It's probably just the tyres that do it, but it looks a bit like a Raleigh clunker to me from this pic! I thought that the guy in charge (HA!) there said he wasn't enamoured with the long hardtail trend not so long ago? I could be wrong though.

Tyres wheels chainrings and seatpost do it I reckon.

I'm still waiting for the big brands to start doing long travel hardtails. Spesh, giant, trek, etc.

Nice to see some silver bits on it, but otherwise *yawn* sooooooo bland…. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

If it comes with dmr swapdrops then it would be an interesting frame.

If it comes with dmr swapdrops then it would be an interesting frame.

hmmm

Are they doing a Ti one?

Just out of curiosity, at what point is a hardtail considered "long travel"?

140mm? 😕

That is gopping, not a fan at all.

Tyres wheels chainrings and seatpost do it I reckon.

This says it all, although I don't think the triple helps.

i like its retroness

it certainly has a retro hint, but i think it gops.

a hardtail is LT @ 130mm IMO

Looks better in the flesh, amberwall tyres should be everywhere next year.

As long as it ends the trend for white parts I'm happy.

I couldn't comment on how nice the bike is, I've only had a car park test so far.

I don't think this would be considered a long travel hardtail. Looks like it has 120mm forks on it.

amber sidewalls ming

90's Zasker-esque dropout caps.

surely 130mm is normal for a hardtail now. i'd say LT started at 150/160+

Looks a bit "Raleigh" to me, Zoom seatpost and everything!

Sweet! Amber sidewalls – what tires have them right now? Although I am forced to use all black three as there is nothing else I CANNOT STAND THEM!!!

Amber sidewalls becoming popular again is a well known portent of apocalypse.

Or proof that the MTB industry is a cyclical, marketing led stewpot full of BS.

I can't think of one nice thing to say about that

and I am not using amber sidewalls again! maybe I should stockpile black tyres now to ride out the fad

They need to work on frame geometry rather than colouring in.

ST too slack, HT too steep, front centre too short.

Again.

ST too slack, HT too steep, front centre too short.

This you can tell from one picture? well named…

Uhm – yes. It's a straight side-on pic.

Given their habit of building pretty, but wheelietastic bikes (due to aforementioned slack ST and short F-C), I'm happy with the summary.

😉

Looks well weapon.

And this of the tyre side-walls is going to be immense.

Over 120mm is LT hard tail IMHO. I think the OP asked where LT starts, not what is the limit.

Amberwall tyres are a fashion in bmx at the moment. And everyone knows bmx is much cooler so mtbing is bound to follow…

Uhm – yes. It's a straight side-on pic.

Given their habit of building pretty, but wheelietastic bikes (due to aforementioned slack ST and short F-C), I'm happy with the summary.

What are you basing that on exactly? The Duster is a pretty standard geometry, handles brilliantly and doesn't seem in the slightest wheelietastic to me?

are tan side walls making a come back?

IRC were the king of amber sidewalls. had some Mythos that were soooo cool

It's going to be sooo good. Everything anodised, tan/amber sidewalls. Black has had its day. 😀

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43121659@N06/4881093769/
Cleaver – looked pretty good to me, designed for a 120mm fork if i remember right.

Looks crap!

Skinwall tyres! love em!

looks awful, LT hardtails now must be > 150mm, anything less you've just got a regular hardtail… sorry!

LOL at someone who thinks he can decide how a bike will ride and guess the geometry.

Ooh yeah forgot about that BD, Charge is going anodise mad next year, no more crap paint.

Oh and did someone mention IRC Mythos tyres? Good job I kept my tyre pile 🙂

See! look how cool that is…

but they're not amber, theyre red almost and the black rims help a lot – silver rims are ghey

IRC tyres were awful.

However, biscuit tyres can be good. They just look like gash.

"amberwall tyres should be everywhere next year"

Oh God why?

Got amberwall tyres on my bmx, they look awesome with my red and White wheels