Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 42 total)
  • 120mm 29er Hardtails
  • fathomer
    Full Member

    Looking for inspiration. I fancy a new hardtail to replace my Soul 275, that will compliment my large Longshot Cotic FlareMAX that has a 140mm fork.

    Ideally it’ll be longer, lower, slacker than the Soul but not quite as much as the Flare, around a 640 ett and 465-470 reach. Which unfortunately pretty much rules out the Solaris as it’s longer in my size.

    Needs to be available as a frame only, boost spaced, work with a 120mm fork and preferably be steel.

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    I’m pretty certain you could run a 120mm fork on an On One Big Dog, I like mine and its a massive departure from my normal Carbon XC 29er FS

    cp
    Full Member

    ON one Scandal? Pretty spot on your requirements

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    slackboy
    Full Member

    Some sort of Stanton?

    What don’t you like about the Solaris max? I’ve got a large flare max at 140mm and a large Solaris max at 120mm and get on with them both.

    Admittedly I’m thinking about getting rid of the Solaris max as I spend so much time riding the flare.

    snotrag
    Full Member

    The new on-one scandal looks very good for the money to me.

    mboy
    Free Member

    Take a look at the Sonder Signal Ti… Not steel I know, but not much more expensive than the steel options, and it’s Ti! And the geometry is really rather good too. Large is just under 460 reach with a 130mm fork fitted, but it’ll take anywhere from 120-140 I understand, and with a 120mm fork fitted the reach is going to be in your 465-470mm ideal range.

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    “Ideally it’ll be longer, lower, slacker than the Soul but not quite as much as the Flare, around a 640 ett and 465-470 reach. Which unfortunately pretty much rules out the Solaris as it’s longer in my size.”

    Why not get a size smaller then?

    Gotama
    Free Member

    Not steel but not harsh either. The Santa Cruz Chameleon builds into a fun bike. I assume you’re looking for 29er given the Solaris consideration.

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    “640 ett and 465-470 reach”

    Medium SolarisMAX:

    636mm ETT
    464mm reach

    fathomer
    Full Member

    So thanks for all the replies, to answer a few responses. The Big Dog & Scandal look alright but don’t really float my boat.

    slackboy, nothing wrong with them, just don’t want the hardtail to feel to similar to the fs and most of the riding it’ll do woodsy singletrack. Stanton, a bit spendy and the Switch9er is a bit long, the Sherpa really short.

    mboy, Sonder Signal Ti looks lovely and the geometry spot on but is £1250 so nearly double a Cotic, which is top end of budget.

    chiefgrooveguru, the medium Solaris does look spot on but Cotic suggested it’d feel short in comparison to both current bikes. The Souls top tube is 631 but I use a 50mm stem. Think I need to demo one but that’s a little tricky at the minute.

    Gotama, the Chameleon does look good but again a bit on the spendy side.

    davros
    Full Member

    Orange P7 in large? I would have said signal ti as mine is awesome. Or a purple Solaris!

    cupotea
    Full Member

    I went through the same list of bikes before pushing my budget to the Signal Ti. It stung for a day or two in the wallet region but absolutely love how capable it is. Makes me smile every time I ride it.

    bentudder
    Full Member

    Salsa Timberjack. Not steel, but ticks the other boxes. If I wasn’t totally loving my Stache, I’d have one of those now they can be purchased over here.

    Clink
    Full Member

    Salsa Timberjack. Not steel, but ticks the other boxes. If I wasn’t totally loving my Stache, I’d have one of those now they can be purchased over here.

    Out of interest, where?

    mboy
    Free Member

    I went through the same list of bikes before pushing my budget to the Signal Ti. It stung for a day or two in the wallet region but absolutely love how capable it is. Makes me smile every time I ride it.

    I was going through exactly the same mental process, when… I found someone on facebook selling a Titus Zestar frame (there’s all sorts been talked about the “similarities” between the two frames on here already, they’re not identical but they’re so close it’s uncanny and has resulted in the Zestar having been pulled from sale by PX!) in my size, for less than half the price of the Sonder…

    I didn’t hesitate for one moment! In fact, I drove there on a Friday evening through some ridiculous traffic, to make sure nobody else got there first!

    It hasn’t disappointed so far… Great bike!

    gemini29
    Free Member

    The Signal Ti was the frame I always wanted but the price kept me from buying it on several occasions.
    Instead I went for a Banshee Paradox V3 and couldn’t be happier. 5’11’’ with longer legs on a Large sized frame.

    https://www.bansheebikes.com/paradox-v3

    Akers
    Full Member

    Sizing seem to vary so widely between manufacturers that the labels, S,M,L,XL are almost irrelevant. You are much better off looking at the geometry numbers and working out what characteristics you are after, then getting a demo when possible.

    pickle
    Free Member

    Stanton Sherpa

    Scienceofficer
    Free Member

    chiefgrooveguru, the medium Solaris does look spot on but Cotic suggested it’d feel short in comparison to both current bikes.

    Given these comments, it’s not unreasonable to think that your stipulation on dimensions may be incorrect and not actually what you’re after.

    If one bike with those dimensions is going to feel short, surely all bikes with those or similar dimensions are going to feel short?

    skeletor
    Full Member

    I’ve been musing the same question as something a bit more XC to complement my Flare, and have been veering towards a Sherpa. Then for some reason I looked at the Pace RC529 and that’s thrown a spanner in the works. Anyone ridden a one lately?

    cycloform
    Free Member

    I got a Salsa Timberjack a few weeks before the lockdown. My LBS http://www.cyclsesense.co.uk is now a Salsa dealer.

    fathomer
    Full Member

    Scienceofficer – Member
    Given these comments, it’s not unreasonable to think that your stipulation on dimensions may be incorrect and not actually what you’re after.

    If one bike with those dimensions is going to feel short, surely all bikes with those or similar dimensions are going to feel short?

    I’m happy with the ETT of the Soul, I want something a bit longer reach wise. The ETT of the Soul is 631mm and I use a 50mm stem. If I went to the Solaris with a 40mm stem, (they recommend a 35mm) it’d be slightly shorter when seated. Which is why I assume they suggested it’d feel shorter.

    Granted, I probably wouldn’t notice and the reach would be 25mm more, a decent jump and what I’m after. I really need to demo one as £650 is a decent lump to take a punt on.

    gemini29, the Banshee looks good but can’t see anywhere that stocks them in the UK.

    hopkinsgm
    Full Member

    The geometry chart recommends a 30mm to 50mm stem for current model SolarisMax. They ride fine with a 50mm stem – I’ve been riding mine like that for over a year and haven’t died or burst into flames yet (5’11”, 33″ inside leg, riding a medium)

    Shackleton
    Full Member

    Banshee are distributed by Ison so pretty much any shop can get them.

    Gotama
    Free Member

    the Banshee looks good but can’t see anywhere that stocks them in the UK.

    They’re easy to get hold of in the UK as Ison Distribution is the distributor and they have a fairly wide range of brands. Ace Bicycles in Guildford can get them but I’m sure a lot of bike shops will have an Ison account. Link below…

    https://www.ison-distribution.com/english/finddealer.php

    The new Banshee raw full sus bikes look stunning in the flesh.

    jamesdeath
    Free Member

    If you can hang on to the crazy world we are in at the minute, The Sonder Steel Signal frames will arrive to these shores.
    They still are not releasing build specs and prices yet.
    But as your looking at a frame only as soon as they arrive im sure the frame option will be up there.
    Im strongly awaiting these as im rather set on this being my next purchase but as a full build.
    They were just finalising the final design with some testing in the dark peak and warmsworth woods here in Doncaster and old quarry just before the Covid outbreak.
    Its expected release was to have been April / May.

    kelvin
    Full Member

    The geometry chart recommends a 30mm to 50mm stem for current model SolarisMax. They ride fine with a 50mm stem – I’ve been riding mine like that for over a year and haven’t died or burst into flames yet (5’11”, 33″ inside leg, riding a medium)

    Cotic offer 45, 50 and even 60mm stems on SolarisMAX bikes, not just 35mm. Everyone is different. But, there’s no medium in stock for a while anyway, so it’s a bit moot at the moment.

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    If you’re running a high rise bar there’s enough fore-aft movement to make a 50mm stem feel like a 35mm with it rolled back or a 35mm stem feel like a 50mm with it rolled forwards!

    I roll my 40mm rise bars back a bit (roughly parallel with the head angle) and find any less than a 50mm stem feels too twitchy on both bikes, despite pretty slack angles and wide bars.

    bikecurious
    Free Member

    Not steel and maybe not as slack as you’re after, but Orange Clockwork129 possibly?

    Clink
    Full Member

    blockquote>Not steel and maybe not as slack as you’re after, but Orange Clockwork129 possibly?

    Anyone got any idea what these weigh?

    madhouse
    Full Member

    I’ve been looking at a Bird Zero29 lately. Aluminium rather than your preferred steel but it’s a lovely looking beast.

    jayx2a
    Free Member

    In same boat so watching this thread.

    I was looking at the Sonder Ti.

    They hope to have the large back in stock early May. How do these frames hold up to abuse scratches etc??

    The Orbea laufey and Nukeproof Scout 290 are also ones I was looking at but again neither are steel.

    fathomer
    Full Member

    Ok thanks again everyone. I’m going to wait it out I think and demo the Solaris once we allowed out to play again. Which makes sense as I’m a huge Cotic fanboi! And if I don’t like it, then I’ll have to come up with something else.

    mboy
    Free Member

    I was looking at the Sonder Ti.

    They hope to have the large back in stock early May. How do these frames hold up to abuse scratches etc??

    It’s Titanium… Was that a serious question…? 🤷🏻‍♂️

    There’s a large ex-display bike just gone up on their website here…

    jayx2a
    Free Member

    Yes serious. Never had or seen a Titanium frame. Only thing I have seen Titanium is my ring and that’s more scratched than the cat post!

    tdog
    Free Member

    So brush it off with fine scotchbrite pad

    davros
    Full Member

    First ride on my signal it fell over when propped up against a big stone and scratched the top tube. Lesson learned. Thankfully it was towards the underside so its not too noticeable. Stuck some clear frame tape over it so I can’t feel it.

    General scuffs don’t stand out especially, and it’s easy to clean and keep looking shiny.

    jayx2a
    Free Member

    There is a large available in the ex display part. Excellent condition.

    swanny853
    Full Member

    But, there’s no medium in stock for a while anyway, so it’s a bit moot at the moment.

    Any idea when they’ll be here? I was waiting for the last batch and then the few mediums went in seconds (did they even make it to the website?)

    If the weather holds and the lockdown ends I’m going to be sorely tempted by something else, I’ll admit.

    kelvin
    Full Member

    I don’t know for sure, but I hope the “lock down” is over before they land.

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 42 total)

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