Halp! Which… 650B HT?

Getting lost searching, and keep seeing 45650b, ragley blue pig, stanton slackline, cotic bfe over and over..

wishlist

– 650b Hardtail
– complete, not frame only
– Doesn’t have to be aggressive, but does have to be trail oriented rather than pure XC. its needs to climb well, but also handle blasting down trails.
– Capable of taking tires up to at least 2.4 ish
– min 120mm travel
– 1×11 preferred, but not shy of 2×10
– dropper routing a bonus
– preferred budget of up to 1000, maybe a touch more
– Secondhand suggestions welcome (I’m not shy of a spanner)
– not overly into lairy colours
– i know shit all about boost / wheel spacing, so some advice etc would be useful.
– what about mainstream brands? something i can walk in to a shop and sit on, see stand-over height etc

currently the likely looking things are the early 45650bs on the s-h market with the blue decals (although out of budget, the TI also looks nice) and shimano kit, or a new 45650b with sram and 1×11.

i’m 41, 5 ft 7, and currently riding a santa cruz superlight 26er. I may sell it off after the HT if i feel i’m done with it. I mainly ride the quantocks, a bit of everything, including triscombe side. So roots n stuff, but not big ass jumps.

I’m not buying a second bike as that will always feel like a second place thing, but an alternative bike, and possibly new #1.

thx

Tricky to find in shops but based on your needs I would consider a Vitus Sentier or a Commencal META AM HT. I went for the latter as I don’t want an overlong TT.

Something like this? Looks almost unused.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Whyte-901-Hardtail-Mountain-Bike-2015-Medium-/292126284043

You can get a orange P7 for about £1250 from sunset MTB at the moment. looks bargaintastic.

I was going to suggest the Vitus Sentier too, in the true spirit of recommending what you have. If you get a BC discount code You’ll get 1×11 a brand x stealth dropper and some decent pedals for £1000.

Edit – I’ve put some boring videos of me riding fairly slowly on youtube because I couldn’t find many videos of normal hardtail riding now everyone is on a gnarpoon.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9_fgkzKmskO2LnV68c50mw

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/vitus-bikes-sentier-29-vr-hardtail-bike-slx-1×11-2017/rp-prod146558

A friend bought this bike and seems to be fit the brief.

Edit: Sorry that is the 29er version but there are also 27.5 versions available

P7 is your bike.

Marin – Member
P7 is your bike.

I still haven’t forgiven you 😆

Bird Zero

P7. No the lightest, but it’s a mint all-rounder, especially on anything downhill. I’ve had my RS P7 for a year and it’s been faultless. Fine for 30+ milers too.

Sorry Prawny. I kept it, did fit me after all.

Another vote for the zero. Are you local to swinley? If not maybe see if a local forum member has one.

Pinnacle iroko?

Have a look on Paul’s cycles

Stif Morf ? Edit, sorry out of budget

@ marin – that’s good, I wasn’t as mad into it as you I wouldn’t have done it justice.

A bit spendier than some of the other options, but the Slackline really is a lovely bike to ride. Dan lent me a Slackline for a few weeks last year and I was really surprised.

It climbs noticeably better than my Switchback and the 853 tubeset is lovely, springy and comfy as hardtails go. I’d go as far to say that it’s less harsh than my Mk II Ti Switchback! It was good fun on the descents too. I think you’d be better off doing a self build because it’d be better value.

Mondraker Vantage?

I was looking for exactly the same bike and looked at the usual suspects like you 🙄

I waited patiently and landed this at a very good price

I fitted new wheels/bars/chain/34t ring

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/pinnacle-iroko-yes-please

Any Cotic* test days near you? You could try a BFe out.

*I’m biased to stuff from Cotic and Surly I admit.

For the budget that Pinnacle looks ace.

Presumably you can go and sit on one at Evans.

Another vote for the zero. Are you local to swinley? If not maybe see if a local forum member has one.

nah i’m a quantocks / mendips local

thanks for all the ideas guys. i do like the look of the zero, and the more expensive version of the meta .. and the late entry, the Pinnacle Iroko 🙂

as i currently have one i definitely want a dropperfrom the get go too. i’m going to put the cash aside and wait for a deal/sh bike thats good. in time for late autumn / winter

Totally disregarding your budget but take a look at a Giant Xtc Advanced plus. Semi fat wheels, boost hubs, dropper. Been everywhere my orange 5 went and weighs about half an orange girder. Sounds like a marketing man’s wet dream but its got me convinced. No1 bike all the way.

I just had a look at the Giant XTC Advanced plus but on paper a least, the geo is from yesteryear. Those angle and short TT don’t really bode well.

I’ve got an iroko (built up from frame only). Absolutely love it. I had a 45650b before it. The Iroko is far better in my opinion. The On One is ok but was short and quite steep at the front so even with a 20″ frame it was quite “Happy shopper”. Replaced the frame with an iroko which is noticeably much lighter, climbs far better and not noticeably slower on the downhills. It’s a really fun bike.

I love a steel bike but the 45660b was dead feeling. The iroko is surprisingly forgiving.

I built mine from frame up when they were selling some frames cheap as cheaps. Bolt thru rear was a nice upgrade from the QR on the 45650b, purely so I can swap with the FS and because I think it’s a better system.

I have an Aeris and think the Zero TR would be a great frame too.

If your going second hand its worth remembering that the warranty on Bird frames is transferable.

I saw a Giant Fathom 1 in the shop recently, it looked really quite nice. Good value, don’t know much about the forks though. For what you describe, it looks ideal.

Sonder do a few decent bikes around that price range don’t they? I know someone who has one and he seems to like it.

I just had a look at the Giant XTC Advanced plus but on paper a least, the geo is from yesteryear. Those angle and short TT don’t really bode well.

Are you in marketing?

Are you in marketing?

No, why ? Are you ?

I am in cycling and those on paper numbers seem from an other era, an era where XC ruled.

I think recent changes in HT geo are great not because they are new but because they make for more fun on a bike.

The Pinnacle Iroko 4 is ace, owned the 2016 model for a year now and love it

the new one is even better
click

they do cheaper versions, but all the same frame.

This Sonder Transmitter alloy or carbon – I have the GX Yari and it’s a great bike

http://www.bird.bike/product/zero-tr20/#configuration

Just over your budget but well good.

I think recent changes in HT geo are great not because they are new but because they make for more fun on a bike.

Oh jolly good I like having fun.

You don’t sound like it!

If you want to put together something for significantly less than £1000, let me know – I’ve got a barely used Parkwood 27.5 frame [medium] in the shed, with brand new BB/Headset/seatpost/clamp/tyres and some other bits.

Meets most of your criteria, they’re good fun to ride & my 650b frame is only spare because I decided to build up a 29er Parkwood instead.

I have a mondraker vantage and a Marin pine mountain. The PM is now lovely, but it’s cost me about a grand to get it to that point. However it’s fun, quite quick and has all the necessary bosses if bike packing is your thing. However it’s boosted which is a pain and being 650+ the tyres are a fortune..

The vantage is…well, a bit pointless. It’s got quite a burly build however because it’s a hardtail it’s still brutal on the downs. I’ve done 40 miles in the peaks and it was fine if a little uncomfortable – I should have used the PM.