I ordered one of the GX builds last week (glad I didn't procrastinate too much as they've gone up by £200 since!) and I'm looking at getting a few components to go with it.
I need a new set of pedals as I sold my old bike and forgot to remove the pedals before listing it for sale. I had Shimano Saints which were OK, but I fancy something different this time.
A lot of people seem to rate Deity Deftraps, but black ones seem to be as rare as rocking horse poop, so I was toying with getting some in another colour.
Can anyone tell me if the frame colour in real life is similar to the pictures online? I was wondering whether to go crazy and get some lime green pedals and grips if the frame is bright orange, as there are loads of places who have the lime green pedals in stock: . I have a horrible feeling it'll look shite though! Any alternatives recommended for someone with largish feet (size 11.5).
Also, I'd like to order a dropper ready to fit when it arrives, but I'm not sure how much drop I'll be able to get away with. For reference, I'm 191cm (6'3" ish) with a 92/93cm inseam (36"). Is anyone a similar size to me and if so what size dropper did you go for?
Bright contrasting colours rock go for it 👌🏻
Thanks @Plusone I think I'd rather have the pedals I want in a gopping colour than some other pedals I don't fancy in black. Now to decide between orange or lime green...
Anyone have any advice on dropper Post length?
My off the shelf GX build arrived today (ordered on the 9th and had a build slot allocated for yesterday). So far so good! I can't fault the comms from Planet-X and everything arrived well packaged and undamaged.
It was hard to tell the exact colour from the images online and I was debating over green or orange pedals (see above for the level of gopping I'm talking about!) Anyway, I decided to go for the orange and its not a great match, but I still quite like it.
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I did some rough calcs on dropper length and I wasn't sure I'd get a 200mm post in there so I played it safe and bought a 170mm Ascend post. The price swayed me as I picked one up for £125.99 and the 200mm was £169 when I ordered it. As it turns out I've got 230mm showing but I didn't want to wait to find out!
Just done a quick shakedown ride and it feels really weird as I've been on my gravel bike for the last few months, but it feels playful and I cant wait to take it out properly tomorrow:-)
Finally nearly finished on my build and noticed some side-to-side play in the rear wheel (brand new Hunt Trail Wide). After investigating it further, I’ve realised the movement is in the rear bolt through axle (it has play even when fully tightened – like the hole is too big…
Anyone else had this?
hmm I have noticed the occasional knock in my rear end but assumed it was the dropper. I'll take a closer look some time
Mini PSA for anyone looking at a Scandal, they are back down to £999 until the 18th Oct. Slightly different spec to when I bought mine (different wheels and tyres etc). Bargain!
There's a Guy Kes ride video. Spoiler Alert he says it's really good.
Yes well when does he say any different? If it's not good it doesn't make it onto Utube. He also mentions a titanium version? I bought the Dog instead due to a dodgy back, then I discovered Dropper suspension posts and Brooks sprung saddles... Love my Dog though.
It said at the bottom of the video "Includes paid promotion".......does that mean he's unlikely to say it's a sack of crap?
I don't think Guy has ever treated a product to anything other than over excited terrier enthusiasm...
Hmmmm, working his way through the entire range and Titus bikes. Includes paid promotion.
Seems like a nice bloke but I don't trust any of them.
I bought my Dog due to this forum and his review. I can't argue with anything he said. I'll add that it will climb any rocky ascent that I've got the legs for.
I’m waiting for the frame to come down again; as good a deal as this is.
I’m waiting for the frame to come down again; as good a deal as this is
Sent you a pm ref my frame
The scandal(I got a £250) frame deal. Is a great bike and so well finished with tidy routing etc.
I don't know if this has been done but sizing - the scandal and big dog are supposed to the long low and slack. I was looking at the geo and size guides. If you are around 5'7" they recommend either small or medium but small has a reach of 415, which is shorter than most for that height of rider. Given Brants comment about people riding bikes that are too big for them, how did owners choose the size?
@cromolyolly im at the opposite end to you. I'm 6ft3 and I buy the biggest frame available.
When bikes just do small, medium and large I don't even bother with them as I've been burned before with a bike that's just too small.
Sometimes bikes come in XXL like the santa cruz tall boy. That fitted me and XL felt too small. I ride a XL stump jumper but they did that in XXL too but I went XL so that I could manhandle it easier.
Size and fit is a personal preference, what works for one doesn't work for someone else. Normally I advise you go sit on one but not possible at the moment with a scandal.
What are you riding at the moment? Have you matched the geometry against different size scandals?
I like to use this website when looking at new frames. Add the right size scandal, then pick your current frame and click compare.
https://geometrygeeks.bike/bike/planet-x-on-one-scandal-2019/
Just double check the data already input is correct!
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but
I ordered one of the GX builds last week (glad I didn’t procrastinate too much as they’ve gone up by £200 since!)
At that point they had no mech hangars listed.
I couldn't understand why anyone would buy a bike you couldn't replace the mech hangar.
After investigating it further, I’ve realised the movement is in the rear bolt through axle (it has play even when fully tightened – like the hole is too big…
Anyone else had this?
^ ????
@damascus. Thanks. I've had a bunch of bikes, none of them claimed to be long low or slack. I had a Kona unit in 17 (medium). It had a reach of 16.8" iirc but it was rigid so wasn't going to get any longer with sag. I looked at the Sonder Signal and Neil recommended the medium for me (he is similar dimensions and designs the medium to fit him) that's 17.3" reach.
I just assumed I'd be a M in the scandal/big dog. Then I read Brants comment about people riding bikes that are too big, so thought I should follow the recommended sizing - except that would out me on a "long" bike that was .5" shorter than most bikes I've had in the past, except my 1990 mtb.
I should look at ett too, since steeper seat tubes seem common now, which makes longer reach for the same ett.
I'm 5' 8" and got a medium Dog. You'd think it would fit but, with the dropper post it came with I was 1cm less than the minimum insertion point. I've got long arms as well so I wouldn't want reach to be any shorter, nor the head tube which now has a mild riser bar and 4cm of spacers. Height is a pretty crude guide, not a rule.
Loving mine more and more. It has been wetter than an otter's pocket here last couple of week. It is ace in the slop.
Hi.
I'm could also do with some help on sizing. I'm 5'7" so right between S and M sizes...any recommendations?
Coming from a 2008 Giant Anthem, which bears no relation (pre-dates stack/reach geometry charts. 574mm top tube; 110mm stem; 26" wheels), this looks like a good way to try something more "modern".
I note it's not a full GX build - the cassette is 11-50 PG-1210 (NX). Is the rear hub upgradeable to an XD driver in the future?
thanks.
PSA for px bikes. The scandal is currently £999 which is £200 off. New offer is an extra 10% off everything which is automatically applied making the scandal, big dog and whippet £899. No idea if it's supposed to work or not so get in quick.
COUPON DISCOUNT % OFF
COUPON: 10% OFF EVERYTHING ENDS MIDNIGHT 16/10 (EXCLUDES FLASH DEALS AND VOUCHERS) class="save" £100.00 OFF
Code LCVIP 1510
What sizes are people / their bikes and how do they ride? I’m 5’10 and have pushed buy on a GX Medium build but I’m in between sizes so not sure if I should be m or l?
Currently ride an anthem sx in medium
The large is big, the xl is really big.
Brant designed these originally as a small, medium and large and then px added the xl on.
XL frames are supposed to be big, the problem is too many aren't big enough. I've posted this pic before, an XL Scandal vs a c.2011 XL 26er Cannondale. Bit longer, yeah, but I was running a 100mm stem on the Cannondale.
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@mooseface I’m the same height and got a medium, the large would have been far too big for me... I’ve had large in most of my previous bikes, except my current Sentry and the Scandal.
@steamtb thanks for the info I think I’ll stick with the M, do you run a dropper what and what size?
I have a problem with undersized bikes as well. I'm 6'3" with ape arms and a 35" inseam and struggle to find the right fit.
After a XL Scandal but not paying £700-£800 for a frame!!
Cheers
Mike
I went for a black XL bike last week taking advantage of the £200 off and 10% code. I think the spec of the bike is great for the money. The stock tyres seem like an odd choice for this time of year (Vittoria Saguaro Folding Tyre / 29 inch / TNT 2.2" / Black), but I'll take them off and use them on another bike next Summer. While I wait for the bike I'm shopping around for 2.5/2.6 tyres for the Winter. At the moment I'm thinking a Minion DHF or WTB Vigilante on the front, not so sure about the rear.
I'm running schwalbe nobby nics 2.6 front and back on mine tubeless. They've been superb.
I couldn't find any good deals on Nobby Nics (I run one a s a rear on another bike and think it's very good). In the end I've settled for a 2.6 WTB Trail Boss for the rear and a 2.6 Bontrager SE5 for the front. The bike doesn't come for a few more weeks, but 2.6 tyres seemed to be selling out a quite a few places so I didn't want to get caught out.
My bike turned up today exactly on schedule. It was well-packed and arrived scratch free. I've taken off the the 2.2" tyres and will get the 2.6" ones fitted and set up tubeless over the next few days. The WTB rim strips fitted as standard were all over the place on the rims, but not an issue as I'm replacing them with tubeless tape. I would have been happy to pay a bit more (+£50) for a GX cassette instead of the budget one fitted, but other than that I can't fault the spec.
How's everyone getting on with the cheap selcof headset? Just found my bars seized/notchy so the bearings are gonna be goosed when I strip it down. Bought in April, so not a great lifetime.
I've not had a seized headset since the days of early 00s Konas and FSA loose ball headsets...
I think the headset was something like £8. Amazingly it's still going strong. I did smoother it in grease when I installed it though
^^ This - mine’s been fine but there wasn’t much grease in it from new and I completely repacked it.
I've just installed a Jessica headset. The tolerances were spot on and it came with sealed bearings.
I received my Scandal a couple of weeks ago and I took it for a 50 metre up on the road, once the small amount of assembly was complete. It only took me a few seconds of gently working through the gears to hear the ping of a couple of spokes to immediately trigger the brakes. I sighed and popped the Scandal in the garage, pulling it out again this afternoon to check over the gear set up. indexing seemed OK until the mech started shifting to the two biggest cassette cogs and the mech cage started to brush the rear wheel spokes.
The bike appeared well packaged on delivery and I couldn't quite believe I would need to dig it out, but I have the overpriced but invaluable DAG 2.2. They say a picture tells a thousand words...
https://photos.app.goo.gl/XZhNj11WNDrdGF637
The difference is approx 4cm which is the worst I've personally experienced. I've managed to get that down to more like 5mm, sorted the indexing and stop screws - all now seems much better from a brief ride.
The difference is approx 4cm which is the worst I’ve personally experienced
That could be down to the broken spokes. I'd like to think it wasn't like that when it left planet x but I also wouldn't be surprised if it was.
The scandal is a great bike. I was out on mine again today. Its my winter bike that manages to get used all year round.
Took mine for its maiden voyage. Very pleased (especially as I snagged the extra 10% discount thanks to @damascus)... I haven't tried anything bigger than 26" wheels before!
Gear hanger is fine and no paint chips on delivery but the wheel build is shocking. Insufficient tension on both wheels, and the front is about 5mm off laterally... dunno why I'm surprised as I had to retension the wheels on my Pompino too. Sounds like regreasing the headset is my takeaway top tip, ta!
Any recommendations for decent tyres for Peak riding? The Vittorias it came with are a bit scary in the wet!
Insufficient tension on both wheels, and the front is about 5mm off laterally…
Lol, OK, maybe it did leave planet x like that.
Im currently running 29er flow ex mk3 rims with schwalbe nobby nics 2.6 front and back. They actually come up at 2.52 and I think you would get away with 2.8s in the back.
The spokes aren't broken - I was cautious enough to stop before any damage was done.
Any recommendations for decent tyres for Peak riding? The Vittorias it came with are a bit scary in the wet!
Scotland, so rocks and mud and roots 🙂
Magic Mary front, Minion SS rear.
I had slack/wobbly wheels on my Dog. Absent quality control
Had my first ride today. Exactly what I wanted for a Winter hardtail. I fitted a 2.6 WTB Trail Boss tyre on the rear and a 2.6 Bontrager SE5 on the front. Worked pretty well in the mud. Very comfy bike to ride. I might stick a wider bar on, but only because I've got one spare.
The scandal is currently in offer at £999. Not quite as good as last time but not bad considering the covid tax and its in stock!
The scandal is currently in offer at £999. Not quite as good as last time but not bad considering the covid tax and its in stock!
I’m actually looking at buying one at that price as my son just inherited my old Pact Ti bike and I don’t have a mountainbike anymore.
Might pull the trigger.
I left Px a year ago 😂
I'm sure I've read discussions here about the rear rotor size but my searches are drawing a blank. My understanding is it can fit 180mm but not with a hope style adaptor (eg it has to be one that the caliper bolts directly to the frame with - 2 bolts rather than 4). The thing I like about the hope adaptors is you fit them and don't touch them for ages, you don't have to tighten/untighten them umpteen times when aligning the caliper then again whenever the brakes come off the bike. Also the threads seem less made of cheese and if you do bugger them you can just buy a new adaptor. It looks like if you did make a mess of the brake mount on the scandal frame it would be nigh on impossible to do a helicoil repair due to the seat stay.
The obvious solution to all the above concerns is "don't be a crap hamfisted mechanic and there won't be a problem". But any suggestions on how best to do that? I'm thinking:
- make sure thread is as clean as possible
- use loctite
- use as long a bolt as I can get away with into the mount to make sure as many threads engage as possible
- make sure I'm not cross threading as I go in
- DON'T OVER TORQUE
- Get the caliper set up properly first time and LEAVE IT ALONE!
I wouldn't worry, plenty of bike parts are made of aluminium and don't have issues being tightened/loosened relatively frequently, like a stem.
It's more of an issue in a fork where it's magnesium which is much softer.
I wouldn't use loctite. Difficult to get much purchase on the rear bolt when you need to undo it.
No idea why you're worrying. PX need to sack at least one of their wheel builders though. Or let them go back to primary school. Could then use Sonder's......
Ok yeah I’m thinking of experiences of post mount forks (or one really) forgetting that they’re a magnesium alloy. Ignore me!
Still wish I could fit a hope 160 to 180 in there mind!
Back with another build question! cable routing, what's the consensus on which cables enter/exit from which holes? I guess it doesn't really matter but I'd like to do it neatly first time!
I'm thinking...
Head tube end:
NDS | DS
Double port with insert: | Single port:
Rear brake/Shifter | Dropper
Bottom Bracket end:
NDS | DS
Single port: | Double port with insert:
Rear brake | rear mech, dropper
Also, does anyone have any tips on which sequence is easiest to do them in (or any routing tips in general)?
Er I just used common sense as it was intuitively blatantly obvious.
oh right, fair enough!
I've seen different approaches in peoples pics and there was a bit of discussion about this on P23. Should I have the rear brake and dropper lever (LHS bar controls) going into the double port on the LHS of the downtube is it prefereable to have them entering the oppoisite side of the downtube?
Inuitively I thought you'd be better off putting the LHS controls into the RHS of the downtube so you could have some slack and the cables/hoses wouldn't be being pressend onto the frame. But the frame doesn't seem set up for this because the double port is on the LHS.
From experience I'll route stuff trying to do what seems obvious at the time and then find some cable rub pops up that I realise I could maybe have avoided with alternate routing. Granted it's a bike for riding so should I care I suppose you could argue?
Bump, any thoughts on my pontifications?
(Other than: yeah, shut-up and build the effing thing)
@Mat,
Mine came from P-X with the gear cable entering on the right and the rear (left hand) brake in the lower of the two holes on the left. Seems to work fine.
Presumably, if you have both dropper and rear (left hand) brake in the left port you can tape/tie/shrink wrap them together from the bars to the port to limit flapping and noise.
Seriously contemplating a scandal amongst a few other hardtails, things have changed a bit since my last mtb purchase 10 years ago thats for sure!
Just a quick sizing question, im 5'10, 32" inside leg, Saddle height is 730mm bb to saddle, torn between medium and large? Swaying towards the large otherwise i think I'll be looking at a 170-200mm dropper i think?
Could anyone shed a bit of light? Cheers!
As mine is in the dining room!
I have a medium and it is roughly 74cm to the rails. 78 to the top of the saddle.
With the 400mm post I have 1cm of leeway. I put a 150mm brandX dropper on and there is plenty more.
It feels right. I have come from a medium Parkwood which was a little shorter but had a longer seat tube.
I'm about the same height as you and leggy which often makes bike sizing tricky. I probably could have gone for a large as well but it was only the short seat tube that made me doubt the medium. I would have been interested to sit on both but it wasn't an option. Knowing I was happy with my Parkwood for both XC and trail centre fun I went with what I knew.
Much appreciated, its so difficult without actually trying for size, I have an old and rare Charge cleaver to try and compare to, but its 26" and I cant find any geo charts for it! Measured roughly with a tape but still undecided.... dont you feel the seatube is like bmx small at 5'10 on the medium? I assume it looks a bit odd with a maxed out 400mm post?
Brant who designed the bike said that he designed it as a small, medium and large. PX then added a XL.
Based on this I'd suggest a medium.
I'm mostly leg with a short body so I'm used to having bikes with loads of seat post showing. On the road I tend to go for a 54/55 frame and a normal stem and a lot of seat post. I once had a 56 which would be my recommended size but ended up with a 90mm stem which made the handling weird.
I could have got the same position on the large in that I could run a 35 or 40mm stem to compensate for the longer reach and ETT. I went off my Parkwood though which is closer to modern geometry just a bit shorter.
I was also looking at things like the Vitus Sentier, Sonder Signal and Canyon Grand 9. Their recommended reach/ETT suggested that planet x had recommended everyone size up. That and if you dig back through this thread Brant suggests the sizing is off and you should size down if on the border between two.
Set up for me.
I would agree with Damascus. I just got a large and am 6ft 1 ish. The large is quite a big bike, I would guess a medium would not be too small for me either
ok perfect thanks! Best get one ordered now!
For those buying complete bikes, did everyone elses also come with overly long brake hoses - like the original hoses that the brakes came with were just fitted and not fitted to length?
Mine need bleeding now anyway so I'll tidy them up, but I'm just curious
I expect that planet x just fitted what they had. A cross between lack of stock and time and money to change it.
I'm 6ft3 and in an XL frame but I think I might get away with a large. Normally large are always too small but the XL is a big frame!
I reckon if your inbetween you size down
I'm also 6'3" and have an XL its huge, go for a Large
Regarding the brake lines.
My front us way too long.
Rear not so bsd.
Bit spongy, some air in the lines.
What saddles are people using as replacement for the stock plank, it's horrific??
My brake lines are longer than I would make them but look to have been shortened.
I'll probably cut them if they ever need bleeding. I'd have prescribed measurements if I was doing a lot of brake builds. But, maybe the guys at planet X are just doing it each time so you get variation?
Bleed on mine is fine.
I'm probably going to take the fabric spoon off my old mountain bike and put the scandal one on there to sell.
I’m on a large, 35mm stem, 5.11 and long of arm and it feels bang on for me. If I was leggy with a short torso perhaps medium would’ve been a good fit. I don’t feel stretched out and my crap manuals are still crap manuals etc.
Just under 6"3" and 34 leg on a large.
Wow, after reading the last few pages in here I thought I'd check the spoke tension on my new Big Dog and I'm glad I did as they are extremely undertensioned! Definitely need to have a quick dabble with the spoke key before it goes anywhere major off road!
What length forks are you guys running on your builds?
130mm RS Reba. Works for me as a pretty lightweight fork being my "second" bike for xc only, , however whilst I wouldn't go longer, I reckon that the frame would definitely work with a much brawnier fork. Pike would be great.
£700 for the scandal frame? Wasn't it about £200 this time last year, what happened?
What length forks are you guys running on your builds?
Mine came with the Rockshox 35 set at 140mm, but I've swapped it to an XFusion McQueen Roughcut I'd spare, at 140mm. Saves a pound plus better damping.
I’m on a 130mm Reba and it’s alright to be fair. I’ve not gone hard on my usual trails yet but expect it’ll hold up well enough; though I reckon 130/140 travel beefier fork would be ace.