So. As title really best hardtail for long distance, messing about in the woods, single track etc.

Budget £1200. Suggestions? I think a soul would e.g. ideal, but out of my price point….

I don’t know the answer to this but I’m watching AirDrop with interest as I think they have something in the pipeline

Oh and should it be a 29er or 650b? Or plus size? Never ridden pkus; so don’t know what it’s like…

Love my PP shan for the riding anything from local wood, all day XC or BPW. Sure, it excels more at the Gnar end of things, but still fun on more mundane rides.

Shan is a good shout; is that 650b?

#RWYR – with different tyres..

Marin Nail Trail 7 owners

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/new-bike-day-the-wait

Yes, though they also do a Shan GT which in a 29er

Give Bird a look.

I’ve got a lovely Cotic bfe medium in the for sale forum will take a sensible offer if your interested and it’s hardly been ridden.

Hope you don’t mind me being pushy!

This Pinnacle iroko keeps catching my attention.
https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-iroko-3-2017-mountain-bike-EV275645

Cotic Bfe. Not that I actually own one….yet. Just waiting patiently until spring when the 26 ver. comes back into stock.

Brd Zero TR. I’ve got a Zero AM, and the frame is beautiful, and it’s an awesome beast. Bird reckon the TR is a better all rounder.

I have the last generation BFe, the 650b with the stealth dropper routing. It built up easily from a frame and is exactly what you describe. Plus tyres will not fit the rear though on i29 rims. Running mine with 2.4 rear tyre and 1×11. I’ve tried the slacker etc trend and this is as slack as I’d want to go for a bike I’d want to ride as an all rounder.

Sale p7 worth a look. I have done all you suggest on mine and it’s been ace.

Stooge

Bird Zero TR.

+1, excellent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO8u1wF78zY

Budget £1200. Suggestions?

Seen a few Whyte 901s second hand for a good price if your not a hitting big stuff and are planning on some longer rides but still want something playful.
I like my burly steel HT but it’s lots of slogging up fireroads to plummet down the sweet steep stuff that I do, trying to keep up with mate on “enduro” bikes!

Having pondered this dilemma myself for weeks, I took the plunge and went for what I originally had fancied, a Genesis Tarn 20. Steel, BOOST compatible so 27.5+ or 29er dropper, 1x SLX setup – good spec. I’ve only ridden it for 1hr so cannot reply comment but they got great reviews and owners rave about them.

There’s deals out there on the 2017 model but I picked mine up “nearly new” from Grizedale Mountain Biles, they had another used one, I think in Large, for £900. You could do as I’ve done and get yourself a set of 29ers to go with it and have two bikes in one 😉

Is the Tarn20 quite a long bike? I was looking at one but wasn’t sure if I needed a medium or large as one of the reviewers had the large as being too big for 5ft 11?

Can you class the Orange Crush as all round?? It’s at a decent price at sunset.

The 2017 Marin Nail Trail 7 650B is down to £900.

I’m enjoying the Marin – stiffer Yari fork, light but wideish wheels, longish and lowish geometry, dropper is growing on me and has no wobbles like every other one I’ve tried.
It took a few rides to get used to different handling, and new tyres, but by heck it’s fast…

That pinnacle iroko looks perfect and very good vfm.

I’ve just bought a 2 year old Whyte 901 for a similar brief, and I bloody adore it.
So based on that, a new 90x (whatever is in budget, as you know creep will set in, right?)

And then add dropper.

If you want an all round HT I’d be looking for something that can take different size wheels. But obviously extra wheel sets add to the cost, but something you can buy later on.
Personally I would go for something that takes 27.5+ sizes and will also take 29er with a smaller tyre. Bear in mind most fat bikes will take both and 26 fat.

https://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/79590/Kona_Big_Kahuna_29er_2013_Bike

This Kona is INSANELY discounted.

Just waiting patiently until spring when the 26 ver. comes back into stock.

This (drums fingers impatiently…) Is it spring yet? What about now? Now? No? Oh.

what do people think of this? Vitus Sentier 29er Exceptional vfm! but I cant help look at the frame and think the geo is all wrong! maybe that’s how 29ers are supposed to look:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/vitus-bikes-sentier-29-vr-hardtail-bike-slx-1×11-2017/rp-prod146558

the Pinnacle does look excellent vfm

Arugably a little heavy… but within the price range the spec is good. Frame looks fine to my, like a Commencal, a Dee Dar, Ragley etc…. it looks how they look in that genre of bikes.

I just priced up a Bird with a dropper (the cheap one) and it has come in at £1400. Without the dropper and change of bars you can get one for £1200.

I really want a Santa Cruz Chameleon, but can’t justify £1700 on a bike right now.

There don’t seem to be any bargains on last year’s model yet either…

I’d get a 26er soul, the price of those now is frankly disgusting. If I had space I’d have already got one, no question.

I had a go on a Sentier and absolutely hated it but I wasn’t sure why, it was good at swooping but shit at everything else. But it could have just been something in the build. It felt super short and very tall but I don’t think it actually is.

+1 on a 2nd hand Soul. I’ll likely be moving my ‘last of the 26’ers’ one on next month and they go for low prices as full bikes.

The Tarns are proper good and Tredz have the last year’s 29er version for your budget.

My LBS are a Saracen dealer amongst others and he recommended a Zenith 29er and said it was a hoot to ride…

https://www.cyclesolutions.co.uk/p113575/saracen-zenith-trail-29er-2018-mountain-bike

I’m not sold spec wise though.

Another vote for the BFe here. I’ve done everything from trail centres to the Trans Pennine Trail on mine and it’s never put a foot wrong.

Might be a bit bulky depending on your build but for me it’s been excellent.

I have a Whyte 629 and and of all my fleet this is the keeper. Great fun smooth ride , feels like I’m in the bike rather than on it!

Brief sounds like what I wanted my Chromag Rootdown to do.

I’d say you want a 29er with decent geomoetry and 120-140mm forks.

Whyte 629 looks good.

On that budget I would do a self build. Based on a 2018 Commencal META HT and Yaris (even second hand).

I had a similar requirement and went with a Pace RC127 frame which is in the process of being built up.

I wanted a steel hardtail that wasn’t super slack so the 67degree head angle looked ideal.

Can’t comment on the ride as not built up yet but could be another suggestion to look at…

Couple of hundred quid more could get you a Stumpjumper 😉

Nah, but I reckon you couldn’t go much wrong with a Bird Zero TR. I wouldn’t describe the Meta as a do it all hardtail.

Mine wasn’t great on flat stuff and bimbles.