Well thanks for all the contributions people – I got me an 18″ 456 and built it up – took it for a first spin at llandegla the other day – about the most fun I’ve ever had there. So much faster and responsive than the NRS. Did get a sore bum near the end but that just made me stand up and thrash more.
It’s exactly the same way with my recent hardtail build, feels so direct and it really does demand a good out the saddle thrashing. Can’t wait to get mine to llandegla.
Couldn’t agree more. My full Prophet now has a kids Tow Along bike permanently attached. My 456 gets used for everything and so far I’ve not found anything it couldn’t handle as well or better than the Prophet.
I like hardtails too, but since buying the Pitch the 456 has sat i the garrage unused and unloved, the pitch is just faster and lets you get away with wayyyyy more in the rough bits!
I’ll get some pics up but it’s a slightly colour unco-ordinated mess at the moment (blue frame, green forks, acid yellow rims, red grips….), but I don’t buy a bike to look at primarily and I intend to strip and re-spray soon (trying to decide colours at the mo).
Well pleased, and less maintenance in time for winter. Grand.
This reminds me of a few years ago when i had an old Marin Wolf ridge. At the time i bought it thinking it would be the “ultimate trail bike” (about 130mm suspension) I rode it for about two months and it bored the pants off me.
Ended up moving all the bits onto an ebay-ed DMR switchback frame, sold the full suss frame at a profit. I still remember taking it around Dalby forest not long after it opened, and revelling in just how good it was to ride…
I’m determined to ride my hardtail on every trail/terrain I come across – although ambition exceeds experience at this point.
At Afan a while back, I swapped my Soul for a ride on a lovely Yeti for a quick blast, and while I enjoyed it, I wanted the Soul back after a couple of minutes. If Akrigg and co. can drop 15 feet with nothing but bendy limbs and front forks, then I reckon a hardtail ought to be able to handle all but the most mental terrain.
