It may be that nothing comes of this, but y'know, it wouldn't be a bike forum if N+1 didn't rear its head every now and again...
I've probably got more bikes than I need already: full suss, carbon hardtail, gravel bike, road bike, commuter. But I've been trying to work out some rationalising and thinking that, for 90-95% of the riding I do, a hardtail is easily 'enough'. My current hardtail's a relatively racey XTC Composite, albeit with a 120mm fork on it, and while it's lovely and light and fun, it's not the bike I would choose to ride, say, the steeper rockier bits of CyB (Addams Family/Y Slab) on - those being the most recent example of a place I ride that others might know. Maybe that's down to the low bars and no dropper setup, but also it's a light racy carbon hardtail and I'm not the lightest of riders on it.
I've spent various idle moments perusing various purveyors of fine steel. The Cotic Solaris has been on my radar for a while, ditto the Stanton Sherpa, and recent looks have also thrown up the Pace RC529. I'm still hesitant/reserved/unsure about the latest geometry stuff, making things hugely long and chucking a tiny stem on, but I'll admit I've not demoed anything yet.
'Demo everything' is the most predictable but actually useful answer, but I'm after opinions as well. Anyone tried any/all of these things, anyone got any other possibilities I should look at, any opinions on one over another?
Given how capable and reliable FS bikes are now, I see no attraction in a HT.
I rationalized and got a Bronson with 160 up front. It does everything better than my HT with the exception of climbing fire road.
I can handle that. 😊
I didn't say it was rational, Nobeer!
I have a capable and reliable FS bike - a Rocky Mountain Element 970 - already. I don't ride anything that requires 160mm anywhere, I have neither the skills nor the cojones for that, and I like climbing, so anything longer than the 100mm on the Rocky is out.
Well forked (i.e. between 130-160mm) forked 29er hardtails are great fun.
Add the Chromag Rootdown, Pipedream Moxie and Nordest Bardino to your list too.
Given how capable and reliable FS bikes are now, I see no attraction in a HT.
Each to their own. I’m the polar opposite, rode hardtails, tried full sus, next MTB will be a hardtail again.
Production Privee Shan GT is worth looking at too OP. I love the look of the Stanton Switch9er, but would be overkill for what you’re after I think.
It's not steel but I'd recommend a Bird Zero 29. I've had mine a month, raced (cough) GT7 on it and did a load of jumps and berms on it last night. Great fun.
If it helps -
I have a Stanton Sherpa and it's amazing!!
I've been riding it non-stop since I got it.
I also own a Giant Trance 29er and that's OK but the Sherpa is amazing.
So much fun - it climbs like a rocket and flies along on the flat. Grintastic.
It's OK going down - it can handle the top of Dumyat happily enough but I would not take it anywhere near Golfie or Aberfoyle, which I don't ride anyway.
Yes, you want a Slackline or something like that for steep stuff (in addition to a Sherpa)
Onza payoff looks good for 699 quid
Solaris Max LS here. Perfect trail bike for me. Can do a bit of everything on it. I’ve got it set up with a 120 fork but can change internally up to 140. Haven’t felt the need to yet. Razzed it round the woods, rode xc, done 5 hr rides and a bit of bike packing on it. I’ve also got a Carbon Spearfish and I haven’t got it out of shed since the Cotic came along.
Awesome bike.
Curtis AM9
I have a Stanton switchback gen 1, which I got about 3 years ago. Loved it, but then up popped a P7 29 for less than £1k new! earlier this year. I haven't ridden the Stanton since. It's the 29 thing. It's so fast and the geometry and standover height is spot on for me. In fact it's quicker than my patrol FS on my local trails.
I have been looking at the same - SolarisMAX, Pipedream and pace 529. I agree a demo would be great, but struggle to get the time to get get up north....
Pipedream looks like a good option in cycle to work scheme.
Got a Sherpa and can highly recommend it. Lovely ride, well balanced in terms of climbing and descending, just a great all round frame. Reach wise it’s not very long at all and the seat angle isn’t on trend either, but the overall ride is great.
For the last year or so I’ve run it pretty beefy - 120mm 34mm fork, biggish tyres and it’s bern fine on tech. Recently put it back into XC mode with 100mm forks, lighter wheels and tyres and it absolutely flies, as per stirlingcrispin’s comments. I think I prefer it in this mode actually, bottom bracket is a bit lower and handling a little sharper.
I was full sus and have just got rid of it and gone back to a hardtail. I just wanted to be back fully connected to the trail. I am just waiting to receive my new Pace RC529 next week.
Ritchey P29 a possibility?
P7 or upgrade to a more exotic metal and get a Sonder Signal Ti
Got a Solaris and it's excellent.
Does 12mile tarmac commutes, back the 'pretty way' via Three Brethren and Yair Forest, it does all day open moorland rides, it does EWS stages (not racing) but has been raced in my first enduro, really can't fault it.
Salsa El Mariachi might be worth a look, I have the titanium version as my race bike, was torn between a steel one of these and the Cotic as a spare bike, but a bit of a bargain Solaris came up so that swung it for me.
Would avoid the Pace you mentioned though, terrible warrenty support from Pace
Peter Verdone has done some clever seattube things to get max dropperage for Ronnie Corbett types like me. Santa Cruz does a similar thing with the Chameleon - a sort of hockey stick seat tube with the necessary curve all at the bottom, rather than radiused from about halfway up.
Over this side of the pond? I'd have a look at something like the Shand Shug, more specifically what Frazchops of that parish built in his spare time recently. Nice looking bike, that.
Just put a dropper on your existing hardtail.
Just put a dropper on your existing hardtail.
Would only work with a under-saddle lever, the frame's got no internal routing or hose guides.
Thanks for all the ideas and comments folks, there's a few options I hadn't spotted. Will do some digging and see where we end up. Cheers!
I just wanted to be back fully connected to the trail.
Surely you should be rigid then, probably singlespeed, nay fixie for proper purist-trail connection! Haha!
A dropper on a frame with no external routing is no problem, just route along an existing cable with ties or something. You could change setup on your current bike (as i did a while back) but something like a Solaris or Sherpa are very different bikes from your Giant. Much more capable down and still handy up. I'm amazed at how a 29er steel hardtail with 66 deg head angle and 74 seat angle and 50mm stem can climb. They dont beat you up as much going down and you have options with wheels/tyre builds etc.
Sonder have a steel signal on the way soon and teh new On One 29er but any of the others mentioned already would be a lot of fun over what you have now.
Just put a dropper on your existing hardtail.
Would only work with a under-saddle lever, the frame’s got no internal routing or hose guides.
See, the great thing about steel is that a half decent frame builder can hack it about relatively easily. I know you can't do this with crabon or alloy as easily, so let's treat this as another reason to buy a really lovely steel frame and justify spending a bit more in the name of future proofing.
A long time ago I called up Chris DeKerf, spent about 30 seconds getting over the fact that the geezer who picked up the phone was That Chris Himself, asked nicely to buy some new decals because I was getting my Generation resprayed and also if he would recommend fitting a disc mount to the back of the frame. Turns out he did recommend that, and for the princely sum of CAN$70, even sent me a beautiful calliper tab, teeny tiny fillets about the size of a fingernail and a curved seat/chainstay reinforcement that Argos down in Brizzle brazed in place. At the same time they removed the canti studs, filled a little dent (Thanks, baggage handlers) and brazed on some hose guides (Argos asked for the rear hub, disk and brake to make sure it all fitted right, and called me up to run through the job sheet and check everything was right before doing any work). Argos then resprayed it in a lovely metallic green. It looked beautiful, worked perfectly and meant that I kept that frame for 11 years before passing it on to a friend who, as far as I know, is giving it the beans it deserves still.
So yeah, steel hardtails and the men and women who make them. Warm fuzzies, people.
I’ve owned two Sherpas over the years and really wish I hadn’t sold the last one. They are an absolute hoot and reading this has made me want the latest one
I have a Sherpa and have recently bought a Pace RC627. They are both great rides but the Pace, with it’s “on trend” geometry, is more capable downhill. That said, the Sherpa is more versatile, it is better for all day rides, smoother over small stuff and lends itself better to bike packing (if that’s your thing). It depends what you want but I am tempted by a 29er that has the qualities of both.....a Cotic Solaris Max for example or a Sonder Signal.
As for demos, Cotic travel the country to give demos and Alpkit are apparently opening a store soon in Surrey.
I'm in the minority here I think much preferring my Solaris Max as a 27.5 chub over the 29s. Run it with a 140mm X-Fusion fork and 170mm dropper. Also prefer the M to the L at 5ft11.
I really liked the original but the max is even better. It's been awesome fun in the FoD but ridden it in all over the place. It's also a comfortable all day bike with 12psi in the tyres.
I've added a Rimpact to the back as I've burped it a couple of times.
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Pic on the classic black mountains loop out of Crickhowell.
I’ve been riding a Pole Taival for the last two weeks and it’s an absolute hoot. It’s quite the head-turner in satin red too.
https://polebicycles.com/taival/
Cheers for the suggestions all. Leaning towards the NS Eccentric as a starter for 10, seems like decent value and the parts I might want to upgrade early (brakes, for example) I can cannibalise across from another bike. I've tended to buy parts and build my own/swap stuff around, but the problem is with newer standards like Boost, I've nothing compatible to swap from, so would be starting from scratch anyway - may as well look to buy a full bike for the first time in probably 20 years!
A mate pointed out that Cycle to Work's had the £1k cap lifted as well so it might well be a goer
Stanton are now doing Cycle to Work so could be an option on a Stanton frame and fork deal
Given how capable and reliable FS bikes are now, I see no attraction in a HT.
TBH, this equally applies to Nu-skool hardtails too. They are stunningly capable in comparison to those steep twitchy things we use to ride.
I’ve been riding a Pole Taival for the last two weeks and it’s an absolute hoot.
A pox on you sir! I am still waiting on mine. When did you order?