Need suggestions for a dropbar-suitable mountain bike frame (Cutthroat on the cheap!)

Hey all,

I'm looking for a rigid 29er frameset that I could build into a good drop-bar knockoff of the Salsa Cutthroat.

The main issues here are:
1) Cost --- I'd buy a Cutthroat today if I could rationalize spending that kind of money on a bike, but I cannot.
2) Frame material --- oddly, I prefer aluminum to steel, and carbon is probably out of my budget.
3) Geometry --- Just any old mountain bike frame isn't necessarily suited for drop bars.

What's the point, you ask? I like big wheels and big tires, but not on the scale of a fatbike. I already have a satisfactory gravel bike with 700x42c tires, but I want something a bit more rugged for jumping curbs, light single-track, and commuting.

Determining a suitable frame is the biggest gap in my knowledge, and why I'm on here asking. I have had little luck googling up information on what frames are good for this task.

Thanks for any help!

A mountain bike frame is hard to size right for drop bars due to the long top tubes.  Especially with the whole long, low and slack trend, MTB frames have crazy reach numbers.  Why not go with a Salsa Fargo, seems to be about as close to a Cutthroat as you can get.

There's a couple Advocate Cycles Seldom Seen left in size small for $350.

ljsmith wrote:A mountain bike frame is hard to size right for drop bars due to the long top tubes.  Especially with the whole long, low and slack trend, MTB frames have crazy reach numbers.  Why not go with a Salsa Fargo, seems to be about as close to a Cutthroat as you can get.

The Fargo and Cutthroat are my inspiration, I'm just looking for other options I might have missed, and as I said I'd prefer an aluminum frame. For the record, I'm stopping by my LBS to see if they have a Fargo in my size to test ride, but I have a bug to build a knockoff, so I'm looking for used/old/new frame ideas.

well here is my throw together
all off the shelf stuff i threw together out of parts and spare frame i had

surly karate monkey rigid fork/hardtail monstercross beast
can use SS and gears
threw my 8 spd ultegra 600 grouppo on it
drop bars
disc brakes take a little time to tweek but they are doable
2x8 w/rear 12-30 cassette
700x2.1" tires tubeless ghetto set up

heavy as an anvil, but built like a sh**brickhouse in the same
singletrack is bombs away
gravel is svelte

Probably not what you have in mind, but I'll throw it out there just because  ....

1. Wikkit Q-bomb frameset

2. Koga BeachRacer frameset

Hey all, thanks for the feedback!

I test rode a Fargo and ended up ordering a Frameset, yay! ljsmith wins this thread

Now I'm off to other parts of the forums to ask about components, so stand by for more noobish questions.

AlanEsh wrote:Hey all, thanks for the feedback!

I test rode a Fargo and ended up ordering a Frameset, yay! ljsmith wins this thread

Now I'm off to other parts of the forums to ask about components, so stand by for more noobish questions.

i have several thousand miles on both a Fargo (2012) and a Cutthroat (2016).
Congrats.  You are going to have a difficult time wiping the smile from your face