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The chose out there is mind boggling and am looking to buy a top notch hardtail mountain bike. Must be 26" wheel size and light and no rear suspension, sub 20lb as I live in the Forest of Dean and I love cycling up hills and there are some crackers around here. Obviously looking to buy used and prepared to go up to about £2,500, any suggestions?
How come it has be 26? For that money you could get a decent light 29er.
But if it has to be 26 you are spoilt for choice. Scott Scale or Whyte 19?
What about building a frame up?
Naughty carbon 26" frame https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/radon-black-sin-26-frame-black-grey-708266
https://m.pinkbike.com/buysell/2302422
OP , if you fancy an FS with lockout at both ends instead I have this at my house. This was my friends bike that I have stripped to sell for his family as he recently passed away due to aggressive kidney cancer.
The bike was always well looked after with no expense spared in its upkeep , he was always a bit of a weight weenie and I'd have it myself if funds allowed.
£2,500 for a 26" bike, should be able to get a gold plated one for that.
£2,500 for a 26″ bike, should be able to get a gold plated one for that.
Won't be light though.
I built my Soda down sub-20lbs for under a grand, it's piss easy with 26ers because exotic bits cost nothing. In fact the lighter the bits the less they're worth- there's more market for 26 inch hardcore hardtails and dh bikes than there is for XC bikes.
What size frame are you looking for?
Scott Scale RC 600 2012. I've got one that is stock and comes in at 8.7kg
thinking about selling to a friend. Would you be interested if he doesn't want it?
Too small for me as I am 6'1" so need a large or x-large frame.
6'1?
Seriously just go and splash the cash on a brand new 29r with warranty and resale value
Thinking of selling my Cotic Soda in size large, pretty light and could be made a lot lighter with investment. Let me know if you are interested
Very light indeed but a bit overpriced me thinks
prepared to go up to about £2,500
New - then you don't have issues with finding new forks in a couple of years as there wont be many 26", light, straight steerer forks left....WHY spend that much on what is becoming an old tool...
Carbon, full XT etc https://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s155p7583/MERIDA-BIG-NINE-7000-2017
Carbon, tubless light wheels, full SLX etc https://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s182p8045/SCOTT-SCALE-720-2017
Carbon GX Eagle, 29er https://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s155p9005/MERIDA-Big-Nine-6000-2018
As others, why 26er? Not a criticism or anything, if you're trying to get the weight to an absolute minimum you'll shave a couple of grams off rim and tyre weights, but I'd be surprised if it was actually faster anywhere but a smooth steep climb.
There is a large Ibis Tranny frame (29" version) on the UK Ibis riders Fb page. £600. Invisi-frames and looks very tidy.
We have 26" Tranny's which are pretty quick so I assume the 29" will be fasterer.
As others have said ... at 6' 1" I'd most certainly be looking for a lighter bike than a 26er... for going up hills.
you’ll shave a couple of grams off rim and tyre weights
With light tyres a 29er is always going to be lighter than the equivalent 26er... its just got less heavy frame plus its going to roll much faster. Simply put an inch of Rim height weighs less than an inch of frame height... and with light tyres that continues to hold true
in a couple of years as there wont be many 26″, light, straight steerer forks left….WHY spend that much on what is becoming an old tool…
It's already getting much harder .(and don't forget non Boost etc).. a year ago there were some bargains (£300 for 26" SID's) but even then straight steerer was a challenge and I ended up using a external headset on the kids bike. Loads of heavy 26" forks were available but just finding light 26 forks was already a challenge.
Almost all of what's available and decent is either 15 or 20mm thru axle, boost, tapered or all of the above.
With light tyres a 29er is always going to be lighter than the equivalent 26er… its just got less heavy frame plus its going to roll much faster. Simply put an inch of Rim height weighs less than an inch of frame height… and with light tyres that continues to hold true
OK, I can't get my head round that…
Firstly, let's ignore "it's going to roll much faster"; that's nothing to do with weight (if anything, heavy things roll better). Surely an "equivalent 26er" isn't going to be much different in weight? If all the important points stay in pretty much the same place, you'll have a slightly longer head tube, a very slightly shorter down tube as a result, and you can get away with shorter chainstays. Where does the 29er save weight? How is "frame height" an issue? People who ride a 19" 26er don't swap it for a 16" 29er: that's not "equivalent". And if you're talking about light tyres, a 26" one is always going to weigh less than a 29" one with the same construction.
Nor me....
and just to further deepen the wormhole what about extra inches of rotating weight.......
OK, I can’t get my head round that…
Well probably you didn't really read it.
The 6"1' OP is looking for a bike to climb... used at £2500 which is carbon territory for both frame and wheels
We (and the OP) sit at the same height regardless of the frame when climbing with the bars at the same height.. and an inch of frame/steerer weighs more than an inch of rim and XC tyre.
It might not be obvious but this is why a large frame (regardless of if its a 26, 27.5 or 29) weighs more than a small frame.
People who ride a 19″ 26er don’t swap it for a 16″ 29er: that’s not “equivalent”.
Of course they don't ... why would they even assuming frames were measured like that? The hubs are located in the centre of the wheel... the radius whereas the diameter is double the radius (if 26 meant 26 and 29 meant 29 which it doesn't but then "frame size" isn't measured consistently anyway and 26 isn't 26 and 29 isn't 29 .. )
You can get away with shorter chainstays
But why would you want to do this on a bike for climbing?
Surely an “equivalent 26er” isn’t going to be much different in weight?
Probably not much ... if you find a fork with a carbon steerer and have a light seat post. Regardless most of the weight will be in the components on a carbon wheeled and framed HT.
just to further deepen the wormhole what about extra inches of rotating weight
That's true but not hugely relevant to climbing at lower speeds balanced with less rolling resistance.
As it happens btw I don't own a 29er and I do own a 26er HT (and 2x 27.5) but I'm 5'10" not 6"1' and not looking for a bike specifically for climbing. At 5'10" with short legs I find my 27.5 wheel hits may arse often enough when pointed downhill and in the air... but the OP is 6'1" and hasn't mentioned descending, only climbing.
I like my 26 for being agile... especially on twisty descents... but the OP still didn't mention descending only climbing.
All that aside the problem is still almost none is still making lightweight (climbing) 26er specific components and those that still do are end-of-line.
A year ago I was looking for 26", straight steerer, QR light forks.... and choice was compromise on either steerer or axle and even then I couldn't buy a proper light fork and ended up with an Al steerer. I compromised because I wasn't after a climbing specific fork and I could also add an external HS lower to accommodate the tapered steerer and because at the time it was 50% discount and one of the last in the country.
Today ... the choice off major UK sites is pretty much zero. Damage the fork and the bike is a right off until you source replacement parts.
We (and the OP) sit at the same height regardless of the frame when climbing with the bars at the same height
Well, exactly. So the only real difference in terms of meat is the fork and head tube. A 29er will have a shorter head tube but will have a heavier fork, because the legs are longer and (as a result) the crown needs to be stronger.
I'm sure the differences are pretty slim, I'm just unconvinced by the idea that a 29er frame and fork "always" offers a greater weight loss over a similarly constructed 26er than is gained by the larger wheels.
I confess I've not purchased two such bikes and weighed them 😉
That said, it's a rather academic argument and I agree that 26" probably isn't the best place to start looking to build a superlight/climbing specific bike in 2018.
https://pronghornracing.dk/product?ProductID=PROD304
There you go. £1500, 19 lbs.
I know it's 27.5", but you'd have £1000 left over for some 26" bling carbon wheels.
I confess I’ve not purchased two such bikes and weighed them
It's not massive but if you take say a Giant XtC Advanced 1 in 26/27.5 and 29 the components are more or less the same (once you pull off the 2x on the 26)
I've specifically looked into this for Jnr's next XC Race bike ... he's currently on 24" but I've been looking into if I go 26 or 27.5 next... and it will be XC specific because he rides DH and big trails on his DH/Enduro bike.
(He hasn't decided yet between XC and DH... and when he gets older then he gets allowed to race Enduro too)
So I was initially looking at picking up some 26er bargains.... and he already has some 26" SID's on his DH/Enduro bike (he weighs 25kg fully kitted up with FF) but sticking everything in a spreadsheet the 26ers work out heavier.
I’m sure the differences are pretty slim, I’m just unconvinced by the idea that a 29er frame and fork “always” offers a greater weight loss over a similarly constructed 26er than is gained by the larger wheels.
It's not ALWAYS... At least my spreadsheet is specific to weight weenie... (carbon rims, bladed spokes and ultralight hubs, carbon steerers etc. ) stuff I was hoping to buy bargain basement in 26"...
That said, it’s a rather academic argument and I agree that 26″ probably isn’t the best place to start looking to build a superlight/climbing specific bike in 2018.
That is the more important point.... I just mentioned the weight as an aside..
The biggest issue IMHO is lack of spares .... there is a huge difference today vs a year ago and a year ago it was already looking thin. A year ago I was warned away from SID dual-air (which would be better for Jnr's weight) due to lack of spares...
