike or a taiwanese made bike

i love my minuteman, it takes all i throw at it and never whines, i also like the vert dropouts and custom wheel tensioners it comes with

I thought the two frames had similar head angles: 69 w/ a 5" fork? If not what is the balfa and why is it more suited for longer forks (which is how i plan to set it up)?

[oicdn]

After seeing my frame yesterday...I sh!t my pants.....I'll let you know how the ride quality is when I get it on the road :-)

[Whitey]

Originally posted by sirbikealot
i also like the vert dropouts and custom wheel tensioners it comes with

wha????? don't minutemans have horizontals?????

[jive turkey]

Originally posted by Dante Alighieri
ive ridden both and i think the 243 is slightly more forgiving, simply because of the aforementioned stays.

the 243 is without doubt the nicest freeride hardtail i've ever ridden, let alone owned :thepimp:

here's mine:

http://members.shaw.ca/blaine_louis/images/bike_pix/243/10_14_03/left_1.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/blaine_louis/images/bike_pix/243/10_14_03/right_1.jpg


i thought id post this on page 2 aswell:thepimp: ........i do love the 15" frame aswell Blain, i personally ride a 16" morphine w/02 monster T fits my 6'1" frame perfect!!

[sirbikealot]

Originally posted by Whitey
wha????? don't minutemans have horizontals?????

yes ofcourse they do, my brain just went cookoo for a minute

[sirbikealot]

Originally posted by NewYorker
I thought the two frames had similar head angles: 69 w/ a 5" fork? If not what is the balfa and why is it more suited for longer forks (which is how i plan to set it up)?

its actually 69 degree with a 4" fork

the balfa is and always has been a bit slacker than the 243 and dmr's etc
this makes the geometry more suited to freeriding and DH where a slacker headangle is desired for getting up an dover square obstacles at speed

[FOX]

Originally posted by sirbikealot

the reason the 243 exists is because of the minuteman, it was the first real hardcore steel HT


I love balfa, and their MM, but I've never had one, and its not what influenced me. HC 4130 frames have been around well before the MM.

Really the main diffence is ride and purpose of the bikes.

The MM is a stiffer, lighter race freindly bike, and the .243 is more of a softer riding thrash it street / shore bike.

I recomend you try them both out before making your decision, they are two very different frames.

FOX

[oicdn]

Bah....just get the .243:thepimp: