Pace’s 104 hardtail is arguably the best looking steel hardtail out there at the moment, from the beautifully elegant tubing to the tasteful Morris Blue paintjob it has us a little weak in the knees. Now Pace are turning their attention to the world of 29ers…
Adrian from Pace says:
“There you go- our new 29er (or 129er as its working title is).
Its a 29er version of our new 104. Its at first prototype stage presently so not available until later in year. Made of Reynolds 853 all handmade and fillet brazed with chrome plated stay and coachwork line detailing. Pace Slideout system to adjust chain tension, custom one-piece handlebar plus straightblade steel fork. It will be available as a complete bike (spec’ to be finalised but shown with WTB, Shimano. Pace and Raceface component spec’ here) or as framekit.”
Yum, is the unofficial Singletrack verdict.
Comments (51)
Comments Closed
yum +1
Looks great, especially the bar/stem combo although the colour isn’t for me. I’ll take a black one.
Wow! Never thought Pace would do that!!
Would it be wrong to lick the top tube? yum+2
Mustard!
Beautiful, but change the rear brake routing for production.
Hope that bar/stem combo makes it to final production too.
That would look great with internal cable routing,lovely clean lines,
+1 for the Bar/stem combo.
Internal would lok nice but a bugger with hydraulic disk brake hoses.
Yum +3 That looks lovely
“Pace’s 104 hardtail is arguably the best looking steel hardtail out there”
No it isn’t
Phwoar, that looks beautiful!
+1 for no it isnt
Ooo look. A tractor!
That looks just like bikes used to look….
…before they saw sense and started designing them properly.
Strange mix of sexy rear triangle with brutal-looking fork. Is that toptube really fillet-brazed?
I love those polished chromed bits though.
I’m in the ‘Don’t like it’ camp, I’m afraid. Maybe it’s just the colour – and silly bar/stem.
Wheres the tractor? The fields look bare to me?
The best looking 29″er? IMO (of course) it looks about the worst
A pic of one in a ‘proper’ size would probably look alright though
I’m not a fan of the bar/stem combo either. Theres no adjustment for upsweep for different preferences or if you swap the forks or the relative saddle/handlebar heights. With the upsweep appearing a negative angle in the pics, the handlebar looks bent
I like it a lot and I’m not a fan of big wheelers by any stretch of the imagination.
If that’s the best looking, I’d hate to see the rest of them!
Actually that Singular 29er is much prettier.
i’ll have one please.
Might make a nice frame & forks package, but Id have to put different stem & bars on.
Bet thatll be cheap ;-)
+a million I like that a lot.
Nice to see the forks of a Fat Chance YoEddy come back into fashion, nice looking bike though, Adrian, did I miss that at the World Cup at the weekend
I thought i’d never see a nicer 29er than my Singular Swift, but i was wrong. Very nice. Love the bar/stem combo too.
No where near as pretty as a Singular Swift now what happened to the Pace SS in normal frame design?
I wish I didn’t like that as much as I do……
err no thanks.
I think they should call it the 133 if its the 29in version of the 104!
I’ve just had an accident in the trouser department. I’m thinking Alfine rear hub !!
Not into clown bikes but my god, thats the most lovely looking bike since, errrrr, the 104.
Tempting
Like:
– bar stem combo
– colour (kind of)
– Frame shape
Dislike:
– Silly “slideout” graphics
– Fussy looking Chrome detailing
:-)
Nice. Won’t a bit of mud ruin things tho?
Not much clearance anywhere btloi.
+1 Yum.
How far we’ve all come!
18 months ago / 2yrs ago, so many, many people really seemed to actually hate the 29 idea, thought the bikes were ugly, argued that they were a passing fad, that they’d seen them in the late 90’s, the physics was wrong, magazines seemed to not “get” the whole 29er concept, etc etc.
Most every major bike manufacturer now has a 29er in their range.
It is a shame they join in with a SS rigid 29er – dull as dishwater and looks a bit ‘we can do it too’, especially with the poncy details. Hand made? Read ‘so we can have one but not really commit to producing it if nobody likes it cos we’re still not sure’.
Looks lovely. Been after a SS 29er since I missed out on the slot drop pink Scandals from one one. Agree with the comments on the rear brake routing……….very odd!
rigid niner ss 29er is prettier IMO
Lovely – but it would be even better with externally butted square section tubes.
Looks interesting, but Pace seem to be struggling a bit with what their brand represents now.
where do I sign?
that is an awesome looking bike… I’d really like it in Morris Blue though.
I do like the look of it, probably just the job for something like the South Downs or deepest “England-shire”, but a bit out of it’s depth in the Scottish Highlands – I’d still have one though, just for runs to the cake shop, etc…..
Wow – 40 comments! Must be controversial!
I have no desire for a 29er but that looks pretty nice. In fact these Pace hardtails are impressing me.
It’s a shame the forks have to be so long to accommodate suspension.
Like the colour, the chrome and the curved disk brake bridge. I think it’s nice that the bar/stem have been produced. Some will want it, others not, but if it suits it’s certainly neat and unique.
I wonder if they can bring any of this new found elegance to their full sus offerings.
Disclaimer – When I said “Pace hardtails are impressing me” I didn’t mean the 325.5 which I’ve only just seen.
Doesn’t do it for me. Don’t like the bar stem combo at all, as others have said, rear brake routing is a bit odd. That said, I’m not a 29er fan either to ride (yes I have owned a few) or aesthetically.
Whatever floats your boat though!
I like. It reminds me of an early 90’s Klein in a less fluorescent kind of way.
Spot on Wippersnapper…Klein bar/stem combo and saracen forks were the first things I thought of….like it but don’t want one ta!
Nice but I’d probably go with the new Tomac Flint 29er which is equally white and has an eccentric bottom bracket.
That Pace needs a Goodridge white hose kit to finish it off.
Mission control stem/bars are back, yay!
Ooops.
Does anyone know a way ofg getting sticky stains off keyboards and monitors?
I likes new way of thinking :)
Looks great, even the colour is acceptable… but… I’ve had a rigid ss 29er.. The lack of speed is soooo frustrating. 29er wheels ride great, rigid is ok..quite refreshing in fact, but topping out speed wise after 35 yards is rubbish. Stick some gears on it, or to maintain the clean lines, a geared hub.
When is it out??