I m selling my full suss Canyon as I need a hardtail and have seen a good offer on a Ragley Bluepig. How do steel hardtails ride as it looks amazing apart from the obvious weight issue? Do they actually feel heavy to ride? Should I stick with my first choice of a Bird Zero?
Its a subjective subject! I think that steel has more 'feel' to an aluminium hardtail. I think they are a blast to ride and somehow more alive than aluminium. The weight penalty is not noticeable to me and at speed, the handling far outshines lighter weight aluminium.
just swapped my stuff from an inbred to a scandal (so same geo) doesn't feel any harsher. does feel a lot lighter.
It really comes down to the design/tubing. My old steel 456 was a fun bike but didn't really have any 'feel', but something made with quality tubing, like the old steel Breezers for instance, felt great.
Old fashioned 26 inch wheeled Soul here. It is every bit as much fun as my 27.5 Anthem SX. The steel comfort removes a bit of the riding fatigue I think and it doesn't feel harsh at all.
I'm on a 29er HT - Chromag Rootdown with 140mm pikes..
Ruddy love the thing. Quite heavy (like, 6.5lb frame!) but rides beautifully..
DrP
I have a Ragley Blue Pig- the older model, not the latest one, and I really like it. It's quite heavy but I was pleased to find that it climbs pretty well. In fact it climbs better than my Cotic Soul. The Soul is lighter but the front end always wants to come up even if I put my weight further forwards.
On my El Mar I really felt the [i]steel feel[/i] when I fitted rigid forks, when it had suss forks on it just felt heavy..
Loving mine so far, doing lots of stuff I wouldn;t have done on a hardtail in the past.
Definitly recommend big wheels - and big tyres.
i had a connondale trail sl aluminium and a dialled PA steel frame. the PA was noticeable stiffer and less compliant. it also had crap geometry so was sold.
I like steel hardtails, but they're no all equal.
My old BFe was a rigid, stiff pig of a bike with no feel. The Slackline 853 that replaced it was a much nicer bike to ride with some feel and compliance.
My Switchback 631 was a bit stiffer / harsher which I out down to the bold through rear end, bigger diameter seat tube and headtube. It was still nice enough to ride all day. My old Chameleon used to batter me to death.
Love a steal HT, Mine is a 456 evo 2 which some might say is made of broom handles but I love how it rides and love the seat stay details.
But there's other things like when gravel and stoves flick off the tyre and hit the steel frame it doesn't just ping it piiinnngggs!
Know what I mean?
Stanton! Get one now!! You will love it!!!!
Steel hardtails are lovely. That is all.
I have a Solaris and an El Mariachi (although the latter is being run rigid)
Just found out from a mate that he's got a 45650b arriving next week, don't know much about them to be honest
I love steel hardtails but my pinnacle Iroko is far more compliant (and lighter) than the on one it replaced.
On steel, you dont land jumps but touch down 🙄
I ride a carbon Niner RDO (geared) and a steel Ritchey P29 with niner rigid forks (ss) and it just as much a blast and lively as my Niner!! Build it on the lighter side you will feel the benefits...
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If I just built the carbon frame I've got hanging in the garage it'd immediately be 3lbs lighter.....but that's not the point.And I like ferrous bikes.
Don't think I'd ever have an ally hardtail again. Been on steel for years now and although subtle, the feel is better imho.
Had a Charge Blender, a Dialled PA, a Transition Trans-Am, and just bought a PP Oka, which I'm riding for the first time in anger tomorrow. I loved my Trans-Am but fancied something a smidge slacker, plus I found the Trans-am with my 150mm forks was way too light in the front on steep climbs.
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But would it be ok to go steel for a do it all bike? I only have room for one bike so i will have to commute on it (which often involves going the long way home in summer through the fields) and weekend trail centre rides, red and blue routes mostly. I loved the feel of my old singlespeed inbred which is why I am tempted again. Saw a good deal on an Onza Jackpot today. Looks very very nice but another brand I don't know much about.
Had an Orange crush, Cotic soul mk3, Slackline Ti and now on a Switchback mk1.
The switchback is an amazing do it all bike even with the slack HA and find it very 'comfy.'
I won't go back to an aluminum frame and quite happy to live with the weight penalty of steel.
No problem having a hardtail as your only bike. I've only just bought my first full suss after 20+ years of mtb! Probably a better choice for you as a 'do it all' and less maintenance too.
Love my BFe and have a Prince Albert to build up. I ride my BFe everywhere from xc to Surrey Hills trails. Now I don't jump much aside from a few simple pops and as such I only ride my FS on holiday now. O would imagine you will fi d a steel HT lighter than your Canyon so does weight bs say Carbon realy matter ?
I'm sold on Steel and wouldn't buy another alu or a carbon frame.
i have just gone back to full rigid steel hardtail, just like i started on in 1985. 😀
What did you go for Tony? I always wanted a Dekerf, they were lovely.
Steel for me, tried a few Alu frame but never felt the love.
Yet to try Carbon or Ti but can't see me going those routes.
Cheers, Steve
What did you go for Tony? I always wanted a Dekerf, they were lovely.
jones+
On my ninth hardtail (out of sixteen mtbs, christ!), only two of the nine have been ally. All the others, including this one, have been steel of varying types.
There is a difference in the ride, steel does feel more 'pliant'.
I wouldn't have another ally ht again, but that's got nothing to do with the ride, as an ally frame could be made with some of the quality's of a steel one. I just think a (thin tubed) steel ht looks right, not a chunky ally one. YMMV
This one
[img][url= https://c3.staticflickr.com/2/1461/26674012522_e67b94c97a_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://c3.staticflickr.com/2/1461/26674012522_e67b94c97a_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/GD6hBC ]Bike shed[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/andygines/ ]andy.gines[/url], on Flickr[/img]
What did you go for Tony? I always wanted a Dekerf, they were lovely.
jones+
Nice
Steel Hardtail = smiles, lots of them!
Pics of the Jones plus please Ton!
[i]I m selling my full suss Canyon as I need a hardtail[/i]
Surely you mean WANT.
Probably the best/easiest/cheapest way is to just buy a frame and swap the bits over, then you can either 'park' the full-suss frame or sell it on.
No its definitely 'need'. I 'want' to keep my canyon but for various reasons can't. These include not being able to fit my sons bike seat on due to the rear shock.
I also have a Ragley bluepig (again, the older 26" model). I struggle a little bit uphill but one of my mates has a steel onone and frickin races up hills so it probably says more about me than the bike.
I think that the extra weight actually suits me on downhills - it feels a bit more solid and allows you to carry momentum over obstacles a bit more easily. I've not found that it limits me in terms of e.g. jumps, hops, skills, etc.
It's a very fun bike, although I've relatively little to compare it to, having never owned a full suss.
My steel hardtail history started with a Peugeot Tim Gould "replica" which weighed 37lbs. 1st mtb. loved it, rode it everywhere, nothing to compare it to.
Picket up cannondale beast of the east, 2nd hand 5 years later. Loads lighter, so much qucker. Rode that everywhere for a few years till it got nicked.
I always wanted a Dekerf, they were lovely.
I never thought I'd get one, but strolled into Recycle in Penge, and there was a Generation, 1 year old and mint, exact same spec as the one I'd been gawping at in MBUK.
Did exactly what a steel ht is supposed to, plush ride, soaked up chatter, and pinged me down the trail. went everywhere 2 gears faster, because it always rewarded another kick of the pedals.
Few upgrades and a respray later (and a load more miles) and it looked like this:
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Then I picked up a Dialled PA classic. Loads of fun, but built burlier, so doesn't have the same zing. Didn't see the point of 2 steel geared hardtails so did this to the dekerf. 17 years old and still as brilliant to ride as ever!
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OP as I think you can see most of us who have tried steel hardtails wouldn't go back to alu and if I really had to have just one bike it would probabky be a steel hardtail as I only "need" the fs maybe 10 days a year
the obvious weight issue
That the hardtail will be much lighter than your FS?
A quality steel frame, say, 853 - will surprise you by how light it actually feels. I used to ride a nicely built Soul and several non-enlightened riding buddies couldn't believe how light it was even stationary. On the trail I could flick it all over the place and the front wheel popped up with virtually zero effort.
Invest in a nice steel frame and forget about the 'weight issue'. There isn't an issue.
Steel all the way for me. Some have a definite tensile 'spring' to them. Try before you buy.
I had a blue pig as my only bike for ages. It's an absolutely brilliant do it all bike. With a 160mm lyrik up front it never felt out of its depth on anything at all. My friend now has it and he loves it as much as I did. Get one! (Although the Bigwig does have my curiosity).
John
I know there are a lot of On One haters on here but i've had this 15 months now and still really like it.
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This is actually not helping at all. I really thought the consensus would be that they are heavy and people have them as a 2nd or 3rd bike. Didn't realise the love.
Looks like my choice is between Ragley Blue Pig, Ragley Piglet, Bird Zero or second hand Onza Jackpot. May even consider a 45650b as they do look good and are great value.
Some great looking bikes on here though.
No its definitely 'need'. I 'want' to keep my canyon but for various reasons can't. These include not being able to fit my sons bike seat on due to the rear shock.
Just another thing to consider, if you've got a rear child carrier to fit, make sure you take a look at the location of the cables on the seat tube, a 1x11(or 10) might make more sense then you've no front derailleur cable to squash by mounting the seat (assuming it's the same type as my wife uses).
Had a 45650b, they are noticeably heavier than an 853 frame - but - when on the move they feel bombproof. Amazing tracking as the front end is super stiff. Beats the wrists up a bit as a result, but worth it for the steering.
Great value frame, almost throwaway pricing. Would be nice to have a bolt-thru rear end though.
