would you really discount a bike because of 10mm front travel?
Yep, I did in choosing my latest frame, otherwise I had a stupid amount to choose from.. needed to filter them somehow.
Mid travel is 120-130mm, 140+ is long travel in my book.

Which means the Tallboy LT comes off the list at 140mm of travel.

+1 Smuggler. Difficulty will be getting hold of one.

I think there’s an important difference between travel and geometry with 29ers now – for instance a Tallboy LT is 135mm travel with a 69.4 deg HA whilst a Banshee Phantom is 105mm rear travel (120-140 front) with 66.5-68.5 deg HA (depending on fork length and dropout setting).

3 rides in, and this has genuinely blown me away so far…

I’m fully aware that this will sound like a serious case of new bike justification and/or The Emperors New Clothes, but I can guarantee you it’s not. I was going to post a 1st ride report, but then decided against it as people would want to pick holes in it. I rode it for the 2nd time the day after, similar trails, similar length, different venue, all stuff I know well like the first ride, and it just reinforced my initial thoughts on the bike. 3rd ride on it was last night, slightly shorter ride (I’ve still done almost 70 offroad miles on it in 3 rides in 5 days though!), and again it has increased the feeling of infatuation!

Why?

Genuinely, in 20 years of riding, I don’t think that I’ve ridden a better bike. I’ll qualify that by saying “for the type of riding I do” and “for me personally” etc. but I really don’t think I have. I’ve ridden bikes that were better purely for going downhill (but only very marginally), and I’ve ridden bikes that are better at going uphill (all bar one have been hardtails, and the one was a Maverick which I owned for years and were known for their climbing prowess).

The thing is though, for ages I’ve really been looking for that Holy Grail of a Swiss Army Knife of a bike that genuinely is really bloody good at everything. I’ve ridden bikes that claim to be, but have had some serious shortcomings sadly, and I’ve ridden a few “nearly but not quite” bikes too. I’ve also written far too many off without even trying them, which sounds wrong, but when you’ve been riding as long as I have, you will have a VERY long checklist that any new bike has to conform to before the purchase is made. Fortunately for the case of this thread, one of those check boxes is for 29er wheels (normally I’m at pains with people to explain why I like 29ers!), but that did make the search a bit tougher initially.

Anyway, I have the bike, I’ve ridden it enough already to know that it genuinely is as good (if not better) than all the American website reviews, that I’ve had to satisfy myself with for many months now, say it is. For me, the fact that most people will write it off just because it’s a 29er puts a big grin on my face, though it has to be said some 29er sceptics I know have already been making big noises about wanting to get a go on it!

I think there’s an important difference between travel and geometry with 29ers now – for instance a Tallboy LT is 135mm travel with a 69.4 deg HA whilst a Banshee Phantom is 105mm rear travel (120-140 front) with 66.5-68.5 deg HA (depending on fork length and dropout setting).

Couldn’t agree more. My Following with the link in its low setting and a 140mm fork has a 66deg HA. Not long ago that was the preserve of DH bikes only, but I can tell you it really works on this bike…

What is it?

BigR – Member
What is it?

Mboy’s bike is an Evil The Following.

Pretty stunning it looks too.

Where are you guys getting the 66.5 HA on the Phantom from?

My Following with the link in its low setting and a 140mm fork has a 66deg HA. Not long ago that was the preserve of DH bikes only, but I can tell you it really works on this bike..

Are you running a 140mm fork?

3 rides in, and this has genuinely blown me away so far…

Hear this man. If you want suspension & geo that drives you forwards and makes you raise your game, rather than covering your arse with a big fluffy feather pillow, **try one.

** be aware new bike buzz may be a factor here, but I can only speak as I find.

Where are you guys getting the 66.5 HA on the Phantom from?

If you run a 140mm fork with it in the slack/low setting. That gives you the same BB height (341mm) as a 120mm fork in the neutral setting but 1.5 deg slacker head angle.

In that case.

Tallboy LT is 135mm travel with a 69.4 deg HA.

If you put a 160 fork and a 1.5 degree headset in a Tallboy you come out with 66.9deg HA. 🙂

Just in the process of getting all the bits together to build my first ever FS, it’s also a 29er of mid length travel.

Can’t wait to get it up and running.

If you put a 160 fork and a 1.5 degree headset in a Tallboy you come out with 66.9deg HA.

Except it’s only warrantied up to a 150mm fork – and if you stick a -1.5 deg angleset into a Phantom it has a 65 deg HA. 😛

After being tempted by the Canyon Spectral I ended up going for a Whyte 129s from the classifieds.

3 rides in and I’m impressed. I fitted a 140mm Revelation and it’s rides really well.

Tyre clearance on the back is crap though so it’s worth considering. I had a 2.3 Spesh Purgatory and it rubbed when riding out of the saddle on the first ride so I’m trying other options at the moment.

It definitely feels better in tight twisty stuff than my Trek Stache 20″ hardtail.

Except it’s only warrantied up to a 150mm fork

That’d be why they told me it’d be fine with a 160 in then. 😉
One of the boys from Jungle also has a 160 in his.

65 is going to limit it somewhat on the climbs. 😛
Though if a was looking for a shorter travel bike the Phantom would be up there.

After being tempted by the Canyon Spectral I ended up going for a Whyte 129s from the classifieds.

I’m just building, or will be, a 129-SCR and was wondering about tyre choice, I was aware the clearance is on the small side.

I like the Geax Gato and hoping they will fit, they don’t have really tall tread so should be just the ticket.

Tyre clearance is a tight on those Whytes. Had one a while back. Fitted a new tyre, then put wheel in frame, then pumped up tyre. Came to take the wheel out and couldn’t get it out without letting the tyre down. Was the side knobs that were the problem rather than height of tyre.

Canyon spectral 8.9 and spend £900 on something else. I’ve just ordered one delivery prob mid January, so I need to start saving a bit quicker than I had envisaged!

If I have a windfall I would swap the frame out for a following, that looks epic.

How come the SC Tallboy gets great reviews and the canyon get slated for being too short/steep, despite being longer and slacker that the tallboy?

Wonder what the OP got in the end.

Tom200 – I dunno if that’s really a commonly held view. Don’t see a lot of love for the tallboy on here at all tbh. Overpriced and out of date IMO.

Hammerhead Thumper 130mm

Tallboy gets great reviews and the canyon get slated for being too short/steep, despite being longer and slacker that the tallboy

How recent are the reviews you’re looking at? When the tallboy was new it was one of the first/few good handling 29er FS bikes. When the Tallboy LT was released it was one of the few longer travel FS 29ers that handled well. The Tallboys still ride and handle well, but bikes have become longer with slacker head angles. The Spectral reviews may be more recent with the bike being compared longer and slacker alternatives.

How come the SC Tallboy gets great reviews and the canyon get slated for being too short/steep, despite being longer and slacker that the tallboy?

My general experience with SC VPP bikes is that it doesn’t ride like the numbers, once your sat on/in the bike the HA works better than the number suggests, though this is a tricky concept for those that shop/paint by numbers