[Closed] Hardcore hardtails

456SS, can't beat it for the price.

Orange P7/Cotic Soul?

Steel rules.

Cove Sanchez.

Chameleon

Banshee Paradox

Chameleon for hoppity, hard core fun.

ns surge is great.
i've got one. nuff said.

"Cove Sanchez"
What? I thought that was a dirt jump frame?

If you're starting from scratch your best bet for decent value might be going for complete bike for eg like:
Marin Rocky Ridge (top of the range):
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Kona Five-O (2 models):
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Genesis Abyss (or the steel Alptitude):
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NS bikes Core (1 or 2):
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chammy !

Sold my Cotic BFe as it was too good for me 😳

I was in the same situation and got a Orange P7 Pro about a month ago - it is awsome DH and feels solid. I have it with the Fox Float fork which was an upgrade but well worth it - this frame can take a longer travel fork which some hardtails arent set up for geometry wise. I could have afforded an entry level full susser but opted for a top end hard tail. I have no regrets with this bike!!!

DMR Trailstars worth a look

Orange Crush or Marin Rocky Ridge (I went for the second one and love it)

BFe/Dialled Alpine/NS Surge/Stiffee/Chameleon/456/Bluepig/MMBop/Tran sition TransAM.

Take your pick, like as not they'll all be fine.

And the Sovereigns down to 500 odd quid now.

oh bugger it... i'll post my alpine again... i love this bike 😀

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Cove Stiffee, Santa Cruz Chameleon, Marin Rocky Ridge Genesis Core(?)

The new BFe, obviously.

BLue Pig

Hardcore Hardtail you say?

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Probably a bit beyond what you had in mind, however either a Trailstar or an Exalt would make a good bargain bin thrasher frame...

Gonna get me an NS Surge soon as my RM flow has a crack, she has done me proud though...

rj; where are evil sovs £500 BTW?

simply_oli_y - Member

ns surge is great.
i've got one. nuff said.

Any chance of a pic Oli?

I'm seriously thinking of getting one of these frames myself right now, to save my full sus over the winter (Rear shock WILL need a service, and all the bearings will need replacing if it gets ridden through the winter grime). I'd be building it with Fox 36's and some reasonably hardcore kit, and the NS Surge looks ideal to me... Well, not as ideal as an Evil Sovereign, but the Surge is less than 1/3 the price!

Another Rocky Ridge fan here, I've since fitted bigger tyres, gone ghetto tubeless and dicked about with the handlebars/seatpost, and what i've ended up with is amazing fun on downhills, but climbs ridiculously well, perhaps better than my dedicated xc hardtail...

Dialled Prince Albert anyone???

That DMR looks great are they rockshox judy dho up front?

You can't go wrong with any of the above, I have a new style chameleon frame for sale in the classifieds.

yea, here you go.

domains are borrowed, something slightly lighter would be nice.
can wander a little, climbing with forks at full travel. so better with talas over van/float. but i'm sure you'll manage.
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Chromag Stylus - £585 on CRC
Truly a real hardcore hardtail!

Not a Soul, they're great but they're not that hardcore. Though a bit more hardcore now that they're warrantied for 140mm, I'd still want something a wee bit slacker. 456SS or Mmmbop is what I'd be looking at, personally, but there's all sorts.

Oli, that's the Large rather than the Medium I assume? How tall are you? I'm 5ft10 or therabouts. Thinking the Medium (15.5") would be right for me, with a 410mm Thomson post (inline)...

Forks would be 36 Floats, but I've got used to riding my full sus bike (Giant Reign X) with these up front uphill, I just run an inline post and I'm quite adept at bending my arms a lot and leaning forward whilst climbing! Are those Domains you're running the 115-160mm travel version? And how do you find it as a general use "XC" bike (for lack of a better term), not just for throwing off things? I've got an XC hardtail for taking out on more specific XC rides, but if I'm out messing about for a few hours, inevitably you're going to have to do some up and along as well as just down...

Chromag Stylus - £585 on CRC
Truly a real hardcore hardtail!

With a hardcore price too!

Very nice, but at that price I'd still have the Evil Sovereign every time. In fact, I'd have a Cotic BFe at 200 odd quid less than that Chromag to be honest!

I can't recommend a Surge enough, why it was me who introduced Oli to one (probably). I spent a summer in the Alps doing XXXC so there was lots of brutal climbing and awesome descending and it was a dream. Run mine with coil u turn pikes. Climbing is mint.

Sam, just buy one. (Assuming it's you).

That DMR looks great are they rockshox judy dho up front?

Taking the piss?
If not they're older model 7" Boxxers with a bad rattle can paint job....

Taking the piss?
If not they're older model 7" Boxxers with a bad rattle can paint job....

sorry i honestly thought they were, still years ago I'd have walked over hot goals for a set of judy dho

yea thats the large. i'm just over 6'1. and like my bikes long.
medium would suit you fine.
yea wind down forks, and good for general riding,. done 70km days on it without too much worry.

jcrompton did indeed introduce me to it. banging good fun it is. our mate has a sovereign (bastid) and while its lovely, its 3 times the price (on the new tange tube set). and not that much better.

Orange crush or Sub Zero

Dialled Prince Albert - good on everything from xc trails to downhill courses:

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Orange Crush 😀

dmr exalt if you want to save pennies.

dialled alpine if not.

i`ve heard good things about ns bikes too.

Thanks stompy, rj, rs, Scott and Van for the Prince Albert and Alpine recommendations.

Prince Alberts are in short supply at present (only large/19" sizes left then no more until next year) but the new Mk2 Alpines arrive this week 🙂

Something a bit different - Commencal Ramones

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Actually while I’ve posted up my Exalt I wouldn’t advise you to get one unless you’re after what is essentially a DH bike without a rear shock… I find it more fun than any full bouncer I have ever owned,

Do you really want to run a silly long fork? (6” +) or are you after something which like you said can do a bit of climbing and has a sensible tougher 4-5” fork?

The Exalt is a bit too slack for anything more than DH use (mine is used purely as a DH bike, road cassette, silly forks, etc), plus it’s I think it over a pound heavier than the Trailstar frame…

Trailstar with a Pike is a pretty tough, pretty cheap “Hardcore HT” but seeing as this is STW you’ll probably buy a 456 which would do the job about as well… best tool for the job is probably a Dialled Alpine…

How hardcore do you want?

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This is my unbreakable... seatpost at full extension for the ups, and drop it away for stunts, jumps and silly stuff. I've broken more stuff than I care to remember but this is my nemesis... but I'm trying.

Weighs about 34lbs but it does have 200mm 6pot ti brakes, 2.5" DH tyres and Diabolus finishing kit.

point243 racing do a very similar frame - check out www.balfa.co.uk.

Like a love-struck teenager I still miss this, but sadly its frame turned into the receipt for two weeks nursery bill for the children...
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Not great for pootling about on, but thrash it & by god it was simply brilliant.

Oooops.

Got a KOna Five-O frame and built it up burly, Saints, Pikes etc and very impressed with it, not that heavy and rides nicely, climbs alright and is a blast downhill.

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ridiculous, specific HT downhill bike.

cant wait to get my summer season, gonna use it for heavy trail bashing, and toying with entering some "miniDH" races on it too 🙂

currently mourning the fact its not slot dropout 🙁 (too much time to think about it before it arrives)