Are they huge?

One of each near me at decent prices, but I’m 185cm so on the cusp of l/XL

Geometry geeks suggest they are huge just want some real world knowledge

I’m 190cm, with long legs and ride a large.

800mm bars, a 200mm dropper and 50mm stem.

A large isn’t a small bike.

That’s what I thought

https://geometrygeeks.bike/compare/titus-loco-moto-2021-xl,bird-aeris-am160-2020-l,on-one-wrekker-2022-xl/

Huge compared to my huge aeris am160

XL Scandal. 192cm. Compared to the XL 26er that preceded it I’m running a longer seatpost and the same amount of spacers under the stem, which is 70mm rather than the 100mm on the old bike. I don’t consider it outlandishly big for an XL. I certainly wouldn’t want any smaller.

Some good stuff here on sizing

Can we have a whats the new scandal like to ride thread?

From Brant

Quote

I originally designed just S M L and was asked to add the XL. It’s big.

Quote

I think I posted this picture on that thread.

XL Scandal behind an XL 26″ Rockhopper (2011, I think), centred at the BB shells. 470mm AC fork on the Spesh, 483mm AC on the Scandal. Head tubes both 140mm but the internal headset on the Scandal means it’s relatively shorter all in, no external cups. It’s just an XL frame.

I’m 6’2½” in the old money, and ride a Large Scandal. It felt big at first, but that feeling disappears quite quickly – probably after a few pedal strokes. An XL would feel absolutely massive.

Not so stealthy ad….

I’ve got a Large one in Sheffield I’m looking for an excuse to part with as I’ve acquired during CRC sales so need to make room. It would be a sad sale but could let it go as frame, frame/fork, frame fork wheel set or as a full build.

>XL Scandal behind an XL 26″ Rockhopper

It’s not small. It’s just far away.

I’m 193cm.

XL vandal- the ti scandal
XL Sick Shrike- the frames that the hello Dave were supposed to be. The wrecker is the ti version of this.
Other bike is an geometron G13 in extra longest.

The Vandal is significantly smaller than the Hello Dave. The the geometron is noticeably shorter than the Shrike (wrecker).

The Sick has a 35mm stem. The Vandal has 100mm stem, with Jones bar knockoffs.

The Vandal is my commuter. It came to me with a carbon ridgid fork and 50c gravel tires.

All three are a good fit for me 😃

What’s the fork? Have you got any pics of the bike?

Cp messaged you

No idea on the fork. Possibly an on one, but it has 3 bosses each side. Its not long enough for a 130mm fork replacement, what ever it is

Selcof Carbon 27.5+ or 29er Fork

I’ve just swapped my (growing) lad’s medium scandal frame to a large and taking it on a test ride today, I was surprised that for me at 183cm the large didn’t feel even remotely too big. How that translates to the XL I’m not sure.

Had an XL scandal for the last year. I’m 6’2″ and wear 34″ inside leg jeans – mine was set up with a 210mm dropper, 130mm Pikes, a 43mm stem and 30mm rise bars with a couple of spacers under the stem. I found it ok for size.

When riding, it never feels unmanageable. Stood up with the saddle dropped, it feels spot on. Seated, it always feels like the saddle was a little far back from perfect – only really noticeable of steep climbs and seated more technical terrain. It also made it feel slightly stretched out at times, despite only having a 480mm reach. The slight seated stretch also makes the stack feel as low as I’d want it, even though it’s not that low. The only other niggle is standover is a tad higher than I’s like… fine on flat ground but occasionally not elsewhere.

I’ve now got a Ragley Marley 290 frame to replace it, which though similar geo, tweaks all the random little niggles I had with it. Despite these small reservations, I actually really liked it though. If it wasn’t for the CRC clear out sale, I wouldn’t of switched. But £150 to try the Ragley was too tempting!

I’m 6’2 ish″ and wear 34″ inside leg jeans also. I’ve had an XL Scandal for years (got it in the first batch). For me its perfect, not too long, nice seat and head angles. Ive run mine with 120mm forks which made it feel quite racy but now at 140mm. What I would say is that it has a high top tube, so limited stand over. This makes it great for bike packing as room for a decent sized frame bag AND bottle. I run a  dropper on mine set to 190mm which gets the seat as low as it can possibly go. Many times in the sales of late Ive looked at other more bling steel/Ti frames but I genuinely don’t think I’d find another bike thats rides so nicely and that fits “me” quite as well.

It’s not small. It’s just far away.

I’m 6ft 3. Bought one of the first scandals. It’s big, really big, felt too big at first until I rode my XL whyte and that just felt short. Went back to my XL scandal and once I changed the 50mm stem to a 35mm stem it fitted like a glove. When I change my full suss it will need to be a similar size to the scandal as it’s just right. Made me realise all other bikes I’ve owned were too small and never designed for tall people. I always had to run a long stem or have loads of spacers under the bars and riser bars. My scandal currently has flat bars so I can use inboard grips and bar ends for multi positions. XL also means more frame bag space 😎

Having said all that, I’ve never tried a large. If in doubt on sizes, buy a large.

I used to run genesis tarn forks on it. Recently changed to trek 1120 forks with mounts on for bike packing. Feels exactly the same.

Those two folk above with XL’s and 34″ inseams that think it’s got poor standover, the XL frame must either be a seriously different ‘shape’ to the L or you’ve not got a 34″ inseam 🙂

I’ve also 34″ inseam and the toptube on my L is miles away from my ‘bits’ – mine has a 200mm dropper and at least 50mm of post showing.

Framebag-wise, it’s tight and has a small framebag and even though I’ve the cage set low on a Wolf Tooth B-Rad I still have to use a stubby bottle.  I’ve also a full-frame bag, needed a full-custom one – used Alpkit, highly recommended.

Made me realise all other bikes I’ve owned were too small and never designed for tall people.

Agree, except it was the Cotic Flaremax Gen 2 I got back in 2018, first bike that actually fitted me (and my overlong legs).

Yup. Don’t use a dropper, and had to buy a Gusset Lofty 450mm seatpost to get the saddle right. Also think the XL should have a longer headtube, but that’s true of most alleged XL frames.

Also think the XL should have a longer headtube, but that’s true of most alleged XL

If I was designing a frame the scandal would be the starting point. I would make the head tube slightly taller so I didn’t need to use so many spacers.

Those two folk above with XL’s and 34″ inseams that think it’s got poor standover, the XL frame must either be a seriously different ‘shape’ to the L or you’ve not got a 34″ inseam 🙂

I’ve also 34″ inseam and the toptube on my L is miles away from my ‘bits’ – mine has a 200mm dropper and at least 50mm of post showing.

Yes, I’d increase the stand over height a smudge to get a bigger frame bag and bottle in. I currently use a topeak bottle cage extender to drop the height. I could drill the frame but this works fine.

But for these small changes it’s really not worth spending the money in one when you can pick these up for £150 new in the sale from time to time.

I think @brant got this one pretty close to perfection for me for the money.

Much of the design hard points on the Scandal were to allow easy build up for the bikebuild team at PlanetX, and adjustability. I’m really not sure what’s wrong with adding spacers to raise handlebars, and keeping the top tube low (unless you are wanting a frame bag, which was never in the design remit).

Seat tube length could of course be shorter for modern droppers, but when you’re trying to hit a £1000 pricepoint on a decent build, the seat tube height is dependent on 400mm seatposts – I suppose we could have made a longer one specifically for it, but it was about making a bike that built up with stock parts easily.

It did come out pretty well and I nearly bought one myself when they were on clearance last year!

but when you’re trying to hit a £1000 pricepoint on a decent build

Out of interest, what would you change if money wasn’t an issue?

Seat tube length could of course be shorter for modern droppers,

Mine has a 150 dropper in. Not sure the bike really needs more than that. It’s a do it all bike, not a dh rig.

 I nearly bought one myself when they were on clearance last year!

I nearly bought a 2nd one the other day when a full bike was £550! Incredible value.

To reiterate, my negative points were minute niggles. Generally it’s an extremely good frame.

My inside leg really is 34″ (it says it on my jeans and I’m sure my jeans wouldn’t lie to me) and I ran a 210mm dropper, which is more than enough. Standover was plenty on flat ground, but I have other bikes with lower top tubes and I do appreciate the extra clearance when I mess up trying to clear certain obstacles and my foot ends up in a rut and I’m sat on the top tube.

For now, my Scandal has been replaced by an XL Marley 290 frame. It has very similar geo, just with 30mm less seat tube, a lower top tube and fractionally steeper seat angle, taller stack and lower BB. These little tweaks suit me, although both are very good frames and I still have Scandal frame on the shelf.

The Scandal and the Ragley make for a very interesting comparison actually. The Ragley is a couple of/few years newer design with the aforementioned geo tweaks. But the Scandal looks and feels like a slightly more expensive frame. Both ride really well though – good geo for general trail bike purposes, surprisingly compliant for affordable aluminium frames, etc.

The biggest difference I’ve noticed between the two is internet love, some of which spills into real life encounters too… essentially, Ragleys are the people’s champ that can do no wrong and On One are to always be viewed with suspicion – all the usual tales of “they were only good 15 years ago”, “it’s just the cheapest Chinese junk re-branded and will all fail in minutes”, etc. Sure, the full builds save money in some areas, but common sense can easily navigate that and overall they’re great frames that can be picked up for peanuts.

>Out of interest, what would you change if money wasn’t an issue?

It would be made in titanium by Ted James, or in 853 by Fiveland.

I can almost see the farm that fiveland are based in, from my window. I’ve often thought about popping in with the Scandal and asking how much a nice 853 version would be.  A lot I suspect.

Oh aye, very happy with mine; best climbing bike I’ve had. Just pointing out that the XL Scandal isn’t the freakishly oversized frame some make it out to be. I accept I’m at the far end of the bell curve re: seatpost length and not using a dropper in a frame that’s been designed for them (the Gusset Lofty is a great bit of a kit if you’re after a looong rigid post). Headtube length is an issue with pretty much all XL frames IMO; I can work with 140mm but not less than that. FYI the large Restrap frame bags fit perfectly.