[Closed] Which? lively 'n' whippy steel hardtail

Stanton Slackline - bloody lovely

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Soul springs to mind, but if you really want to go lighter, have you thought about aluminium or carbon?

i have a duster skinny mid bike.tis perfect for me 🙂

Stanton Slackline - bloody lovely

Read DIRT last night and fell asleep dreaming about it. Got up this morning and their website was down for a couple of hours 🙁 not exactly light but compliant/whippy?

Soul springs to mind, but if you really want to go lighter, have you thought about aluminium or carbon?

Considered the C456 but thought it might be stiff compared to the Soul etc. Not so concerned about the weight just the impression I get, perhaps wrongly, is the lighter steel frames should be more compliant.

What fork travel? Decade Virsa looks nice for the shorter end of trail forks.

just get one - if your dreaming about getting one bugger the weight just pedal a bit harder.

The Soul definately fits your requirements here, lovely frame, great geometry, great ride. Thoroughly recommend one.

Forks are Uturn Revs 110-140.

Lol - yes pedal harder! Does it climb ok? The video on their website will add to tonights REM...

Singular Hummingbird? Can do you a scorching deal on a large at the moment.

Sam - Googling now, read the STW piece on Singular very nice setup.

Sam YGM.

rock lobster 853 ? would be good with the forks at 110.

One of the original light steel hardtails and IMO often overlooked in the quest for big travel machines 🙂

sv, I'm looking for a 456 frame for a side project, are you selling yours? what size is it?

I have a 456 and a cotic Simple

The 456 is harsh compared to the cotic

I want a soul

sv, I'm looking for a 456 frame for a side project, are you selling yours? what size is it?

Yes, its an 18inch version in Blue - one of the ones labelled Inbred but in fact a 456. £110 posted.

Which? lively 'n' whippy steel hardtail

1995 Kona Lava dome.

Honestly, rode mine for years and then sold it on. Been through many hardtails since and never found a frame that wiggles and squirms its way down a rocky tech descent like it. Geometry based around a 63mm travel fork was its achilles heel tho ;0/

Ride a Mk1 Ragley Ti now (and love it 😀 ) but if I was looking for a complete modern day hardtail bike I reckon the Whyte 19 steel would fit the bill. Never ridden one but saw one at my LBS recently and it looked sweet - Somehow reminded me of the old Lava Dome

1995 Kona Lava dome.

Very nice bikes Woody. I do actually know where mine is trouble is the guy after the one I sold it to then sold it on to an ex-girlfriend of mine who I haven't seen or spoken to in ten years and wanted a bike to ride get fit on. Apparantly its still in her shed unridden for at least 5 years. Just got to pluck up the courage to go round there and find a way of getting it back!

I don't think the Stanton will be "more compliant/lighter" than your 456.

Test ride the Duster skinny, sounds like exactly what you are after.

Soul is exactly what you're after.

But I wouldn't rule out the C456 either. It's not exactly like a steel frame- it's compliant and "soft" rather than springy- but the overall ride feel has more in common with the Soul than the steel 456.

Yes, its an 18inch version in Blue - one of the ones labelled Inbred but in fact a 456. £110 posted.

billyboulders

If you don't want to face the ex, they crop up regularly on Retrobike for very little money. Mine is the best £40 I've spent in ages 😀

Cheers guys.

Northwind, yes did wonder about the C456 and read the 'vs Soul' thread with interest. You ridden both? If so what is your preference? With my 456 I can't get the XC feel/climbing ability from it even at 110mm.

Choice is sometimes a bad thing!

Cotic soul is light, compliant, strong and has perfect geometry.

Can I throw a Cove Handjob into the mix, pretty much all you're after, light too

Another vote for the duster, had mine for 3 years now, will keep riding it till it breaks!

Sanderson Breath or Life worth looking at?

can easaily run a 130mm fork and it has a very springy, lively feel. top finish, too.

alpin - Member

Sanderson Breath or Life worth looking at?

can easaily run a 130mm fork and it has a very springy, lively feel. top finish, too.

Can vouch for the life, mine is set at 120mm but is fantastic! Much livelier than my previous inbred, so bound to be springier.
Would recommend the soul and the Scion aswell!

Jay

Rock lobster team tig 853. All you want and much much more.

Oops >>>

Mmm plenty to think on.

Need to look at the Duster and Sanderson options a bit more.

Although not sure there is anything better than the Scion at £350 except the C456...

The Soul would be ideal but at nearly £500 its quite expensive.

i have a Sanderson Life with a 120mm fork and it is very springy and lively, really cracking ride, the Souls ride fantastic too if you want longer travel.

I like my transition transam, is lively and whippy, can take up to a 160mm fork, and if it's your thing can be run singlespeed through the use of removable dropout things, is good.

Sanderson Breath looks great for £245 and only 4.8lbs. Not sure on travel though, Alpin - 130mm is ok? Richen does it climb well at 120mm?

Sanderson will feel fine at 120, though 130 may start to feel a little slack. It is a very refined ride, though the top tube is long, so more of an all day ride than a hooligan.
A big plus (maybe) is the full cable routing...

Oh I could wax lyrical...

Jay

Rock lobster team tig 853. All you want and much much more.

Yes. Lovely bike. Shortish, which means it's very, very good on tight twisty stuff like the Labyrinth at Swinley. Lighter tubing than other 853 frames, so gives it a teeny bit more flex. The perfect bike for the smaller rider, for sure.

DeKerf Team, at a price tho'.

Thinking of changing my steel 456 for something a bit more compliant/lighter.

A soul is the answer.

I swapped my 456 for one, and it is both lighter and more compliant, and generally livelier. A very good ride in fact, just not quite as good on the rockier descents as the 456.

sv - Member

Northwind, yes did wonder about the C456 and read the 'vs Soul' thread with interest. You ridden both? If so what is your preference? With my 456 I can't get the XC feel/climbing ability from it even at 110mm.

Still trying to decide really... It's definately the best hardtail I've had since the Soul, but it doesn't quite have the perfect balance... Feels just a tiny bit too long, and less agile, but weirdly not more stable. And doesn't climb steep stuff as well either.

But on the other hand it was cheaper, it's lighter, and it's very close to the Soul even on the parts where it's not as good. And there's a bit more potential to mod it, with the tapered headset and replaceable dropouts and such.

Both mint really 😉 Can't yet choose between them though, need to give it a few more months to get out of the honeymoon period. (Loved my Mmmbop for a while, then went off it, then suddenly and without warning couldn't stand it! So maybe that'll happen with this one too)

Another vote for Kenesis Decade Virsa Prestige. Big in name, big in goodness. Skips along singletrack like a cyber-gazelle, even with a biffa like me onboard.

I liked my Whyte 19 steel, it did the whippy steel thing really well... but I kept taking it beyond its comfort zone so moved it on... but I do miss it.

Sanderson Breath currently topping the list...

C456 too much bike for the stuff it would be used on, I have a Pitch for the bigger stuff. Did like the RL853 but read a review saying it's an old design with a dodgy paint job.

sv - Member

C456 too much bike for the stuff it would be used on

Use it just like you would a Breath? 456 winds down to short travel very well, mine is mostly a 120mm bike.

A sanderson breath as aforementioned would not meet your specification. I'd compare it to a karate monkey which is made from recycled wrought iron fencing. There's a myriad of choices only you can decipher. So... get to the shops and have a look at what takes your fancy. Forget on*one or any other lump of cheap pig iron. You'll have to spend a little more to get a little more.. Niner? Gunnar... etc etc

My 2002 Lavadome rides great with 100mm forks, whippy like an ice cream. Get a Kona.

Pipedream Sirius.

A sanderson breath as aforementioned would not meet your specification

Why? It's lighter and probably more compliant than a 456.

right,after just coming back from doing a night ride (which was awesome/haven't ridden at night for over 6 months) on my duster.am not biased in the slightest (but here's a video of my bike when i just got it 😉

i seriously love my duster though 😀

A sanderson breath as aforementioned would not meet your specification

Why? It's lighter and probably more compliant than a 456.

Obviously didn't read my post! Besides comparing these two bikes when the guy's asking for advice on a steel hardtail is just plain silly.

I read your post and reached the same conclusion as SV. Sandersons aren't made of gas pipe in my experience.

HJ

hi sorry went out after i posted, it climbs very well at 120, as mentioned it does have a long top tube, i asked and sanderson said it had been designed to ride like an old kona, but with a short stem, this was one of the reasons i bought it as i like the old kona feel.
i mainly ride south downs way and around winchester, usually quite far and it is a great bike, i'll upload some pictures later for you.
if your anywhere close feel free to come for a ride.

I've got a Breath and a friend has a 456....

the Sanderson is so much more compliant, springier then the 456. both ridden on the same trails and the Sanderson is a much better bike to ride on gnarr XC trails.

the 456 can be hammered on the roughder stuff though and that is where it shines.

but unless you're riding v. technical trails, DH or rough alpine trails i'd get the Sanderson over the 456.

Thanks Alpin/Richen does look a tidy frame. 456 for sale...

ive got a dialled bikes prince albert at the mo with 140mm revs on and its a bit of a bruiser, i think i prefare my old handjob with 120mm forks on, it just felt quicker more responsive.

Depends what your budget is like but if you cam afford it get a

Chromag Sakura

Light strong responsive decent angles - best steel hardtail I've ridden

Cove handjob gets my vote