W2 should be happily doable on a hardtail. Might just be time for a new (bigger) rear tyre, rather than a new bike?

W2 is *probably* more fun on full sus though.. Maybe new bike time anyway? 😉

My trusty HT is sat in storage, forkless and unbuilt. Since I got the 26″FS dream bike (at the time) and the 100mm XC 29r I just don’t ever get the urge – well not enough to build it. If I was to rebuild it would need to come in light and tough so the cash has other priorities. Think it’s been 2 1/2 years since I last used it.

That’s just a collection of bits and not a full working bike and you have another bike so 2 working ones.

I’ve got a 150/140 travel 650b, 100mm 29er hardtail and my old c456 hardtail.

The 29er is my cheapest bike built from spare parts but is my most used bike for local rides. Recently a friend has been coming up for rides so I give her the 29er as I k ow it will roll over anything and giver her confidence and I have been taking out the old c456 and bloody love it. Glad I didn’t get rid of it and actually picked up some used 150mm rlt-ti forks with a 20mm axle and some beefier wheels to take out the flex in the front end from the old mavic 717s on a QR rev fork so I could ride it harder without it feeling like a sloppy noodle up front.

If you had all the bits I would say put it back together and try it, you might regain the love for it.

Also as NW says, the used prices are just so rubbish it makes more sense as a spare of you don’t already have a backup. I upgraded mine due to prices falling through the floor.

You wouldn’t get that much for the frame anyway. If W2 is the most techy you want to get, then HT should be more than enough. Being up and down out the saddle on the descents will make you fitter and stronger over the long run (at least that’s what I keep telling myself) Always feels like hard work at this point in the year, though.

Was out on my 26 Soul yesterday. What I really need is a bike that won’t flick dictionary-sized rocks into my shin.

Last year I threw money to upgrade at my Mk1 Soul as I couldn’t find anything that would ride as well for the budget I could get together. I’m more of a mince-core lite kind of rider rather than a red route smasher, but it’s worked for me.

Stick an Exotic / Carbon cycles fork on teh front and go fully no–sus for a change. Its not that bad….

I got to the same place as you about 18 months ago, having pretty much destroyed all the lightweight components on my HT after having moved to Scotland (from the SE of England).

In the end I bought a FS (s/h 26″), but kept the HT.

Ridden both all year, but for rocky descents you can’t beat a FS.

I’ve still got mine, a 26 Soul like yours, mine’s a mk3. I originally intended to take parts off it for an FS build, but by the time I’d bought frame, forks and wheels and a few other necessary bits I wasn’t far off having a whole new bike, so I decided to keep the Soul too. It’s languishing at the back of the garage at the moment after a hard winter, but I’m going to strip and rebuild it and then keep it cos it’s still an ace bike. Also I wouldn’t get much at all for the frame and 26″ bits if I sell them on.

Just buy a 26″ full sus frame for peanuts, swap your bits over, flog/keep the soul for nostalgia, job done. Who cares if you’re not rolling on the latest wheel size. Cheapest option open to you for sure.

I’m still riding a 26″ bike, it’s a better bike than I’ll ever be a rider so don’t see the point in changing until I can’t get bits anymore.

depending on the size you need i have a large 2006 giant trance in my shed you can try for £80 posted.

i`m lucky to have a garage full of various bikes to ride as i see fit.

generally i ride the HT for commuting (involving razzing in the woods) and the fs for mainly razzing in the woods. teh rigid jump bike for being shit at the skatepark.

You need to ask yourself what you want from your bike in the context of the riding you do.

How much of your riding is it good for? 90%? Is it only the occasional away day when it becomes a problem? Can you accept that, or must you have a machine that is capable of the maximum level of technicality you’re likely to ride on an away trip? Do you just want an FS? All of these are possible choices.

IMO, if you trade up to an FS and only have the one bike, you run the real risk of the FS being too competent for your normal riding, and that can push you into getting bored with your local loops. Obviously, if you’re in the lakes or any rocky areas, this may be a moot point, but you give the impression that you found Afan rough, which suggests your local riding is perhaps smoother.

Having just one bike for all riding is always going to be a compromise somewhere and is really the original driving factor for n+1 (apart from WANT).

There is some good advice on this thread already in respect of things like bigger, lower pressure tyres, etc… but if you don’t know what 650B or 29 FS and hardtails ride like, you don’t have enough information to decide what will be best for you.

Got some mates with different bikes to try some? Personally, if you are stuck with one bike I would be buying one of the new-skool trail 29er hardtails with big tyres. It’s no FS, but you can still wring their necks on easier local terrain and on technical terrain they have a higher ceiling before hitting the limit.

Reading this with interest.
Currently have an ’08 Soda (titanium Soul) with Hope/full XTR. It’s a beautiful bike.
However the new Rocket 275 has caught my eye and I’m now really struggling to decide whether it’s something that will be a worthwhile addition or whether I’m just being swayed by the sinister forces of the bike industry.
Bought the Soda as a ‘one bike’ that would last a long time. Maybe I was kidding myself.

2 options….

1) Don’t go to Afan..saved you a lot of money on that one.. 🙂

2). Spend the cost of new bike on lessons – to become a hardtail God…that surely would be way more satisfying than paying for a new bike…

Just get some kind person to burgle your house and nick your beloved 26er in the process………..

Having said that, the 650b I replaced it with is also awesome(!)

All the time wasted, pouring over MBR, pulling together money, splitting and flogging off your “obsolete” kit you could have been riding, improving and gaining fitness… Wait till winter to change bikes now I reckon…

afan is tough if your not used to it. I rode it last weekend on my 29er hard tail & it totally smashed me! My arms are sill sore from the wall.

could swap to a 2nd hand 26er FS frame. some bargains to be had on eBay.

Woo! 26″ steel HT FTW! 😀