The greatest 26inch hardtail ever made

Got to be one of Brants creations...

Bontrager Race OR.

Oops - I broke your rule already.

Muni Mula

I should have added that top of the list right now is a production privee shan. I've got no idea how they ride but I've always lusted after one because they look awesome!

Banshee Scirocco. Or Santa Cruz Chameleon.

Light enough to pedal all day, and strong enough to to take a pasting too.

My scirocco has been down world cup d.h and 4x tracks,  through many dirt jumps, round and round skate parks/bowls, plenty of local d.h/enduro-before it was called enduro type stuff and I probably did a good few thousand pedally/trail/xc type miles on it too. These days it's just my jump/skate park bike but that bike was ace. My only bike for a few years and while I travelled around Australia in a campervan and it sucked up everything I could throw at it.

My old DB Alpine was kinda short and fun.

Rode it again after a couple of years on a more modern full sus with 27,5 and it felt so strange. Was expecting to fall in love with it all over again. Ended up selling it.

Curtis and BTR will still build you one if you ask them.

BTR is probably pinnacle, LLS before it was cool. Good luck finding one second hand though.

I have a 5th gen Santa Cruz Chameleon (last of the 26ers), an Orange P7 and 2 Dmr Trailstars (Mk1 BMX and Mk2 LT), the geometry is miles from current but I've thrashed the Trailstar LT on the Naughty Northumbrian and lived to tell the tale. Chameleon has better geo and a tapered headtube so could run an angleset.

I am open to possibly selling ilthe Chameleon. Maybe.

i hate to say this, but my most capable 26'' hardtail was a Orange Sub Zero. fitted with Fox 36 fork when the first came out.  proper straightline downhill capable bike.  not comfy at all. very direct and fast.

it snapped...............

Spooky Metalhead

Would have to be Santa Cruz Chameleon for me  Won one on here back in 2007 along with a trip to Morzine

Both our girls had them. One was orange and the other neon green

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Early Soul?

Agree with @scotroutes , i had a ragley blue pig x build, what a fun bike, slack for it`s time, and an absolute hoot downhill. I left the decals off ,gave it a more custom look, do miss it.

SC Chameleon for messing about on, if you don't do long XC rides.

Santa Cruz Chameleon. The V1 I had was the poppiest, most fun bike I've ever owned.

Voodoo Wanga.
Next.

Had quite few good ones...

Identiti Mr. Hyde - bombproof and stupid fast downhill, but not a comfy bike!

Dialled Alpine - proper UK hardcore hardtail. Was hilarious with a 160 fork on it.

Dialled Prince Albert - less travel than the Alpine, but I actually preferred it for most of my riding. Very fast on technical singletrack (still have some strava KOMs I got on it from 12 years ago!)

Pace RC200 F8 - stiff as a stiff thing, and very fast XC bike. No more than 100mm forks though or the headtube would probably fall off 😆

Ever? KHS Montana Comp.

Now? Cotic Soul

Money no limit next option. Curtis AM (27.5).

can i have another go please.

i also had a couple of 456's.  one in 'that blue' and one in 'that green'.

both fitted with pike air forks.     just brilliant bikes for very little money.

I love my on-one 456 carbon. I'll never sell it. More fun than all the full-sus trail and enduro bikes I've had and get get down all the steepest stuff. I haven't ridden other agressive hardtails to compare though.

SC Chameleon or Cotic Soul.

Cy experimented for a short time with Reynolds 953 Soul and I test rode one, it was phenomenal.
I had a Cove Stiffee, bought in the days when if you wanted a hardcore hardtail it was a choice between Cove Stiffee and SC Chameleon.

A friend had a Cotic BFe when they came out and I tried that too but it was brutally stiff, too much bike for an XC mincer like me!😂

The Mk1 Soul in my garage.

Stanton Slackline is still on my lust list.

Had a Cotic Soul (snapped) and an Inbred - both grintastic bikes (I still use a singlespeed Inbred for dog running). As was the Airborne Lancaster (snapped)

Pipedream Scon felt like it was dead, as did the Production Privee Oka (27.5).  

I do regret selling the Gary Fisher Big Sur but it was probably bland rather than zingy. Didn't miss the Dawes hardtail that followed the Rockhopper.

Sub zero was good, rode one, should have bought one.

Rode my MK2 inbred till it broke. Not done that with any other frame, admittedly holes in the chainstay were a bit of a feature on them. but again, it's not your criteria.

But I bet both of those sold nothing outside the UK.

You need to widen it up a bit and say what 'greatest' means

I should have added that top of the list right now is a production privee shan. I’ve got no idea how they ride but I’ve always lusted after one because they look awesome!

Fab bike

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Undergoing a transformation into a bikepacking/shop/gym run bike now as I've gone to a 29'er HT for my main fun bike. The Shan felt great for years, but with me riding bigger bikes, started to feel small

I'm jealous!

Someone on here must have that frame sat in a shed, we can negotiate

Cove Stiffee, awesome bike from 2002. Originally with Z1 bombers and then later with 140mm Pikes. Got me into and out of so much trouble.

My best ever - Ragley Ti.

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Of course, I still ride two 26 hardtails.

My pub bike

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and my fatbike

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Also .243 DH frame was fun  used to run it with a 24" x 3" rear and 170mm Super T's. Still got it too.

Original 456 Ti is the best bike I’ve owned. Still got it and mean to resurrect it as ive been a lazy former mtber since parenthood.

My pub bike

Bloody nice for a pub bike that

I’m jealous!

Bought the frame years ago for £250 and swapped a load of bits over/bought a few new bits. The forks are 170mm - rides fine at 170. 140mm would probably not get the best out of it

Not one such frame.

26" covered a long period of time. You had early Spooky Metalheads and Mk1 Chameleons that were an overspill of BMX into MTB and the first 'hardcore hardtail' frames thru to Evil Sovereigns and their short rear triangle's that rode like big bmxes. Brants Ragley MK1 Blue pigs were great frames.

But as much as I loved riding them at the time they were ultimately shit compared to modern low mega slack 29ers. My HelloDave would wipe the floor with any of the 26ers

Litespeed Kitsuma ti....... precursor of all the hardcore hardtails. I regret selling mine

Kona kileau.....just lovely.

The 456 Ti was a pretty good bike.  I guess it was superseded by more radical bikes but I still think it was one of the best bikes I have had and def the best 26er

H

Cove Hummer time , can't touch this 🔥🔥🔥

There's a third option which is to resurrect my 456c which I very much enjoyed. The problem is that it felt on the small side then compared to my main bike, which now feels small compared to my current bike. The 456 will probably feel like a bmx.

While typing that I think I talked myself into it, sounds fun.

Greatest ever?

Klein Adroit just before the Trek purchase. So far ahead of its time that it wouldn't look out of place today.

Integrated press fit bearings, incredible paint, boron wrapped tubes, one piece cockpit, incredible build and ride quality.

Back in the day when it wasn't XC, it was just mountain biking.

Now to answer your question, a De Kerf would be high up the list, as would a Ritchey. A Cove Ti would be pretty good as lots of people have said, or a Kona Hei Hei.

I was going to suggest the O-O Ti456. Mine was a hoot but it was a good generation out of date by the time I got my first full sus in 2013, which was early 650b days. Was the Ragley Ti the (then) up-to-date spiritual successor? Either of those as a mullet would be ace but they'd still feel short compared to something newer.

Was the Ragley Ti the (then) up-to-date spiritual successor?

Pretty much. The original mmmbop, the Blue Pig and the Ti all shared the same geometry, which had evolved from the 456. We sold loads of mmmbops from The Bike Chain, such a good frame to use your existing components. They were also bloody cheap. Paint was a bit "soft" though. Fewer Blue Pigs, though still a decent number. And only a handful of the Ti versions. That's definitely one I regret selling, even if it made sense at the time.

My Lynskey Ti456 is still going strong. It's now my son's commuter. I really liked it but it was a bit too small so I didn't love it any more than the steel 456 that it replaced. The steel one was special because it took me away from a very racey Orange E6 which was terrifying on anything steep and showed how much more fun you could have on descents. And the frame only cost £125, forks were another £225 I think. Bargain.

A Cove Ti would be pretty good as lots of people have said, or a Kona Hei Hei.

I reckon if you're looking pure XC, the Kona Explosif (mid/late 90's). must be up there as one of the all-time classics.

That thing looked fast standing still. Radical (for the time) geometry, rigid P2 forks. 😍

Honourable mention too for the GT Zaskar, one of the first truly all-round hardtails. That in a ball-burnished silver with yellow RockShox Judy XC (or a few years earlier, RockShox Mag 21). That'd do rocketship XC to near enough full on DH depending on the build.

BTR Ranger. Incredible bike.

Pace RC200 F5, the best bike before the sub genres bred

I had a Sanderson Breath until quite recently (well technically I still do but it's now a commuter, replaced by a Stanton Slackline for the fun stuff). For its time it had quite a long top tube and served me well for years of riding byways/bridleways and local trail centres.

Got a Sanderson Breath and a Mk2 Cotic Soul.  Prefer the Cotic

Yo Eddy - A bit of an eye opener first time I rode it as it was VERY stiff compared to everything else I'd ridden. Very jumpy and springy, beautifully built and painted.  Mine had been the demo bike at Interbike in grellow and purple. Just super duper to ride round the Surrey hills in the 90's.

Not the Bontrager OR.  Mine was stolen a couple years ago.  Very 'old ' geometry so good for old style NORMA courses but horrble on anything technical.  Engineering wise tho' a thing of wonder

Not the Klein. I had one for not long as it was so stiff it hurt to ride it, but I'm short. If you're 6 plus it might be a different story.

Can't believe so many can be soooo wrong.

Steel Kona Cindercone from 1996 is the correct answer.

It will definitely be one from one of the smaller brands mmmbop, Bluepig, Shan, Oka, Trans-Am, Sirius, Alpine, Blitz  etc. The HT's from the big boys back then were dated frames, just churned out in different colours each year because people kept stumping up the cash for old shite with road bike geometry!

Production Privee Oka is 27.5 and 26 inch compatible with different dropouts! There were a few others that offered something similar.

Or just get an NS Bikes Eccentric 27.5 frame and put 26 inch wheels like I did!

Another vote for the DB Prince Albert with a 130mm fuel. Just gets on with everything with no fuss.

The Evil Sovereign was as good as it ever got. It was so much fun, and so versatile. It was just joyous to ride. I regret selling mine when I was hard up a decade ago.

Raleigh Activator.

I'll get me coat...

easily my favourite hardtail 2005 UK only steel Lava Dome, the only steel one with discs (and sliding dropouts)

so many adventures

super comfy ride, descended so well,

sadly stolen

Any 90's MTB with no suspension. You pansies.  Did Snowdon on mine. Young and stupid.

Still got it but its the heavy duty commuter now.

I've got a 26" Kent Eriksen Ti hardtail for sale on eBay just now that fits the bill and takes a 140mm fork.

Built to replace my Cove Hummer but to a higher standard. Beautiful welds and craftsmanship.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166633869038?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=iY9jyarfRly&sssrc=2524149&ssuid=iY9jyarfRly&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Did I miss a CRC 80% off deal on rose tinted eyewear?

I would like to nominate Kona Hei Hei original Ti model loved mine until it was stolen fom my car. The Ti Bontrager mine had been in Harry Halls when the IRA bombed Manchester, mine eventually broke. The Specialized M2 team fast and confidence inspiring  on descents. I loved  riding alpine descents on this.

My old Spot single speed I just love mine.

Mrs Bruce Suggests her old Kona Cinder cone which she prefers to more expensive bikes.

I've got a memory of an On-one Summer season being a proper slack geometry 26er before it was really a "thing". Probably not the greatest 26er ever.

Ooh, what about the original poo brown Specialized Pitch, they were awesome.

Mk2 Trailstar

Early BFe

(but I still have a hankering for a Metalhead that I don't think will ever leave me)

Cove Stiffee for me

I think you're onto something with the c 456 as you can use any fork due the headtube can't you? Lots of the other frames won't take a tapered fork.

I have a nice 26" Pike RCT3 if anyone needs one...

I think I had every inbred but my favourite was the pale/sky blue 456.

I wish I'd owned the Evil Sovereign and if we ever manage to get a local pump track built, I'd quite like DB Holeshot 🙂

The most fun 26" hardtails I rode were either one of Mk5 Chameleon...surprising comfy despite being built of girders,  Privee Shan, a Gulf coloured version, if only the HA was less comically steep,  or the Cove Hummer, although mine had heroic chain suck.

won't want to ride any of them now though, my Yeti ARC is streets well, whole towns ahead of them in terms of how capable it is...

Ooh, what about the original poo brown Specialized Pitch, they were awesome

Because it wasn't a HT 😉

Oh and the Enduro was better

I reckon if you’re looking pure XC, the Kona Explosif (mid/late 90’s). must be up there as one of the all-time classics

I still maintain that riding the Explosif was one of the most single biggest disappointments I've ever experienced in MTB, I was so excited to ride that bike, and it was dead. I mean OK it was spring in the Chilterns and the ground was drying out still, but it was a draggy lifeless soul-sucking lump of a thing. Very confusing.

Mk2 Trailstar

Oh yeah add this to my list. Great bikes!
We still have 2 Trailstars in the garage....wife's bike and a diddy one for the 10yr old.

Capability wise, a toss up between a 456 carbon and 456 evo 2 raw frame (iirc)

The carbon has memories embedded, being very fast and planted down hill with 140mm forks, and the metal frame just rode lovely.

Best ever to me though, was a 1999 Zaskar LE in cosmic sunrise. Loved that thing and wish I'd never sold it.

Independent Fabrications Ti or Steel Deluxe were much better bikes than the Soda/Soul, but much more expensive.

The Chameleon was the bike that convinced me on hardtails, but it also broke my back.  A steel deluxe was the eventual replacement.

Klein attitudes (mine is an 05, which many will complain about) just ride superbly, BUT the geometry even compared to a Chameleon of the same vintage is all wrong.

Since this has descended into a retro nostalgia fest...

Best - SC Chameleon, raced dh, 4x and xc on that thing, also spend a day at the djs on it. Adjustable bb so could be run single speed too.

Honourable mention - Curtis SX26, limited uses but quality frame and  mega thing to ride.

Worst - On One 456 carbon. Ugliest frame I’ve ever owned, back breakingly stiff, heavy for cf, just an unpleasant thing to ride. Accelerated well though.

25 years ago I had a Dekerf team, it was pretty much my dream hardtail. Probably too xc for the op but then so are a lot of these. Lovely floaty ride although to others it was a flexy piece of noodle.

A friend had a Kona Hot in canary yellow with orange z1s. It was 853. Very nice.

“Pace RC200 F8 – stiff as a stiff thing, and very fast XC bike. No more than 100mm forks though or the headtube would probably fall off“

Funnily enough, I knew someone with a rc200 that, while waiting for something to replace the rc36 forks that (inevitably) broke, ran a set of…wait for it…. Totems😳!! He was only using it as a pootle bike really and replaced them something more sensible, but it didn’t kill the frame.

The greatest I’ve owned (and still own). But not going to try and claim it’s the greatest ever.

Seeing as this is where the thread has ended up. Another picture of my Kona - '97 Lava Dome. Year 2000 X-Vert Supers, Use XCR suspension post

@Daffy

I still have an Indy Fab Ti Deluxe and I have never had any confidence in it's ability to descend.

See my previous post for the bikes I have owned and rated.

Stanton switchback

Original ragley mmmbop

Raleigh budgie when I was 4

I've had 5 of the bikes named in this thread. Still have 3 of them 😊

Dialled Alpine (currently hanging on my shed wall)

GT Zaskar (had 2)

Dialled PA (shed wall)

Dialled holeshot (built up as a jumpy thing so never gets used)

Khs Montana (I've had a few - Pro, comp, team)

All excellent things, but the Alpine was just *chef's kiss*

easily my favourite hardtail 2005 UK only steel Lava Dome, the only steel one with discs (and sliding dropouts)

My favourite, of the hardtails I’ve owned was/is a Kona Steely of similar vintage.
Would have loved it more if it had sliding dropouts. It now gets used as a rigid pub/towpath/crappy weather bike.

Ragley Ti - I still have mine complete with an over-sized head-tube so it can run tapered steerer forks and a curved, over-sized down-tube. Light, compliant and with an uncanny playful thrashability that's hard to describe, but is unmistakably present. And ti has that really nice aesthetic thing going on that's light years away from pressure formed aluminium or carbon fibre, still looks like a proper bike.

It's still an ace counterpoint to my steam-rollering Sonder Transmitter and gets the odd outing on days when I just want to potter around on something that's light but still capable. Yes, it's short and tall by modern standards, but you get used to it again surprisingly quickly and you spend less time clipping your pedals in ruts.

Or the Cotic Soul - the missus has one and loves it.

Ignoring your rules - the greatest of all time is the Fat Chance Yo Eddy.

Taking them into account - Cove Stiffee/ Hummer ? (though not really my department, which is firmly in the above camp)...