Ive looked through all the long travel hardtail,threads here on STW and have no idea what to get.

I’m looking to get just the frame and build up, as now I reckon I have enough bits to finish another bike.

Carbon, steel, or ti – I’m not overly fussed on which material – but I would like to be able to repaint orange 🙂

140 travel minimum.

What do the STW experts advise ?

Chromag Rootdown. In fact Chromag anything at all!

chameleon, obvs.
orange crush.

otherwise, wheel size, do you need chain tensioning?

Damnit – forgot wheel size – 26″

Not sure what chain tensioning is ? Haven’t got it on my Prophet.

Have just googled it and reckon no.

I have a Chromag samurai. Absolute beast. I never thought i would love a hardtail so much.

Pp shan with dropouts to correct the geometry for 26inch wheels.

Cotic BFe?

Slackline 631.

Production privee fanboi here so you’re going to need a Shan or an Oka.

I have an Oka currently which is just amazing, but am getting a Shan soon to scratch an itch.
150mm forks are perfect.

Oka

Shan

Coming from many other steel and ally hardtails before, the ovalised chainstays that Production Privee use really do put some comfort into their frames. Beautiful.

As mentioned above, all frames can be run with either 26″ or 27.5″ wheels via replaceable dropouts.

BFe, still making them in 26 so lots of choice age wise. I have one, great bike.
Dialled Prince Albert or Alpine for 160

Lots of 456 around inc in Carbon

+1 for the BFe. Love mine 😀

For a 26, it’s hard to beat a chameleon. Great all round long travel hardtail that’s not too heavy and able to singlespeed etc.

I always liked the earlier, twitchier ones but even the new ones are pretty nimble by all accounts.

ITs hard to go wrong to be fair. I had a 456 that I loved and befes are pretty ace too.

Fwiw I’m riding everything inc jumps/gaps on a 100mm and 120mm 29er. They are both faster than anything else. The 120mm Honzo is like a tank. Rolls over everything.

There you go

There’s no comparison between the Bfe and Shan really, the latter is a much much better frame ( until I snapped mine)

Chameleons are, as far as I can make out, indestructible, but you can still build them pretty light

Pick any of the following:

456 (any variant), PP, Dartmoor, Cotic, Stanton, Chameleon, Cromag etc etc….

All do what you ask in slightly different ways.

I’m selling a rare and lovely Orange SubZero ‘hardcore hardtail’ frame with a few used bits like gears – medium size, for 26″ wheels, takes 150-160mm forks. Structurally sound but has a few scuffs and paint chips etc, as you’d expect. £120 ono for the lot, collection only (I’m in Hebden Bridge, Calderdale). Email in profile for pics etc. Colour is Brass Monkey. Thanks.

That Shan looks lovely, but I’m out as it has a press fit BB 🙁

but I’m out as it has a press fit BB

wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected it to be TBH, easy to install, made cranks go around, easy out when the bearing had had ennough, cheap to replace.

It’s the campy head-set that did my head in.

26 inch? Try and find a Ragley Ti. Absolute masterpiece imo- a bit short by today’s standards and the top tube could do with sloping off more, and it’s straight steerer only- but they have huge tyre clearance, they descend ridiculously, and they also climb inexplicably well. There’s the alu Mmmbop and steel Pigs and they’re good too but the Ti really is incredible.

bird AM or dartmoor hornet

orange crush / p7. or bird zero am

Kayak23 – those Production privees look fabulous.

Bookmarked

Chromag Rootdown. In fact Chromag anything at all!

I heartily agree!
I have a Rootdown and the only thing I’d swap it for would be the Primer!

nickc – Member
There’s no comparison between the Bfe and Shan really, the latter is a much much better frame ( until I snapped mine)

How’d you manage that?

SammyC – Member
That Shan looks lovely, but I’m out as it has a press fit BB

I was all ready to hate the Press-fit BB too, but so far, not a single issue on my Oka in the months and months it’s been on there. Only a cheap Shimano job too.

How’d you manage that?

IIRC it was on the infamous “double snappage” MNPR a couple of years ago. We killed a Kona Abra Cadabra too.

Shameless plug,

Selling my 650b Chromag Wideangle in the classifieds.

Would seem to tick most people’s boxes for a long travel hardtail frame, given a glowing review by Singletrack mag not long ago.

26 inch? Try and find a Ragley Ti. Absolute masterpiece imo- a bit short by today’s standards and the top tube could do with sloping off more, and it’s straight steerer only- but they have huge tyre clearance, they descend ridiculously, and they also climb inexplicably well. There’s the alu Mmmbop and steel Pigs and they’re good too but the Ti really is incredible.

+1 for the original Ragley clan. Bear in mind though that the downtube on the Ti apparently sits too far up the headtube leaving the lower section unsupported and eventually cracking the downtube near the headtube junction. Covered under lifetime warranty by Lynskey, though the replacement downtube will be curved.

I’m still running an Mmmbop as a winter hardtail as well – harsh but entertaining. And used to have a Blue Pig which was heavy but descended like a steamroller.

If you’re not wedded to 26″ wheels, the Sonder Transmitter is good fun. There’s a carbon version due out which should be even better 🙂

Should have probably stated in the OP that I’d be buying second hand- some of these frames look fabulous but are out my budget (at the moment)

Been out a few times on my freshly built Commencal Meta AM HT and love it so far.

Missus managed to buy frame and fork from a mate for £250. One might pop up on eBay?

Saying that, I’m already looking at a BTR Ranger in the future 🙂 Would love a high spec hardtail like that.