Just lookimg at the Charge Duster XT, does it really have as short a top tube as the numbers state on the Charge site, an 18" frame with a 555mm top tube sound waaaaaayy short compared to Cotic, Kinesis and On-One stuff, anybody have one and care to comment ?

Depends if its actual or effective…say add about 3/4 of an inch on the medium if it is actual so say 20mm added = 575mm effective. Bit of a guestimate but still fairly short.

Yeah dont know if its effective length or true, good deal on wiggle at the mo which is tempting me but comparing it to my other bikes its about an inch shorter in the top tube which is putting me off slightly.

Medium is 565mm centre to centre (22.2 inches) which is fine. Inbred is long remember.

Ok, cheers, now i think about it the Cotic's are very long too, might get meself one.

I'm 5'11" and run mine with a 100mm stem and a layback seatpost, and it works perfectly, rips singletrack apart and is comfortable over the longer distances. Can't ask much more than that 😀

13thfloormonk, about the same height as you so sounds OK, just been reading some stuff about excessive chainsuck, a 'dead' riding feel and also poor paint jobs, you got anything to say about those, i really like the look of them but dont want to buy a lemon, its going to be used for long rides and the odd enduro etc.

It's more of a sit up and beg posture for those who don't like the stretched out cockpit of the other brands. I run mine with a layback seatpost as opposed to the 456 with an inline.

Excessive Chainsuck: Don't know about "excessive", I've had chainsuck on it, and when it happened it was bad enough to ruin the chainlink and leave a fair gouge in the frame, however this was as much my fault as the frame's, look after your drivetrain and don't buy p1sh chainrings (TA inner and middle in this instance) and you should be fine.

The dead ride feel i couldn't comment on. I run mine with soft fat tyres, as such the feel of the tyres probably masks any give in the frame. The stays are definitely fatter than other steel frames so I imagine they are stiffer. I also run a Ti post which helps with the 'give'.

The paint job on mine (frame only, from about three years ago) has been pretty damn robust. Admittedly I haven't given it a clean in months, so its permanently scruffy.