2005 norco six TO 2005 bighit FSR

[wezz0]

would you do it ?
ive got some extra cash around and ive always wanted a bighit. i just plan to do a frame swap.

does anyone know any significant differences between the frames ? im hoping the bighit will be lighter and easier to climb with, geometry wise.

when im climbing with my six, im all over the trail, i cant keep my front wheel strait. thats probably because i got 8" in the front and 6" in the back.

[Hack On Wheels]

8" up front on a six? That could throw things off a little bit... especially if it is one of the extra tall 888s. Don't think the bighit is likely to be lighter, but the geometry will likely be better due to it being designed around longer travel forks. Not sure what year they changed the frame design, but you may have to go to a 24" rear, I know they were 24" rear only for a number of years.

[wezz0]

ahah yeah, i got a boxxer team on the front, not one of my best ideas yet. hahah

[Hack On Wheels]

Well, if it was a 7" Boxxer with a low-rise bar it could feel pretty good...

Anyways, what kind of climbing are you wanting to do on the bike?

[wezz0]

i already do climbing. i never shuttle up to the top, i always bike up.
but i went to this place in portmoody and the hills were really steep, i had a hard time keeping the front wheel down; harder than usual. i was zigzagging up the hill.

[Hack On Wheels]

Climbing on a trail or on an access road?

Edit: The 2005 Six has a 68 degree headangle, presumably with a 6" fork. So your Boxxer probably makes it roughly 66 degrees. That actually isn't too bad, and you might also be able to move the stanchions up in the crowns a bit to steepen the head angle and lower the front end. Check rockshox site or something to see what the minimum stanchion length you need below the lower crown is. Also, get a low or no ride stem and low-rise handlebars will also help. Not to say that you shouldn't go for the bighit, but it may have similar head angle and the front end height should be fairly similar unless the bighit has a significantly shorter headtube.

[wezz0]

ive done both, but usually an access road.

[Hack On Wheels]

So I checked the specialized site, and two things are worth noting:
-The bighit in 2005 was still designed around a 24" rear wheel.

-The head angle is adjustable: 66.3/68.2° As the bike sold with a 7 inch fork, I would assume that it would be based aroung that, so the bike could be up to a degree slacker in either setting.

Basically, I don't see that changing the frame will much difference, if any, for climbing. At least not in handling, possibly in weight and pedalling efficiency, either for better or for worse.

Disclaimer: This is, of course, only based on things that I have read, so in real life this may not actually all be true. Also, a bike with an 8" fork is almost guaranteed to be tough to climb on when it gets steep, especially if you are maneuvering it on a tight trail climb. The best bet for that is to go flat bar and lower the fork as much as possible...

[Hack On Wheels]

Oops, I just realized that I forgot to check seat angles. If the angle is slack on either bike, it is going to want to put your seat, and therefore your weight, quite far back over the rear wheel. This will lighten you front end, and will help the bike wander on the climbs.

Edit: The bighit* has a seat angle of 61/63.1°, whereas the Six* has a seat angle of 69°. Theoretically this should make the Six easier to climb on, but the difference may or may not amount to much in real riding. (*Information is straight off the site, but again I would guess that the bighit's info is based on a 7" and the Six's info is based on a 6" fork. Angles will be a bit slacker with 8" fork.)

[wezz0]

thanks for all your help.

since the bighit is meant for longer forks, my bike would be more balanced right ? i think the bighit has 8" in the back. not too sure. so i would have a 8x8 which would be better than my 8x6.
wouldnt that raise my seat so i would sit more evenly on my bike ? thats how im thinking it should work.



if you've got a bighit 05 or older... how do you like it ?

[switch]

I had a Bighit DH and it sat kinda tall in the steeper head angle setting. In slack mode it was fun but not as maneuverable.

The 8" of travel feels bottomless.

[Rat]

I have a 05 big hit for sale if your interested.

Medium with a swinger 4 way. front derailer, telescoping post 500 Bucks

[wezz0]

would i be okay with a medium bighit frame ?

im 5.8 / 5.9 feet.
and weigh 140ish pounds if that matters.

[switch]

Others would know better, but I'd say you're between a small and a medium - maybe medium. Definitely not a large.

[BigHitX]

I'm the same height and had a medium. Was a perfect fit and this bike really helped my progression ... since you're wanting to pedal don't go for the small...