Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 55 total)
  • I want a new bike – a hardtail that will take "abuse"
  • DrRSwank
    Free Member

    OK, so I have a yearning to build a new bike up. I have my trusty PA for XC duties and my trusty Patriot for jumping/alps.

    What I fancy is a "built like a brick privvy" bike for street riding and maybe some jumping.

    I fancy a hardtail as I want something relatively easy to pedal if it's going to get built heavy.

    So:-
    Hardtail
    Enough rear tyre clearance for 2.3 rubber
    Capable of taking upto 150mm up front without compromising the ride
    Straight through seat post so I can put a sensible one in and pedal it over distance if needed.

    I guess that's it really. Anyone got any ideas?

    Oh, and I'm a fat, clumsy rider……

    Three_Fish
    Free Member

    New or used?

    racing_ralph
    Free Member

    mmmbop

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    juiced
    Free Member

    have a look at some of the da bombs on ebay and chainreaction cycles.

    Bosh
    Free Member

    Summerseason.

    buzz-lightyear
    Free Member

    Saw a very nice charge blender the other day.

    ianpinder
    Free Member

    evil sov?

    wors
    Full Member

    Have a look at the new ragleys.

    DrRSwank
    Free Member

    New – don't like 2nd hand for heavy duty….

    I also want a glass of wine mind…..

    Mowgli
    Free Member

    Dialled Alpine or Evil Sovereign are both nice and pretty burly.

    djflexure
    Full Member

    You just described my Evil Sov

    epicsteve
    Free Member

    BFe

    GW
    Free Member

    150mm forks and a 2.3 rear tyre for street riding and a bit of jumping?

    FFS! MTFU and get a BMX

    DrRSwank
    Free Member

    I'm heavy and clumsy (read untalented) which is why I want the high tyre volume and, at least, potential for a longish fork.

    I'll have a gander at the Evil SOV and Dialled Alpine…..

    chvck
    Free Member

    NS Surge

    GW
    Free Member

    the Sov and Alpine both ride street and DJ better with 100mm forks

    Rickos
    Free Member

    NS Surge

    The Surge is a great all round frame for anyone who likes to go hard in all kinds of conditions. It will be perfect for hucking, shore riding and downhill, yet at the same time comfortable on longer rides and great for dirt jumping. We believe that steel is the best material for this kind of frame giving the bike a great feel and making it absolutely bombproof.

    Our freeride hardtail has become an even better all-rounder this year. The most important update on the Surge are the elegant adjustable dropouts. Thanks to this, it is now possible to run this frame single speed or with deraileurs. The frame has also lost some weight, so now it will be even better suited for all round use. The Surge is available in 2 sizes M and L will work correctly with 120-160mm forks and 26” wheels

    juiced
    Free Member

    crackhead
    Free Member

    2010 NS Core/Surge, discounted at CRC

    JamesD
    Free Member

    http://www.cotic.co.uk/

    The new 2010 BFe is here!

    Super versatile design means it's great for anything from jumpy 4X ripper, to 160mm forked All Mountain rock hound, flowing through hard hitting trail bike on the way.

    Made tough and durable using a Reynolds 631 and 853 air hardening steel front end, with the same geometry as our legendary Soul hardtail, so you know the ride will always be rewarding.

    DrRSwank
    Free Member

    Never liked Cotic for some reason.

    I need to go find out about the NS Surge now…..

    sparkingchains
    Free Member

    Highly recommend an Orange Subzero if you can get hold of one of the frames – awesome geometry, reasonably light and will easily take a big fork like a 36 no probs.

    If you do want an Evil Sov, I know someone selling a silver one in excellent condition, but personally I much prefer the sturdiness and feel of a subzero.

    skiboy
    Free Member

    I have a sov, there good for the job if you don't mind the price , if not you should go for a dialled alpine or a bfe , I gotta say I love the alpine they look amazing in the flesh, I love the bfe too ,especially the new blue one, I had my name down for one but ended up building a sov instead ,
    given the choice again between these 3 bikes which I recon fit the burly long fork requirement to a tee , I would still have to think hard to which is the best ,
    Tough question !

    jordie
    Free Member

    Get a BluePig they do everything

    juiced
    Free Member

    get a 4x frame or something like a surge or charge blender. Will be better for street than a 'singletrack trail' based frame.

    davidtaylforth
    Free Member

    Most of the people here have probably never ridden dirt jumps or street and they seem to be recommending long travel hardtails designed for xc use. E.g. the Ragley frames have very slack head angles and long chainstays.

    Cotic Bfe would be ideal – short stays, and works well with short travel forks, but is also fine with 150mm of travel

    Or a Santa Cruz chameleon.

    SpokesCycles
    Free Member

    Evil Sovereign. The best of all the hardtails mentioned. Seriously exceptional bit of bike, and they're not even that expensive any more. They're worth every single penny- they will make you a better rider, I'd guarantee it.

    I've ridden mine down DH tracks, and the HA is still steep enough for proper dirt jumps (in fact, I learnt to dirt jump on mine). And I've improved more in the 3 years I've had the Sov than in the rest of my 13 years of riding.

    chvck
    Free Member

    I don't do a lot of street but regularly use my Surge for downhill (more so than xc) and have used it for occassional dirt jumping. I'm more than happy with it.

    Valleyboy
    Free Member

    cove stiffe, i'm clumsy, 16st kitted up and haven't had any issues at all, its had a shed load of abuse and is absolutely bomb proof

    juiced
    Free Member

    short chainstays are key as david says.

    RRD
    Free Member

    Cove Stiffee

    Since you used the word 'abuse'. Perfect for your description. Good range of sizes and crc have 09 models cheap

    lardman
    Free Member

    Mountain Cycle – Rumble. Short stays, steepish head angle, suited to 130mm to 150mm fork.

    Stiff, strong, and not too short in the the top tube. Run it with a super short stem.

    They have replaceable drop-outs, to run thru axle, or slotted/single speed/internal geared hub.

    They're cheap, and bombproof. Mine handles great with a 150 fork, over jumps, roots, rocks.

    lardman
    Free Member

    not mine… but same as.
    here

    souldrummer
    Free Member

    Have to say that as soon as read the OP I thought Dialled Alpine, but I am a bit biased as I have one!!

    coogan
    Free Member

    Plenty to chose from, I can only recommend a Dialled Alpine as it's all I've got/tried. But hot-diggty, they are a larf!

    Northwind
    Full Member

    What do you actually want? You seem to be after a trailbike but that's not really the ideal tool for the job you say you want it to do. GW's spot on I reckon.

    I'd say an Mmmbop, since they're still stupidly cheap from CRC, but they're not a jump bike or a street bike. Neither is practically everything else being recommended in this thread for that matter.

    brakes
    Free Member

    what about a Curtis?
    Pro Street, or maybe an MX/SX24

    scott_mcavennie2
    Free Member

    What about your trusty PA? (apart from the 150mm forks, but really, who wants 150mm on a hardtail?).

    _tom_
    Free Member

    Street riding and jumping you say? DMR Trailstar. Mine's taken an absolute beating and still rides fine. I also use it for xc and downhill.

    If you're riding street and jumps only though you might be better off with a 24" or something with much less travel on the fork. Most street/dirt riders only have 80-100mm, or indeed rigid.

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