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I'm currently running a Transition Scout frame, which I bought from a forum user last year as a toe back into the water of FS after many years running hardtails.
It's a great bike, but seems a little overkill for me, especially when I consider that new frames are going to cost £1,500+. I ride from my front door - usually on short 1-hour laps of the local man-made Bristol trails - with some occasional longer rides.
I'm looking at building up a 29er or 27.5+ hardtail. Something like a Kona Honzo carbon would seem ideal, but these frames aren't available aftermarket.
So, I've been looking at something like a Cotic Solaris or Sonder Transmitter Carbon. Has anyone else done this sort of move recently - and care to share anything relevant on the full sus to 29/27.5+ dilemma?
Hi Ben,
Those Honzos look great - very short back end which you may or may not like. They're quite pricey though, and no frame only is a pain.
transmitter and solaris are quite different bikes in terms of the geometry - I've always enjoyed my solaris locally, and it is fine, if not ideal, on the steeper trails. the choice of wheels is good with the solaris and clearance is improved on the modern ones, and geo is a little more up to date. The transmitter looks great but can you run 29" wheels in it? I wouldn't want to be limited to plus tyres, although they are fun.
I've just bought a new eBay bargain hardtail frame (2018 nuke proof scout 290, so 29 or 27+, very slack and long) so you can have a shot on that when it is built up. It also means that my venerable MK1 solaris is probably going to be for sale (as long as I get on with the scout). But I know how beautiful your bikes look compared to mine so I doubt you'd be interested in it, as most of the paint is missing! I also secretly want to keep it but not sure that will work domestically I may end up with a very nice commuter...
I have a Knolly Endorphin which is similar to the Scout and recently built up a Pipedream Moxie HT as a backup/winter bike. I have both 29 and 27.5+ wheel sets for it and the jury is still out as to which I prefer. It's a great bike in either guise. So far this winter our rougher more DH tracks are still buried in snow so I have been riding smoother and medium chunky trails on the Moxie. Where I really miss the rear suspension is pedaling over rocks and roots. Once pointed down it takes a big hit to unsettle the rear. It's a very capable HT that really does feel like it has a bit of suspension. A HT will save money on pivot and shock rebuilds, and a good one has a high cool factor;)
I’ve built a Solaris mk2 as a plus and i love it. Seems to be the bike that can cover all bases. Everything from 60 mike all dayers to local blasts in the woods and the Surrey Hills. The plus tyres are a lot more efficient than I thought they would be. And a lot more capable when things point downward.
Pretty sure cotic will have a longshot version out within the coming weeks too!
i love the transmitter but not the price hike of £300 for a frame in recent months.
Also the liteville HT h1 is very interesting....
But your Yellow Scout is so nice!
My wife calls the Scout "the bogey bike"! And, yes, I do like to keep my bogeys clean. 😉
As you know, my riding style is pretty light and a bit sheepish on DH stuff. Putting aside that I've been thinking of a HT; what I'd really like is a lightweight, modern geometry, full sus - but one that climbs well, too. It's a combination that's surprisingly hard to find without costing and arm and a leg. Hence the HT thoughts...
I'd just keep my shock locked, problem solved.
Scott Spark? Nice looking geometry, 120mm travel but definitely climb well. Look a really good bike.
I ride a Scout (and a Patrol) and the next bike down in my collection is a Trek Stache 29+. It's just an amazing bike - it looks all niche and awkward but its capability is amazing, but it's also great at mellower stuff. It'd be a lot of fun on the trails around Bristol, but is also capable enough for a run out to Staunton (for example). It's a light bike, despite the monster wheels, and it can be run normal 29 or 650+ if you wanted.
The carbon ones look amazing, but are loads of money. Mine's the aluminium one and it's a very high quality aluminium frame. It's better quality than the Scout I think.
I've been doing a lot of reading around and window shopping this week. The problem is that there are positive reviews for all the options above! In terms of cost, the main options split into:
- 2018 complete bikes at full RRP - e.g. Scott Spark or Cannondale Scalpel SE, 29ers with 120mm travel ~ £2.5k once old bike parts sold.
- Rebuilding my current bike around a new frame, fork and wheels (inc. selling current parts) - e.g. Sonder Transmitter carbon or Santa Cruz Chameleon fitted with Hope / DT wheels and Pike ~ £1-1.3k net cost.
- 2017 model discounted complete bike (inc. selling my existing bike by parts) - e.g. Cannondale Scalpel or Scott Genius ~ £700-1.1k net cost.
It would obviously cost somewhere between nothing and a fair bit less to keep & if necessary upgrade the Scout.
My default is to move parts between frames, although it seems this time that the lowest cost option may be to get a factory build, which surprises me a bit.
Decisions, decisions...
I've gone for Full-sus plus a 29" Hardtail which isn't quite the same thing but similar experience. I've added a Nukeproof Scout 290 alongside my Santa Cruz 5010 mainly because i had most of the components so i just bought a frame and fork and build around that.
I really really like it, I've not ridden a new-geo hardtail with a decent fork before but it's great fun and has actually prompted me to order another hardtail frame (i have a problem, Cotics are just too cool to resist! So I'll sell the Scout when it arrives). But i'm not sure i could just have the hardtail even though i only really ride around Surrey Hills/North Downs area and i'm not one for really lairy riding.
I tend to go with the hardtail for sub-2hr rides and just bombing about forest trails after work, but prefer the full-sus for longer days as although it's heavier it just takes the vibration and harshness out of the trails and you end up less tired over a day.
"My default is to move parts between frames"
I have a Mondraker vantage which shares pretty much the same specs as my scout. So If my dropper goes, forks need servicing, rear hub plays up I just borrow them off my vantage (or vice versa). I bought it exactly for this reason, so something else for you to think about. Got the Vantage frame for just over 200 on ebay.