This feature was originally published in Issue 137 of Singletrack Magazine.
Andi and Hannah have been testing and swapping hardtails in anticipation of a summer of dry, fast trails.
Words Andi and Hannah Photography Amanda
We’ve been hunting down that rarest of bicycle items: the hardtail. Along the way we discovered dragon’s blood, hen’s teeth and the Holy Grail, but we left all of those at the trailside in the interests of bringing three reviews to you. This 2021 collection of hardtails is a mixed bag: we have the brand-new Salsa Timberjack, which has its eye on the trail that leads to a riverside camp spot and perhaps a nice artisan coffee stop. There’s the Nukeproof Scout 290, a thoroughly modern hardtail which is just itching to take on an enduro and prove that full suspension isn’t always necessary. And then there’s the Ragley Big Wig, launched in 2013 and arguably the original ‘modern’ steel 29er, still flying the flag for fun and functionality. For this test, Andi and Hannah have swapped the bikes between them so you can get a couple of perspectives on each. Andi is a little taller at 178cm and rides harder, faster, and flies higher. Hannah is 3cm shorter and more likely to be taking in the views as she rides and stopping to take a photograph of a bluebell, though she’s still partial to whizzing down more familiar descents. Let’s see what they both thought.
Nukeproof Scout 290 Pro
- Price: £2,449.99
- From: Nukeproof, nukeproof.com
The Nukeproof Scout has been a permanent fixture of the Nukeproof range for a few years now, and for 2021 the playful aluminium hardtail has received a few updates. As many hardtail riders already know, aluminium, in this case, triple-butted 6061 tubing, is great for building lightweight and stiff frames, but if not careful it can return a less than compliant ride. One of the main updates for the new Scout is in the chainstay assembly. Nukeproof’s engineers have changed the profile to provide a smoother ride without affecting torsional stiffness; at the same time the frame clearance has been increased and the new Scout is wide enough to accommodate 2.5in tyres (2.8in if you want to run 27.5+ wheels on your Scout 290) for even more comfort…
Read the full Nukeproof Scout 290 Pro review here:
Ragley Big Wig
- Price: £1999.99
- From: Ragley, ragleybikes.com
We suspect that Ragley strongly believes in the idea that if something isn’t broken then it doesn’t need to be fixed. The Big Wig is Ragley’s 29er steel hardtail and although it has a new paint finish and build kit, the slender steel frame has remained unchanged for the past few years. Generally, a bike being sold in 2021 with geometry from around three years ago might sound like something to avoid, but being the forward-thinking brand that it is, Ragley made the Big Wig quite long, low and slack from the very start (which was way back in 2013 when a 29er hardtail was still pretty niche)…
Read the full Ragley Big Wig review here:
Salsa Timberjack SLX 29
- Price: £1,870.00
- From: Lyon Equipment, lyon.co.uk
Salsa has been around since the early 1980s, and in recent years the brand has become synonymous with the carrying of luggage over improbably long distances, or to impossibly remote places, and quite probably at a pace that will hurt. They’re bikes for the serious adventurer who is willing to pay to have kit that works. This Timberjack is a slight departure from that image. With an alloy frame and some pocket-friendly components, this is a hardtail that sits within reach of the rider who might like an adventure sometimes, but for whom ‘far from home’ might be a couple of rolling hills away from the local pub, rather than a thousand miles of tundra…
Read the full Salsa Timberjack review here:
Verdict
Jumping back on a hardtail again has been a really great experience. With everything from lightweight full-suspension race bikes, to big travel mullet e-MTBs coming through our doors, it’s nice to jump on a hardtail and remind ourselves of where our love of mountain biking all started.
It’s very easy to forget just how good a hardtail can be, but then again, it’s also easy to forget just how much a hardtail can also beat you up on a long, aggressive ride. Regardless of how tired and achy we might be after a big day in the saddle, there is no denying that each of the hardtails we’ve tested offers a ton of enjoyment and will paint a big silly grin on your face each time you clear a tricky line. On a hardtail, it feels very much like it’s your skill that gets you down a tricky line in one piece, and that’s a very difficult feeling to replicate on an ultra-capable carbon full bouncer.
As for our three test bikes – which we would hang on our garage wall? Well, like always, that really does depend. The Nukeproof has the best specification of all three bikes and the quality of the Lyrik fork, top-end rubber, and amazing build kit all add up to make a bike that not only looks great, but rides incredibly well too. Although it has an aluminium frame it’s still quite comfy and its low weight really helps when catching some air or conquering a climb. The Ragley is proof that this brand was ahead of the curve when the Big Wig was first developed. It might not be the longest now, but that steel frameset is worthy of some top-notch kit and that feeling of an agile steel frame will never get boring. As for the Salsa, well, this is the bike that a lot of people are going to be able to easily enjoy. The frameset is the most versatile of the bunch and feels as at home trekking to a campsite as it does flinging around the pump track.
