Looking for a hardtail to replace a very old 26 Cotic Soul (Drivetrain, components all need replacing soon and 9 speed). Don't use the MTB as much as I use to so don't want to spend a fortune on it, and will be used for riding in the Yorkshire Dales. I am not the best rider and struggle on anything too technical and don't ride fast or aggressive, just steady away.
Have not really kept up to date with all the modern geometry and changes. Looking at Planet X would the Scandal, Vandal be ok? or would the Titus El Viajero be better as a general bike.
Just looks like some good deals on those bikes, but happy to look elsewhere on other makes and models. Any help and suggestions would be most welcome.
Voodoo Bizango from Halfords seems to be the standard advice in these situations?
Planet X have some stonking deals on at present.
When I started MTBing a few years ago I treated myself to a Voodoo Bizango, cracking bike and would recommend.
There’s some good priced Vitus bikes on chainreaction too which are worth a look. Very much depends on budget but I’d be looking for Shimano 1 x 12 and a decent fork.
Pop along to Go Outdoors, Calibre Rake for £500/£550 with pretty reasonable spec and geo. Start there and work up, depending on what you want to spend.
Vitus Sentier from chain reaction in which ever wheel size/spec you fancy.
Or Sonder Dial (or Signal, but that's a bit more aggro)
The scandal will be fine, my son has one. You’ll need to add a dropper and possibly up grade the tyres
Or a Sonder like the Frontier. Benefits of buying from Sonder are test rides and they’ll build to your spec. sram sx has a poor rear mech so maybe ask for a gx one. The frontier is a 100mm fork and suns like the sort of bike that would be right for your riding
Or back to Cotic for a Solaris
I’ll say again you want a dropper. Droppers aren’t just for getting rad. They made riding safer and less intimidating
If you look second hand, you'll be swamped with good options going cheap, as it's a buyers market at the moment
FYI you don't need to add a dropper!
I’ll say again you want a dropper. Droppers aren’t just for getting rad. They made riding safer and less intimidating
Absolutely. They are essential for off road use on any budget or skill. In fact, the less skilled a rider the more crucial they become.
Thanks for all the replies so far - For £1500 it looks like you can get a Plant X Vandal, or for £1,000 a Scandal or Sentier.
In terms of the Vandal/Scandal - are they a good all rounder or more hardcore that my existing cotic soul?
How does the Titus El Viajero compare?
If you going to buy from planet x just book Mark the bike you want and sign upto the newsletter and wait for a sale. It won't be long.
Or look at the "ex display" bikes. They don't display bikes anymore so I think these are returns. Usually a couple of hundred quid off and just have a scratch.
Wiggle crc have some cracking deals at the moment. Vitus or ragley etc.
Or get on ebay, Facebook. Loads of 2nd hand bikes going for a bargain. Just avoid the ones that have been upgraded as these have usually been ridden a lot. Look for a stock bike with very little info on. These are probably covid bikes and been used on a canal tow path and stored in a shed.
And you do need a dropper Post. Makes such a difference to riding and gives you so much more confidence when the saddles out of the way.
Specialized Rockhoppers are getting heavily discounted just now. So much so, i got one for 50% off (Specialized Rockhopper Expert). At that price with 50% off i bought 2 identical bikes so spares/wheels are interchangeable.
No, you dont need a dropper post.
Just because you don’t think you ride hard, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get a bike with decent geometry. A slightly slacker head angle makes things more stable and a bit more reach again helps with that.
The Scandal is a pretty decent hardtail tbh - if you can get one with a good spec then go for it. I’d avoid sram SX like the plague - if you can get GX then that’s where it starts getting decent in my opinion. NX is ok - just the rear mechs can go sloppy quicker than GX / higher models.
Shimano Deore 11 speed is ok as is deore and up 12 speed stuff.
I think (without checking) that the Vandal is broadly a titanium Scandal. I don’t think that’s worth £500 more unless the spec on it is materially better. Aluminium is generally more reliable than cheap titanium and often lighter anyway.
Other bikes off the top of my head worth a look are:
Vitus Sentier - 29er
Nukeproof Scout 290
Bird Zero 29 (not sure if these will be cheap enough or not)
Some of the Ragleys - probably would go alloy over the steel ones unless you particularly want steel
Sonder Signal steel (as opposed to ti)
edit - I’d say make sure you do have a dropper post. Whenever you go downhill / round corners having the dropper lowered gives you way more room to move and place the bike. I’d give up my rear suspension sooner than lose my dropper post. Would possibly give up a suspension fork for rigid as well rather then lose a dropper.
Here is a link to thread on the Scandal. Concluding it’s quite versatile
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/can-we-have-a-whats-the-new-scandal-like-to-ride-thread/
FYI you don’t need to add a dropper!
No you didn’t need one. I off road for over 30 years without one. I’m still getting down pretty steep stuff on my gravel bike with out one. But my advice is still to get one. I hate not having one on my gravel bike
I am astonished that anyone says that a dropper post is unnecessary. I’d rather give up just about anything on a bike before the dropper post. Dropper posts have totally changed how I ride a bike.
the great news for anyone buying a MTB today is that modern geometry means you can ride a bike all day, or just bumble along, or d3scent some really hairy stuff - all on the same bike.
the Vitus stuff seems to take a lot of beating, from a value-for-money point of view.
Absolutely. They are essential for off road use on any budget or skill. In fact, the less skilled a rider the more crucial they become.
I def find droppers almost essential to enjoy a ride, but I'm not so sure about less skilled riders needing them more.
I'm known beginners before say they made no difference, which I realised was essentially as they rode with their body rigid and didn't know how to use the space a dropper creates. So that needs to be learnt first.
edit – I’d say make sure you do have a dropper post. Whenever you go downhill / round corners having the dropper lowered gives you way more room to move and place the bike. I’d give up my rear suspension sooner than lose my dropper post. Would possibly give up a suspension fork for rigid as well rather then lose a dropper.
Same, and I'd add my gears to that list (which I did for years)
Droppers are brilliant things and undoubtedly improve riding, but before they came along we all managed fine with QR seatclamps. If the bike you want has a dropper, great. If not, it's not the end of the world. As long as you can fit one later (if you want to) then it's all good.
Other bikes off the top of my head worth a look are:
Vitus Sentier – 29er
Nukeproof Scout 290
Both got big discounts on at the moment, 37%, 24% off, plus another 10% off, "SALE10", ending tomorrow. If I was buying today, I'd swing between the On-One Vandal and the Nukeproof Scout Elite or Race, depending on budget, and enthusiasm for Ti and bright yellow.
Wasn't the Vandal 4 or 5 hundred quid cheaper the other day, though?
I'd second the comments about modern geometry and dropper posts. If your bike enables you to ride differently more comfortably, it'll broaden your horizons and open your options, without making anything you currently ride less fun.
It's your experience riding your current bike that makes certain things scary.
struggle on anything too technical
Think about a few bits of your current loops that you don't like, or get off and walk for, or loops that you don't ride because you don't like getting off and walking for the uncomfortable bits. More capable bike: suddenly it's all fun. And you'll climb better too!
There's loads to go at in the Dales, don't let your comfort level on your current bike define you as a rider, and what you might find fun on a more modern bike.
Droppers are brilliant things and undoubtedly improve riding, but before they came along we all managed fine with QR seatclamps.
Absolutely but that's because we didn't know about droppers, probably because they didn't exist. But now? They do 😉
Plus modern geometry rewards weighting the front wheel more and hanging off the back (old school) does the opposite. So you end up even more stretches to get off the back plus unweight your front wheel giving you less grip.
Add a dropper in and you can weight the front whilst also lowering your centre of gravity in the bike as you don’t have a great big seat post in the way / up your arse. When reliable Brand X posts are often on sale for £100 it would be daft not to have one.