Been umming and aahing about a new bike for a while.
It's going to be a hardtail, I'd like a steel one. I seek the advice of you, the STW alumni.
Is 140mm the right amount of travel, the sweet spot for a bit of everything? What width tyres do you think work best, if it's your only option?
I'm close to actually pressing the button now but thought I'd ask you lot for a wee bit of advice before I go for it.
The answer is obviously a Soul...
...or something else.
^cheers, it's (predictably) looking that way.
It's the particulars I hoped to get some opinions on. Fork travel, tyre width etc.
Whilst I am a Cotic fanboi in the bouncy department, for hardtail duties I feel it only right to let you know that Production Privee make the most awesome hardtails in existence.
Oka or Shan you'll be blown away. I've owned both but currently on the Oka with 150mm Revs.
[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4767/39966045662_f3992a1cde_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4767/39966045662_f3992a1cde_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/23TEqYN ]POka. Shutcastle. January 2018[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/79912681@N06/ ]kayak23[/url], on Flickr
That's a fine looking bike kayak23
Things like the Soul/Stif Morf/Stanton Slackline/Pipedrem Sirius 4g would be more 'jack of all' than say the Pipedream Moxie, don't think i'd fancy maneuvering a Pipedream Moxie around some of the tight local woods stuff.
Currently have a Stanton Slackline with a 130mm fork, even though the Slackine can take 2.8 tyre's I dont like them on my mate's Sonder Transmitter, they are heavy, ping me all over the place and are shite in mud. I may experiment with 2.5-2.6 tyre as some point. I wouldn't swap my Slackline for any other steel frame on the market.
Dont see the point in running a long travel fork on a hardtail, the front end just writing cheques the rear end can't cash.
There are some poorly structured and punctuated opinions.
For maximum versatility in a hardtail I would definitely want 29in wheels.
^cheers, it’s (predictably) looking that way.
It’s the particulars I hoped to get some opinions on. Fork travel, tyre width etc.
My 'all rounder' HT is a 26" BFe with 130mm forks (had them at 150mm for a while but it was too much). Tyres are generally a grippy 2.3 or so up front (usually a Butcher for me), and something similar sized but semi-slick on the back (Slaughter/Rock Razor/HR SS). Tubeless FTW obviously.
Before I got my Rocket, that set up did everything from local woodsy singletrack, through Peak / Lakes natural stuff, to trail centres and uplfit days (happily did Antur and Fort William Red Giant on it).
Love that Oka.
If you want to spend a bit more the Travers Russ Ti is a gem.
Running it with 29 wheels and 100mm forks for xc racing and have some 120 Reba’s and some 27.5 x 2.8 for mucking about.
Currently running it rigid through the winter slop.
Custom geometry for a little extra as well.
Thanks,
Max
Having owned a 26” P7 for a few years, id say 150mm is getting past the point of maximum usability.
130mm is more usable imo.
i would definitely want a frame that took both 29/27.5+.
surly karate monkey?
Merlin have these on offer. Lovely frame, steel, 140mm
And a dirty ish.. pick
cotic soul
120mm pike debonair
will take a 2.6 tyre. Im running a 2.4 hr2 front and a 2.35 ardent race rear. Plenty of room if I want to run fatter.
Ooh, nice one Samuel not seen a pic of the new Soul in the wild. That looks great!
Do it all hardtail? Yeah I'd say you'd want a 29er, 120-140mm of travel, slack-ish, middleweight build, 2.3-2.5 tyres. Sorted.
Here's mine:
[url= https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8626/28062012164_cde060db3b_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8626/28062012164_cde060db3b_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/JKK9xW ]2016-07-31_07-36-03[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/danclairelees/ ]Dan and Claire Lees[/url], on Flickr
