What are the supreme production 26 inch frames? What ones would you point at and say “That was the best of its breed”? There might still be some more to come but chances are, the best are already out there…

I’ll crown my king of the hardcore hardtails, the Ragley Ti. It’s not perfect- I’d like a tapered headtube, maybe a bit more tt slope as it’s fairly high, and a bit more of that ti feel as it’s still fairly stiff… But it is pretty damn close. Descends like a mad thing but somehow goes back up superbly too- ridiculously good technical climber. The compromises you assume it must make don’t seem to happen, I’ve raced dh and enduro and solo’d the Glentress Seven on mine, equally badly at them all, it’s a proper old school do anything mountain bike.

IF 26 is dead (it ain’t yet) then a Cotic Soul.

Of course 26″ isn’t dead. It’s just not needed anymore

Santa Cruz Superlight for 4″ of bounce that was simple and effective for what it was intended for, and more. When it morphed from the Tamzon and Heckler at the end of the 90’s, it was regarded as one of the best lightweight FS cross country bikes for a good number of years. Inspite of the tendency of single pivot’s at the time to become unsettled in heavy braking, this bike with it’s shock tune was one of the most composed and yet startlingly quick to change direction or accelerate.

Anodised blue was the best colour and gets the nod from me for what we now define as ‘short travel XC’

* double post

Nahh. Kona Explosif. The best ever. Always was. Alwalys will be.

It’s not perfect

So, hardly a contender for the best of breed sticker! The best should be perfect.

For me, iconic perfection in 26 would be
Zaskar
95 top end steel Marins
Early top end steel Konas
Spesh Stumpy. In fact, that might be it. The Stumpy, has evolved through the ages of MTB so well.

Raleigh Activator

What about an “uber geil” Liteville 301 mk10 that will take both sizes of wheel?

I’m torn some what.
My current enduro is very very good despite its old wheel size
But I also love my old alloy Easton tubed Saracen killi flyer I still use it for fast xc rides / races

CaptainFlashheart – Member

So, hardly a contender for the best of breed sticker! The best should be perfect.

No such thing as perfect! But you can get pretty damn close.

I mean, you just posted a list of bikes that were great in their time but there’s not one there I’d choose today over modern kit and being honest, would you? I remember riding a mate’s Zaskar and it was just the business, stuff of dreams… then I rode one a couple of years ago and oh my, time had not been kind.

2005 specialized demo 8

For me, perfect.

turner xce or 5 horst link

Ibis Mojo

My Curtis with a rigid carbon fork is pretty close to perfect.

As is my Liteville 301. Just differently close to perfect.

Mk4 chameleon was damn near spot on (for it’s age) angles are just too steep for the 160mm travel forks it was supposed to be able to handle. (at 140mm, it was pretty much dab on)

Explosif is just not good enough, there are better steel frames, better Ti frames, better everything frames

Scandvik Hummer (chain slap aside)

Privee Shan, just on looks alone it would get in, but it descends like nothing else short of a full suss.

My choices for Ali, Ti and Steel Hard tails

Dialled Alpine.

hardtail

Litespeed Kitsuma

Thought my MK3 Soul was awesome (apart from sitting exactly between sizes)…but the Slackline Ti is something else. Incredibly light on the ups, pretty bomb proof on the downs and find it good on long rides. Aesthetically its incredibly well detailed…just a bugger to keep shiny and free of finger prints! Will be keeping well after the war of the wheels is over.

my cannondale flash

Orange 5 – awaits tractor/filing cabinet comments.

Cove Stiffee, i loved my stiffee

I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest the original 456 family as a contender if that’s allowed. At least for the hardtail crown. Between the steel as a cheap general purpose mountain bike, the ti for posh work and carbon for a bit of extra lightweight versatility I think it’s in with a shout. (I think stretching it to include the newer models is pushing it).

Disclosure, I did own a carbon one- it was supposed to be a stopgap before buying a fs and I ended up keeping it three years. I’ve seen them built up as hooligan bikes, to race and they seem pretty good at both.

Perhaps outclassed for really rough riding by some of the more ‘hardcore’ hardtails, where I’d say it edges them is that it’s easy to pick up and ride- there isn’t the same learning curve that there is in the really slack things I’ve tried (Dialled alpine and so on). I’ve also had complete beginners try it and choose it over bikes I’d normally think of as more suited to them, which says something (I think).

I like the soul better, but I think in sheer value for money, got lots of people on the trails versatility I’d take some convincing of a better candidate for the ‘won at 26’ (ht). Thoughts?

Cove Stiffee mk 1 I miss mine too 🙁

I’d go for the inbred. Still, in hindsight my all time favourite bike. as previous poster said, just an old school, do it all, do it great, reliable mountain bike for getting out there.

It’s missed. but then so is biking in general – life in the witterings is great but the biking is shit.

Cannondale Prophet

Turner 5 Spot Horst link was my favourite trail bike, Cotic Soul was fave hardtail

Spesh SX Trail and Enduro.

The Enduro was the first bike with good geometry that could be pedalled up stuff and thrown back down the other side without needing to worry about it dying. The SX opened many peoples eyes up to what a shorter travel bike could do. I loved mine and only retired it last year. It was such a fun bike to ride.

cant believe nobody has said on one 456 😆

My choices would be HT Mk1 Sovereign, 6″ Carbon Enduro, DH V10c

Ibis Mojo, end of….

1990’s – GT Zaskar
2000’s – Ibis Mojo

Nicolai Helius AC 26″, incredible machine, built for everything. Despite knowing that everything was going 650b bollox I still ordered a 26″ anyway, how’s that for commitment?!

Before anyone get’s any big ideas, I have already copyrighted it:

26″………… built for everything

ready for when 26″comes back in a year or two. 🙂
(or did I rip that off someone else, I can’t remember?)

Surely the filling cabinet from Halifax has to be up there, simple but just works.

Ibis Mojo has to be there on looks as well though.

My 2003 GT Avalanche frame will not die so I’ll put that forward for the ‘built like tank’ catogory

Horst link Turner 5 Spot. Bloody awesome bike.

26 dead?

Pfft, yeah right…

You’ll have to pry my 26er from my cold dead hands…

If it aint broke, don’t fix it!

90s Ball-burnished GT Zaskar. Pimp.

On the premise that every companies offerings get better year on year.
Then surely the winner can only be the last 26 bike of the winning make/model built.

The latest iteration of the Five must rank as top of its class. As long as that class is “British built single pivot bikes” 🙂 Actually it must be a candidate in the wider class of “fun 140mm trail bikes”.

Horst link 5 spot, especially in red