Want to build up a 29er xc type hard tail for longer, faster rides and to that end have just picked up some cheap 100mm Manitou Tower Pro forks to get me rolling.

Like the look of the Ritchey p29 frame and have a soft spot for frames made of metal, especially steel.

Considering so far:

P29 – favourite so far
Solaris – better with longer fork?
Trek Superfly – aluminium version
Scott Scale – ali again
SC Highball – longer fork?
FF29 – discontinued?

Anything else I should be considering?

Cheers

Do you favour ti and if so which size would sir require as I know a place doing the perfect frame on huge sale which may suit you sir!

Stanton Sherpa?

Yum.

Always used to hanker after ti but not sure the budget stretches that far plus my previous enthusiasm is somewhat tempered by various failure reports…

Considered a Sherpa but isn’t it a bit more ‘trail’, ie. intended for longer forks?

It’s designed around 100mm or 120mm forks I think. Much like the Solaris.

+1 for the Sherpa.

As well as looking very nice, being made from decent steel and being designed for a 100m fork IIRC – it also has 435mm chainstays.

I haven’t ridden one TBH, but I’ve had a go on a 29er with similar geometry and it’s amazing how much nippier it feels with the shorter rear end.

Sherpa sounds like an option.

Compared to an ali Superfly/Scale I presume Sherpa/Solaris type frame are a bit less racy?

Superfly not that racy

Superfly review

I own a Ritchey

My thoughts are in this thread

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/recommend-me-a-nice-playful-light-29er-hardtail-frame

Unless your set on getting new then I reckon the On one Scandal is still an excellent bike, loved mine since I first got it and have no intentions of replacing it.

+1 for the Sherpa, really regret selling my frame, but a back injury forced me to sell.
Can’t complain have a lovely new Salsa Spearfish to replace it.
Here’s mine

fudge, what bars are on that Sherpa?

vondally – read that thread and with hindsight I think I’m asking the same question, oops. Something about the P29 appeals, probably it being skinny and steel!

Thomson carbon trail bars and 50mm Thomson stem.

The ritchey is a grand old bike..I had two scandals mk 1 one in 18 one in 19…nver got comfy with either good bikes and understand why they get the positive reviews but IMHO the Ritchey is anther level

+1 for the Ritchey P29, having had the following 29er, On One Inbred, On One Scandal, Vassago Jabberwocky and Salsa El Mariachi, I have to say the P29 is the nicest 29er I’ve thrown a leg over,
I got mine from Alltricks and if you are a medium they currently have a really good price.

http://www.alltricks.com/mtb/frames/hardtail/ritchey-p-29er-hardtail-frame-blackyellow-102-231162.html

@Hopeychondriact, can you email me the link for the Ti frame.

breninbeenerATgmailDOTcom

thanks

Stanton Sherpa would be my choice. It’s definitely better with a shorter travel fork than a longer one, as otherwise the BB gets too tall and the head angle very slack indeed.

Ritcheys are things of beauty. A bit out of date now compared to some, but gorgeous to look at. If anyone is after a medium sized mk1 (Red/White/Blue with sliding dropouts) Ritchey P29, give me a shout… I’ve got a brand new unused one I bought a while ago, with the intention of building it up with some kind of modern/retro setup. It’s not happened in well over a year, so I might as well sell it…

@ breninbeener – here is direct link for you.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/litespeed-cohutta-29er-titanium-frame-2014/?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=5360574624&ci_src=18615224&ci_sku=5360574624uk&utm_source=google&utm_term&utm_campaign=UK_PLA_Components&utm_medium=base&utm_content=skH37nhRp_dm%7Cpcrid%7C67090789502%7Cpkw%7C%7Cpmt%7C%7Cprd%7C5360574624uk

It’s actually a pretty good deal considering evans had the rrp of them at £1900 a few months back.

Need a large / 19″ ish frame but thanks for the links.

mboy – when you say a bit out of date do you mean the chain stay length / head tube angles?

My rather uneducated thoughts from the other thread
[/quote].It is without doubt one of the most versatile bikes I have had, it is not the lightest nor heaviest BUT it is the most balanced bike, the weight distribution is tremendous, above all it just does without fuss – climbing yes good as expected not much faster than the rocky 29er but descending and I am a real take my time and yes I will not hurt my back the bike is quick, quicker than most of the 26 er and only marginally slower than some of my best times. It is comfy to ride, best with a carbon post, worst with a suspension post. Best forks are 120 with talas drop to 90mm or rigid – carbon on ones. The rigids lend them selves to be very very precise and not to bad on rocky downs. Head angle is 70.5 to 68/9 and so very wonderful stable but is good in singletrack. Dowsnsides, rubbed a patch of paint of with heel rub, straight steerer…..er not really light but that is okay as I am at times between 14 and 15 stone.

Biggest complements well 30 miles on Saturday 20 off and 10 on road 1800 ft of ascent and my 3rd ride following a rotated disc, I walked to the pub on Sat night, rode Sunday and went to work Monday.

Best Bike I have owned, probably not as I look through rose tinted specs on some others, but in the top 5, biggest complement it rides like a bike and you can build it up whatever way you like.

Ohh and it makes me smile

mboy – when you say a bit out of date do you mean the chain stay length / head tube angles?

Kind of, yeah. Primarily chainstay length to be fair, HA of 70 was slacker than just about anything else on the market for a good number of years to be fair, though is steeper than most these days.

Fridge – if you are interested I am selling my 5 month old Highball alu frame, large in the lovely blue colour… Drop me a pm if interested nd we can talk!
It’ is a really great frame.

ron – will do

I have a large P-29er i might parting out imminently. Very very good condition. Probably done less than 500 miles with only a couple of marks on it. Sporadic internet access where i am just now but if you email me towards the end of the week we can talk more. Got the Sid RCT3 to go with it or a brand new Salsa Cromoto if theyre of interest.

This is mine here.

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=238621

Forget the “might” be parting it out. I will be parting it out. Email in profile.

I think it’s fairly obvious that a Niner One9 is your best choice. One of which, coincidently, I’ve just stripped down with the intention of selling…

Can I just add the ff29, or the even lovelier Sync for your consideration? You did mention the ff29 in your OP, but it’s clearly not clique-y enough and has been over looked by the more clique-y stanton.

There was an ff29 in the classifieds not long ago…

Fridge, what steerer is on your forks? Tapered or 1 1/8th straight?

Singular Swift well worth a look if it’s the latter.

Ivan, just out of curiosity, what size is your niner?

I run my mk1 Solaris with 100mm forks for pretty much xc stuff (fun xc rather than racing or anything).

It feels great.

I love my ff29. I have absolutely no intention of selling it. Make of that what you will 🙂

I have a carbon superfly, with SID XXs. The bike is awesome. It’s quite long so need to be careful with sizing, I’m a medium on everything else but need to run a short stem on the superfly (17.5″ frame which confusingly is 18.5″ virtual).

Wheels are only thing I’d change. I see a lot of them at XC races and they seem to be well regarded.

It’s a large in anodised black, was going to advertise it with the matching Niner kit – bar, stem, post etc.

There are some pictures of the bike on here already if you search my history and I can get frame pictures tonight if you’re interested.

That’s a relief, I’m more of a medium sized man. I don’t need another bike, but I think a 29er is in my future at some point. Cheers anyway, good luck selling.

Can I just add the ff29, or the even lovelier Sync for your consideration? You did mention the ff29 in your OP, but it’s clearly not clique-y enough and has been over looked by the more clique-y stanton.

There was an ff29 in the classifieds not long ago…

If the FF29 had 435mm chainstays I’ve buy one over a Stanton myself.

I don’t wanna sound like a bike geometry bore, but that 1cm makes such a big difference back there.

Okay, also not wishing to be a pedantic geometry bore, if the ff29 is the same geo as the sync, then they are 438mm.

I confess to only knowing that because following my earlier contribution, I took myself off to the Kinesis site, discovering that the ff29 is no longer listed and that there is now indeed a Sync option of a medium frame for 650b wheels. Which I found exciting and depressing in equal measure, one shortly after the other…

Slightly different geo between sync & ff29

Okay. Thanks