So I’m on the hunt for my next bike having just got rid of my xc race carbon hardtail and I’m looking for something more fun. I have a full-sus so looking for another hardtail. I’ve narrowed it down to a few but none are available to test ride nearby.

So I’m looking for thoughts, feedback, inspiration and (no doubt) scorn for my selection of bikes around £1.5k mark for trail riding and local hooning around at Hadleigh.

Sonder Transmitter 650b GX1
Vitus Sentier VRX
Bird Zero AM
Orange Crush S
Nukeproof Scout 275 Comp

If you own any of these – what do you like/dislike about them? If it was you what would you choose?

I’d have the Production Privee Shan on the list too.

@MoseyMTB – The Shan is lovely but a bit over my budget

Genesis Tarn 20? Don’t own one but look good

Owned an older Crush (2010), that was great fun for short blasts. Stiff frame made it less comfortable on longer rides. The new Orange P7?

In the great tradition of suggesting what you own, I’d add a Transition transAm to the list as well!

Lots of cheap Privee frames about. Self build by carefully sourcing parts 🙂

Genesis Tarn 20 looks a good call but heavy and a bit over budget.

Whyte 905 RS?

I built my shan for well under 1500. Initially….. pikes and hand built wheels scuppered that but you could easy get a mid spec biuld for that.

Kingdom Vendetta, loving mine. Or take a look at a Darmoor Hornet, excellent value.

NS Eccentric chromo?

To be honest though, if you can put it together yourself I’d get a frame and build the bike with parts you actually want. My mate got a frame made by this guy Steve Salter, Small Town Boy Design. It’s the 003 frame a bit down the page, none more slack or low, a murderous hooligan of a bike.
https://www.facebook.com/SmallTownBoyDesign

Slackest, lowest, longest? 😉 This is a medium:

Bird hard tails looking sweet

Dartmoor hornet – under £200 for a frame

Bird AM

I’m in the same boat and think I will go Whyte, Bird or Orange P7

Hand built anyone 🙂

https://www.facebook.com/sturdycycles/?fref=ts

thomasgeorge – Member
Kingdom Vendetta, loving mine.

Well, if a Privee Shan is out of budget that sure as hell will be…..

Stanton switchback? – just think thye look amazing

I’m in the same boat and looking at the same options

Be interesetd to see what people go for

Thought the bird had a bit of a dead feeling in terms of ride from the reviews – be interested to hear peoples actual experiences

How harsh is the bird?

Would love a whyte but they dont do a frame only

Orbea Loki 27+

Edit : Doesn’t look that slack actually

NS eccentric Cromo is a lovely ride.

Loving the look of the new P7

I quite like the look of the New kinesis phase .

I went for a Pace RC127

Am I allowed to suggest a BFe ?

There’s a sorted new 1×10 build at your price point.
It was at that London show this weekend, so there should be more information about it soon.

Long, low ‘n slack? Hows about a Mondraker Vantage? Frames from about £450, leaving you £1k to pick up some good s/h components to build it up?

Not nearly as pretty as a Shan mind……. 😉

Blows the budget, but tis lovely:

Check out the new DMR Trailstar.

I am tempted buy it.

Will fit a 2.8 rear tyre

I went through this a bit ago. I think the answer is the Bird Zero AM, it’s got the right geo and it’s the right price.

Few more options in here but it’s what I’d have spent my money on…

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-hardtail-frame-650b-long-low-slack

chiefgrooveguru – Member
Slackest, lowest, longest? This is a medium:

Is it any good for just riding off a small drop like a Lemming? 😉

That blue bike above is a horror. Looks like someone put long forks on a bike made for rigids.

As mentioned, the new p7 seems to fit the bill. I’d have one myself if I hadn’t decided 29″ ht, 650b fs was the correct answer.

I haven’t noticed any deadness or harshness from the Zero AM, it just feels like a hardtail compared to my full-sus! Maybe the bigger wheels add the smoothness that the alloy frame loses vs my old 853 Soul? I’ve only ever plummeted off one drop on one occasion in a Lemming stylee, so I can only assume that my old bike had some kind of critical hardware failure! 😉

Whatever you’re looking at, bear in mind that any frames with a full tapered headtube, like a ZS44/56, will give you the option of using an angleset to change the head angle by up to 2 degrees. My modified Bird is now at 64.3 deg HA static and it certainly doesn’t feel too slack, if anything it feels a little steeper than my Spitfire when riding (which is at 65.7 deg static).

The BB heights (or drops) vary a lot on all the bikes in this thread – my modified Bird is probably the lowest with a 55mm BB drop. That might seem really low but it’s similar to my Spitfire when riding. However, it doesn’t suffer poor feet placement gladly – but if you’re used to riding modern trail/enduro bikes and avoiding bashing your pedals on the ground then you’ll be fine with a BB that low – and it’s so good in the turns on the limit of grip.

Don’t just look at top tube lengths because they’ll vary a lot with seat angle – a bike with a steeper seat angle will be longer when you’re standing up, so my Bird is 445mm reach but only 606mm ETT due to the 75.4 deg SA. It’s quite a bit longer than my Spitfire but that feels a good thing when the back wheel is bucking all over the place and the fork has 30mm less squish. The 420mm chainstays definitely keep it nimble enough when you need to chuck it about – emergency manual! 😉

I’m going to recommend a switchback if I’ve not already, it needs a bump! It is such a good bike, in loving it and my rune is taking a back seat because it’ll ride ny local trails pretty much as fast, more lively and far easier to clean! I bloody love it! It’s certainly long low and slack, yet doesn’t suffer on climbs. It’s a little portly though, but I don’t really notice.

I’d absolutely love a switchback. They look amazing. Just worried that at just a smidge over 6ft it looks quite short. Its got almost the same reach as my old medium Yeti ASR5 and that was too small for me really. Had to run a 90mm stem and layback post

Anyone else riding an 18″ switchback at 6ft. Id ideally like to run a 50mm stem

yeah I’m a beanpole and have been slobbering over those green switchbacks too much lately- anyone got a clue if the Ti switchback mkII slightly longer endurocore geo/updates will end up on the 631 version – probably right ??

Didnt realise they had updated the geometry on the Ti. Come on Dan role it out to the steel frame as well. My wife will kill me if a titanium frame arrives by stealth courier in the shed

Just took delivery of this:

Loving my Switchback (in the tradition of recommending whatever I ride).

Great bike for hooning around on.

I’ll vote Switchback too – but I’m biased having started with a red steel one and moved onto a Mk I Ti. I’m a shade under 6 foot and find it fine with a 50mm stem and 785mm bars.

You can get a complete bike for a smidge over your budget.

I think the geo is being tweaked for the Mk II – angles stay the same, but there is a long and short version. Looking at the website, the long version appears to be the same as the current but I’m not sure if it’s been updated yet.

I loved my steel one – so much so that my Banshee was never ridden and got sold on so I could get the Ti version.

I have a Pace RC127, I was initially going for the new Orange Crush but no availability meant I went Pace.
I thought about the Bird and some others, though decided on the Pace in the end, not sure why to be honest – just liked the look.
I have not tried any others but I’m happy with my choice so far. Really fun bike to ride.

I’ve heard that the 2015 Orange crush is a pretty sick frame.

This could be your lucky day as mine is now up for sale and I’m willing to do deals. 😆