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

As above. I read the whole build thread and found a few useful comments. But its mainly build details . Asking for a colleague in the chilterns and grown up son in Sheffield.

Obviously depends a bit on the build, mine is middle of the road. Seems to climb very well and eats up flat miles as well. Descending wise been riding from home so not tried it on anything that tricky yet but from the tame stuff I’ve tried it goes pretty fast. Not the lightest but you don’t notice it and the length and slack head angle seem to work well to give you confidence. Also it’s purty

Thats really helpful. Even just a quick “like it” is helpful….

Most of us paid £150 for the frame and built it up from bits we had, thinking it would make a good cheap winter hack.

It has massive tyre clearance, modern geometry, threaded bb, Internal routing, it’s an easy bike to build. Some built it rigid, others with suspension forks.

Its very well made (in my opinion) and the paint work has been very good apart from on the chainstays where a lot of us forgot to wrap in our haste to ride

Most of us were surprised how well it rode. It climbs well and descends well. Some of us liked it that much that we upgraded the winter hack and put some better parts on.

I really like mine. It’s got a longer reach than I’m used to so it’s got a 35mm stem which works really well. I like it that much that it makes my other bikes feel like the reach is too small.

I run mine rigid with 29er 2.6 inch schwalbe nobby nics on. Around my local loops it’s just as quick as any other bike and not that much slower downhills.

For the money I don’t think there are many bikes out there that’s better.

My only complaints are the 8mm rear axle but I changed that for a ktm and the terrible box they sent it to me in with the head tube and mech hanger poking out the box.

Well it was planned as a bike to do a bit more distance on and be able to link up some routes with occasional tarmac, seems ideal for the job.

First ride today on mine, replaced a Genesis Tarn with it. Light, and very quick up to speed,running 2.35 tyres it copes with stutter bumps and roots well.All in all,bargain boight for bothy visits and riding to the foot of hills is surprisingly capable on singletrack.

Bought mine at £150 running selcof rigid fork/xt crank/mech/Slx shifter. £55 Clark’s brakes and 780mm bars and 35mm stem. It’s a stonking ride and it’s my go to for local hooning. I have done few 5hr rides on very challenging terrain where the rigid fork takes its toll. I plan to fit a sus fork at some point too.

Excellent riding frame and very well made imho.

Its a bargain at £300 !!

Posted my thoughts in the big thread a bit, however – got mine for £149 at the start of lockdown and rode it a LOT over the Spring and Summer rather than my big heavy suspension bike.

I am really happy with it – theres no big misses in the spec (boost, threaded BB, dropper routing, internal cabling, loads of clearance etc) which means I can swap wheels etc with my big bike.

I tried to build mine up quite cheaply but on the lighter side, Its got some really nice but quite spindly REBA forks, 2.3 tyres and light Mavic wheels.

I wont do this – as I have another bike, but I reckon it could actually work really well with a bigger fork (Pike/34) and some bigger tyres if it was your only bike too.

I really cannot see how spending any more money on any other type of hardtail would get me any appreciable ‘upgrade’.

Mine gets used for all my local riding, old fashioned XC, canals, local woods razzing etc, and keep the big bike for days out and propeer hills, jumps, rough stuff etc.

Well happy with mine.

_20200515_141517 by simonholehan[/url], on Flickr

Reply cheers everyone. Snot rag great write up

Again my build was from spares box with my only purchase being a fork, I now have to resist the temptation to throw money at it as everything I don’t like relates to the cheaper components especially to the Rock Shox Judy TK Silver forks. These get overwhelmed on the rougher stuff. It climbs brilliantly and rolls over everything on down hills. I don’t find it the most nibble in tight singletrack as it feels very long but overall I’m delighted with it. My plan is to use it over the winter and for bike packing trips.

Best bike I’ve ever designed. Finally got it right. Last one too btw.

Love mine, when first built up with full SLX and 120mm Fox 32’s and fast tyres was the lightest bike I’ve ever had. Climbs well, fast and stable on the downs, decent in the air. I put some big Vittoria Gomas on for the winter/spring and was able to tackle some of the steeper stuff at the Golfie quite happily, though this was pushing the limit of the fork. Just about to rebuild with some 140mm Fox 34’s and wider rims, quite excited!

Love mine. Bought the GX build and although there were a couple of issues with timescale and delivery condition (missing front Maxle, no seat clamp bolt) once it was ready it rides fantastically. Slacker head angle than my previous bike makes it slightly harder to lift the front wheel when necessary but I can’t help but smile when I ride it. That says it all to me

Last one too btw.

Last one you designed, or the last one you’ll ever design?

I don’t know Brant, you should be proud of your Dog too. I love mine. You did me a deal on a RST fork for my sliding dropout 29er Inbred and that has never been touched, still good, though recently replaced with a longer Recon. I just went with steel again due to a very dodgy back. You have a fine body of work to be happy with.

My comments also on main thread but it’s good, definitely a long slack big wheeler in terms of handling but it’s very stable. Nice weight. Just tainted by it coming in a wheel box with a dented head tube I had to hammer and press out, and hanger sticking out the other end like my parkwood before it did. Should email on one for a new hanger, think it is a little bent.

Will also be my last on one as a result.

Mine was bought as a build with SRAM GX and the Gold 35 fork, mainly because I wanted to upgrade the frame but so many standards have moved on since my last bike that a “parts bin” swap would have made no sense.

I think it’s great – very different to my old bike (the “old” Scandal) – long slack etc. I was worried when I first had it together that it would be useless on the flat and twisties due to the slackness but it’s surprised me in being a great all rounder.

The biggest (and only real) annoyance so far is that the DUB BB needs a whole new tool to remove vs my older Shimano ones. Hardly One Ones fault!

Have mine built up with 650+ wheels (2.8 NNs) and a set of the 130 travel Fox 34 Performance forks that were in a PSA deal a couple of years ago. I’m not great on analysing the ride of different bikes but it just feels right to me. Light enough, very comfortable and I like the reach (I also have a Bird AM9 so am used to a long reach). Climbs fine and pretty stable at speed/on the steep.

Will try it with 29″ wheels this winter.

Mine’s got 650/2.6 wheels, fox 34 (prob from the same PSA as hamishtc) plus a load of spare parts and my other bike is an AM9 too – which is longer by quite a bit. I’ve just put a bit longer stem on the scandal and I think it’s better for it, definitely for pedaling but maybe also cornering; certainly not obviously worse anyway (frame’s a L, I’m 6ft1)

I’m no connoisseur/ace reviewer though, so “it’s fine”

Whats size frame would you recommend for 6:2ft (189cm) ? On One size chart shows 6:2ft as on the cut off of large to XL.

Some great imfo here. I think Brant’s answer seems definitive…..

He’s a poncho designer, what does he know about bikes? 😁

Having second thoughts about the Signal ST you ordered, coconut?

Whats size frame would you recommend for 6:2ft (189cm) ? On One size chart shows 6:2ft as on the cut off of large to XL.

@Brant answered this in the other thread, I’d go try and find it as he knows better than anyone. I think he said go smaller as this is a modern geometry bike with longer reach.

I’m 6ft3 with a 35mm stem and riser bars and I wouldn’t want it to be any bigger!

Most people on here, it seems, either are spreadeagled on bikes far too long for them, or think they ought to be.

But that’s ok as most people seem to want to ride noddy high speed trails rather than twisty fun trails.

See also:-

STW Poster: “The head angle makes it harder to get the front end up”
Small Boy: https://t.co/XJrtsT6lrb

— brant (@shedfire) September 7, 2020

6″2″ on a large, previously a large Tarn and an XL Orange stage 5 is my other bike.

I’m 190cm (6’2/3″) on an XL and find it perfect… The wheel base is pretty mad though, have to take the front wheel off to get it in the back of my van. guess that’s why its so stable though.

@duckman – how do you find it compared to the Orange S5? I’m considering one and was was worried that there would be too much overlap between the bikes in terms of ability and use, if you know what I mean?

Most people on here, it seems, either are spreadeagled on bikes far too long for them, or think they ought to be.

Most people seem to have bought as per On One sizing guide – which seems to work. 6ft on a Large here, with 40mm stem.

6ft, also on a large.

Id not be too worried about sizing up, its not that long. Its still shorter to the bars than bikes were 10 years ago because of the short stem.

Most of my riding on it has been Swinley and Tunnel Hill, so mostly tight and undulating rather than wide open and fast. I wouldn’t have said it was past the point of being too slack, I’d happily pick something longer and lower for when the trails open up and get faster/rougher.

I was tempted to swap the frame to a Hello Dave but suspect that might actually tip the ballance too far the other way!

For those running a Brand X dropper on the Scandal…. does it take a full length outer cable?

rides like a bike 🙂
Only done a handful of rides on it so far but I’m quite enjoying mine, it replaced (or more like added to, once Ive got another rear wheel) a scandal V2. Was after something not quite as racy and got it. Stable, climbs well, descends well, fun on singletrack. Ive been doing a lot of FS riding (and getting older) so struggle a little going back to HT, this seems a little harsher than my carbon singlespeed, but I could just be riding rocky trails faster. Not got the setup quite right yet, struggle to lift the front end on steep downs (local trail steepish down, cant seem to unweight properly for the 3 big steps on it, there’s a similar trail with an even bigger step that can’t be rolled nearby, won’t be trying that til Ive got this sorted) already got a 45mm stem and got the bars set reasonably high. Obviously this is fairly niche scenario, its absolutely fine popping wheelies on the flat. Maybe it’s a touch long for me*, dunno, probably just need to spend a bit of time getting it dialled in for me, Ive not done much since the up and down the front street, yeah seems OK that I did at build time.

I’d be very tempted to singlespeed it if it didnt mean faffing with internal bloody cabling.
Still on the lookout for a dropper post, got a reverb in the repair shop, it’s not a stealth so zipties ahoy assuming it gets fixed ok.

*6’2″ on an XL, had a few on-ones in XL, so thought it would be a no brainer, maybe the longer “new geometry” means I should have gone for L, dunno.

This all makes me very excited, I ordered mine (Burnt orange) this morning, it should be built on the 21st, I can’t wait 🙂

Hopefully I ordered the correct size, I’m “only” 5’10” and ordered the large. My medium Sentry fits me perfectly with a reach of 465 and the large Scandal has a reach of 460 so fingers crossed!

I’m 6’2 is too short for an XL, what’s the point in XLs. How many tall folks buy these things?

(Says the 6’3 person)

Hopefully I ordered the correct size, I’m “only” 5’10” and ordered the large. My medium Sentry fits me perfectly with a reach of 465 and the large Scandal has a reach of 460 so fingers crossed!

On what scale do you think being 5’10” makes you a large? Why? You’re definitely a medium sized person. Not small. Not large. Not xl.

I’m 5’11 on medium

The bike definitely comes up bigger than Planet X suggest. I’m 6’1 and ride a large but could get away with a medium no problem

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

On what scale do you think being 5’10” makes you a large? Why? You’re definitely a medium sized person. Not small. Not large. Not xl.

Brant, I went off reach on the large which is less than my current bike and I am (just) in the large recommended height on the size guide. I am guessing from the comments that I need to change it to a medium if I don’t want to make a mistake I will regret!

5′ 9″ and the medium is perfect for me, but I have short legs and long back so modern long low bikes suit me. Only bad thing is the Fatty is now languishing in the shed.