Morning all.

I’m currently riding a Scott Genius 750, which I think is a great FS.

The main issue I have is I just don’t get a chance to use it properly (Peaks, trail centres) more than once a month if I’m lucky.

For anything else, like a trip down the canal towpath it just feels like overkill.

Is there a really good quality hard tail that would possibly meet my needs better. Good for general cycling (not road though, I have a road bike) and good for the potato alleys of this world when needed?

I was looking at something like this:

http://ragleybikes.com/products/marley-10-complete-bike-2017/

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Why does it matter if it’s overkill ?

Been a few threads recently, do a search.

weeksy – I just feel a nob riding flat ground on a full susser

Nobeerinthefridge – I’d remember if I’d created any threads asking my specific question, but thanks for your valuable input all the same

Hmmm, can’t say it bothers me riding the Whyte T130 on flat… it’s nice enough a bike for all terrains. What you have to remmeber is, noone cares… not at all…. You may think people care, look, sneer, etc, but really, it’s sooooo insignificant.

How do you think i feel, my and my buddy have matching T-130’s in bright blue lol…. the big bouncy bright blue bike twins !

I just feel a nob riding flat ground on a full susser

Who cares! You’re an adult on a bike.. it doesn’t matter if it’s a Brompton or a V10. No one cares what it is. People will only react if you ride like a nob. Ride courteously and you’ll blend into the scenery.

If the Scott is overkill in the sense that it’s dulling the whole experience, then a HT can be good or possibly a short travel FS. If you enjoy riding the Scott, then keep it!

The Ragley looks good but there’s lots of other bikes out there with a better spec and weight, such as the Bird Zero TR/AM.

Edit: Like Weeksy, I’ve got a T130 and love riding it on all types of trails.

Here

[valuable input] It’s all covered in there [/valuable input]

I entirely sympathise with this. It is perfectly possible to ride a hardtail for loads of stuff including lumpy downhills as long as you’re fairly strong and you don’t mind the inevitable loss of speed.

There are LOADS of options, and (to be blunt) most of them will be very similar and you should buy one that you think looks cool and is within your budget. Decent fork (Pikes?), 1×11, strong wheels

Short list in no particular order:

– Cotic (Soul or Solaris)
– Stanton (Slackline or Sherpa)
– Stif Morf
– Ragley (Marley, BigWig)
– Chromag (Rootdown, Wideangle)
– Onza (Jackpot, Payoff)
– Whyte (909, 629)
– Pace (RC127)
– Kona (Honzo, Explosif)

Everyone recommends what they’ve got, but for the little it’s worth, my favourites have been 29ers – I had VERY good times on a Cotic Solaris and am currently on a Chromag Surface. The benefits of bigger wheels seem to me to be pretty apparent when you haven’t also got rear suspension, but it’s not a massive deal.

🙂

Get yourself a cheap 29er hack bike that you can neglect and leave outside shops without worry that someone will nick it.

I found it to be quite freeing, like driving a banger or van.

I’ve a Stooge set up singlespeed with a spare parts build spec and I love it.

This looks like a good winter Hack bike.

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-ramin-1-2017-mountain-bike-EV244137?esvt=52858-GOUKE2038874&esvq=&esvadt=999999-0-1146400-1&esvcrea=166226770934&esvplace=&esvd=m&esvtg=aud-495532802872%3Apla-303396703344&esvo=EV244137-L-BLK&esvaid=50080&gclid=Cj0KEQjw9r7JBRCj37PlltTskaMBEiQAKTzTfCObHlomzVZ5SBApTzHH1zcsepyLhAo1c10B_I4sMKUaAk9d8P8HAQ

I think my Flare’s overkill for most of the places we ride up here but I’m old and crap and it’s comfy and flattering. I do enjoy the misery of a hardtail occasionally though.

I’ve just sold my old full susser – a 2009 Pitch Comp – and ordered a Bird Zero AM hardtail. I loved the Pitch but it was pretty heavy and not the best for pedalling around my local trails. Realistically I wasn’t getting out to BPW etc, where it came into it’s own, often enough and having it as an only bike was making me lose my enthusiasm for the local stuff. Everything was a slog!

Demo’d the Zero for a weekend. I had initially decided to by the lower spec TR version to run alongside the Pitch but after a weekend demoing the AM and having an absolute ball around the Swinley red and then my local stuff, and being quicker than ever, I sold the Pitch and am awaiting delivery of the Zero.

I have half a mind to get a Aeris 120 full suss frame next year and swap bits over but I’m not ruling out keeping the Zero and staying on a HT.