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Looking for a fun, responsive Hardtail that likes to be thrown into Corners and jumps. Got to be 27.5. Max around £2000. Thinking something with shorter chain stays and possibly not toooooooo long????? Tend to prefer the look of steel but could be open to alu.
Stanton Switchback 👍
I agree with Pickle.
and me.
Looking for a fun, responsive Hardtail that likes to be thrown into Corners and jumps.
Thinking something with shorter chain stays and possibly not toooooooo long?
You won't like it, but my Marin Nail Trail treatments resembles that.
Light wheels and light frame are very noticeable. Longish, slackish. Beefy 35mm stanchion forks.
I've added 4-pot brakes and better tyres.
Mines nearly 4 years old and I'm enjoying it still.
PP Shan. I own one and it is everything you want. Plus you can get it in martini colours 🙂
Also Pace RC 627
425mm chainstays.
PP Shan. I own one and it is everything you want. Plus you can get it in martini colours 🙂
theres a 27.5 medium frame for sale on pinkbike at the moment for £850 if thats of any interest.
I second the Switchback and Shan. Stif Morf is also a great hardtail if it’s still available and not too long, low and slack.
I think when I looked at Stanton recently I preferred the look of the Slackline to the Switchback. Thought it was more balanced as a fun trail hardtail - the switchback is a bit slacker and more in the hardcore hardtail area.
Either way £1k for the fancy tuning is an expensive frame only option.
If you can see past steel you’ll get something better specced for the price. Can’t help thinking something like an Orange Clockwork Evo might be a fun option.
If less posh is acceptable a Vitus Sentier is hilarious fun - I sold my Sentier frame recently as I have the chance to get a custom hardtail for my 40th, but it was a lot of fun with short chainstays and a sensible 66 ish degree headangle keeping things lovely but not too steep either.
If you can see past steel you’ll get something better specced for the price. Can’t help thinking something like an Orange Clockwork Evo might be a fun option.
I was out on mine yesterday. Loads of fun, very capable and more comfy than you think. As I keep saying, it’s a bit of a sleeper IMO.
Marino?
Orange p7s at winstanleys.
£1700
Might need to upgrade brakes from standard.
Marino
Not if you’re in any hurry. I ordered one from them ages ago and I’ve still not had the 1st draft of the frame plan yet. With lockdown and moving his production facility away from his home it’s led to quite a long backlog.
Hmm. I set about ordering one about a month ago, it's apparently in the country now and it should be with me later this week. I went through Marino UK though.
Santa Cruz Chameleon with the 27.5+ dropouts would be a good choice with 2.6 tyres.
to be thrown into Corners and jumps
You don't really want + then. They are for low pressure wheels on the ground ploughing and make bikes heavy and harder to throw around. Big heavy wheels like to go in straight lines!
Harry Main got rid of his + sized Chameleon, a bike he insisted was the best, but hardly rode and looked awkward on. It was like he was searching for a use for it, then finally got rid.
Jump bikes and trail bikes are quite opposite in terms of bike setup/suspension and geometry! In general terms you want shorter reach (doesn't have to be super short), short chainstays and as low stand over/short seat tube as you can get. If you're really into jumps then you will end up on jump specific trails (pump tracks, BMX tracks and dirt jump trails) and will have to run your tyres and suspension at much higher pressures/stiffer than normal trail riding. 29'ers and + wheels are not the best solution for this type of riding!
This has got the Stif Morf written all over it. I absolutely love mine.
But looks like they're sold out/discontinued? Rubbish!
I was suggesting running the Chameleon in 27.5 mode with 2.4 -2.5 WT tyres not as a plus bike. The BB is easily high enough to do so.
Talking of discontinued I was going to suggest my bird zero TR. the AM is still going but is longer still. Think the TR had fairly short chain stays. Got a brace for the rear brake too.
+ wheels are not the best solution for this type of riding!
No probably not but... Take a look at how Pat Smage rides his fat bike, on YouTube ofc.
Just to throw in a curveball, have you considered a Ragley Blue Pig (steel) or Mmmbop (alu). Consistently very high reviews, great geometry and wicked fast downhill - not that I’m biased as an Mmmbop owner obviously!
Thanks for all the replies. Some goods suggestions. Was only looking at the switchback yesterday. Maybe a dumb question but why do rate it so highly?
In the old days pace was always a dream bike.
completely agree with ChesterCP but won’t be going so far as a jump bike. It will be a do everything bike when not using the FS and would rather have fun, responsive, poppy over all out high speed ground hugging plough.
Anyone got any views on ragleys?
Still got a p7 from 95. Love it
Just seen message from a Abingham. Tell me more!
This has got the Stif Morf written all over it. I absolutely love mine.
But looks like they’re sold out/discontinued? Rubbish!
I was speaking to the lads in the shop just before lockdown and they said the original had sold out but the mk2 was just about to land.
I have a 27.5 NS Bikes Eccentric Alu Evo running 26 inch wheels for this purpose. It's mainly for XC style rides, pump tracks and jumping but I'll ride tech DH trails Ladybower, upper Goyt Valley, Etherow DH (not easy or flattering trails which are brutal on a HT) I usually ride my FS on.
When I am pump tracking I raise the forks air pressure by 10 PSI, crank the LSC to fully closed and the HSC 1 click away from fully closed. I pump the tyres up to 35-40 PSI. If I don't do this riding pump tracks and particularly BMX tracks is much harder work. Making doubles and jump set's can be harder/impossible, without massive run-in's, lot's of cranking and herculean boosts which aren't always possible given the space!
It is better to have purpose built bikes for the different disciplines, if you can, but a reasonable less than ideal compromise can be reached!
As above really! Mmmbop owner, though I’m running a Fox 36 on mine and it’s an absolute riot downhill. If I was being critical it’s a tiny bit ‘wandery’ on the climbs not not too bad at all. Blue Pig is the same basic design but in steel and can clear 2.8s if I remember rightly.
The bike has given me a confidence on the trails that I do not deserve!
I was speaking to the lads in the shop just before lockdown and they said the original had sold out but the mk2 was just about to land.
The Stif Morf is the only bike I really regret selling. Don’t know what it was, but it just rode so well. Great parts list for the price too.
Stealth ad - I’m selling a Cotic Soul with a great spec in the classifieds at the moment. Not really hardcore though tbh.
Hmm. I set about ordering one about a month ago, it’s apparently in the country now and it should be with me later this week. I went through Marino UK though.
Did you go for one with their geometry (seems Marino UK offer a non-custom frame option), or specify exactly what you wanted?
I ordered 15th of July and understand they’re just working on the 1st draft now.
It's to my spec; 4130 & 26". Luke at Marino UK was pretty quick with replies and drafts and stuff and I think @singlespeedstu has ordered a frame from them too.
Ah, maybe I should have gone via the U.K. rather than to Peru directly! Mines going to be 725 and 650b with most cables internal hopefully
Built up a new Piglet a few weeks ago and really liking it. Not too long, not too slack, pops off everything. Others on my shortlist were the Pace and Stanton, but pink piglet...
Budget choice and a great ride the Sonder Transmitter
I'll 2nd (or is it 3rd?) the Production Privee Shan recommendation, though mine is the 29er GT. Made with heat treated 4130 Cromoly steel (akin to Reynolds 725 as far as i can make out), so reasonably light and forgiving. Whatever though, immense fun to ride. Short chainstays, low bb, 66.6 head angle, poppy and agile for a 29er. Short reach by modern standards, but long enough, particularly for a playful bike. Immensely capable
Big heavy wheels like to go in straight lines!
i agree. don't fit big heavy wheels, fit big light ones 😉
switched to newmen sla35 on my chameleon from wtb scraper 40s and el guapo hubs, and also swapped the rear tyre from dhr 2.8 to spesh slaughter 2.8, saved nearly 800g overall, and it's made a massive difference to the bike. much more pop from a correctly adjusted for pressure rear tyre and it feels rapid to me anyway.
i also have some lighter rims to replace the boat anchor hope enduro 29ers i've got, so they're going to get a lot lighter too.
i wouldn't recommend going to 2.6s on this frame. i'm running 175 cranks admittedly but i've had a few crank smacks i wouldn't have typically expected.
finally, the HA isn't that slack by current standards, and it's integrated, so unless someone knows something i don't there's no opportunity to slackerise it.
i'm quite keen to try a crush...
Just seen a guy on Facebook kingdom bike owners group selling his barely used Kingdom Vendetta X2 Large with a decent spec with both 27.5 and 29 wheels for £2k.
The production privee shan does look seriously nice but bit too much£££. If I were to have one bike...
do like the look of ragleys esp the blue pig but mmmbop is probably the sensible option....
anyone got any views on the ribble ht725? Know nought about it.
Mmmbop is cheaper and lighter so you have some spare cash for a tasty fork or Wheelset upgrade too!
Given your initial preference for something fun and jumpy etc, not sure the Ribble is necessarily the one. It's not quite Cotic levels of long, low, slack but it's still very long. Add 64 degree head angle and quite low stack and it's not what I'd be thinking of in terms of being poppy and jumpy. That said it ticks all the boxes in terms of modern hardtails and 725 at that price is not to be sniffed at. Not sure Ribble have ever built a bike like this so doubt there'll be many to feed back, however they've a good reputation in terms of good value Road bikes, no reason to assume that this would be any different
Those Ragleys are all very slack and I think from memory fairly long. If you want snappy cornering make sure whatever you go for isn’t extremely long and has short chainstays.