[Closed] Lakes- which new hardtail frame as only bike?

Lots of choice, my first two thoughts would be a Bird Zero or a Cotic - either Soul or BFE. Both UK companies with fantastic customer service. Both make brilliant bikes. Both do a good sized XL...

Definitely a 29er for rolling over those rocks!

Probably steel for a smidge of comfort and durability.

I'd lean towards whichever brands do an XL frame, as some only seem to do S, M and L.

Cotic Solaris maybe?

Kona Honzo carbon if money is no object?

Stanton?

The Lakes is my local and my Cotic Solaris handles it nicely. Fine for all day rides, or just a quick blast round Whinlatter.

Stanton Sherpa looks good too.

Nukeproof Scout 290 looks aggressive, don't know what it would be like on longer days out.

I thought Sherpa or Solaris (I own the latter) as soon as I read your post OP.

Orange - Crush, P7 or Clockwork EVO.

I've just spent a week in the Lakes with a Trek Stache 29+ It was Immensely good fun. Easily as much fun as my old Chameleon and much more plush/comfortable. It felt truly unstopable, especially as I've managed to get it down below 24lbs.

I'd be using an FS for my riding if I was a lakes rider. It would be tough, with big robust tyres and simple to maintain. That much rocky trail riding is tough on one's body.

As it is, I go there twice a year and STILL take the FS. Sure, it's doable on a hardtail, but it becomes a much more rattly, rough, pick your way down type of riding.

I assume thats what you're looking for?

I ride a hardtail in the Shires, ride the Lakes on it once a blue moon. If I lived in the Lakes I'd be on full suspension. Whyte T130, Orange Four/5 kinda bike.

Any budget restraints?

In typical recommend what you ride fashion how about a Niner ROS9? I believe they do an XL.

For Peak District riding, admittedly probably a few notches below Lakes riding, it's always a toss up between my ROS9 and the full suss.

Riding the Lakes on a hardtail would require a big for for me, 170mm Lyrik or the like, to keep the front end up a bit on steep stuff, to compensate for back end not compressing or kicking you about.

That would be my dictating factor, so it would probably rule out a 29er (I've tried my 29er a few times in the Lakes, and don't really think it's cut out for it, god knows why, supposed to roll over everything as folk say, but it doesn't really..)

Something like a PP Shan that takes a big fork...

Also in classic 'suggest what you own' style I was about to say you should look at the Transition TransAM in 27.5, but went on to the Transition site to see if they do an XL and found that the bike no longer exists!!

I have a mate who brought his Shan to the lakes with us. He rode the whole weekend, but it wasn't pretty TBH.

I'm a similar size to OP and looking for a new XL hardtail to replace my snapped 456Ti. Would love to try a hardcore 29-er but haven't seen anything remotely comparable to what I'd recognise as 'ardcore (eg 65 deg H/A, loads of tyre space and can take a 150mm fork). What does the equivalent 29-er look like?

bloke lives in lakes, bloke rides in lakes on a susser. bloke wants a hardtail. idiots tell him a susser is best. ace. 😆

140mm forked ragley bigwig. perfect.

Hmm.

Old guy who barely off roads anymore regards regular riders as idiots for offering alternative and helpful perspectives. Confirms poor comprehension of written English and understanding of subtext by stupid response. satisfies STW sarcastic comment quotient. 🙄

Thanks so far. Budget is driving the hardtail decision, along with the fact I don't ride that often or that long, happy to pick a line and go a bit slower in the nadgery stuff. Food for thought. Cheers.

Hmm.

Old guy who barely off roads anymore regards regular riders as idiots for offering alternative and helpful perspectives. Confirms poor comprehension of written English and understanding of subtext by stupid response. satisfies STW sarcastic comment quotient.

oof harsh... but TomB does say...'the new on will be a HARDTAIL, that's all i know.

4 play in Cockermouth have a second hand 19" onza payoff in (must stop recommending a bike I've never even seen). Might not be big enough for a 6'3" type, though. Am after one for my 40th but need a 17".

I have a BFe which I happily ride down anything in the Peaks. As above I'd take a FS in the Lakes just to help the aged bones and body. The various hike a bike I've done with BFe vs Covert does show me how much easier it is to carry a HT up, certainly notice the weght difference when the bike is on your back ! I don't have a view on plus size vs larger normal 275 tyres but may be worth a thought. Two sets of wheels ? Adjustable travel forks ?

Happy hunting, let us know what you decide

Would love to try a hardcore 29-er but haven't seen anything remotely comparable to what I'd recognise as 'ardcore (eg 65 deg H/A, loads of tyre space and can take a 150mm fork)

http://www.last-bikes.com/products/frames/fastforward.html

Was going to suggest a Transition HT too....but no longer there!!

Would you consider a short travel F/S? The Smuggler is a riot of a bike.

[url= http://www.ddcycles.co.uk/product/production-privee-shan-gt/ ]This[/url]

Tom, I am lakes based. I was after a 29er (more racey than trail)and I test rode a Stanton at Whinlatter. The guys were great, maybe worth a call to see what is in their demo fleet that you could try.

A hardtail is fine in the Lakes, you bunch of softies!

Honestly it isn't the fact I'm on a hardtail that limits my rides, just the rider.

#realmenridehardtails

Orange P7 or Ritchley P29er?

Sorry for my earlier suggestion....didn't refresh the post prior to posting.... 😳

I'd have a look at the "trail 29er" thread: http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/29er-hardtail-frames-for-trail-riding

Some of the suggestions are hardly budget conscious, but there's lots in there.

Hmmmmmm, that shan gt in rothmans colours is looking interesting.....

Never ridden one, but it would be hard to see how this couldn't fir the brief, especially with the option of a chubby rear end.

http://www.last-bikes.com/products/frames/fastforward.html
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Riding the Lakes on a hardtail would require a big for for me, 170mm Lyrik or the like, to keep the front end up a bit on steep stuff, to compensate for back end not compressing or kicking you about.

But you've still got a hard tail at the end of the day, only with a 170mm fork you've got a very heavy weight up front too. You're unlikely to ever be going fast enough over the kind of terrain that makes real use of a big fork on a hardtail. If you wanted a high front end there's, stems, spacers and riser bars for that. All horribly unfashionable, but >200g lighter and probably more controllable too (170mm is ~7deg steeper HA just as your weights being pitched forward).

Stanton, Last Fast Forward or Production Privee. I used to ride my Evil Sovereign a lot in the Lakes and these two are its logical successors.

If the budget is really tight I'd go for a Ragley Piglet at £1,050 complete from CRC.

That Shan GT looks to be within a gnats cock of the measurements of a 2souls Quarterhorse. Better paint job by a country mile though. Quarterhorse is 853 if you're a materials snob mind.

I rode my Cotic Soul for a 2 weeks at Zona Zero in Spain. It was a blast and I didn't die!
I never think twice about taking it to the Lakes.
Get some big tubeless tyres and apply a bit of technique, ace!

Orange Crush or P7 both absolute monsters when pointing down hill.. The reviews say it all

back in the old days, when i rode offroad 100% of the time.... 🙄
i rode a bike that was THE best i have ever owned for riding downhill in the Lakes or indeed anywhere rocky.
i am ashamed and loathe myself to have to admit that the bike was a 1st gen rs36 forked ORANGE SUB ZERO. it was pretty awesome.

old pissy smelling bloke wonders off back to his shackleton..... 😀

Big fan of 29ers in the Lakes - I have the old (non-plus) Stache and it is superb! That said I am probably going for a plus size bouncer to replace the Whyte T129 as it's stable mate!

I would be looking hard at the Honzo, you are going to want something a bit burly 😉

Electric fat bike surely ? 😀

You would be daft not to get a 29er at your height and for the lakes... i am same height and run a codeine as a full sus but recently picked up a cheap 2k16 genesis high latitude with near 33 percent off, very long and raggable and also seems to nave a good bit of steel springyness.

Hello, Niner Ros9. i recently got a niner ros9, its a great ride, probably the best bike ive had, i have other bikes but doubt il be using them again any time soon, check out some reviews.

Got an XL clockwork with dropper and 130mm fork I'm thinking of moving on. Great all rounder and perfect size for you!

I'd definitely go for a full sus in the lakes, however if you're set on a hardtail check out the new Morf from Stif cycles

After buying my fatty (Charge Cooker Maxi) I've not taken my full bouncer up to the Lakes. The fat tyres make the rocky climbs easy and I love descending on mine.

Ritchey p 29... great bike on my second with 120 mm forks though for lakes I would prefer more room for a bigger tyre...I also have a stooge with 26 X 4 front and 27.5 X 2.8 rear and it is noticeably more interesting and comfy on the rocks ..limited only by the rigid fork and my ineptitude...however not much slower than my full suss yes if I was racing it would massive but I am not so quite happy.

I would look at a 29er with good true clearance and bigger fork

Chromag?
Last?

Edit my 26 litespeed Kitsuma with pikes and 2.5 tyres was an excellent lakes bike.....ahhhh glory days....

But you've still got a hard tail at the end of the day, only with a 170mm fork you've got a very heavy weight up front too. You're unlikely to ever be going fast enough over the kind of terrain that makes real use of a big fork on a hardtail. If you wanted a high front end there's, stems, spacers and riser bars for that. All horribly unfashionable, but >200g lighter and probably more controllable too (170mm is ~7deg steeper HA just as your weights being pitched forward).

Na, sounds pish. 200g over a day in the Lakes **** all. And I've rode plenty of TomB's routes, I want a big fork for those. But then I have lyrik and ride fairly regularly in the lakes, what do I know?.....

And why does being 6 foot 3 mean you HAVE to have a 29er? What utter shite.

Cotic BfE......no question!
Go and see Max up at Cyclewise

Every type of bike has been recommended apart from a tricycle..fatbike, E-bikes, rigid 29ers, full suss, alloy, steel, long-travel hardtail, short-travel hardtail.....good luck choosing.

Transition Sonder - £850 built up with a decent Rock Shox fork and a SRAM drivetrain (shame it is 1 x though). Looks lovely too! 😀 Add a dropper post and you are laughing.

Well that was easy. You can close the thread now! 😉

I would recommend any steel frame that you like the look of .
My p7 is a much more pleasant ride,in the lakes,than a similar Ali. frame.

Transition Sonder - £850 built up with a decent Rock Shox fork and a SRAM drivetrain (shame it is 1 x though). Looks lovely too! Add a dropper post and you are laughing.

Well that was easy. You can close the thread now!

He might have to go straight to the other thread about "what plus tyres aren't made of tissue paper" though.

a cheap 2k16 genesis high latitude

Forgot about those, excellent suggestion.

I've yet to find any trail that couldn't be attacked on my Ragley Bigwig with 130mm Rockshox Yari and Ibis carbon wheels. Racing Enduro all year on it and recently hammered most trails in the Tweed Valley. There's certainly nothing in the Lakes that NEEDS full suspension. Either the Ragley or a Stanton Sherpa would be my choice.

Would deffo recommend the Last Fast Forward, been loving mine.

Would not recommend plus tyres over 29s if you're dealing with a lot of rock, although newer tyres coming out will hopefully resolve that .

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Clare- had a chat with max yesterday. Cotic don't do XL in soul or BFe, worried about reach. I know max rides a BFe but I don't ride like him! (Plus I'm a bit taller than him too)

Put my leg over a Stanton switchback 18" long, might be able to make that fit, no big Sherpa to try at Cyclewise, demo is a M.

Can Pikes be adjusted for travel relatively easily? Notice DD cycles offer the Shan GT with either 120 or 140mm, would be good to be able to change between to see what suits best.

Shortlist so far:
29er: Sherpa, Shan GT, big wig(not excited by this one), Solaris?
650b: P7, switchback, morf, bird zero

Cheers for the varied and interesting suggestions. Awaiting fat bike and tricycle recommendation!

you want to borrow my jones+ while i am laid up?

been told it is up to lakes type stuff by Jeff himself.

Pikes need the air spring swapped to change travel - think it's about £30 for the spring, and the lowers have to come off to swap it.

Get in touch with Cotic they'll organise a demo ride on your local trails. I'm pretty sure they have all three of their hard tails as demo bikes.

If you can get a frame which fits you I'd recommend a Cotic Soul - they're very versatile bikes.

I rode the Grizedale PMBA Enduro on mine with some big tyres on it and the bike coped with it far better than I did....

I've got some skinny tyres on it at the moment and it's mainly ridden through woodland singletrack. It feels very agile.

I've ridden it with a 140mm and a 120mm fork and like both, but my riding in the Peaks/Lancs/Mancs suits 120mm more.

Some big tyres and an adjustable travel fork like a Pike would make it even more versatile.

Never ridden a Solaris, but those I know who have them love them - more wheel options if you do decide to go 27.5+ too. I'd find that very tempting on rocky Lakeland trails...

All this crap about must having a FS for the Lakes is a bit much - some of us actually enjoy the challenge of riding a hardtail over rocky ground!

Tom, I'm local to you and ride an XL Solaris mainly - 29 and B+. Great all rounder. You can try it if you mail me, though it now has a big dent in the top tube 😥 (for which Cotic have made a nice offer for replacement). XLs due in November. 130mm fork at moment, but will drop to 120mm when I get around to it.

Thanks, Boxelder. That would be really helpful. I will be in touch!

Give it a year and I may have something close to ideal.

Ping me if you want more info.

OK, so it’s a bit on the spendy side but if you’re looking for something that might be a bit of a keeper may I suggest a BTR Ranger 29. A friend has one, with a 120mm Yari, and it is very nice indeed, and very capable by all accounts.

I really regret not waiting til the rims were back in stock in black but this rides way better than my BFe did (for wide open lakes stuff and climbing anyway) 702mm ett and 425 stays, really. Forks are surprisingly good compared with my Pikes, not bad for 1100 quid stock leaves room for upgrades etc which the frame seems very worthy of. Mines an XL

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Fizik, how tall are you? One shop seems to still have XL in stock, following a quick google. How's the dropper? Any idea what the stock wheels (Alex?) are like?

Cheers

Ti 456? It'tt handle anything. I've got a Mk 1 20" and I'm 6'4"

I am 6 foot 3, the stock Alex wheels are fine, went up tubeless really easy and also very light, I was a bit annoyed that my spank wheels didnt feel any lighter! As for the dropper it is just as smooth as my reverb and if I can be bothered there is a remote kit for it. I got mine from tweeks. It's not particularly light as a bike but feels like it will last and rides lighter than it feels. I had my own bars stem and seat and obviously changed the wheels but other than the stock foam grips there isn't really anything that needs changing to be fair.

I have a 2011 Ragley Blue Pig and can safely say that it has changed my riding completely. My regular riding is split between trail rides across the moors, and scouting out downhill sections to session. However, I've even taken it to Bike Park Wales and kept fairly close on the tail of friends on full sus trail and enduro bikes. It's the most confidence inspiring trail bike I've ridden and is a great all rounder.

If the new Ragley Blue Pig or Piglet models are anything like the old, they're certainly worth a look!

Had a shot of my mates Jones last week. Last bike I'd take near the lakes...

Trek Stache 29er plus I tried one on a Wheelbase demo day it was a hoot down Garburn maybe upgrade the front forks!
Waiting for a bike to break before I buy one.
If you want to really enjoy the Lakes on a regular basis full suss is the way to go IMHO but I am getting on a bit

Rich

Had a shot of my mates Jones last week. Last bike I'd take near the lakes...

and that is because you are a big soft jock. us veteran yorkshiremen are carved from tougher stuf.......... 😆

💡 Maybe we should turn this thread into a [i]" show us your hardtail in action, in the Lakes"[/i] thread...

[img][url= https://c7.staticflickr.com/5/4092/5010214134_7a71a6d73c_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://c7.staticflickr.com/5/4092/5010214134_7a71a6d73c_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/8CJE7j ]L1160700[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/8308384@N06/ ]Richard Lowerson[/url], on Flickr[/img]

Descending Nan Bield on a Cove Handjob, 2010, pic by Slugwash.

Big lolz @ Ton!

Forgive me if this has already been mentioned but there's 30% off at Stanton at the moment on Mk1 Sherpa and Switchback.
I'm looking for a new hardtail frame too, for no other reason than I fancy a change and an Reynolds 853 Sherpa at £350 is a great price!

talking bollocks at the top of Nan Bield.

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on this Lakes suitable beast.

[url= https://c5.staticflickr.com/4/3527/3719713588_5c12076024_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://c5.staticflickr.com/4/3527/3719713588_5c12076024_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/6EGvfU ]Nan Bield 12-7-09[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/23772898@N07/ ]Dee P Jay[/url], on Flickr

Whyte 90x depending on budget or a Sender Transmitter

Bargain [url= http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/79691/Whyte_905_RS_650B_2016_Bike ]here[/url]