I asked this on another thread a couple of days ago, but it didn't get many responses.
I'd like a rigid mountain bike, and both of these look good to me and within my price range.
Most of my recent bikes have been aluminium - how will steel frame/carbon frame be different? How about the geometry? Planet X describe one as a 'pub bike', the other as 'rigid bike for the purist'.
Finally, what is a Bootzipper? (I know what a whippet is).
The Bootzipper is basically a classic style rigid MTB, but with more up to date geometry.
I built mine as single speed, I also tried it as a monster cross, but it was a bit too big for me. I'm currently selling my XL frame and fork as I don't really use it enough to justify keeping it.
Was quite fun to ride though and lighter than I imagined it would be.
I'd say the Whippet is more XC/racey and the Bootzipper is a bit more trail.
Thanks
An XL is much too big for me (nice stealth ad), or I'd be asking for details.
Both bikes are offered with Eagle SX. Does anyone know if Planet X are flexible about this sort of thing? Would they upgrade to GX if I paid the difference? They claim each bike is built for a specific customer.
Johnw1984 - how much you after for your frameset? Message me if you like?
I flexible about this sort of thing?
Probably not at the moment as they might only have this group set. But you can can ask for free.
The question is what riding will you be doing?
Don't forget about the scandal, it's more money at the moment but no doubt it will be in sale soon!
I think the whippet with rigid fork looks a great bike and an amazing price
Ive got a bootzipper 29. Got it at a bargain first release frame only price and built it up from spares.
I like mine! its a gravel bike, with flat bars? 90s MTB? Massive BMX? I use mine for crashing around the lanes and bridepaths, or trying to find and ride old abandoned bike trails in the woods. Stuff where i feel a massively over biked on my five, and feel like i'm wasting nice tyres on rides of 70% road.
i sometimes wish i had got a frame that could take a sus fork, but remind myself that that would just end up as an arms race back up to the FS, and it would be another part to maintain.
I do like the directness of the rigid fork, and find its not too bad on the steep techy stuff, as the front end geometry isnt shifting around.
I think the whippet would be noticeably lighter, and i would feel like i had to take care of it more/some
I know that the first thing thats going to give way on the bootzipper is me, and i can put it away dirty.
They claim each bike is built for a specific customer.
Not a claim, they are - I requested a specific routing of cables/hoses and they were more than happy to do that. Try and catch them on the website's Live Chat; I've contacted them twice using that and Richard was brilliantly helpful 👍
Finally, what is a Bootzipper? (I know what a whippet is).
As nobody answered your question;
The bootzipper is a convenient way of tightening up the boots by way of a zip head instead of using the conventional bootlace to untie it.
The whippet is going to be noticeably lighter. It has a carbon fork which may be more compliant, the fork also has big clearance for a big tyre. You could fit a suspension fork later if you want.
The bootzipper was designed from the outset as rigid-only. Its steel so will be heavy but will have that nice springy ride quality of steel. It has bosses fo all kinds of bikepacking add ons.
I think they just have different design philosophies, which has led to similar bike in practice but aesthetically very different.
The whippet will like to go fast, the bootzipper has a more laid back attitude. Lycra and shaved legs for the whippet, plaid shirt and beard for the bootzipper.
The whippet is a fast XC carbon hardtail that they've added a rigid fork to. The bootzipper is more in the vein of a Jones or Stooge.
I'd probably much rather ride the whippet with a 2.8/3.0 front tyre in most situations but prefer the image of the bootzipper.....
I should work in marketing. I've never ridden either.
Don’t forget about the scandal, it’s more money at the moment but no doubt it will be in sale soon!
To be fair the Scandal, it's got a GX groupset and the MRP Raven fork. That's £700 worth of fork and a substantially lighter groupset (aluminium Vs carbon frame being the flipside).
Even at pre-order it was ~£1k with the RS 35 which is the version I got. For £400 more with the MRP fork I'd suggest it's a bargain.
Still needs bigger disks, better tyres and a dropper. But for the price......
Would they upgrade to GX if I paid the difference? They claim each bike is built for a specific customer.
They are, I went in to build my own.
They were happy for me to upgrade some bits (and actually brought a couple of bits in with me), although I just bought the parts outright and kept the spares.
There were caveats like certain parts were part of build kits bought from SRAM so they couldn't offer them pick'n'mix or separately. e.g. I couldn't build a singlespeed as the GX groupset and RS fork had to be used on a full bike. I couldn't fit the SS kit and take the groupset. They had to leave the door as a full bike.
Its steel so will be heavy but will have that nice springy ride quality of steel
will it? I suspect it will be a heavy CEN compliant solid lump aimed at carrying lots of weight rather than nice and light and springy.
The whippet with that selcof fork looks great though. I have a similar set up for fast mtb riding from the door with a 2012 trek superfly & exotic carbon fork along with lightish wheels. Lovely for quick blasts and also light touring. More comfortable to ride than previous Kona unit and on one inbred steel frames & forks.
To be honest, the Bootzipper was lighter and more comfortable than I thought it would be. I had mine on 2.2 Barzo tyres too.
I've got a Whippet (as seen in many other threads) and for a while it had the Selcof carbon fork on and was SS.
Half wish I'd left the fork on as it was a very nice ride. Sure it is rigid but it flew over mild terrain and woodland tracks.
Definitely old bike lightness feel as I could feel it accelerate with every push on the pedals.
Depends what you want it for primarily of course but, I'd say they are pretty different bikes.
Thank you people, great stuff here as always.
The whippet does seem like a better bike in some ways, and it is 700g lighter, but I'm after something for messing around on rather than racing, so the 'zipper might be a better fit for me. 'Shaved legs and lycra' doesn't describe me at all, 'plaid shirt and beard' a bit more like it.
I did have a good look at the Scandal, and I agree it's a bargain, but I'm really thinking of a full rigid bike.
I'll keep thinking, and maybe I'll see what PX say - I've no experience of Eagle SX, except for many, many people saying 'don't get it'.
Any suggestions of similar bikes out there? 1x, 29 inch wheels, rigid forks, flat bars is are my needs.
Oh, and thanks for the 'Bootzipper' answer. Supplementary question: why would some name a bike after a boot zip?
I really like the name 'whippet' - I think that's what's making it a tough decision for me.
Have you seen the new PX Fat Baz at ~£400?
Boot zipper comes from the song "zipping up my boots, going back to my roots" I thought, as it's close to a return to the style of the original inbred.
Supplementary question: why would some name a bike after a boot zip?
From a company who named a bike blow job, who knows