Money no object multi-use hardtaill?

My Rå .410. It’s my only HT, but it’ll do everything all my other bikes do, save for maybe the fast road bike. As for money no object, well, I have somewhat of a reputation in these parts…

I bought one - a shand bahookie with rohloff. Its a bit compromised at the extremes of wanderingaboutthescenery biking but as a do it all bike its good

Full custom build from the welder whose aesthetics you like the most.

Yeti ARC

Stanton Sherpa.

The correct answer is always a BTR Ranger.

https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/readers-rides-bike-check-james-btr-ranger/

Santa Cruz Chameleon? I mean, at least money will have to be no object!

Ibis 29" Tranny.
Will take a suspension or rigid fork and as money is no object, replace the rear triangle with their special 170mm spaced version for WildWinterbiking®

And its carbon. And you'll get a proper headbadge and its a lovely bike.

I'd get someone like Travers to make a titanium copy of my Mk1 Solaris. That really is a do it all bike, but a ti version would be lighter and just nicer😁

All your purposes are very different - so whatever you have got will need to be a compromise. I’d go with a 140mm forked 29er hardtail. Not too hardcore geometry - maybe 65 degree head angle / 75 degree seat angle / a sensible reach for your height etc.

I’d go to Curtis and get their AM9 with some custom tweaks. I’d then get their clear polished finish with clear lacquer over it I think. Unless I got it custom painted with some wild flip sort of thing - maybe candy paint with a layer of spectraflare over the top.

I would go frame only though and pick my own build kit. Probably a Lyrik Ultimate at 140mm travel, industry 9 hydra hubs on some bling carbon rims, Shimano XTR group set with those ti e-wings cranks, Trickstuff Maxima brakes, Bikeyoke dropper, Oneup carbon bars + a nice bling stem etc.

https://www.curtisbikes.co.uk/frames/am-enduro-trail/curtis-am9/

I have a custom Marino 140mm 29er hardtail, it's surprisingly multi faceted. I'm tempted to get some slicks to try it out but as I have a gravel/road bike it's not really necessary.

My 18 No.9, 2 years on it's still bloody ace, the new ones look amazing.

Came on to say 18 Bikes No.9 and just beaten to it.

I’d get someone like Travers carbon wasp to make a titaniumcarbon copy of my Mk1longshot Solaris. That really is a do it all bike, but a ticarbon version would be lighter and just nicer

Tbf I’d happily take titanium or carbon and a mk1 or a longshot but I reckon the longshot version at yeti arc weight would be an absolutely phenomenal bike

This.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51122444300_ff9ea47f3b_h.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51122444300_ff9ea47f3b_h.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

Also this.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52101351674_bbc4ddce27_h.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52101351674_bbc4ddce27_h.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

It depends on what matters most at the ends of “multi-use” for you. I wouldn’t want to do an XC race on my Pipedream Moxie but it would still work for that. I would like to do an uplift day on it. And everything else in between is fine too.

Came on to say 18 Bikes No.9 and just beaten to it.

Man of taste

everyone will put forward what they own obviously.
i bought a Salsa Fargo Ti built with a rohloff as my one bike to do it all.
i dont do jump lines, but it covers everything else you mentioned including Leeds bike park.
so for my kind of riding it is perfect............. BUT, if i were to ride the stuff i rode 10-15 years ago, i would get a stainless steel or Ti custom frame made, something along the lines of a solaris max, with a 130mm air fork and obviously a rohloff or pinion fitted.

everyone will put forward what they own obviously

Not me - I wish I owned a Curtis like I suggested above but decided the cost of the frame was too much - I’d have had to compromise to much in the build kit. I also went Pike over the Lyrik I suggested above as mine isn’t doing bike park duties.

With the mentioned requirements I’d go more towards the capable off road end as that’ll be fine pottering around with bags on over easy bridleways as well as the bike park stuff. An mtb at the other end with less capable geometry and parts could be horrific at a bike park or on steep tech.

Just to add my frame is Marino rather than Curtis due to cost. Really happy with what I’ve got - but I imagine the Curtis would be a bit lighter.

But if money was no object, surely I could afford a nice short-travel FS instead?

delete, wrong thread!

I’m riding a banshee paradox 3 now. Excellent frame, lls enough for more challenging stuff, but still nimble enough. Very light and a superbly damped ride on the chattery stuff. They’re certainly worth a look, but all the above are good. Modern hard tails are for the most part way more capable than those from a few years back

Yeti Arc 🤣

Some really nice suggestions.

I’m liking the SolarisMax idea in Ti (have two of these frames in steel) Switch9er Ti too…having demoed one.

Then I found this option. Like the idea of supporting a local business (aren’t all businesses local to someone?) and actually cheaper than importing from uk to Oz for me.

https://roostbike.com/product/roost-nero-ti-mtb-frame/

That Roost frame is still made in a factory in China and they’re air freighting them to Australia. They look very nice though 👌

The Curtis would be literally hand made and brazed in the UK - I think it would be more environmentally friendly to ship it rather than air freight it. Of course the steel has come from somewhere and doubt it’s the uk.

I was coming on here to suggest what I own - a Pipedream Moxie. It’s bloody brilliant at everything, but I’m not very XC and no bikepacking.
But that Roost looks really nice! 👌

That Roost frame is still made in a factory in China and they’re air freighting them to Australia.

Yes, i realise that. I broke my own rules with money being no object didn’t I?
There’s a few Australian custom frame builders that would knock up a similar set up… but double or triple the price.

My ‘British’ frames have pretty much been all around the world before I’ve touched them.

If we’re going for stuff we don’t have already, then this custom Prova…

It’s ok I guess 😍

Fairlight Holt would be mine, an absolutely beautiful looking bike and would handle more than I could ever throw at it. Wouldn't suit everyone's idea of multi purpose though.

Whichever was most expensive and easiest to sell, so I could get rid and replace it with a proper skills compensator full suss MTB

It’s ok I guess 😍

Second nicest HT at Bespoked 😉

Probably something from the Stanton closing down sale.

everyone will put forward what they own obviously.

Ha! Some of us can be objective about this.

I vote for a Production Privée Shan GT.

The entirely coincidental fact that I own one and it's awesome does not influence this post. At all.

everyone will put forward what they own obviously.

in my case very much obviously because what the OP suggests is very similar to my criteria for buying

My version is my hello Dave 😃

If it was money no object it would be the titanium version.

It's going bike packing this winter, it's fun on 50 miles in the peaks, it's fun on 50 miles on sus trans routes to Sherwood pines. It's super fun wiggling about on slippy steep enduro trails.

@tjagain

You taking your bahookie to bike parks and on jump lines?!

When the op says bike parks I’m not thinking Leeds urban bike park I’m thinking Revs / BPW etc

Clearly, it's the Starling Roost

-Can be used for bikepacking (accessory mount under the top tube)
- Can be used for jibbing (has the 27,5 wheel out back)
- Bike parks/dirt jumping - see the fella in their proimo videos doing the stuff I can't
- Trail riding - what I use mine for
- Shaving Mirror - 'cos it's all shiny

You taking your bahookie to bike parks and on jump lines?!

I haven't yet but its a more capable bike than the last one I took to glentress

Glentress isn't a bike park, it's a trail centre. I've got a Bird Zero 29. I think 130-140mm 29er is the closest you'll get to what you want.

I think 130-140mm 29er is the closest you’ll get

Seconded.

Something that’s light enough that you could credibly do something like a 12 or 24, or even just not hate an xc race, but also not just survive something like a day at an uplift.

Or, to put it another way, allowing for a change of tyres, it has to not make a misery of brighton big dog, bike park wales or bridleway bashing.

"Multi-use" for me wouldn't include Bike Parks or uplift days, and I wouldn't expect a Hardtail to be able to replace a 140mm+ full sus trail bike (especially not one with a motor!), so my multi use HT would be a bit more XC than most...

For me it would be a Curtis XC100 with a few revisions... Those being adjusted for a 120mm fork in place of a 100mm, 30.9/31.6 seat tube in place of 27.2, two sets of bottle cage bosses and stealth dropper routing... Probably build it with either a Fox 34SC or an Ohlins RXF34m.2, mechanical X01 Eagle (not a fan of AXS), Fox Transfer post, Hope XCR Pro X2 brakes (or maybe Trickstuff Piccola's if I could find a pair!), probably some Crossmax SLS's (Mavic wheels just ride sooooo nicely, but I'd keep my DT 240's as a spare set for when inevitably the Mavics break and I'm waiting for spares) etc...

In fact, I'm salivating just thinking about it! 🤔😂

Glentress isn’t a bike park, it’s a trail centre.

The difference is? I don't know

I think 130-140mm 29er

The bahookie is 120 mm - does the other 10 or 20 mm make much difference?

The difference is? I don’t know

Think of a Bike Park as an uplifted Trail Centre... Man made trails, with grades for all abilities, but you take the uplift to maximise the amount of time spent descending. As such, trails are typically wider and faster than most trail centres, and less suitable/enjoyable on a Hardtail IMO...

The bahookie is 120 mm – does the other 10 or 20 mm make much difference?

To people who count things only in numbers rather than quality, and don't understand just how badly a long forked hardtail geometry changes through the forks compression, then it can make all the difference!

To those of us who understand bicycle geometry and suspension performance a little better, then arguably anything over 120mm on a HT is a waste of time... But just as opinions are like arseholes, here everybody will have one, and there will be someone along in a minute to say how they won an XC race on a 160mm forked HT with Super Tacky tyres fitted too!