[Closed] £1500+ XC Hardtail

Sorry, but steel is real...

Get yourself a Genesis Altitude, the extra frame wright will be more than made up for by a super sweet handling frame and brilliant spec...

Or get a whyte 19 steel... Gorgeous bike!

Stumpjumper Comp HT is bang on your budget.

I like them so much that I have two.

2:1 Odds that there will be 10 different answers within the hour 😉

Again - not ally but I'd talk to Sideways and get a Cotic Soul build

stumpy +1

I bought a cotic soul then spent 9 months sifting thru STW to build it up as a mean xc bike xtr, hope, king, crossmax, marozzochi, thompson raceface easton etc...... any yes it cost me bang on 1500!!!! absolutly love it!!!!! all in black too 😉 go cotic go go go!!!!!
god bless STW x x x

Cannondale Flash Alloy F1?

Not that I am in any way biased...

Andy

I think that you'll need something a bit lighter than the average STW "steel is real" machine (saying this as someone who owns steel hardtails and road bikes).

If it was my money, this is what I'd buy.

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b4s2p2294

XTR/XT bits, very good wheels, Float RL forks and a carbon frame that's £1350 on it's own anyway.

Pauls also have the alloy equivalent (XTC Zero) for £1300.

The 20" will fit you. I'm 5'11" and ride a medium Anthem but am right at the top end of that size. The Large is a big bike and will suit you perfectly. FWIW the Anthem is ludicrously fast but the XTC is also great.

Go onto eBay, search for 'Carbon MTB Frame', go to the international sellers and take your pick!

Get a SID fork and an SLX or XT group and you're away, under budget, and far lighter/better specced than the other options.

after reading njee20s suggestions,i found this....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Brand-New-MTB-Frame-18-3k-full-carbon-paint-MFM002-/280494023744?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item414ebf2440

i want.... 🙂

I'd build one.
Maxlight frame, revs/rebas and shop around for the best deals on the rest.
Could build something fast and light for that money no problem.

That looks like a Pedal Force too, same back end.

Mine was a great little bike, short top tube though, but cheaper and lighter than a Kinesis, ScandAl etc.

if my s-works hardtail comes a croper, or anyone wants to buy it, im having one of the frames i linked!!

My one was lighter than my S-Works Carbon hardtail frame too!

Scott Scale? Fuji MT pro?

This was built up for less than your budget. Frame ebay, second hand crossmaxs', couple of bits classifieds and the rest new.
More fun to build something up than buy something new however sorted and nice it is.

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Focus Raven, £1440, Magura forks, Carbon Frame, OK spec kit but upgradable

Very impressed after seeing the 2010 model at Enduro 6

I agree with SpokesCycles - this is a lot of bike for the money, you'll be pushed to beat it a far as an XC hardtail goes, light, stiff, fast, UST compatible wheels, quality components.
> http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b4s2p2294

Additionally BIkeRadar reviews the Trek 6700, you could probably do much better for the same price or a little extra cash.
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/6700-10-36886

[url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=79&ModelID=44333 ]Cube Reaction Elixir R[/url] this is a race bike. it has an alu frame. last years version had fox forks and xt drivetrain, this years one has SIDs and XT. fantastic fast bikes

Trek 8000 is a great looking bike. Good spec too.

Whyte 19. Only choice!

I'd definitely lookat/test ride the Whytes ............

cullen-bay - Member

Cube Reaction Elixir R this is a race bike. it has an alu frame. last years version had fox forks and xt drivetrain, this years one has SIDs and XT. fantastic fast bikes

+1

Whyte 905! I've got an On One 456 Ti. I didn't know Whytes back then. If I had I would have one

Giant XTC1 29er?

IGMC

+1 on SpokesCycles recommendation. Going on what you said you wanted don't think you'll get a better bike for the money, always liked the xtc in that colour scheme.

Interesting topic as I'm looking for a replacement. A couple of good options above and I'm quite liking the Cube if I'm honest but perhaps a little racey. I have, as mentioned above, been looking at the Whyte 19 trail but I think the 1500 one I found was steel but seemed good value for money and the whytes are getting good value for money.

Another option I have been looking at though is the top of the range Boardman from Halfords for a grand. I still think that's a lot of bike for your money but I don't know much about the frame but if I got it I would probably use my Kinesis frame and a few choice parts.

Hey everyone! Thanks for the advice. I've actually got Specialized's Stumpjumper on my shortlist already...although the red and white painscheme coupled with those red rims makes me wince!

As for the cotics and the whyte, I've looked at them a few times in the past and as I'm over 6" tall I think I'd find them a bit too small and a bit too 'chuckable' for what I'm looking for.

As for the Giants...I've actually been into Paul's and sat on a Large C1 and found that it just felt wrong. The first link that was posted was the first Giant that I've seen from them that's available in the 22" guise...so I'll probably give them a call when they open and see if I can go test one shortly.

As for the 'Steel is Real' type answers. Yeah, I agree. I like steel in a mountain bike, I really do. Only thing is that I have a steel single speed and I'm looking for something different for my geared bike.

Thanks for all the advice thus far!

That giant is a bargain!

Oh, I can't believe no one has mentioned Scott scales... Brilliant bikes! I loved mine

I've actually got Specialized's Stumpjumper on my shortlist already...

Nooooooooooooooo 😛

Noting wrong with Speshs & Treks per se,; it's just that there do seem to be a lot of them about, and as such they're a bit, well, vanilla.

[url= http://www.marin.co.uk/2010/bikepage.php?ModNo=10IF ]Marin Indian Fire[/url] comes in a 22" & might fit the bill; drivetrain is mainly X9 rather than XT but I have this on my 'Dale & it's fine. There used to be one in the window of Cyclesurgery in Holborn & it was lovely - I was seriously considering one until I was distracted by the lure of single fork legs.

Andy

+1 Trek 8000. I have one and I can't fault it for XC - apart from the stock tyres, which are absolutely rubbish.

i have to reccomend the cube reaction too.

i did a few seasons worth of racing on it as well as using it for general purposes and it was fantastic.

the frame is better this year too.

What's wrong with a brand being popular?! £1500 is "good bike" territory not custom special stuff. In fact I'm amazed at how low the spec is for most £1500 bikes. Often lots of Deore kit.

Loads of suggestions here! Do any help the OP?!

toss up between the Stumpy and Trek 8000/8500. I'd try both and see which one hurts you more! Awesome, sorted, fast XC bike.

I have had a stumpty for just over 12 months now, a great bike, my first ever spesh.

I bought mine as I wanted something light to squeeze in the miles and build up the fitness.....its been a fantastic bike...

Now I want something a little more bigger/hard hitting...

I got a 2007 Stumpy (new at the time) and have upgraded it as things have worn out - it's now a 22ish lbs whippet and I love it.

As long as the frame and forks are good (and brakes if possible - mine came with Juicy 5s and i'm glad to see the back of them - now Elixir CRs) then just upgrade over time - major parts seem dirt cheap at the moment so it doesn't break the bank.

My Stumpy now outspecs flipping expensive bikes but has cost me much less overall.

You could build a cracking On-One Scandal for £1,500

I have a Trek 8000, which I bought at the back end of last year for marathons and stuff. Its a good bike, nothing mind bogglingly ace just pretty good. And not bad spec for the money. Agreed on ditching the tyres pronto. The wheels are a bit dubious Bonty SSR rims ? (although they havent let me down yet, they are not that light)
I like the Reba forks, they seem to be really good.
Having done some marathons and long xc rides on it, in hindsight I wish I'd pushed the boat out and gone short travel full suss, but at the time the budget was pretty fixed, I negotiated some discount on mine and then did my own bike to work scheme for the total, so it ended up costing me £850, so at that money you cant go wrong.

The Giant is undoubtedly a bargain and I would have bought one already save for the fact that I rang Paul's Cycles earlier today and was told that I could order one and have it sent to me, but I couldn't go into the shop and try it for size first, nor could I go over there and try any other bike of the same Geometry in that size. I found it all quite bizarre to be quite honest.

Anyway the 456 seems to be out of stock in the large sixe and in any case I'd have thought that a 456 isn't really what I'm looking for...carbon or not.

I think I've concluded that I want a Trek...admittedly it's not an 'exciting' bike for the money...it's not niche like, say, a Cotic would be, what it is is a very well built, very well specced, tool for a job. I also hear that Trek's after sales service is pretty good...

Before I make my final decision does anyone have anything to add?

....push the budget a tad and look at a Cannondale Flash Carbon 4......good piece of work that is!!

Doesn't get the Hi Mod frame though, which is the best part about the Flash. Still looks good mind.

Some of the actions of Trek as a company WRT Greg Lemond might have left a nasty taste, and that would put me off buying one, more than, say a Spesh (except I have a track record of buying 'Dales).

Having said that, my Mum (hybrid) & my bro (6500) both have Treks with which they are very happy.

The alloy Flash is quite nice too.

Andy

I have, in the dim and distant past, sold both Cannondales and Specialized and whilst they are absolutely lovely bikes they are, to me, for that reason alone, a bit 'familiar' which is possibly why I'm increasingly taken with the Trek. The paintscheme isn't as horrific as the Specialized Stumpjumper either!