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I am replacing my general do everything, night rides, dog walking general riding with friends bike. Usually had short full sus for this sort of thing but can't help but find them a bit dull sometimes. Not planning on doing long epic rides any more, just little and often, usually 2-3 hours and I ride from my house. (Broke my pelvis this year)
I have an Orange Blood for mucking about in the woods and a lightweight 1X9 fully rigid for short fast rides.
Always loved hardtails and was considering a titanium Pipedream but can't afford it and then thought of an mmmBop.
However my last aggro hardtail was an Orange SubZero and this was a hoot but awful at XC and not appropriate for what I need now at all.
Would an mmmBop be too similar or can you actually cover ground on it as well as have a bit of fun on the way down?
I would intend to build it light. I'm not going to be smashing through rock gardens and if I am going to be leaping off things I have the Blood. Just want something that is good at technical and steep as well as some distance.
Any words of advice much appreciated.
Eddie
general do everything, night rides, general riding with friends bike
That's what I use mine for. Good at steep ups and downs.
In all honesty, yes, unless your XC is very technical. It's very fashionable I know but it's not suitable for mincecore.
Mine has been ridden more than my FS just about everywhere recently. It coped fine with the Real Ale Wobble last weekend too.
I've a 456, but planning on building up a 100mm hardtail for normal duties and either saveing the 456 for Alps/Spain or selling it and getting a pitch/reign type bike.
I've just built up a mmmbop with a set of 160 lyriks as a bit of a play bike. Had its first ride on a local XC loop (lots of tight and twisty stuff, roots, steepish ups and down) and first impressions were great. Usually do that ride on a SC Blur XC and thought the slack angles would make it feel a bit rubbish but the mmmbop was a lot better than I expected. Wouldn't be worried about covering miles on it. Taking it to afan this weekend for its first proper ride.
If you want to check out the build...
http://myragley.com/wicked-mmmbop
I'd heard that they were good at steep up and down but what about the in between, the gentle up and along?
Not suitable for mince core? I worry that this is what I need it for except that I don't know what mincecore is (although I feel I should)
Lots of rides with friends involve big XC loops with steep tricky bits thrown in at the end and I just can't do them on the rigid, arse up and head down it is too scary for me!
Mine is my official XC bike! Built light but tough, 26lbs and 150mm. Replaced my Soul, or will do once I get the replacement frame built up. It's not as good at it as a classic XC bike but it climbs amazingly well. Did a couple of hundred miles in a week in Wales and their trails go up and along and sometimes even down.
Having said that I reckon you might well be better off with something more along the lines of a Soul- a bit of long fork action but with a more allrounder design.
The mmmbop is much better at pretty much everything than at first glance it should be. The only place I found it disappointing was in really tight twisty singltrack where I found I had to ride like I was towing a trailer - out and round, if you know what I mean - or I kept clipping trees and falling off. Mind you, I'm not the most skilful of riders. I agree with Northwind: unless you're going to exploit it's uppy downy talents, you'd be better off with a soul or similar.
Thanks for the helpful comments. I will keep pondering a bit before I commit.