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What do you do when you're too broken to ride, and already have a shed full of bikes? Buy another one of course 🙂
I've had a Nordest before (Bardino-really liked it, sold it and replaced with BFE) and they are - like Cotic - just a nice company to deal with. I sold my NukeProof Digger as soon as I finished the Marches and Castles way. So I wanted something for "lightening bikepacking" - one night, no camping, pick a weather window and go. So many great options from here especially using the trains.
I didn't want a rigid forked circle the world monster. I already had a 140mm Pike doing nothing plus almost all the parts I needed (apart from those awesome TanWalls!) so was looking for something that'd get me up some big hills, but have lots of fun coming down. Also ride it on the same easy trails 15 mins away that I originally bought the gravel bike for.
It's not going to be super light- it's a low cost steel frame for a start, but I'm hoping it'll be different enough from my winter/apocolypse ready BFE which is a mighty beast. Sure I could have just swapped the forks and wheels when I wanted to go bike packing but where's the fun in that? Don't need any specific attachments as I'll be running bar bag and either a tail-fin or my ToPeak bag with the dropper adaptor.
Spares I had are XT/SLX, Magura MT7s, Hunt Wheels, some nice Nukeproof carbon bars and OneUp 180mm v3 post. First tho got to dig out my three year old generic invisiframe kit and get that hateful job over. Should be a simple build, it's even UDH and I have two of those so save myself a hanger!
Need my RipMo and Yeti SB130LR to go to make some space, so if you're interested in those... not a #stealthadd 🙂
Oh and external cable routing except for last bit of dropper. I am very much looking forward to NOT having to play "hunt the cable" inside a massive carbon frame!
Very nice! I've done similar recently with a Ritchey P-29er (one of the new ones) and it's pleasingly different enough from a modern MTB to ride definitely, a good addition without going full gravel!
lovely stuff! will be good to see it fully built.
sounds like a shed full of decent machinery!
Nice, that frame is always near top of my "frames to buy just because I have too many spare bits" list, good to know I'm not alone
@jfab - I looked at those. The Bikepacking.com website has excellent reviews of lots of different hardtail (as I'm sure you've seen)- the only issue I had was rear tyre clearance looked a little tight.
@v7fmp - aside from the new frame, the BFE, My v2 RipMo, My SB130LR, there is also a new Propain Hugene (aka the bike that put me in hospital) and a Nukeproof Giga. Plus my offsprings Spesh Fuse and Cotic SolarisMax. They've left home but left me with their bikes! I really do need a clearout otherwise I'll be left with no other option but to dig down Batman style 🙂
@honourablegeorge - I had a few on the list, but kept coming back to the Britango, esp this new one with slightly more modern Geo. I didn't want something I wouldn't ride unless bikepacking which is what my digger ended up as. And I still wanted an MTB when I was riding it! I had a worn but very usable SLX drivetrain but somehow I've ended up with a new XT crank and cassette and a few shiny SLX bits as well!
Oh I forgot my Orbea Vibe. I think the first part of getting better is admitting you have a problem 🙂
@Alex yes it was their review that sold it to me! I did look at the Ultra first as that will take a 2.4" and was slightly more modern Geo but they were out of stock everywhere and I wasn't sold on the colour.
I've gone for 29x2.2" Teravail XC tyres and there's plenty of room around them for mud, so it works well luckily! Also keeps it different enough from my SolarisMAX which is good as it means I 'need' to keep that too..
@Alex yes it was that article that sold it to me really! I've gone for some 2.2" Teravail XC tyres and there's plenty of room around them for mud, seems really compliant even compared to my SolarisMAX with 2.5's but a lot more sprightly which is nice as it gives me a reason to keep both! 
I do like that colour @jfab
Yeah that's really the thing for me, I could probably make one bike work for both things, but I have the space (ahem well will have soon) so another bike seemed like a better solution. Also I love hardtail, especially steel ones. Although the aging spine is sometimes not quite so keen!
If you don't mind - how much did you end up paying to your door?
I rather liked the look of these, although the seatpost insertion feels quite limited, owing to the seat-tube bosses being drilled into it (unlike a Sherpa, where they're external and raised); will be interested to see the real-world insertion on a v3!
@infovore - £650 to the door. I worked it out (4% import, 20% VAT, £11 DPD handling). What I didn't know is the 20% is also charged on the postage. Which at £89 Euro added a bit! So at least £100 Brexit Tax compared to free shopping in the EU.
I expect I'll get the 180mm in there based on some measurements I've made so far. But I'll let you know. I can always shim it back 20mm if needed but hope not.
Inivisiframe wasn't too bad, mostly because the generic kit is pretty "short". I'll be using some pieces I cut down to protect other vulnerable areas. Also top tip, don't leave the invisiframe watered down solution in a spray bottle for a year. Ends up smelling like old ashtrays 🙁
Prob not going to get built until weekend as numpty here ordered the wrong headset and I need to do some parts swapping with other bikes. And until the shed cools down to less than the heat death of the sun, that's not happening!
Have a x-ray/fracture clinic appt week on Friday. That'll be seven weeks post collarbone break. If all is well, then I know which "rehab" bike I'll be riding 🙂
Blimey mate 10 out of 10 for the pointlessly buying new bikes that are almost the same you already have. 😁
Hope it's good news a week on Friday.🤞
The Nordest guys do seem pretty good. They gave us a pretty big discount on a replacement Bardino when Mrsstu's frame got mangled after a car hit her.
Proud of that score Stu 🙂
It'll definitely be different. Well that's what I'll be telling myself anyway. Plus you never know when you might need a spare hardtail. Be be prepared 🙂
Plus you never know when you might need a spare hardtail. Be be prepared
Yeah guilty as charged.
I have a brand new identical to the one I ride Marino frame just sitting there in the spare room right next to a spare Geometron.🙄
🙂 We should start a therapy group "Hi my name is Alex, and I have seven mountain bikes but only one set of legs"
Done. Mostly by my mate while I offered 1.5 handed help. Comes in at 29lb which I'm very happy with. Had my first ride of a proper bike in 6 weeks to test it and it feels fast. Mostly because of those tyres I suspect. Sadly either manipulation by the physio or me doing the exercises a bit too enthusiastically has left me with a VERY painful shoulder in the AC joint so riding is not really on the agenda until that clears.
Still as great just to get back on a bike. Any bike but the turbo!
Spec if anyone is interested is:
Britango Frame ML
RS Pike Ultimate 140mm. Fork from about 2020 but been sat in a box for three years.
Hunt TrailWide (30mm) wheels as that's what I had spare.
Vittoria Barzo (FR) and Mezcal (Rear) - both 2.35
XT end to end except SLX cassette (as that's what I had spare) and a Works Component 30T oval.
Magura MT7 4 pots 203/180 rotors (again what I had spare) and Oak Levers which are just lovely.
Nukeproof Horizon 50mm stem and 780mm Carbon bar
One V3 180mm post (from my Propain as I fitted a longer one) and a venerable V1 dropper
Ergon SM saddle
All bits I had in spares except for the tyres and a new Cane Creek headset.
Looking forward to riding it a lot more post next x-ray and once this shoulder pain has b*ggered off!
I've got a Britango 2 and it's a superb bike. Built it up with older stuff I had lying around. Slx 11 speed, Pike RCT3's and DT Swiss M1900 in the 100/142 axle flavour and it's great. Really nice bike to ride even if it is a bit chunky.
Looked into the Ti version but that would meaning getting rid of the steel frame and I just love it for it's value for the money.
Got to say though.....I hate those amberwall tyres. Those things should have stayed in the 90's 🤢
Let's see if I can attach an image......
Edit: That will be a no then 😕
I'm not sold on tan walls but a) they were very cheap and b) I wanted something less than 1kg per end and lots of recommendations for these as "light but not stupidly slick". I assume by the time i can properly ride again they'll be covered in mud anyway 😉
I didn't even look at the Ti one. Wasn't too concerned about a kg or so, just a big fan of steel HTs.
Nice, was looking at these a while ago but obviously never got round to buying anything! Around £650 all in isn't too bad, I was trying to work out how much the Brexit fees would add to it. The geometry looks great on these, will be interested to see how you get on with it when you get a chance to ride it properly.
Hopefully get that report soon. It would be a bargain pre-brexit, but it's still pretty good value now. Frame seems well put together, few less than pretty welds but paint looks thick. Also no overspray in BB shell or head tube.
On my very brief ride, it did feel very sprightly so I'm expecting it feel quite different to BFE.
Sometime this week, I'll see how well the bike packing bags fit. Probably just go with the seat pack and a bar or frame bag depending on which fits best.
Finished adding some frame protection, chucked in a couple of bottles, inner tube and a short mud guard. Set saddle height, bar rotation etc, and then went for a 5 min ride. Flipping annoying that while shoulder is playing up, that's as far as I'm going. Ah well back to Physio on Thursday.
Short ride tho with proper pressures in the tyres felt great. Can't wait to try it on some proper trails.
Also based on wanting to run two decent size bottles, I won't be running a frame bag. I'll see if the bar bag fits round the cables but otherwise I'll go seat pack and a wedge for the first overnight (B&B!) trip. Hopefully end of the summer.
oh was going to git my 35mm rise bar but front end feels about right height wise, so will see how it feels on a proper ride before further fettling!
Looks fantastic! Could you get a top tube mounted bag that sits on top?
Can't beat a steel hardtail.
@tom83 - not considered that. Somehow I've ended up with three seat packs (7,11,13 litre), two bar bags (cheap alpkit one and a very nice wizard works version), two wedges and one frame bag! But a bigger wedge might be the answer.
It is just a good looking bike- I'm even warming to the colour. Which I believe if you check the Pantone colour is "hearing aid beige' 🙂
Also based on wanting to run two decent size bottles, I won't be running a frame bag
Well: vertical bottle against seat tube, bottle on downturn underside (lash it in with a strap, one with a cover to avoid all the shite), triangle bag in front of triangle. What a friend does, works well.
Also: fork bottle mounts.
There are mounts on the bottom of the frame for the dropper post routing so could put a bottle on there, going to swap to fidlocks anyway so they have a proper lid. Will have a test pack and see how much space I need, and see if I can get away without buying yet more stuff unless I have to.
Great looking bike, black parts and tanwalls work well with the paint and that bit of colour up front. Like.
Thanks @jameso - I only just managed to restrain myself from buying some additional yellow parts. I do have some yellow grips back from when I had a nukeproof scout in that colour. Tempting 🙂
Those three mounts on the underside of the frame aren't for routing, they're for a third bottle cage, or three-hole anything/cargo cage.
I thought that, but the routing on the top of the down tube was horrible. It's a lot nicer using the three holes on the bottom.
Anyway going to try a test with the 7l and 11l bags later, see how much dropper I get.
Nice job. though not a fan ofthe tyres.... They're not tan walls, they're more the colour of my pale Irish shins
🙂 I was looking for some Wicked Wills but these came up massively reduced at £35 an end. My criteria were 2.35/2.4, XC type tread and lightweight. Colour didn't really come into it!
I quite like how they look but I don't expect them to stay that colour for long.