Advocate Seldom Seen?
 

This seems like an ideal off-road touring frame, and it comes in both flat-bar and drop-bar specific geometries (the latter of which interests me), and can take 27.5+ tires, or 29.

The frame is steel, comes with a fork and a custom frame bag. The green ones are $1K. The "sand" colored one is only $350 (+ $50 shipping). That seems like an insanely good deal, and then I could build it up however it suits me.

Supposedly this is similar to their Hayduke, but has more mounting options (and comes with a rigid fork, but presumably you could put on a suspension fork.)

The only thing that could make this better is a bike named after Doc. I'd almost feel like I had Edward Abbey's approval, next time I visit the Moab adventure theme park.

What say you?

Looks nice, wonder how wide of tires it takes?

In excess of 3.0". (I think I read 3.2 somewhere.)

Sand County is a nice bike as well.

I agree. I have something very similar, or else I would be all over it.

Green $999
Sand $350

Green = flat bar
Sand = drop bar

Look at the geometry chart, there is about a 2 inch longer toptube on the flat bar bike.

I do not want a drop bar bike for the bumpyest roads I can find. Nice wide handle bars keep a tired dehydrated cyclist upright longer. I have a fargo and a flat bar bike. I have crashed the fargo on rutted roads, and hit the ground. The same ruts did not tip my flat bar bike over.

Do not put flats on a drop frame.

I wrongly thought the Sand color has both drop and flat, but I am looking more closely at the drop bar, but you give me something to ponder ...

Edit: You are right, all the sand colored ones are listed as drop bar. Oddly, they put both geometry PDFs (corresponding to flat and drop) on the page for the sand colored ones.

Didn’t see a single link in your thread, without which it is impossible for me to comment.

That’s better! Very similar to Surly in many ways. Maybe a step up? The name is interesting and raised fist not exactly the image that comes to mind for cycling, but whatever sets you apart from the crowd is a good thing, I guess.

Hayduke and Seldom Seen Smith were two of the four members of The Monkey Wrench Gang, in a novel of that title written by Edward Abbey. It was the inspiration for Earth First!, which has a similar logo.

Why is it that you think everyone else is supposed to do the work of looking up this bike in order to help you when you can't be bothered to look up a link to post yourself? :rolleyes:

IKR. I first thought this thread was about the bike some rarely seen cycling advocate is riding around.

If it were me, I’d use a symbol of a “high five” or “fist bump” rather than a militant image of a raised fist. Named after fictional domestic terrorists? No thanks. The bike is cool, though. As to being too lazy to look something up, guilty as charged.

You helped?

Since you don't know anything about the bike or the manufacturer, why bother to post at all?

From their website:

"The raised fist is a symbol of empowerment in many different areas of modern culture; we want Advocate Cycles to be the symbol of empowerment for cyclists."


I think they were suggesting I was being too lazy to post a link, but then if I did post a link, someone would be whining that I was shilling for the company or something. In any case, it would have required typing far fewer characters into a search engine than those we have wasted here.

Note that this time I carefully included a link.

Don’t mean to harp on the graphic (the bike itself is nice), but the raised fist sure has a lot of negative connotations. If one has to explain the meaning, perhaps it’s best avoided. Also, something a bit ironic about a gold-plated raised fist head badge on $2,000 bike.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raised_fist

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...03&oe=5AA8D950

Be sure to write to them and tell them what you think (since telling me is completely irrelevant -- if the head badge bothered me, I could always take it off -- but it doesn't). I am sure they will be delighted to hear from you.

Does the Nazi-like eagle on Bianchi's head badge annoy you as much as this? If not, why not? Are anarchosyndicalists somehow a bigger threat than Nazis?

polish nazis? whodathunk!

https://static.mijnwebwinkel.nl/wink...833af8b937.jpg

http://cdn3.volusion.com/p47su.y695r...9819200-2T.jpg

oops, my mistake. it's pootin's fault!
only thing missing is the che guevara on the bag....
perfect for the discriminating hipster to park
in front of starbucks for that $2k virtue signaling.

https://ih1.redbubble.net/image.1205...0,075,f.u3.jpg

Is there any chance we could get back to discussing the merits and shortcomings of this bike frame, please?

For $350, it seems like a great deal (MSRP is $1k, as with the green flat-bar version that isn't discounted).

I've been looking for a steel-framed hard-tail that accepts 27.5+ tires, and prefer a more road-bikish geometry and drop bars. (I've also been eyeing the Salsa Fargo, Jamis Dragonslayer, Marin Pine Mountain 2, and a few others).

If you have parts ready and it appeals to you, get it.

In terms of the frame, I don't see $350 for a bike made in Asia as an "insane" deal, but its not robbery like $1k+ is either.

The premise of the company is interesting, but to me is highly misleading (the bikes are made in Asia) and, like others, I don't care for the head badge either, but mostly just because its so unoriginal and cliche. Lastly, the owners don't really *appear* to be much of cycling enthusiasts, but that's my personal opinion. If I really wanted to help the cycling industry in N. America, I'd buy a made in N. America. Just because its a benefit corp. doesn't mean they won't be pocketing as much as they possibly can from a salary.

I’m sure their crack marketing team is already subscribed to this thread. Eagles alone don’t conjure up negative images, unless they are perched on a swastika. The eagle image is used by many companies and countries, and was not appropriated by the Nazi party or its progeny, never to be used again.

As far as the bike is concerned, I agree with the comments that $350 is in line with comparable frames, and perhaps a better deal, in fact. I don’t really care for the logo, and to the extent you are saying to the poor locals as you roll along the trail in Guatemala “I’m down with the struggle,” that’s a good thing, unless it is interpreted to mean “get out of my way or I’ll punch you in the face.”

I like their tires.. running Elwoods on my Black Mountain Cycles monstercross and they have been wonderful..J