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Had two, neither were straight. Seemed to get good reviews tho (2004 ish)
Atomlab were shite, was that not the era of the best forgotten Trailpimp rims and exploding pedals?
I had a banshee morphine, used it for xc rides and anything else. that thing was never going to break
Never owned one, but it has to be the spooky metalhead......
I had a 1st gen chameleon and it was a great bike. But the metal head came out the year later and at the time I really,really wish had that bike.
GT Zaskar... finally upgraded from my GT pantera and built a zaskar, it was late 90s/early 2000s so the frame and fork (Z2 atoms) had both disc and v brake mounts. I got about 10 years service from it until it snapped across the left hand seat and chainstay from fatigue. When the disc mount had been added no additional reinforcement had been added. Sad day!
A friend rode an Identiti Dr Jekyll but I always fancied a chameleon but could never stretch to it.
Early - mid 90s
GT Zaskar or JMR's Specialized
Watch mbuk's Dirt 95 film (this deserves more views)
Late 90's into early 00's SC Chameleon or Planet X Jack Flash
Mid 00's Marin AXC Rocky Ridge.
Kona tended to cater for the more hard core orientated by adopting the sloping top tubes early on too.
There were various others in that era inc from Orange but often needing a custom build.
Late 00's then a lot more options but the Marin Rocky Ridge and Orange Crush were prob the most recognisable mainstream options in the UK and quasi affordable.
These days finding a hardtail that isn't hardcore seems to be the challenge.
I had a very sweet Mountain Cycle ‘rumble’ for a few years... was quite light and had monocoque head tube junction area, with short machines stays and was made for a 140 ish fork.
Slotted replaceable dropouts gave options for SS or gears. It’s was fab in drab olive green. If it had been tapered head tube, I’d still have it.
Sold it on here I think.
Not mine, but same as this.
It's a moving target isn't it, everything in the context of its own time. I owned a first generation Marin Rocky Ridge, but if you could transport it back in time, my current Sonder Transmitter would make it look like a shot, quick-steering xc bike. I owned all three of the original Ragleys - the only one I still have is the Ti - and they felt like a step forward at the time, now they feel short and tall, though the Ti is still a great, lightweight all-rounder. Cove Stiffee was pretty ground-breaking in its day as something with jump bike type robustness designed for wider riding. And that On One thing, erm, Planet X Armadillo. I remember looking at one of those and being amazed that anything could be quite so ugly.
Dawes Edge One. Made entirely of solid aluminium box-section bars, or that's how it felt.
A lot of what look like heavy and horrible to ride bikes here. I would nominate a Whyte 19. It just made you want to ride faster and faster. It had wonderful geometry, and it was nice and light.
Orange Sub Zero from about 2007/8?
180mm forks, 1.5 inch steerer and the down tube came up from the bb like a girder, wrapped around and over the top tube and was then welded to the head tube in one massive join.
Apparently it was targeted to some extent at Alpine guides who needed a burly bike, but minimal maintenance and were skilled enough to ride a hardtail whilst their client were on full suss(?)
In the modern era I can only think of the Dartmoor Hornet as being a ht designed for 180mm forks, but I bet there are still others knocking about.
A lot of what look like heavy and horrible to ride bikes here.
But I think that misses the point of the early hardcore hardtails, they were mostly meant for hucking steps to flat or massive dirt jumps!
You also need to remember that 'hardcore hardtail' used to mean 'a hardtail with more than 100mm forks'...
But I think that misses the point of the early hardcore hardtails, they were mostly meant for hucking steps to flat or massive dirt jumps!
Some played heavily on the North Shore origins as well.
In much the same way as a Land Rover advert shows it being driven across dunes and tundra whereas the reality is it will never encounter anything more dramatic than the kerb outside the primary school, you can sell overbuilt bikes to mincers by persuading them that it's capable of dropping out of a tree.
(disclaimer: I still own a Cove... 😉 )
I always wanted a 'Beast of The East'. Then after that, an Intense Tazer. But only the one with a Y shape front triangle.
Thought someone might have said Evil Sovereign.
Cove Stiffee, I remember vividly buying mine and building it up, taking it out only to be bitterly disappointed with it. Took it home and left it in the garage for a month. Needless to say I tried it again and eventually I improved enough to ride it. That was 2001 and I still have it, Fabulous bike. Also the .243 DH was such a fun bike to ride, set of Marz Super T's up front and a 24" x3" in the back was a real hooligan of a bike. Ah the good old days 🙂
I had a hankering for a Rotwild which never went further. Ended up with a different brainfart, dropping a small fortune on a brand spanking new superlight Rocky Mountain XC bike which lasted one ride before the chainstay snapped.
So, Rotwild? RDS?
In the early 90's Zasker LE though the mech hangers were made of soft cheese.
On One 456 Summer Season, many a happy hour spent on this, sold on a couple of years ago. Should have kept it!
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Just finished throwing this together with some C.2005 parts.
Thought someone might have said Evil Sovereign.
I thought I had when someone brought up Imperials. Oh well. Yes, the Sov is a definite contender.
@wysiwyg that is utter filth!
The most hardcore hardtail from 92 to 2020.
I would nominate a Whyte 19.
Said nobody ever. Not slating the bike, but it's hardly the definitive hardcore hardtail. I doubt most could pick it out a lineup.
This is my alpinestars cro-mega hardtail. It's hardcore due to the rigid fork and old school geometry including 1990's 130mm stem. 🙂
Great bike for fast singletrack though.
