The Salsa Fargo steel frameset is the go-to for aggressive off-road bikepacking, blending nimble handling, high tire clearance and a wealth of cage and rack mounts for mixed-terrain routes. Compared to the touring-leaning Kona and the utility-focused Surly, the Fargo trades some load-carrying bias for more trail-capable geometry and tire clearance—making it technically advantageous for riders prioritizing singletrack and rough gravel.
Trail-hungry grin
Endless cargo options
Trail-hungry grin
Endless cargo options
Review Summary
"Users love the Fargo's playful yet stable handling, huge tire clearance, and adaptability across mixed surfaces for bikepacking; a minority mention the weight and price as downsides but overall praise its versatility."
Slack-and-stable
Aggressive adventure geometry tuned for technical off‑road bikepacking and long days in rough terrain.
Slack-and-stable
Aggressive adventure geometry tuned for technical off‑road bikepacking and long days in rough terrain.
Recreational Enjoyment
Enhanced Physical Well-Being
Skill Development & Mastery
The Salsa Fargo steel frameset is the go-to for aggressive off-road bikepacking, blending nimble handling, high tire clearance and a wealth of cage and rack mounts for mixed-terrain routes. Compared to the touring-leaning Kona and the utility-focused Surly, the Fargo trades some load-carrying bias for more trail-capable geometry and tire clearance—making it technically advantageous for riders prioritizing singletrack and rough gravel.
Trail-hungry grin
Endless cargo options
Slack-and-stable
Aggressive adventure geometry tuned for technical off‑road bikepacking and long days in rough terrain.
High tire clearance for 29×2.6 or 27.5+ setups and abundant frame and fork mounting points.
Trail-hungry grin
Endless cargo options
Slack-and-stable
Aggressive adventure geometry tuned for technical off‑road bikepacking and long days in rough terrain.
High tire clearance for 29×2.6 or 27.5+ setups and abundant frame and fork mounting points.
$1,500-2,000 USD
The Kona Sutra LTD stands out as best-in-class for touring-oriented gravel-adjacent riders who want a comfortable, rack- and fender-friendly steel frameset with rugged, proven construction. Kona’s pragmatic approach delivers many of the long-haul refinements of boutique frames at a more accessible price, trading the lighter, sportier geometry of the Crust and Rodeo Labs entries for superior load-carrying capability and on-road comfort.
Rack-friendly geometry — cargo king
Touring comfort — all-day
Rack-friendly geometry — cargo king
Touring comfort — all-day
Review Summary
"Users report the Sutra LTD is a plush, confidence-inspiring steel touring/gravel frameset with thoughtful rack and tire clearance, ideal for long loaded rides. Some note it’s relatively heavy and not targeted at speed-focused gravel racing."
Stable tracking — load-steady
Robust CroMoly construction and stable, touring-minded geometry that suits loaded gravel rides.
Stable tracking — load-steady
Robust CroMoly construction and stable, touring-minded geometry that suits loaded gravel rides.
Enhanced Physical Well-Being
Recreational Enjoyment
Eco-Friendly Living
The Kona Sutra LTD stands out as best-in-class for touring-oriented gravel-adjacent riders who want a comfortable, rack- and fender-friendly steel frameset with rugged, proven construction. Kona’s pragmatic approach delivers many of the long-haul refinements of boutique frames at a more accessible price, trading the lighter, sportier geometry of the Crust and Rodeo Labs entries for superior load-carrying capability and on-road comfort.
Rack-friendly geometry — cargo king
Touring comfort — all-day
Stable tracking — load-steady
Robust CroMoly construction and stable, touring-minded geometry that suits loaded gravel rides.
Abundant rack and fender mounts plus multiple bottle bosses for long-distance carry options.
Rack-friendly geometry — cargo king
Touring comfort — all-day
Stable tracking — load-steady
Robust CroMoly construction and stable, touring-minded geometry that suits loaded gravel rides.
Abundant rack and fender mounts plus multiple bottle bosses for long-distance carry options.
$1,200-1,600 USD
Chumba Racing URSA Major Custom
The URSA Major Custom from Chumba Racing represents the boutique extreme end of custom steel framesets: ultra-light, meticulously selected Reynolds/True Temper tubing and artisan brazing produce a frame optimized for weight-conscious riders and collectors. Technically it outperforms on material selection and hand-finished detail, but that premium craft comes with a higher price and longer wait compared with mass-capable leaders like Kona or mid-tier builders like Devinci.
Feathersteel sprint
Race-focused nimble
Feathersteel sprint
Race-focused nimble
Review Summary
"Chumba Racing URSA Major customers rave about the premium stainless/steel build quality, unique aesthetics and outstanding ride quality; the only frequent criticisms are the steep price and lengthy wait times for a bespoke frame."
Columbus tubing pride
Made-to-order frames using premium Columbus/True Temper steel with expert brazing
Columbus tubing pride
Made-to-order frames using premium Columbus/True Temper steel with expert brazing
Skill Development & Mastery
Recreational Enjoyment
Enhanced Physical Well-Being
The URSA Major Custom from Chumba Racing represents the boutique extreme end of custom steel framesets: ultra-light, meticulously selected Reynolds/True Temper tubing and artisan brazing produce a frame optimized for weight-conscious riders and collectors. Technically it outperforms on material selection and hand-finished detail, but that premium craft comes with a higher price and longer wait compared with mass-capable leaders like Kona or mid-tier builders like Devinci.
Feathersteel sprint
Race-focused nimble
Columbus tubing pride
Made-to-order frames using premium Columbus/True Temper steel with expert brazing
Fully bespoke geometry and artisanal paint/livery options for a unique build
Feathersteel sprint
Race-focused nimble
Columbus tubing pride
Made-to-order frames using premium Columbus/True Temper steel with expert brazing
Fully bespoke geometry and artisanal paint/livery options for a unique build
$2,000-3,500 USD
The Surly Ogre frameset earns a best-in-class spot for chromoly touring steel mountain framesets thanks to its exceptionally durable tubing, room for very large tires and versatile dropout options that handle both loaded touring and technical singletrack. Compared with the Kona, Soma, Salsa and All-City offerings, the Ogre emphasizes rugged simplicity and long-term serviceability, delivering a wallet-friendly total-cost-of-ownership advantage for riders who prioritize reliability over lightweight or boutique features.
Rack-ready workhorse
Tire-swallowing joy
Rack-ready workhorse
Tire-swallowing joy
Review Summary
"Riders praise the Surly Ogre for its bombproof chromoly construction, versatile mounting options, and stable, confidence-inspiring handling under heavy loads; common downsides are its weight and conservative styling. Long-term users report few durability issues and appreciate its adaptability for touring, bikepacking, and mixed-terrain use."
Hauls-everything grin
Chromoly steel frame with relaxed, versatile geometry suited for loaded touring and off-road riding.
Hauls-everything grin
Chromoly steel frame with relaxed, versatile geometry suited for loaded touring and off-road riding.
Enhanced Physical Well-Being
Recreational Enjoyment
Skill Development & Mastery
The Surly Ogre frameset earns a best-in-class spot for chromoly touring steel mountain framesets thanks to its exceptionally durable tubing, room for very large tires and versatile dropout options that handle both loaded touring and technical singletrack. Compared with the Kona, Soma, Salsa and All-City offerings, the Ogre emphasizes rugged simplicity and long-term serviceability, delivering a wallet-friendly total-cost-of-ownership advantage for riders who prioritize reliability over lightweight or boutique features.
Rack-ready workhorse
Tire-swallowing joy
Hauls-everything grin
Chromoly steel frame with relaxed, versatile geometry suited for loaded touring and off-road riding.
Extensive braze-ons for racks, fenders and multiple bottle mounts to support long trips.
Rack-ready workhorse
Tire-swallowing joy
Hauls-everything grin
Chromoly steel frame with relaxed, versatile geometry suited for loaded touring and off-road riding.
Extensive braze-ons for racks, fenders and multiple bottle mounts to support long trips.
$800-1300 USD
The Kona Honzo ST Frame is the market-leading value proposition for modern-geometry steel hardtails, offering widely available sizing, proven construction and a price point accessible to many riders. It trades a bit of boutique refinement for broad dealer support and dependable resale compared with Chromag’s premium focus, while generally undercutting small-run builders like Pipedream on cost without sacrificing contemporary trail geometry.
Burly yet nimble
Pedal-friendly pop
Burly yet nimble
Pedal-friendly pop
Review Summary
"The Kona Honzo ST steel frame is celebrated for its aggressive modern geometry and confident climbing/descending balance, with riders appreciating its stiffness and versatility while noting the weight penalty of steel."
Hit-ready backbone
Butted chromoly construction offering a balance of strength and compliance for long days on the trail.
Hit-ready backbone
Butted chromoly construction offering a balance of strength and compliance for long days on the trail.
Recreational Enjoyment
Enhanced Physical Well-Being
Skill Development & Mastery
The Kona Honzo ST Frame is the market-leading value proposition for modern-geometry steel hardtails, offering widely available sizing, proven construction and a price point accessible to many riders. It trades a bit of boutique refinement for broad dealer support and dependable resale compared with Chromag’s premium focus, while generally undercutting small-run builders like Pipedream on cost without sacrificing contemporary trail geometry.
Burly yet nimble
Pedal-friendly pop
Hit-ready backbone
Butted chromoly construction offering a balance of strength and compliance for long days on the trail.
Modern Honzo ST geometry with extended reach and a slacker head angle for confident descending.
Burly yet nimble
Pedal-friendly pop
Hit-ready backbone
Butted chromoly construction offering a balance of strength and compliance for long days on the trail.
Modern Honzo ST geometry with extended reach and a slacker head angle for confident descending.
$1,000-1,600 USD
The Chromag Rootdown BA frameset is a boutique, race-minded steel platform prized for immediate trail feedback, premium fit-and-finish, and optimized clearance for plus tires while retaining an agile, aggressive attitude. As a premium option it commands a higher price but delivers a technical riding edge and pared-down geometry that experienced riders will prefer over more utility-focused frames like the Timberjack or Karate Monkey.
Bombproof steel feel
Root-loving traction
Bombproof steel feel
Root-loving traction
Review Summary
"Owners consistently praise the Chromag Rootdown BA for its excellent steel ride quality, robust construction, and purposeful geometry for plus‑tire trail use, with the main drawbacks being its premium price and slightly heavier feel."
Enduro-ready smirk
High-quality chromoly tubing with refined, ride-tuned construction.
Enduro-ready smirk
High-quality chromoly tubing with refined, ride-tuned construction.
Recreational Enjoyment
Enhanced Physical Well-Being
The Chromag Rootdown BA frameset is a boutique, race-minded steel platform prized for immediate trail feedback, premium fit-and-finish, and optimized clearance for plus tires while retaining an agile, aggressive attitude. As a premium option it commands a higher price but delivers a technical riding edge and pared-down geometry that experienced riders will prefer over more utility-focused frames like the Timberjack or Karate Monkey.
Bombproof steel feel
Root-loving traction
Enduro-ready smirk
High-quality chromoly tubing with refined, ride-tuned construction.
Designed to clear large-volume plus tires for excellent traction.
Bombproof steel feel
Root-loving traction
Enduro-ready smirk
High-quality chromoly tubing with refined, ride-tuned construction.
Designed to clear large-volume plus tires for excellent traction.
$1200-1700 USD