Brant, I went off reach on the large which is less than my current bike

Is your current bike a 29in hardtail with similar fork length too?

Do you understand what happens to the reach dimension when you sit on a hardtail?

Brant, no, its a full suspension 29er enduro bike so I am guessing there is a lot I don’t know about sizing a modern hardtail and just using reach isn’t the way to do it! I have contacted customer service re changing it.

My XL Scandal (still not built) with an XL 26″ Cannondale Trail frame (2012?) on top, aligned at the BB shell as well as I could do. Bit longer, bit slacker, shorter seat tube. I ran the Cannondale with a 100mm stem. I’m 6’4″. Might be of use.

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

I do, outer cable runs through the downtube with the others, out under the BB and back in the rear of the seatube.

Tom99; totally different bikes, as I originally said; I built mine up to backpack. I stuck a spare rhythm fork on it and have taken it out each day since I built it up. Must faster steering than the full sus. Plus; which one would you rather take camping/ access the hills with?

Brant, no, its a full suspension 29er enduro bike so I am guessing there is a lot I don’t know about sizing a modern hardtail and just using reach isn’t the way to do it! I have contacted customer service re changing it.

I’m sorry that reach has been so over-complicated by so many. It’s a good figure for comparing similar things with, but hardtails get longer when you sit on them due to the fork compressing, and should be shorter overall anyway.

Hardtail seat angles should be a lot slacker than FS ones are heading towards, as the seat angle doesn’t sag backwards on climbs as it does on a FS bike.

Many people are getting very confused and tarnishing very accomplished hardtail designs with ignorance or riding things that are terribly designed or set up.

Thanks Brant! 🙂

Hi steamtb
If it’s any help I’m a smidge under 6 foot and ride a large sentry (487 reach 460 seat tube) which fits me great. My size large 29 hardtail has a 140 fork and 450 reach 450 seat tube. Also fits me great. My mate who is 6’ just bought a large 29 hardtail with 465 reach 460 seat tube 130 fork (a sonder signal Ti). I think you’d be better on a medium scandal.

Edit. Reach and seat tube the other way round on the sonder

Many people are getting very confused and tarnishing very accomplished hardtail designs with ignorance or riding things that are terribly designed or set up.

gotta have the biggest reach number possible for forums though

Thanks Docrobster!

I cant see the stem length in the stock build. Any idead. Son about to press buy but just checking all angles or sizing

@ampthill

It’s a 50mm stem I believe

Edit: My large came with a 60mm according to the order details

Cheers.

Has anyone else changed a size choice before the build date? Is it the same process as general returns, so purchase another bike and then they refund the original later?

I changed to 35 and GX on my dog and they couldn’t have been more helpful. Tends to be a couple of days before one gets a reply, that’s all.

@steamtb normally it’s a lucky dip! But they have been selling so many bikes that trey are behind with builds at the moment so you might get lucky and they might come back to you before they build yours.

Have you done the live chat?

That’s what I guessed re busy, there isn’t a live chat option? Thanks!

I really like mine. I’m 6’2½”, and if anything the large feels just a smidge too long, even with a stem where the bars are near enough touching the fork steerer! Built mine with some XT and SLX kit I had lying around, a cheap Rock Shox fork, and Planet X’s own Smorgasbord tyres. It feels fast and playful most of the time, but of course it’s too long for some tighter trails – I’ve run wide on some stuff that I could nail happily on my older 26 and 27½” wheeled bikes, but that could have been a factor of me being faster on the Scandal, too.
It’s made me really reevaluate 29ers, tbh. Every one I’d ridden before this always felt like a city bike with knobbly tyres. I also rarely ride my full susser now, grabbing the Scandal in its stead. Make of that what you will.

Anyone managed to fit a 180mm rotor on the rear? I’ve found the 160mm lacking power for my 100kg lockdown bod. Got a rotor and ordered the adaptor but the mount bolt looks like it will struggle for clearance to get a hex key in

It’s made me really reevaluate 29ers, tbh. Every one I’d ridden before this always felt like a city bike with knobbly tyres. I also rarely ride my full susser now, grabbing the Scandal in its stead. Make of that what you will

Mine turned up this week and I was expecting much more of a transition period getting used to a 29er after almost 25 years on 26inch wheels with a bit of recent riding on a Bossnut but the bike just clicked with me as soon as I rode it. I’d go as far as saying I’m more confident getting into a “new geometry” body position with more weight over the front on the Scandal than the Bossnut. Really happy* with it and the finishing kit for £999 (GX, 35 forks) when I ordered it has impressed, especially after the slightly mushy SX groupset on the Bossnut.

*except the saddle which is awful and was swapped ASAP

Anyone managed to fit a 180mm rotor on the rear? I’ve found the 160mm lacking power for my 100kg lockdown bod. Got a rotor and ordered the adaptor but the mount bolt looks like it will struggle for clearance to get a hex key in

Yes, the caliper bolts are a faff whichever adapter you use, one of mine wouldn’t fit at all (a ‘wedge’ shaped +20mm one) one that the bolts pass through to the frame was fine.

180mm shimano fits fine which was a surprise as the spiders clash with some frames and the Scandal looks tight at first glance.

I’ve got one and absolutely love it.
It’s really nicely balanced- climbs nicely and is great on the longer xc rides too. It’s pretty confident on the descents too. Nice light alu frame so it’s built up light and stiff.
What’s surprised me is that given the geometry I thought it would be a winch and plummet type of bike, but it’s actually a great all-rounder (& better than my SolarisMax LS).
I originally got it and built it up as a budget build as a winter hack bike, but it’s superb and deserves better components so I’m upgrading bits as I go along. The finish has also been excellent on mine.

brant
Full Member

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

Your not kidding are you! I’m 6’3″ with a long torso and gibbon arms.
Got my XL delivered yesterday and I have zero gonad clearance when sat feet on the floor 😮

I originally bought the Proto 26″ Scandal off Brant late one night and turned it into a commute bike, just look how much seatpost is showing!

I was just going to buy the XL, and now I’m wavering…

My old hardtail is a 20″ Lynskey 456Ti and my FS is a Cotic with 495mm reach -only 6’2″ but I do have long, long legs plus have totally bought into the longshot geo but just want a value XC 29 HT.

What size…

@intheborders I’d go L. I’m 6’1 and I’m between M and L but went for the L due to long legs. I could happily ride either size

I was just going to buy the XL, and now I’m wavering…

As others have said including @brant the XL scandal is big. I’m 6ft3 and had to put a 35mm stem on to get it right.

Everytime I ride it, then ride my specialised stumpjumper I think I need a new fs bike as its too short. After a while it feels OK again.

I suggest you go for a large.

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!

What did you end up doing? I’m only a little taller than you and went for the large, Every other time in my life I was between sizes according to size guides I went for the smaller bike and always had a nagging what if. It feels perfect, I have a 23mm of spacers and a 50mm stem so it actually feels quite short.

I received my Scandal yesterday and sorted tubeless etc late last night. Only had a little spin today, but I’m guessing it’s going to be fun 🙂 Loving the colour!

Re sizing, I’m extremely glad I swapped from a large to a medium (Thanks for all the advice!), even the medium feels a touch on the big size, the large would have been far too big. Pic:

Scandal

cokie – in what way do you find it better than the sloaris max? Interested as have been looking at both of these…

Mate’s new Scandal build date was yesterday. Whats the delivery time for these builds ? Its not like he is in a rush as had to self isolate on Wednesday for 14 days as a work colleague came up positive on a C19 test 🙁

My build date was the 6th and it arrived with me on the 7th…

Bought a large – let’s hope it fits.

Thanks Steamtb . He is expecting it this afternoon and then sit looking at it in the lounge for the next 12 days …….. Never mind. I said I could check it works for tomorrows ride :). no response to that as yet.

Ok, first proper ride tonight and I definitely need to change some stuff as I didn’t really gel with the bike on the trails. It felt oddly slow (twists and direction changes) and didn’t inspire confidence. I obviously expected it to be a lot slower than my Sentry on the downs but I didn’t think it would be a lot less agile too, so I presume it’s something to do with me and set up changes I need to make (or differences I just need to get used to like the lower front end).

First off, did anyone else get the Vittoria Morsa tyres? They seem pretty poor, either run them at lower pressures and they squirm ridiculously hitting jumps quickly and under hard cornering or have them rock hard, grip suffers and the bike feels harsh and unforgiving (I tried lots of different pressures on the same downhill section). I have a nearly new set of WTB tyres sat in my shed so I will throw those on when I get a chance, hopefully that will make a big difference. Will swap some new bars on too as I generally run a little bit more backsweep and slightly narrower.

I definitely need to change some stuff as I didn’t really gel with the bike on the trails. It felt oddly slow (twists and direction changes) and didn’t inspire confidence.

@steamtb How tall are you and what size did you buy? Is the bike too big for you?

@damascus, I’m 5 10” and got the medium, which should be spot on for me.

Spent five hours playing on the trails with it today with my daughter. Raised the bars a bit (plus more sweep), increased sag from 18 to 25% and concentrated on shifting my weight back a lot more. Definitely feels better for me and lots more enjoyable. I will swap the tyres this week at some point too hopefully. I think it’s also very different proportions to my Sentry, feels the same length but lower at the front, need to practice more 🙂

Rode my mates ’round the block ‘ today after sticking it together His is a large and I am 5ft 10. Seems pretty manageable and dimensionally similar to my normal bikes ( Ibis and Stooge to name a couple) Obviously I cant comment much on off road riding. But I found the Sram gears to be pretty snappy and good, although the gear cable was about 4 inches too long, which I shortened. The brakes are pretty mushy and hoses were also similarly long as the gear cable. If you need the olive and barb, they are the red ones, not the silver. So, he has ordered a pair of them to shorten. Bars are fine, if a little out stretched for me , but he is 6ft3 and should be good for him.
We did find a scrape on the top tube from the brake lever rubbing, out the box. He stuck the Nukeproof sticker from his pedals to disguise it . He is fussy and its a mountain bike , but he just said he hoped it would be his damage from the off.
Overall is a lovely looking bike. I havent tweeked the forks at all, just told him to bed them in and we can adjust then. Would I have one ? Yes, I would , they seem a great bike for the money.
He is pretty happy with it and is more a bike than he would ever need, so hopefully he will get out and ride when his covid isolation ends or his test comes back negative.

I ordered my Scandal (large and burnt orange) last night after spending hours debating the merits of a Scandal vs. a Vitus Sentier VR. The Vittoria Saguaro tyres don’t sound fantastic (certainly not against the tyres on the Vitus) but I will give them a go – I’m sure they are better than my rusty abilities and the likely trails I’ll ride for the foreseaable future. However, can anyone clarify whether the wheels are taped up to be run tubeless or do I need to hunt down some rim tape for the i29 rims? I have the necessary fluid, kit etc from running tubeless the Hunt wheels on my Boardman CX.

My rims weren’t taped and oddly they weren’t i29s as expected… I’m guessing it’s a bit random re some components and depends what they can get. It only took five minutes to pop some tape on and not much longer to fully set up tubeless. 🙂