Just noticed the scandal frames are down to £199. I am looking at replacing a very old cotic soul 26 mtb. Just looking for an all round hardtail for days in the dales and 2 hours rides from home, and maybe the occasional trail centre. I am not the most skillful or fast rider. Would the scandal be ok for this...or is there anything better value around? Was just thinking of building it up myself over the next month or so with slx or gx etc.
Yes that'll do the job great
Also maybe the ragleys or nukeproof scout at chain reaction if not all sold
There a few good threads on this. I’d try google from outside the site
But the view is that they are good. I bought one for my grown up son and it’s been great
I'd have one of the Ragley frames over the Scandal. Had Ragley, had On One, the Ragley was the much nicer frame.
Ragley or Nukeproof Scout for me I think at the current prices.
If not the Scandal is a decent enough all round trail bike. Or a Sonder Signal steel if they’re discounted at all (I haven’t looked).
Yea, mines great, bought it as I was fed up with niche bikes or fads that were just a bit rubbish sometimes at riding everywhere every day.
So obviously I've singlespeeded it 🤣
Only negative is the standover is only OK, it'll probably take a 150mm dropper with low stack height for most people but not everyone.
And I think it could still be slightly lower BB and slightly slacker or shorter chainstays to pull the weight back a smidge. But I'm critical of most bikes. I actually put an unfashionable 70mm stem on it to balance the weight.
I've had a Scandal for a few years now, decent hardtail - mine has done everything and now sat with a Pike and 200mm dropper even though I mainly use it for bikepacking type trips.
It'll need pretty much all new components compared to your old 26er, is it cheaper just to buy a full bike rather than frame and then source everything?
def look on wiggle/crc at the ragley, nukeproof and even commencal frames which keep coming into stock
The Scandal is an excellent bike for what you want from it. The only criticisms I have for it are that It's a bit porky, and a bit blunt, i.e. after a few hours you know you're sitting on a fairly cheaply made frame with unprofiled tubes 'cause it's given you a bit of a battering. But for less than a couple of hundred quid, what else is there really?
I'd happily have another.
Do have a look at the full bike prices on CRC/Wiggle at the mo.
The only criticisms I have for it are that It’s a bit porky, and a bit blunt, i.e. after a few hours you know you’re sitting on a fairly cheaply made frame with unprofiled tubes ’cause it’s given you a bit of a battering
Mines one of the first frames made. I pre ordered mine and waited patiently for it. Perhaps they've changed the design or manufacturer if its now battering you. I think my XL was 2.2 kg with headset and maxles from memory. That compares well to the others.
Mines got a rigid carbon fork and I use it over winter and for bike packing. It's got 2.6 inch 29er tyres and Id say exactly the opposite to this quote.
When I'm bike packing I ride it for upto 12 hours a day. It's one of the most capable and comfiest hard tails I've ever ridden. Able to take on difficult technical terrain but also able to churn out the miles.
For £200 it's a bargain. If you don't like it you will be able to sell it and get most of your money back when px put the price back up to £600 rrp.
When I’m bike packing I ride it for upto 12 hours a day. It’s one of the most capable and comfiest hard tails I’ve ever ridden. Able to take on difficult technical terrain but also able to churn out the miles.
+1
Did the Badger Divide, loaded with camping gear and did 3 +60 mile days back to back, including one with +8000ft of climbing.
Did swap out the RS35 for a Pike I had spare.
jlc - I've got one built up with GX and 130mm Pikes I use for much the same stuff as you describe and I'm very happy with it TBH. Running decent 2.4 or 2.5 tyres on alloy rims, I'm really not finding it to be particularly harsh for what it is. Same as 'damascus' above, my XL weighed in at about 2.15kg if I remember correctly, so definitely not overbuilt like some more radical frames (Stoic, Meta, Scout maybe?). I've heard 'harshness' levelled at them before elsewhere, so who knows, but it hasn't really been my experience... maybe I just have different expectations for an aluminium hardtail? Maybe some people rode them with the wooden Panaracer rubber Planet X fits as standard?
Geo-wise, I guess it's a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none. But it works as intended.
On One/Planet X do seem to have a maligned reputation - customer service, certain build specs and the odd product so cheap it just has to be rubbish, etc, etc. But of all the negative points I've heard thrown about, a £200 Scandal frame isn't one of them IMO. Indeed, the only downside I've encountered during ownership is telling people you own one, particularly on the internet...
I was going to say, I think mines pretty comfortable, certainly nicer than a lot of frames I've ridden, including steel ones.
Weight wise, it's not a <1kg carbon XC bike, but you already know that. It is lighter than most competitors bikes, if only by virtue of all the competitors being Steel (Ribble 725, Stiff Squatch, Cotic Solaris).
Geo-wise, I guess it’s a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none. But it works as intended.
Sums it up, it's a trail bike to go riding on. Not too light, not too slack, it goes where you point it whether that's up or downhill without ever feeling like it's not enough.
It’s one of the most capable and comfiest hard tails I’ve ever ridden.
Yeah, I thought that, until I rode a genuinely comfy bike 😂. Maybe it was just me then, but I did find the back end gave me a hard time after 3-4 hours in the saddle
Re: Ragleys
I've waxed lyrical about mine in it's own thread, but having owned steel hardtails for many, many years. I had no idea that this long(ish), low, aluminium aggro bike would be so comfy and also fit me so well. It's brill
Yet again we are back to can a frame bend enough to be noticeable when you’re riding 2.4 inch tyres
Yet again we are back to can a frame bend enough to be noticeable when you’re riding 2.4 inch tyres
Yes, next question.
Anyone that thinks otherwise needs to go ride some truly overly stiff frames.
Yet again we are back to can a frame bend enough to be noticeable when you’re riding 2.4 inch tyres
Or...
People that have ridden bikes for years are stating whether they find a particular bike comfy or not?
Yet again we are back to can a frame bend enough to be noticeable when you’re riding 2.4 inch tyres
I do struggle to tell the difference between forks so I'm probably not a good person to ask.
However, I can tell the difference between a 2.3inch tyre and a 2.6 inch tyre. So what ever hardtail you buy make sure it's got the tyre clearance on the rear.