Seen loadsa posts on which bike, which frame etc.
Thought it might be good to have a definitive list of choices for the long travel steel framed options, with reponses from people who have owned/have an opinion on any of the below. Might also help me make up my mind!!
.Cotic soul
.ragley blue pig
.sanderson breath
.one one 456
.cove handjob
.pipedream sirrius
.charge duster
.Any others ?

Duster is 100mm, Handjob should be 100mm…

DMR Switchback – not the stiffest, but lighter than most and ride by wire handling.

456 – heavier and stiffer than the switchback, but slacker so tends to feel like its doing it own thing rather than needing 100% concentration 100% of the time.

sanderson – not really LT, theyr designed for 100mm forks, more like a normal inbred.

EDIT: the jury is still out whethr I'm going to sell the DMR or the O-O, different bikes but both very grin induceing!

Dialled PA is missing from your list.

cove handjob. .Sturdy as ****. weight around 2.5 kilo

If you've got cash to splash then a Chromag Sikura is the one. Amazing geometry and zing from a sub 4lb steel frame.

not come across the dialled PA before….nice dropouts!

I love my Dialled PA 🙂

twofortythree SL

456 – heavier and stiffer than the switchback, but slacker so tends to feel like its doing it own thing rather than needing 100% concentration 100% of the time.

and very useful this 'trait' was on Sunday when in the 7th hour of the Rough Ride…

not come across the dialled PA before….nice dropouts!

You must be new here then 😉

Time to close the thread

I have a 2010 Cotic Soul & a 2010 Pipedream Sirius R853.

The Soul is by far the best frame I have ever ridden. I've been riding since the very early 90's and have had a fair few bikes/frames over the years 😳 😉

I am still in my honeymoon period with the Sirius. Heavier and less flexible that the Soul but makes a cracking hard hitting SS.

Both bikes are set up with 120mm forks.

Chromag Sikura

Sakura. Gingerflash has one I think.

Having just invested in a Chromag Samurai I consider it to be the best bicycle in its class. This doesn't help. 🙂

What do you want it for? Bashing out the trail miles? Hooning around and off stuff on? Riding trail centres?

Your current choices are VERY different in their design, and just to confuse you more, I'll throw up a few more…

Genesis Altitude
Genesis Alpitude
Orange P7
Kinesis Decade Virsa
Evil Sovereign
Cotic BFe
NS Bikes Surge
Transition Trans Am

And that really is just adding a few more to the list… There are probably hundreds!

Decide whether you're after a svelte XC machine, or a hooligan bike, or indeed somewhere inbetween first, then it'll be easier to start narrowing your choices down.

+1 for the Altitude, only 120mm but Maxle Rebas are bloody capable!

Transition TransAM – I wasn't overly bowled over by it but they've apparently made some tweaks and new frames are coming very soon.

Dialled Bikes Alpine?

Kinesis Decade Virsa = DMR switchback with different brand (but comparable) tubing, and replacable drouputs.

P7 allllll the way. a bit on the obese side in weight but makes up for it in the amount of fun it gives 🙂

+1 for a P7. Every time I ride one I really can't believe how ace they are.

it's figuring highly in the 'what bike next' deliberations…..

Orange R8?

Why steel, after much deliberation I've come to the conclusion that I'd probably buy a aluminium 456 if it existed, much as I like comfortable frames, the acceleration of a good alu hardtail is addictive.

Alu is not as durable as Steel.

Why steel

Speaking for myself, I've come to the conclusion that it's basically because I prefer the looks. I've just swapped an expensive alloy hardtail for a very expensive steel hardtail of roughly equivalent sort, purely because I wasn't in love with the ally one. 🙂

[i]What do you want it for? Bashing out the trail miles? Hooning around and off stuff on? Riding trail centres?

All of the above!!

I am leaning towards the cotic soul in all honesty, although quite tempted with a ragley.

Always been a steel head, after a late 90's forray into ally, i was glad to get back on a steel frame with an origional inbred.

Anyone parting with any of the above mentioned bikes, i got an itch i need to scratch, want to get on a new bike asap. Would also consider a donor bike with the right set up (ie. pikes etc) that i can swap the frame on.

Soul – end of!

Dialled Love/ Hate..

I love mine.. It's a keeper…

Not really a long travel Hardtail..tho- 100mm 😕

if i had to replace it i'd buy another – if on a budget it'd be a DB Prince Albert – all based purely on fit and ride

Whyte 19 Trail Steel should be pretty high up the list.

Light enough for all round duties (including ripping the gears off and a few laps at the SingleSpeed Euro Champs), yet capable enough to keep up the fool-suss boys and chase stormtroopers down the local DH tracks.

Stealth weapon… looks like an XC machine and yet so much more.

+1 for Evil Sovereign, just getting used to mine and loving it. Although what about a Sanderson Blitz? Has anyone got one of these yet?

The definitive one is the one you have or the one you like the most.

I would say a P7 – best hardtail i've owned/ridden:

DMR Trailstar LT! I use mine for a bit of everything (xc/trail centres, mild dh, dirt jumping) and it works really well. HT a bit steep for really steep descents though, think it's about 71.

Where's the Beef?

There it is!

You will never know until you try some out.

Having a love/hate relationship with my Bluepig…let me explain

20" frame as im lanky, mainly Lee Quarry, 'back country'/sneaky Rossendale stuff.

Now its possibly THE best frame I've ever owned for flat out hammer the crap out of riding, singletrack and downhilling-I've destroyed an XT/Mavic 321 back wheel in 4months of riding Im hitting stuff that fast. It almost laughs at you for not riding fast enough. But if your not on the ball and having an off day its possibly the crappest frame I've ever ridden. It does reward you for wringing its neck but punishes you if your crap.

It lets itself down especially in the 20" size on tight twisty flowy stuff like up at Lee Quarry-the downhill/outer rim trail is fine but the Red bermed sections are doing my head in that I cant muscle it through quick enough. BMX tracks are the same. Jump on my mates 18" and Im fine but my 20" dosnt inspire me as much. But I guess that one bike cant do everything.

Lacks a bit of 'pop', back end feels 5mm too long and its more of a sit and plow frame rather than manual or hop the entire section at speed.

Thankfully the steel construction, beefy headtube and slack head angle gives confidence of being able to really give it some welly and let it off its leash a bit. Its just that the back wheel then suffers.

The Evil is probably a better geo frame for my kind of riding but is twice the price of a Ragley.

One of these….

Must be a magic bike cos it started out as a 'rigid' frame & was then altered to take an 80ml fork, back in the olden days. It's now got 130's on & feels no different & i love it to death.