lol point taken!

250mm dropper!!

The crush is simply a hardcore hardtail but the P7 is better ..

well, it’ll certainly be heavier… 😈

OP, taken a look at the chameleon? yeah, i’ve got one. 😉
120mm yari up front, coming from a 2013 chameleon ( 26″ ) with 150mm up front. running 27.5+ at the moment, 29er curious. the chameleon can switch with a change of dropouts.
it isn’t the travel, it’s the angles. you ride a hardtail like a pogo stick anyway, the back will follow eventually.
i don’t miss the travel, though arguably the tyres are giving me some of that back.

It now means something with powerful brakes, massive forks, big soft tyres that are generally skittered down slightly steep tracks in the woods with all the flamboyance of a duck.

Lol! I resemble that remark!

gwurk – Member

120mm was always people’s sweet spot in the past –
…and before that it was 80-100mm

“Hardcore hardtail” originally meant something short travel with BMXesque parts you rode everywhere, hit proper dirtjumps on and weren’t afraid to use at a skatepark. It now means something with powerful brakes, massive forks, big soft tyres that are generally skittered down slightly steep tracks in the woods with all the flamboyance of a duck.

I imagine that massive chip on your shoulder must help with hip jumps.

gwurk – Member

all the flamboyance of a duck.

Whoa. That’s one flamboyant-ass duck.

“Hardcore hardtail” originally meant…blah blah blah

oh noes, people have a different idea of fun to you, how will you cope?

Woooah there… nick

I’ve been riding a Shan for about a year now, with 160mm Pikes. It climbs as well or better than any other bike I’ve owned, which was a surprise to be honest. No wandering front end. And obviously a total hoot on the way down. Also perfect for just pottering about. It’s absolutely magic.

gwurk – Member

“Hardcore hardtail” originally meant something short travel with BMXesque parts you rode everywhere, hit proper dirtjumps on and weren’t afraid to use at a skatepark. It now means something with powerful brakes, massive forks, big soft tyres that are generally skittered down slightly steep tracks in the woods with all the flamboyance of a duck.

They’re probably discussing that on the hardcore hardtail thread, while we talk abot long travel hardtails over here

A friend of mine has a Shan in his mountain bike collection as well. Same comments as yours – he loves that bike!
He bought a used Shan frame and ordered new parts and a Pike as well.
Ended up over 3 k ?!
Production Privee is around for a long time in the mountain bike business and they always loved to produce hartails for pretty extreme forks…
No bargain deals so…

Why isn’t a Bird on your list?! Honestly, sometimes I despair…

Maybe because the op has had a look and decided they’re not for him? I despair that you despair… Quick, we need that bloke from Bird to come on and rub your shoulders.

My p7 climbs really well, no worries at all. Not sure I’d even class 140mm as long travel anymore, just feels like a properly sorted all-rounder.

Production Privee is around for a long time in the mountain bike business

Is five years a long time now? 😉

O.k. – my mistake.
Better:

Cedric Gracia – the guy behind the “Shan” (Production Privee) – is around for a long time in the mountain bike business.

Old, french downhiller. Funny guy.
After finishing his downhill career he did work for COMMENCAL and then the Shan for Production Privee.
Gives now mountain bike lessons…( https://cedricgracia.com/blog ) and you still get Production Privee rebates when ordering via Cedric.
No idea how this works.
Not my price level…

Surprised that Production Privee started in 2009 / 2010 or 2011? My mistake…

They’re good bikes! Though my mate who bought one prefer my Bird. 😉

Where’s the thread for medium travel hardtails ~ 130mm?

Dartmoor Hornet was mentioned a couple times now.
The Shan from Production Privee is one of the higher priced long travel hardtails.

The other end of the scale: the Hornet? Designed for downhill and bike parks. Very long travel forks possible… Good stuff.

Low priced: new frames
Low priced as well: used Hornet complete bikes
Extremely low priced: the old 26 inch Hornet

Just an idea: NEW 26 inch bike long travel forks are in blow out sale right now? Example: DUROLUX for a 26 inch bike, 180 mm travel (+/-) for less than 250 bucks.

Means if you buy an old 26 inch Hornet – and even if you have to buy a new fork (160 mm or 180 mm?)for it you end up CHEAP!

Nice toy for checking out a “long travel hardtail”…

But don’t start trail riding with this bike – this won’t be fun.
Jumping, drops, tricks, bike parks, downhill – that’s where Hornet biking is great.

O.k. – and when you try to sell this 26 inch Hornet bike again the money you get is of course also very, very little…- but then had some fun riding hardtail and long travel fork..

That’s the goal.
Or?

If you only like to spend 840 bucks and if you like to have a new bike:

maybe 120 mm travel is o.k.?

Check out the “LINE 10” from Calibre bikes: http://calibre-bikes.com/
But much better deal from Calibre: the Bossnut V2 of course. 1 k.

Not sure if you get 10 years use out of it. Guess you need to be a good bike mechanics as well to keep the bike going.
But for a modern geometry 130/130 trail bike: 1 k not possible to beat.

Means you don’t have to spend 2 k or so to find out which bike is fun for you and your riding.
Calibre offers these bikes “to find out”.

Not the shiny, sexy stuff. But maybe exactly right for you in this situation – where you don’t know in which direction to move?

The Shan from Production Privee was mentioned and downhiller Cedric Gracia – the guy behind the “Shan”

Cedric Gracia was working for Commencal as well.
See the long travel hardtail Commencal META HT with great 160 mm Pike…

If you like to move to the full suspension world and are able to spend a bit more than for a Bossnut V2:

Commencal Meta Trail V4.2

Neat trail hardtail with 140 mm Yari:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/de/de/nukeproof-scout-275-comp-mountainbike-2017/rp-prod146002

Price tag for the Scout 275: between Bossnut V2 and META TR 4.2

Many, many more beautiful bikes around.
Personally I think that the PLUS trail hardtails like Merida BIG TRAIL are a blast as well.

For crazy downhill runs put also a Hornet with 180 mm DUROLUX into your shed.

If you are rich buy a Shan…

130 mm fork, PLUS bike, hardtail:

http://www.romneycycles.co.uk/product/merida-big-trail-600-2017-17/

you might find this BIG TRAIL bike (600 version) in winter sale for less than 1k

800 and 900 version has nicer parts. But the price tag for these versions is way too high.

BIG TRAIL is not the sporty racer. Had a look at it. Nice!
Regular price tag too high so.

For me, plus tyres are awful bloody things, especially on a long travel hardtail.

The Slackline the Stanton boys leant me last year started with them, so I thought I’d give them a whirl. The traction on loose, sandy stuff was ace. That’s about the only good thing I can say about them.

The undamped bounce in the rear was noticeable as the speeds picked up and especially on faster, harder trails. The WTB tyres were no where near as confidence inspiring as my usual Minions, they weighed loads but had sidewalls made of cheese. Definitely a big fat no from me.

Length on these bikes is an interesting point. My stolen Mk I Ti Switchback was a lot more fun to ride than the Mk II that replaced it because it encouraged you to hop off and manual through stuff more. The longer Mk II was faster A to B though.

Of the bikes mentioned, I really really like the look of the P7. I thinks it’s lovely.

mindmap3 – Member
For me, plus tyres are awful bloody things……..no where near as confidence inspiring as my usual Minions.

Try a 2.8 Minion – confidence aplenty

150 mm travel P7 is a beauty of course…
Tire size on this bike: 2.4 inch?
Nothing to make wrong there.

Undamped bounce on PLUS tires.
Sounds like FATBIKE riding…

Possible also that the PLUS tire producers need a couple more years to really tune this tire size.

The P7 is made for speed. PLUS tires wouldn’t make sense on such a bike.
Merida Big Trail is more an entry level bike – not really made to race.
But price tag is too high.

P7 is an awful lot more of an bike.
If the budget is 2k and long travel hardtail is the goal:

maybe indeed the bike to go for!