Hello, I’m planning to buy a hardtail (all that 900gbp can buy) and I’m a bit dubious about which one, I had in mind the Commencal meta ht, but as I like downhill, I love climbing; so, which bike do you guy recommend, having in mind that I’m in the USA (sorry Orange, Bird, Canyon, etc).
Thank you for your answers!

I bought a transition trans am 27.5 at the start of this year, 140mm pike on it and it rips. I normally ride my mojo hd for most trail riding I do but this year I didn’t even go out on the mojo. Just ripped the transition all summer.

Bird zero for me, much roomier in the tt than the commencal, pretty light, maxle rear, love it.

Is the Production Privee Shan available in the states? If so, it looks to fit the bill. That or a Trans AM as mentioned above. I’ve got one with the clown wheels and it’s great.

Production Privee Shan or Oka are fantastic, Transition Trans-am, Cotic Soul.

Phwoaarrr

Cotic BFe is more of an aggro HT than the Soul.

Don’t overlook the Santa Cruz Chameleon. That’s a beast of an unkillable but unsubtle HT if you stick something like a Talas 36 up front it becomes a total monster.

Depends what you want really. There’s a huge difference between steel and alloy in this category. Ally aggro HTs will be super tough but tiring with all the chatter. Steel tends to smooth this out a lot, although obviously it depends on steel. CroMo won’t be much plusher than Ally.

do you get dartmoor bikes in the states? if so have a look at the hornet

Do you mean £900 for the frame or the whole bike?

there’s this bargain on the classifieds right now:
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/2013-cotic-bfe-26-hardtail-large-full-bike

not mine. That still leaves £300 for other odd and sods. a 2nd hand roadie?

If it’s £900 for a full bike then the Commencal would be a good bet. I have a Commencal full suspension bike and like it, and the hardtail is essentially the same deal.

I also have a Transition Trans Am 27.5 and while they aren’t making these for 2017 it looks like some places in the US still have these in stock for $1800- I’m not sure what your budget in dollars is (£900 could well be $500 the way things have been going) but this is a great bike.

http://www.hylandcyclery.com/product/transition-transam-27.5-5650.htm

You may be able to build up one of these for similar money too.

http://americancycle.com/product/ns-bikes-eccentric-chromoly-27.5-mtb-frame-21181.htm

If it’s the right size, Jenson have a Kona Honzo for the right sort of money.

Mine is a Chromag Surface. I would very much recommend it, although the Rootdown is much more sensible money.

You can get Orange in the States now, Seth of Seth’s Bike Hacks has recently got a P7.

Orange Bikes

Cheers, Steve

Kingdom Vendetta Boost for me next ! can’t wait 😀

Theres a lot of choice but for me at that budget, http://www.commencal-store.co.uk/meta-ht-am-c102x3044342 all the way, I have the steel version and love it. Its the same geometry and rides as well downhill as you’d wish, climbs well, well made, looks nice, steal!

Might be worth having a look at a Ragley Bluepig. That’s about as DH as a hardtail gets in my book.

John

Slightly left field option but the cannondale cujo?

Hi I have the Commencal Meta HT, and absolutely love it.

It is a bit unforgiving and if you land badly on the rear wheel you will feel it, I have broken spoke nipples and burped the rear tyres on at least three occasions.

Excellent value, I originally bought last years model in a sale and they called to say they had run out and would I take a 2017 for the same money! Which kind of sums up Commencal, they make great stuff but there ordering and stocks are chaotic, I tried to buy a shirt, and was sent first a hoodie then some socks, I mean come on, but they were very polite and helpful.

Some on here have had problems with seat tubes cracking, but this was probably due to lack of seat tube in the frame, a dropper I would say is essential, so get one that sits deep in the frame.

There is no internal cable routing, although under the top tube is pretty neat.

The frame worked out well for me as it is all pretty standard stuff which means I could recycle a lot of parts that I had already.

Commencal is a capable bike and good value but I think their sizing is a bit off. If you’re anywhere near 6ft tall you’ll need an XL as they come up quite small.

Also wouldn’t recommend Commencal as a company to deal with (see my thread about cracking one) though I’ve heard more positive things about their US outfit than their Europe hq.

Some on here have had problems with seat tubes cracking, but this was probably due to lack of seat tube in the frame, a dropper I would say is essential, so get one that sits deep in the frame.

That’d be me, I was running over what they specified even going off their updated website – I’ve not seen any similar problems so would hope it was a one-off but my point of the frame sizing being off still stands. If you’re tall you you’ll struggle to find a long enough dropper post long enough to fit – maybe 150/170 mm Reverb at a push.

Dialled Bikes have moved to the US now, check out the Prince Albert or the Alpine.

The comment about sizing is very valid, I am running a large, but would normally be a medium, so go up a size.
I hope the cracked seat tube was a one off, and I appreciate it did take Commencal a longtime to get a resolution, but they did send out a new frame eventually.

My dropper is inserted up to the collar as I have a long reverb, and I was concerned after seeing yours, I think it was mostly a communication issue and commencal’s information being a bit poor. but I now just hammer mine everywhere and have forgotten about it, lots of hardtails have this extended seat tube and I never hear of failures.

As I say it is a lot of bike for the money.

The Privee’s look great too.

Stif Morf!

Just building one up just now. Getting pretty good reviews so far.

Re Commencal, Im 1.85mts on a large, I would like to try an XL for a bit more reach and wheelbase but, thats the issue with online sales I suppose.

Dialled Alpine Mk3

Here is my Canfield Brothers Yelli Screamy, great fun highly recommend.

Thank you for all your answers, really appreciate it!
the 900gbp (~$1100usd) is for the whole bike, at my experience level (entry-mid) I think the CroMo is a expendable commodity, even though if it is in my price range I would definitely go for it; so the options are the “Commencal ht” and the suggestion made by “johnnyboy666” the Ragley Bluepig, which is also awesome!
Also, I have a question to those who own a Commencal, I’m 180cm and 81cm inseam, I need the large bike?
Thank you!

Aggressive hardtail?
I was once told to **** off by a Cannondale, is that what you meant..?

😆

I hope the cracked seat tube was a one off, and I appreciate it did take Commencal a longtime to get a resolution, but they did send out a new frame eventually.

I agree, I think it was a one off. If they hadn’t been dicks about it I’d still be a happy customer.

Also, I have a question to those who own a Commencal, I’m 180cm and 81cm inseam, I need the large bike?

I’m about 183cm on a large (bang in the middle of their size chart) and think an XL would be a much better fit. If you go for the Meta budget for a replacement set of wheels – their own brand hubs aren’t know for their quality, everything else is good.

On CRC Black Friday deals they have the NS Bikes Eccentric for £799 down from £1300

Hi Sebastian. $1100 will buy you something at the higher end of entry level here in the States.

I was thinking of buying a couple of donor bikes for the new Alpine frames I exhibited at Interbike Fall Cyclofest last month, the best value for money was something like a GT Pantera at $1500/$1600.

In the end, I just ended up going the custom spec route which was closer to $1000 (excluding price of frame which I already had).