Been thinking of treating myself to a new frame and looking seriously at the Stooge.
Would tick a lot of boxes for me, EBB for SS and hub gear duties, short chainstays, steel (which is well favoured in this parish!), cost (which is very acceptable)
Has anybody got a realtime frame weight and any bikepacking experience with one. Lack of space for frame bag and water bottle is a concern, slack head angle is another as I usually like it steep up front.
I'm thinking it would be used for bikepacking duties so long days int saddle, then I could demote my Ti frame to SS guise!!!
All comments and feedback much appreciated.
Adam.

Adam message stu. He likes his and uses it a lot.

Yeah love mine.

Used it for quite a few trips. Don't let the looks fool you, the front triangle is massive so plenty of room for a full or partial frame bag ... my Wildcat frame bag is lovely.

I know people say things like "it doesn't ride like anything else" all the time but in this case it's actually true. It climbs well and decends very well. I've also found it comfy for long days / multiple days ... it did take me quite a while to get the cockpit sorted but that wasn't a fault of the bike. I've settled on flipped On-One OG bars which look oh so wrong (and don't quite match the high front end Stooge ethos) but seem to suit me really well. A few folk had a ride at the WRT and thought the same.

I've ridden it with a standard 29" front wheel and 29+. I'll probably revert back the the standard wheel / tyre now summer's on its way but both set-ups work very well.

They're made in the same factory as Salsa steel frames, so finish is top notch

think they come in at about 8lb frame and fork, use mine for ss and alfine 8sp hub, comfortable and reassuring on the downs, quite high front end makes it a bit fiddly to get the bars the right height and distance also may need to use a laid back post

They're very very good BUT the ti one is significantly better in many many ways
My steel one is now up for sale - pm meif it's of any interest

The Stooge will fit an XL Ocelot if you're looking at Wildcat bags - just got my bag yesterday. I'm a big Stooge fan too - mine has done the Capital Trail, some of the Cairngorms Loop and is my bike of choice for the Highland Trail Race. Very comfy over long distances, handles well and the 29+ is a good alternative to a suspension fork.

I also love my Stooge, although I've not done any big trips on it. It is really comfy and incredibly capable with a 29+ front wheel/tyre.

Many thanks for all the replies and complements on the Stooge.
Zigrat, of these parts has sorted me out one. Can't quite believe it has happened so fast, but with all the good feedback seems rude not to!
Will report back on build and test ride.
Thanks again all.
Adam.

Steel one replaced with this
Untitled by bryan dawson, on Flickr

zigrat wrote:Steel one replaced with this
Untitled by bryan dawson, on Flickr

That is stunning!

You are so right Ben.
A thing of beauty it is indeed, but sadly my bank account just won't stretch that far, mate. So I'm gonna have to make do with the steel jobby!
Not that I'm moaning too much

You won't regret it! I rode mine at WRT as did mate Jerry and we both now have the ti. Not light but climb well, comfortable for long days and brilliant descending. Mine currently set up with 29+ on the front.

I'm waiting for time to build the ti - won't happen to half term though unfortunately .

Zigrat - what are your initial impressions?

That Enve fork gets a fantastic write up, best available mtb fork!
http://twentynineinches.com/2015/05/10/ ... e-verdict/

The good news (for you anyway) is that it's great !!
Significantly lighter (I think my total weight is about 24lbs with 29+), quite a bit of vertical compliance but stiffer laterally. I had an Enve seatpost on order but cancelled it and went with my alloy raceface because it's more than comfortable enough
In terms of the ride - it's quicker, more comfortable and tracks better. The Enve fork is very good too and I would recommend getting one if finances allow. The whole thing feels like it's got 30mm or so of "travel".
I've certainly been caught out on a couple of occasions so far by just how quickly I was going downhill so make sure to fit some good brakes

I'm very very pleased - this might just be my quiver killer as it excels in the woods, on rocks and just about everywhere I've ridden it

That is good news!!

I looked at the Enve but it is soooo expensive. Where did you get yours?

I was reading the 'ideal setup' over on the Stooge website and was puzzled by the recommendation of 3" front and narrower rear.
To me this seems counter intuitive but I have no experience of this set up - never having knowingly ridden a bike with different width tires front and rear. After a 26" FS one of the reasons I changed to 29" hardtail was the 'suspension effect' from 2.3" rear.
I would assume large footprint at rear equals grip or better power transfer or is there some perverse inverse law at work here?

Is this particular to the Stooge or rider/designer or can this be applied to other rigid fork set ups?
Would you want to re spares and repairs?
Discuss.

I was reading the 'ideal setup' over on the Stooge website and was puzzled by the recommendation of 3" front and narrower rear.
To me this seems counter intuitive but I have no experience of this set up - never having knowingly ridden a bike with different width tires front and rear. After a 26" FS one of the reasons I changed to 29" hardtail was the 'suspension effect' from 2.3" rear.
I would assume large footprint at rear equals grip or better power transfer or is there some perverse inverse law at work here?

Is this particular to the Stooge or rider/designer or can this be applied to other rigid fork set ups?
Would you want to re spares and repairs?
Discuss.

Grip and therefor suspension is much more important on the front than the back. The 3" front tyre offers greater levels of grip and cushioning, it also produces a 'roll over everything steam roller effect' and if the front gets through, the back will generally follow

When compared to a 26" wheel, a 29er generally has more grip with like for like tyres, pressures, etc so a big rear tyre maynot be as desirable on a 29er. There is the issue of comfort but if you're riding a hardtail / rigid or even a full suspension bike for that matter, you should be stood up when things start to get rough.

Mariner wrote:I was reading the 'ideal setup' over on the Stooge website and was puzzled by the recommendation of 3" front and narrower rear.
To me this seems counter intuitive but I have no experience of this set up - never having knowingly ridden a bike with different width tires front and rear. After a 26" FS one of the reasons I changed to 29" hardtail was the 'suspension effect' from 2.3" rear.
I would assume large footprint at rear equals grip or better power transfer or is there some perverse inverse law at work here?

Is this particular to the Stooge or rider/designer or can this be applied to other rigid fork set ups?
Would you want to re spares and repairs?
Discuss.

This piece - http://www.bike198.com/right-tyre-setup-trail-bike/ - discusses why wider tyres are used on the front though it's mainly aimed at trail centre riding. I run 2.35 up front & 2.2 rear and it seems to work OK. Nothing to stop you trying different tyre widths out and settling on what you are happy with, you'd still have the other tyre as a backup.

Also different pressures, tyre construction, rubber compound, etc. can have an effect on how a tyre feels.

Direct experience of the Stooge as I own one - the big tyre up front gives good grip and is very comfortable, however if you're thinking flotation then what happens in the muck is that the front end floats over stuff and the rear digs in and grips, so you maintain speed through what would normally catch you and slow you down.

I run a 3" Knard and a 2.2" Saguaro, a nice combination of grip and comfort (front end) and fast rolling rear

Thanks for the information guys.
Had a look at the website indicated and very interesting especially the comments after.

By way of an experiment I felt inspired to give this go then realised the only combination I have to hand would be to fit
a 29 x 2.2 on a Rabbit rim
If you see a Krampus with a skinny rear it will be me
Do you use a common rim width front and rear or do you also vary this?

Mariner wrote: Do you use a common rim width front and rear or do you also vary this?

I use Flows, although I might go down the 29+ route with a Hugo up front at some point.

I was reading the 'ideal setup' over on the Stooge website and was puzzled by the recommendation of 3" front and narrower rear.

Sort of the tyre equivalent of a hardtail I guess. I tend to use as big as is suitable at the back, set the bike up so I can get the front up and over things as needed or onto the back wheel relatively easily (skill/fatigue allowing..), let the 2.4 at the back take hits within reason. Generally end up on Ardent 2.4s F+R. 2.2/2.3s F+R for smoother stuff or wetter conditions as the treads that work there don't come in bigger sizes but when it's dry, loose or rockier then bigger works better I think, just a case of how big to go. 2.4 R with a 3" up front on bigger rims would be great I think.

AlasdairMc wrote: I run a 3" Knard and a 2.2" Saguaro, a nice combination of grip and comfort (front end) and fast rolling rear

Ive struggled over the winter with front end grip with the Knard (on Dually rims) Ive found mud clogging the nobbles making it slip about (well the Cannock stuff does)
Now its a bit dryer it betterer, but for me Im left wondering if there is something better for round the year use (not tried for bikepacking yet)

Options of Vee Trax, Chronicle, and Chupacabra and Dirt Wizard when available - Anyone got any opinions / real life comparisons
Tubes or Tubeless? Which tpi version?

Mariner wrote:Thanks for the information guys.
Had a look at the website indicated and very interesting especially the comments after.

By way of an experiment I felt inspired to give this go then realised the only combination I have to hand would be to fit
a 29 x 2.2 on a Rabbit rim
If you see a Krampus with a skinny rear it will be me
Do you use a common rim width front and rear or do you also vary this?

I have heard a few Krampus owners prefer this option. Need to give it a go myself to see if it makes the bike feel a little less ponders

Mart wrote:

AlasdairMc wrote: I run a 3" Knard and a 2.2" Saguaro, a nice combination of grip and comfort (front end) and fast rolling rear

Ive struggled over the winter with front end grip with the Knard (on Dually rims) Ive found mud clogging the nobbles making it slip about (well the Cannock stuff does)
Now its a bit dryer it betterer, but for me Im left wondering if there is something better for round the year use (not tried for bikepacking yet)

Options of Vee Trax, Chronicle, and Chupacabra and Dirt Wizard when available - Anyone got any opinions / real life comparisons
Tubes or Tubeless? Which tpi version?

Mart, Cannock one of my regular haunts too and struggled with the Knards when it got slimy. Switched to Chronicle up front and its made all the difference without loosing too much in the way of rolling resistance. Keep hearing nothing but good things about Chupacabra though and it is significantly lighter than both Knard and Chronicle.

Brothersmith wrote: Mart, Cannock one of my regular haunts too and struggled with the Knards when it got slimy. Switched to Chronicle up front and its made all the difference without loosing too much in the way of rolling resistance. Keep hearing nothing but good things about Chupacabra though and it is significantly lighter than both Knard and Chronicle.

Good to know its not just me them. Yep same here seen some good reports. I did wondered if the weight difference would be at the expense of durability.