Viewing 22 posts - 1 through 22 (of 22 total)
  • 650b or 29 “fun” HT?
  • Kryton57
    Full Member

    I’m not down with current standards really so…

    I’m pondering a mess about/winter steel HT.   With my other bike being a 100mm Scott Spark for racing, I’m erring toward a 29er for parts swapping – although maybe they haven’t enough in common for that and I like the idea of some fatter tyres – but be what’d more technical fun/learning – 650b with a 150mm fork and 2.6s, or a 29er with 130mm fork and 2.35’s – assuming all else is the same?

    Markie
    Free Member

    Same question here sort of – are both wheel sizes here to stay? I’d hate to commit to one and then find tyre choice disappear!

    kelvin
    Full Member

    29er with 130mm fork and 2.6 tyres.

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    Kryton57
    Full Member

    are both wheel sizes here to stay?

    I wasn’t worried about that myself, just the difference in how the bike performs/feels.

    brant
    Free Member

    27.5 is no longer alive.

    chakaping
    Free Member

    29er that also takes 650b-plus wheels

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    Something like an Orange Crush, although will no doubt batter me to pieces..?

    lecky94
    Free Member

    I test rode a cotic Solaris max a few weeks ago on my local trails and was blown away by how much fun it was. Set up with 130mm forks and 29er 2.6 tyres, Felt like it had 50mm travel on the back end going downhill,nothing like any other hard tail iv ridden…so much fun.

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    I’d love a Solaris set up as you describe.  Thing is, that’s £1950 for the Silver model – which would be fine component wise for my use.  But there are £1100 – £1500 similar bikes around in the sales.

    exsee
    Free Member

    650b without question, 29ers are quick but dull the trail so unless you are living in the Lakes/Highlands/Alps and rock crawling steer clear of 29ers and big tyres
    I wouldn’t go big on the tyres either, 650b with 130-150 travel and 2.4 max tyre. Modernish geo that fits you rather than trendsetting numbers.
    Thank me after your first ride :o)

    twrch
    Free Member

    I have a SolarisMAX (29″) and a Stanton Switchback (650b). The Switchback is definitely the more fun bike (although hard work uphill).

    joebristol
    Full Member

    I’ve not had a proper go on a decent modern 29er hardtail (only an early one with quite xc geometry), so I won’t comment on wheel size.

    However just be realistic about geometry and what you are after. Lots of the hardtails out there now are going long and slack and if you’re looking for it as your main bike for riding gnarly sort of stuff that’s great.

    If however it’s your ‘fun’ second bike then that might not be what you want – I wanted something easier to manual / easier to flick off stuff / quicker into tight turns etc – so I deliberately drew up a short list of bikes I thought would do this. At the time that was the Sonder Transmitter (now gone a little longer and a bit slacker but still not at the extreme) / Vitus Sentier / Orange Clockwork 137.

    I went with the Sentier as the frames suddenly went on offer silly cheap – but if they hadn’t I’d have got one of the others and they still weren’t as expensive as the likes of Cotic / Stanton etc.

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    Joebristol my thinking is the same.  This will be my second bike, I do prefer FS and the Spark will be my race/training bike which is currently 90% of my use.  Winter is looming and I want an HT available to keep the Spark maintenance/wear lower, but one which offers me a greater ability to increase my technical skills than the 100mm race HT which I’m not using.

    I appreciate that arguably the 100mm bike would increase my technical skills more as it’s more difficult,  but I’m very much a “confidence” rider, so in my view a bike that’s the right shape to encourage me over obstacles is the way to go.  And yes, as nice as a Solaris is, it’s too much money for a bike that’ll be used so little.

    I kept eyeing up the Sentier until it ran out of stock, I should have been quicker so now it’s a choice between a sale P7 27.5/29 or a Crush 29 I think. I’m nervous the Crush will put my back out though 🙂

    RamseyNeil
    Free Member

    Abandon the idea of a steel frame and get a trek Roscoe 8 £1300 ,27,5 plus wheel size , stupidly capable great fun 1×12, dropper post 35mm stanchion RockShox fork and on the off chance that you didn’t like it you could put a pair of 29 inch wheels in .

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    Edit: you mean the new one?  Still a budget fork, 120mm only and a relatively steep 68.5 HA.  I like the colour though.

    Double Edit:  actually I was coming round to that because with that Geo, slamming my spare 29er wheels in it means it doubles as a spare race bike should I need one ever.  Yet, spoiled by the 141 spacing, my wheels are standard 148 boost.

    twrch
    Free Member

    I should add to my reply – depends what you call “fun”. The Stanton is for messing about on steep stuff, the Cotic is an all-purpose trail bike.

    kayla1
    Free Member

    Stanton Switchback with 130mm forks, 150mm is just too long (for me) for ‘messing about’ on and +1 on not going too big on the tyres either.

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    Stanton Switchback with 130mm forks, 150mm is just too long (for me) for ‘messing about’ on and +1 on not going too big on the tyres either.

    Back to the P7 29er then 😀 holy crap…

    chakaping
    Free Member

    Well if you absolutely refuse to buy the standard recommendation Cotic Solaris then I’m not sure we can help

    😉

    Are On One not making something suitable now? The new Scandal perhaps?

    senorj
    Full Member

    p7,p7.p7,p7.
    My mate bought a crush. very harsh . imo.

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    The new Scandal perhaps

    Hmm, untested but only £1038 (with Conti MK’s added)….

    Gotama
    Free Member

    Santa Cruz Chameleon. Alu but a comfortable alu. Pretty sure Pedal & Spoke have some lightly used demos for sale and/or new but in last years orange colour so discounted.

Viewing 22 posts - 1 through 22 (of 22 total)

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