Currently have a Bizango with a few upgrades, mainly the wheels and going 1×9, and now looking for a lighter option. Wouldn’t want to spend over £1000 if possible on the bike, On One Parkwood, swap the wheels and go 1×10? New Grand Canyon AL SL 6.9 looks good value for money and weight (11.4kg) and would convert to 1×10 with current wheels saving around 1kg. Or just buy frame and forks and build around it?

What are peoples thoughts/experience in this situation. Any other frame/bike options? Whats a reasonable weight for a aluminium hardtail?

I bought a Kinesis FF29 frame and built it up with parts that were both strong and reasonably light without being stupid expensive. Even so it still came in at around £2K for complete build. I do however have a 25lb bike, including reverb and pedals, that I can hammer down rock gardens with impunity. Bike is used mostly for off-road orienteering so gets raced pretty hard over all terrain.

For what it is worth, the Bizango is a highly rated frame. Might be worth stripping it right down and see just how heavy it is. My F29 in Large is a gram shy of 2 kilos. If your frame is sub 2.5 kilos then might be worth sticking with that and saving the money to buy lighter/better wheels and drivetrain.

What he ^ said. Bizango is a good frame.

It won’t be heavy- ace frames

What kind of bike.do you want?

Will be doing xc riding on it with a few xc races from time to time

Why not consider a short travel FS. I have just bought a new Salsa Spearfish frame in gorgeous orange. Really light.

The other issue I am having is finding a good set of 120mm travel forks with straight steerer. Most seem to have moved to tapered now. X fusion slides are an option but rockshox seem to be 200-300g lighter

Is it the black and yellow 29er Bizango? If so with the right headset you can fit tapered forks.

You can run a taper with an external bottom cup, but you’ll probably want to run 100mm fork to keep the geometry the same. It’s 44mm ID with a group enough taper to fit, might do mine over the winter if I don’t get something else

Yeah it’s the black and yellow one. Got it last September. Could you point me in the right direction?

Runs well at 120mm tapered, and 140 is grand too if you fancy that…

Really, 140 tapered? Could be good for a laugh.

Rusty – this will do you, but there are hope and cane creek options too if you want to spend more

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/brand-x-headset-44iets-sealed/rp-prod130944

Hope “H”

I think!

Or this Uberbike

Thanks that’s great

Works components also do a -1 degree slackset for that head tube so you can run a tapered fork and a slightly slacker head angle