Planning a demo on a SC Tallboy in the next month or so. Considering updating my trail bike and i’m 29er curious, changing from my current light ish 5.5″ Full-Susser. I ride mainly ride Surrey Hills, South Downs, but also do 4-5 weekends a year in Wales, Lakes etc, and usually an annual epic such as Coast to Coast.

I’m 5’10” / 75kgs, ride the trails usually twice a week, plus a couple of days commuting on the road. Good level of fitness. Not interested in hardtails.

Just after some others experiences of the Tallboy, particularly if you usually ride a 140-150mm full-suss 26er.

Cheers 😀

When I was chatting to that Guy Kesteven bloke from the mags at a Gravity Enduro and enquiring as to how he was getting on on the wagon wheels he said “I’d be faster on my 26 inch bike”. That was as in depth as it got though!

QUOTE: “When I was chatting to that Guy Kesteven bloke from the mags at a Gravity Enduro and enquiring as to how he was getting on on the wagon wheels he said “I’d be faster on my 26 inch bike”. That was as in depth as it got though!”

Interesting as What Mountain Bike feels like it’s being rebranded as What 29er Bike at the moment, maybe driven by other factors??

Some very fast South Downs Doubles have been ridden on a Tallboy. Can’t be much of a slouch.

I’ve no doubt the Tallboy will be quick at covering ground such as The South Downs Way and marathon events etc, but how is it on the twistier more technical stuff, especially compared with a 26er trail bike?

I’m in the same position as you!

Demo’d a Medium Tallboy last weekend at 18 bikes and loved it. I’ve recently sold my Turner 5 Spot and wanted something that was a bit more appropriate for my local trails. The 5 Spot always felt like it was a great bike for big days in the mountains but it was overkill on my local trails.

The Tallboy just seems really flexible in that it can do the ‘big mountain’ days thing but i was impressed with how well it rides on narrow singletrack with a 100mm fork. It does ride a little ‘short’ (if that makes sense) in that i could have got away with the large but the wheelbase felt far too long. The Medium had that ‘flickability’ that i wanted thanks to the shorter wheelbase but i’ll need a layback post so i don’t feel too cramped.

Definately my next bike. I just need to work out whether to go for Alloy or Carbon!! Its a lot more money for the carbon for a little less weight and a bit more siffness!

Matthew H (the other 18bikes Matt) to the forum.. He recently changed from a SC Nomad as his main trail bike to a carbon Tallboy. Should be able to give a good idea of the pros and cons of the swap.

ikimbunza, good point about the sizing, so far i’ve just sat on a medium Tallboy and i’d agree it felt slightly short, but could be addressed with a 20mm layback. How tall are you? What size 26er do you normally ride?

Paceman.

I’m 5’9″ with short legs and a longer torso. The medium i sat on had a 70mm stem.

I was riding a 17″ 26er before and usually felt fine on anything ‘medium’.

I used to pay a lot of attention to the top tube length but having ridden a few 29ers now i think wheelbase is just as important. Anything too long and it loses any nimbleness. I don’t mind running a layback post and even 10mm more on the stem if it means the wheelbase suits me.

I was looking at the SC 29ers – all their bikes seem to have 23″ ett in medium which is a tad short for me too; but as above, layback post would sort.

Fastest bike i’ve ever ridden round the surrey hills trails, be it the steeper stuff off the top of pitch or the more usual shallow trails to be found around there. I’d class myself as a reasonable rider, happy doing the flytipper jumps but the big one freaks me out to give you an idea. Despite the steep head angle it didn’t feel like you were about to be pitched over the front on the steeper stuff and it was there that it really surprised me. Hwoever for me it was a strange size and a problem i have with all santa cruz bikes. I’m 6ft 3 and was riding an xl but it didn’t feel quite right, too short for the size of bike, noticeable when stood up and sat down, even though it was fast and confidence inspiring. However i seem to prefer bikes with a shorter stem and a longer top tube so that might have something to do with it. Definitely worth testing one for riding round there though.

To add…

I also tested a Trek Rumblefish recently. It was interesting comparing it to the Tallboy. It has a slightly longer top tube, which i thought would be a good thing based on my 26er experiences, but i found that even with a shorter stem it pushed the front wheel too far out in front for me.

It was great for straight-lining rocky descents but it felt too long and ponderous for tight, twisty stuff. It really made me think about the sizing and geometry of 29ers vrs 26ers. I don’t think you can assume that what works for you in terms of 26er geometry should just carry straight over to 29ers.

Ideally i’d have a Tallboy with half an inch more in the top tube…

Chris Ball tested the carbon version for MBR, liked it so much, he bought it!
I am speculating here, but a 29er will have the same amount of trail on the front wheel as a 26″ bike with a slacker angle, will it not?

I am speculating here, but a 29er will have the same amount of trail on the front wheel as a 26″ bike with a slacker angle, will it not?

Not sure what you mean Chickenman?

how about a nicolai helius AC 29er ?

cheaper than the SC Carbon and stiffer to boot, as well as custom geometry availability ???

any colour ye like too 🙂

Will also take a look at the Nicolai helius AC 29er.

Anyone else got any Tallboy advice?

Hi, yeah I’ve demo’d a tallboy in medium. I come from a hardtail 29er ss background so know how 29ers ride. I was looking for a bike that would encourage me to do more epic day rides, take in other places like the moors, bigger bumps than the south downs stuff I hack along normally. Anyway by chance I got the opportunity to demo one and I loved it. Sizewise the medium was a little small (5.11,75kgs) but was encouraged to take the medium with an 80mm stem and no layback post. Initially I thought the size a bit small, but after a long day riding in the moors the more I got used to it. I finished the day loving it but still had a nagging doubt about the size, so I’ve held off buying it and await a large to demo.
The bike felt light, easy to throw around, no flex in the rear, it climbed very well and gripped hard uphill, on the descents it just flew and never once did I feel like I was going to be chucked off over the front.
You can get them for the same price as a Rumblefish (my next demo) but wonder a little about the spec.

Had mine for 18 months and love it. I’m 5′ 11″ and have a L with inline post and 90mm stem. Also using 120 forks. Confidence inspiring and stupid fast .

Fast, comfortable and smooth bike. The only issue I have had is in muddy forests the mud can collect on top of the suspension linkage and cause the wheel to jam.

I’ve got a feeling I might be stuck between a medium and a large at 5’10”, but I do want to keep the wheelbase shorter if possible. Will try to demo ride both sizes.

I’m 6′ 4″ and 85kg and pretty fit riding constantly throughout the year three times a week, a combination of on and off road. Off road I ride an Orange 5.

I test rode a Tallboy carbon (XL) last year at the Surrey Hills organised through SC by the shop at Peaslake. Having read all the hype about 29ers suiting taller riders I was fully prepared to like this bike and give it every chance to impress me. However it just didn’t.

In almost every respect it was a severe disappointment feeling ponderous and leaden in comparison to almost every other 26er I have ever ridden. Conscious of the fact that I was riding a 29er for the first time I was looking for the supposed positives of increased traction, bump compliance and carrying speed but noticed none of these traits.

All I did notice was its dead feel, especially when trying to accelerate those wagon wheels and a definite unwillingness to turn quickly, especially in tighter switchbacks like the bottom of BKB. It was also one of the most uncomfortable rides I have ever experienced in terms of wrist pain and I am not sure why that is. The guy in the shop at Peaslake spent a very long time setting the bike up for me and on paper it seemed like my size.

I’m perfectly willing to accept that other riders might be able to get more out of a bike like this and could probably be faster over certain courses than on a 26er. I would just say make sure that you test the bike thoroughly on the sort of riding you are going to be using it for to make sure it suits your style of riding.

Wise words Forzafkawi. Demo rides are vital IMO.