My son is researching bike designs as part of a school course in Design Technology, where eventually he will need to build a bike frame in steel.

He is looking at 29 inch hardtails. He wanted to know what are the leading aggressive trail bike frames out there currently.

Other than Stanton & Cotic – who else offers good trail 29ers? Most the usual suspects offer 29ers that are XC, rather than ‘fun’ trail bikes. Cheers

Picked up a Singular Buzzard frame secondhand 12 months ago… Seems well ahead of its time… V short chain stays, plate for massive tyre clearance (room for 27.5×3.0 tyres) works really well with 120-140mm forks. Only flaw as far as I can tell is they were quite short, so needed to size up to a large. Did a lot of research and thinking about it, having never quite got on with a Solaris and am thrilled with the outcome…. It’s quicker on fun trails than my old 140mm full Sussex which has since been sold

The Kinesis FF29 frames are brilliant trail bikes.
I have a Canyon 29er but that has 100mm of travel so is more XC but it still loves trail centres as well as XC jaunts.
Look at some of the smaller builders such as Charge, Shand and Singular.

The Kona Honzo is pretty “aggressive”. Nukeproof Scout, 2Souls Quarter Horse would be others.

I wouldn’t class the Solaris as particularly aggressive.

It is bloody good though.

Cool. Thanks. Will look those up

Vitus Sentier as well.

There’s a review of the Honzo* and the Sherpa (albeit in Ti) in this month’s magazine.

*Which they appear to have renamed in the mag as the Honza…

Also.
Last bikes fast forward the new production privee gt frame and BTR 29er. Probably worth an email to BTR as the design and build there own steel frames in Bristol, I’m sure tam and burg would be more than Helpfull there a great pair of guys.

Whyte 629
Nukeproof Scout 290
Production Privee Shan GT (not yet available but on its way soon)
Kona Honzo/Taro

Titus Fireline Evo ?

Last Fast Forward
Nicolai Argon GLF

Zealous Division also.

Chromag Rootdown and Surface

Curtis AM9
Swarf Spline

They might, like the BTR boys, be able to offer some advice/guidance as well ???

Transition Trans AM and Kingdom Vendetta?

Anyone mentioned the 3 Canfield frames yet (N9, YS and the carbon one)?

New PP Shan GT

Edit: Too late

Could he ask a few frame designers for hints?

Kona Honzo, but I’m torn between ti or carbon one, sadly I can’t afford either, or the ally one for that matter !

Pic if interested

2017 Honzo CR Race. Hands down the best 29er trail/XC hardtail Ive ridden

I’m very keen on Salsa’s new Timberjack.

Agressive would usually mean an attacking steep agile angles, old skool XC race style. I’m guessing that you mean slack angles for long travel forks and fun?

Might be useful to look at how things have evolved over the years then lessons learnt by the industry can be incoporated into the project.

I like the idea of the salsa woodsmoke, clearance for huge tyres, adjustable for smaller tyres, super short chainstays.

Of course designing the bike is only part of the challenge, getting everything jigged right to build a straight frame, and prepped/welded right so it is strong is the other part of the challenge. Personally i prefer the idea of laying up a carbon fibre frame rather than welding together a steel one 😉

twisty – Member
Agressive would usually mean an attacking steep agile angles, old skool XC race style. I’m guessing that you mean slack angles for long travel forks and fun?

Unless I’ve been away for a while agressive has meant the slacker, burlier more all mountain style rather than sharp XC for a long time now with every trail bike etc. being more agressive than the last and less racy/XC orientated.

Onza Payoff.

It’s not steel but I have a fairly light weight build 2015 Whyte 29-C carbon 29er HT and whilst it’s marketed as an xc race bike and excels at that it’s also a massively underrated and fairly rapid trail bike.

Might be worth your son at least taking a look at the Whyte 29-C geometry in terms of the more xc end of the ‘trail’ spectrum.

@twisty – I mean slack angles / long travel forks and lots more fun 🙂

Long, low & slack doesn’t have to mean long (150ishmm) travel, there’s a valid argument for short (120mmish) travel hardtails too.

I presume he’s already well aware of https://www.bikecad.ca