Best steel hardtail 100mm 29er?

I have decided to sell all my mountain bikes and just have The One – and it’s got to be a steel HT 29er. I need a *very* light frame, more XC than trail. Flexible about almost anything (although I’d prefer a 2×10 setup), but I have a cracking 100mm fork and I’d like to keep that if possible. Solaris looks nice, but seems a bit heavy – what are the other options?

Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand.

Curtis XC9 (I have one)

Ritchey P29 new tapered HT and standard vertical dropouts

Check the rear tyre clearance on all.

Ritchey P29. There is one currently being built by http://independent-works.co.uk I salivated over it whilst in there today. Lovely.

Since I’m sure I’ve already breached some forums rules earlier on that other thread and I’m about to go on holiday, I may as well post this :

and this :

Frame is bang on 2kg for a medium.

Hey Shand, after two years of asking you fancy building me some more forks?

Just waiting for a reply from my email :0)

For a fully custom steel 29er I keep coming back to Cyclo Bicycles. I love some of the smaller details and at EUR875 including custom geo it is in “very tempting” territory.

However, you will not get this:

I need a *very* light frame

The Shand at 2kg still gives away 1kg to a carbon XC frame although I appreciate that doesn’t have quite the same appeal.

Example old Cyclo build that first caught my eye

Ritchey P-29er. I’ve got one and love it.