It seems about a year since our Big Dogs got built – how are they getting on? I built mine predominantly as a winter ride and I have not touched the full suss since October and am still enjoying the Big Dog. Not made any changes yet and not had any issues – DVO fork, Superstar V6/Isotope wheels, 1×10, may stick a 180 rotor on the rear sometime.

Loving mine. Built up last spring with a Reba, Shimano/Sunrace 11 speed mix and deore 4 pots. Mines the raw and have a few surface rust spots where it’s had dings but I like it – adds character. Otherwise no issues at all.

It’s actually made me sell my FS which was a 2016 Orbea occam. I’m just converted to 29er wheels, slacker HA, steeper SA and more BB drop. The big dog was just showing it up so want to replace with a 140/150 FS 29ers with similar angles. Possibly new Occam actually, or maybe Vitus Escarpe – stock permitting!

It’s my only MTB at the moment after I sold my FS (waiting on a new one from Europe).

Mine was the SX build, which was frankly horrible to use. Have swapped to XT 12x drivetrain and slx brakes.

Have also swapped the tyres to something bigger and stickier.

I enjoy the bike a lot, and does everything I ask of it. Not had the chance for a long distance bike pack this year, but that’s what it is going to be used for when we’re allowed out again.

I will say that the paint is pretty fragile and I have a lot of dings in it. Might consider a better quality respray in a year or two.

@jimdubleyou – yes, the paint does a appear a little fragile on my (orange) frame… dropped a small hex key against frame a couple times and chunks of paint fell off

Used mine as only mtb from January(when all my other mtbs were stolen) until September when I got a Bird Aeris 145 at the discounted price. I built mine up from scratch with a mix of old and new. Ran it as mullet. Very capable. Agree about paint but it is a cheap frame. Thinking about putting a slackset and 150 Lyrik on it. Love the look of skinny tubes.

Built mine as an xc commuter and local trail hack… Well, it gets plenty of the latter now and none of the former, as I’ve not been to the office since March. Anyhoo, Main changes are a bigger fork, from 100mm Recon to 120mm Z2 Bombers and a 200mm front disc to accompany the growing trail speeds. Bars grew from 740 to 760 at the same time; the original narrow, xc set up was very commute focussed and now it’s just getting used for blatting about in the local woods of Glamis, Lundie etc.
We only managed one proper packing journey, a short and fairly mellow 3 day trip that included Drumochter, Loch Pattack, Laggan, Rothiemurchus and returning south via the Gaick pass. It’s a cracking bike for all of those sort of duties, especially with sensible tyre choices, currently meaty 2.5s.
Same experience with the finish; the chain has taken some paint off the stay during a suck moment and there are a few stone chips showing up here and there now. Easily sorted with a car touch up pen for now and doesn’t bother me in the slightest.

Mines more like one month in but set up standard full build currently with some carbon rigid forks and I’m loving it for quick blasts out on simple trails and bits of road work.
Sold my full sus as a result of buying this and I couldn’t be happier!

It is an amazingly versatile frame. Maybe when I eventually get the repaint done it will be in the colours of a 1995 Kona Explosif as this bike is what that bike was in my dreams!
Some niggles:
Rear caliper alignment has not been easy and is still not perfect. Maximum rear disk size is 180. It may be my mechanic skills.
I do struggle with 12 speed set up and this been where I have gone through a 12 speed drive train in a very short space of time. Again may be me.
More standover would be good.
Another bottle holder?

Mines sat unused really. Will shift it on eventually. Liked the modern geometry. Hated the old school high top tube on the xl.

Hated the old school high top tube on the xl.

Can’t say I noticed that!

Mine is due for splitting for sale, enjoyed it on the few times it’s been properly off road but really it’s just been used to commute or keep dust off of a small patch of garage.

Turns out I don’t need a hardtail, mostly I don’t ride in lousy weather because I don’t like lousy weather and can usually find something better to do, not because I’m worried about it ruining the fs.

I can hardly fault it as a package and not at all as a frame [Natural terrain and tarmac Welsh Marches]. Mine was summer of love spec so came with 200/180 Dropper post 35s etc, oh and brilliant Gomas. I put on Z2s a decent seat and riser bars, and tightened the spokes…. I’d say the Scandel is a touch more assured down steeps and a tooth or two quicker up hill but the difference is very small and the Scandel has 175s and a lighter spec so…. The seat is right back on the Dog and right forward on the Scandel to get them roughly the same place. That’s the big difference. They feel remarkably alike to ride., so that was a waste of money and time….

I’m enjoying mine. Got 150 lyriks on so gives it a nice slack head angle but the seat tube angle is still fine being relatively steep so not at all wandery on the climbs.
Probably used it 10 times or so over the winter.

Medium is a good fit for me at 5’7.
Paint is very poor but I can live with that for £150.

Is anyone else struggling with gear set up though?

Initially had new gx eagle with an nx 11-50 cassette on which shifted fine initially but every now and again gets stuck on the seat stay when shifting up and down to / from the 11t cog.
It has also steadily been struggling to shift off the 50t so I thought I would swap the relatively new drivetrain over to the full sus and use the nx (still in good condition) that came on the full sus on the big dog and replace the cables to solve the shifting issue. However it’s even worse with the nx even with new cables.

It simply won’t shift off the 50t without me physically moving it with my hand.

The hanger is pretty chunky and I’m wondering if the mech doesn’t like being moved so far inboard to onto the 50t?

As for it jamming on the stay I have no idea. It’s not an issue I have ever had before. The stays are pretty chunky and there’s not much room looking at though.

I bought a couple of hangers, I was getting poor shifting so I swapped it out and had similar issues.

Have aligned both of them now so they are acceptable. Maybe shifting problems are caused by an issue with the frame or hangers being not quite aligned?

Aye suppose it could be the hanger but it all looks straight.
The frame is definitely not aligned very well. The wheel is closer to the non driveside and that’s with a variety of wheels.

My frame’s fine. The way to check alignment is with a straight edge, a piece of timber or a string. If the two wheels don’t align doing that then it’s a warranty issue

I agree but I would also expect the wheel to sit centrally in the frame.

I had a vee flow snap 2.35 on at the start but had to take it off as it was rubbing the paint on the drive side. For a frame that is supposed to take 2.6 it’s poor but I can live with that for the price.

Would be nice to sort the shifting issues out. I definitely think there’s too little room between the 11t and the seat stays.

Mine will take a 2.6 and 11 with no problem. Your frame is “not fit for purpose”. Price is not a factor in such discussions. It’s warranty issue. It’s utterly unfair when you complain on line before seeking redress from PX. If they don’t get the frame aligned or give you a replacement then you may have the moral right to moan online. They might argue that you have bent the frame. If you’ve had the frame a while that’s a valid argument, and you’re culpable for not having contacted them immediately.

I also managed to get one of the frames when Planet X were doing the frame, headset and seat collar bundle for £150 and for the price I paid I’m really happy with it.

Mine’s size small in orange, it weighed 2.78kg with through axle on my kitchen scales and has been built up on a budget. I’m running a Suntour Aion 35 27.5+ fork with 29er wheels, so can only just squeeze a 2.35 tyre in, and my wheels are self built RaceFace AR24 rims on Superstar hubs with boost adapters. I re dished the wheel in the frame with the boost adapters I’m using so managed to get the rim fairly central. I noticed that the wheel is closer to the seat stay on one side and the chain stay on the other side, but I can live with that. I’ve not measured the alignment to see if it’s out, it rides fine.

I’ve had a 2.4 Trail King in the back without rubbing, but the E13 TRS+ 2.35 i tried had massive side knobs that rubbed the paint off the frame on both sides when cornering. I’m not sure if my wheel build contributed to this though as it’s the 1st wheelset I’d built.

The rest of my build is an XT/SLX combo, Trans X dropper, Clarks M4 brakes and cheap finishing kit I had spare. It was built to a budget but it rides well and I’m happy with it. The only things I may change in the future are a boost wheelset and the forks for 29er ones for more tyre clearance. For now I’m happy enough running a 2.35 tyre up front.