Have been looking at building up a hardtail 29er with option for 27.5+. I’d originally thought that the cotic solaris looked the most likely as I’ve previously had a cotic soul which I loved. However, the tarn frameset looks interesting and is a lot cheaper (and available now).

Has anyone any experience of them? I’d be particularly interested to know if it has internal dropper routing as I have a ks lev integral that is want to keep.

As an owner I think it depends on what you’ll be using it for. Briefly…Pros it’s a stable beast downhill. Great geometry for climbing (wheel stays on the ground) internal dropper routing. Cheap ish. Long Low and Slackish.

Cons. HEAVY. Cheap wheelset. Regular pedal strikes.

I’ve only used it with plus wheels. 2.8″ feels too low. Prefer 3″ to keep the BB a bit higher.

If your happy to plod up and smash it down it’s amazing!

I’m about to order a lightweight 29er to compliment it for faster xc days.

Thanks for that. I’d be interested to know which light weight 29er you’re looking at? I’m definitely thinking of 29 wheels and would build the tarn up from a frame so would be looking to keep it reasonably light but is there another frame I should be looking at?

I have a tarn 10. Its great basic biking but as above heavy. Any steel bike will be really, even with the carbon fork mine has it still is by far the heaviest bike i own.

Just ordered a Sonder Broken Road. Ti frame about 800grms lighter than the Tarn. But to be used for bikepacking mainly. Similarish geometry.

I have a Tarn 10 as well, and while I accept that it is heavy, I don’t feel it when riding. In fact, I have never ridden better than I do on the Tarn: on climbs and going downhill alike. I have a featherlight crosscountry bike before this one, and – while I’m never a strong mountain biker – I found that thing almost unrideable.

I would honestly argue that the weight of the Tarn is hardly a set-back.

I transferred my old 29er bits to a Tarn frame I picked up on ebay.  Bought a new X-Fusion 140mm McQueen HLR fork and with that on it is is a very capable descender – my other bike is quite slack, but the 68 degree head angle (will be a bit slacker with the 140 fork) feels right.  Also, the bb height with 2.8″ tyres feels right for me (again, may be partly the extra fork height).  With 29″ wheels and 2.35 tyres it feels a bit high, but it also rides well in that mode.  Frame is heavy, but my bits are quite light which I guess compensates somewhat compared to the standard builds.

I am as smidge under 6 fot and got a medium.  The large is quite long, and the xl would genuinely fit outsize people.

Yeah fully agree with the above. In plus mode the climbing traction is ridiculous! But as I said it depends what the OP wants. I love it,  it’s great for big social rides in proper mountains. But for longer faster days, the weight does start to wear me out.

Basically I’d like something that I could ride for 3-4 hrs on trails similar to a glentress black whenever the opportunity arises (becoming less frequent now the baby has arrived). I miss the immediate pickup and simplicity of a hardtail so want to get back to that as well as generally having a bit of a bike cull to clear out the garage.

My cannondale trigger and Caad12 will be going so my two bikes will be a caad x and whichever hardtail I decide on so I’d like it to allow me a wide range of mountain biking that is focused towards trail/xc rather than serious dh. I’ve no interest in racing but would like to feel that the bike encouraged me to push myself. Perhaps the tarn is too weighty for that but as has previously been said, perhaps hanging lighter components off it could make for a nice balance.

watching steel hardtail threads.. is there such a thing as a light yet compliant and affordable hardtail frame with progressive geo?
I want to replace my alloy frame with a steel one for winter trail riding, but I also want to dabble in CX so the current alloy frame makes more sense for that than steel :/
I’m already at N+2

My Tarn 20 weighs in at 32lbs. All as standard apart from slighty lighter DT Swiss wheels and Nobby Nics in 3″ flavour.

What size is that? I’m not too familiar with current bike weights but is that a lot for a hardtail? I thought my old conmencal meta was about that 🤔

Medium flavour. I think the frame’s about 2.8kg. For comparison, again, I think a Solaris is about 2.2Kg…

I tried one on a test ride, lovely but I felt it a bit unwieldy. Ended up with a Bird Zero TR

Just browsed some steel frame weights and it looks like my HMX Genius frame and shock weighs within few grams of a ‘lighter than most’ Solaris at 2249g

I see what you’re getting at but am hmx genius frame it’s 4 times the price.

I see merlin have the kinesis phase frame heavily discounted. It’s 27.5 plus but does that mean that it would be okay with 29s? It looks like a well thought out frame but I’m not sure about the bent top tube, it looks like it’s already been crashed.

Liked the Tarn on trial but ended up with a Solaris – felt more nimble and quicker up to speed. Not tried the longshot version but severely tempted……..

I see what you’re getting at but am hmx genius frame it’s 4 times the price.

Ah, sorry, I’m not suggesting to buy a genius instead. more that if I’m simplifying then I’d really like to be saving weight too.

Fair comment but at the moment I think the biggest weight saving I could make would be from myself so it needn’t be an xc whippet. Heart says solaris but wallet and brain says tarn.

Forget steel and go for a NS bikes Eccentric Alu 29, £260 on CRC. I want one but can’t justify at the moment. Takes B+ as well, reasonable weight, 130-150mm fork, decent geo….

That NS bike it quite short reach wise though isnt it? Especially compared to a Tarn

Looks okay but I was thinking of running a 120mm fork rather than the 130-150mm suggests. Perhaps that would suggest I should be looking at a more xc frame.

Just came across the Orange P7 29er. I ink this old also enter the running. The bike I most enjoyed was my old Orange R8 although it was a size too small so this could be the perfect replacement.

Hmm. The Sonder Transmitter looks like it could be an option too as it could be built as a 29er. I think the geometry and weight probably lends itself to being a good all rounder too. Having compared geometry the solaris seems quite extreme so I’m not sure how good it’d be uphill and similarly with the tarn due to its heft. The Sonder Frontier looks good in a similar way to the Tarn too but I’m put off by the weird boost spacing.

The SolarisMAX is fine uphill, infact probably better than the mk1 version… I have both versions and ride both regularly.

i also know where Thurso is (infact I was there yesterday…), it’s north…

HTH.

Think Sonder specifically state 29r doesn’t work in the transmitter…

You’re right. I missed that. The search continues. I wonder how big a problem the different hub spacing on the frontier would actually be. Would I be very limited on wheel options?

The Boost 141mm rear? It is a bit limiting, but not a deal breaker IMO. You can use a boost 148mm rear hub that allows you to swap out QR endcaps, bringing it down to 141mm. Hope support this in the Pro 4, and I think Halo do too among others. I’ve read that the new Shimano Deore range support this spacing too but I’ve not found a QR boost hub from them to confirm this.

I bought a Marin Pine Mountain a few weeks ago and was a bit put off by the rear spacing, but I’m hoping the original hubs last a while before needing replacing.

I did look at the Genesis Tarn and really like the look of them. They appear much more on trend than the Marin, but Rutland had a 2017 Pine Mountain in my size for a very good price. I’ve only had a few rides on it so far but I am loving the plus tyres. Coming from a steel 26er hardtail the Marin is a couple of KGs heavier but is easier to ride over rough terrain so I personally haven’t noticed the weight increase too much. If I had another much lighter bike and rode the two back to back I’d probably notice the weight, but I don’t.

From what you’ve said that you want it to be good downhill as well as pretty good uphill I think I’d be looking for an Aluminium hardtail with a bit more than 120mm travel. If it needs to be affordable as well what about something like a Nukeproof scout 290?

From a lot of threads it sounds like a frame that is compromised to take both 27.5+ and 29er is exactly that – compromised.

Just to add my hardtail is an old 26er Kona and when swapping back to it from a LLS fser it’s the short and steep geometry that’s one of the biggest shocks. That and the 130mm revelation feels crap after a 170mm Lyrik 😞

edit – to add I think the Kona has a 69 degree head angle and the fs is just under 65.

They appear much more on trend than the Marin

2018 Marin San Quentin would be be a better comparison with a Tarn for geo.  Alu aside.

* late edit ^ <b>2019</b> San Quentin

Looking fwd to some more reviews of this.  Surprised the STW massive have been so quiet about it as it seems to tick a lot of boxes.  Always loved the old AXC (had a B17 for a short while)  and this looks like a proper update

Love my Tarn.

I agree the San Quentin does look really good, and it’s geometry is closer to that of the Tarn. I mentioned the Pine Mountain as I think that’s Marin’s only 27.5+ hardtail isn’t it? I thought the San Quentin ran standard size 27.5, so wouldn’t fit in with the 29er/27.5 plus requirements.

I thought the San Quentin ran standard size 27.5

Ah, correct, looks like Marin missed a trick?

The Pace Rc129 boost is now in the frame too (pardon the punn). Apparently there’s an xl version coming so might wait and see how that looks. Have emailed them for details.

I do similar riding to the style you mentioned and got a titanium Titus fireline 29er frame used for about £300.

Very light and suits trail/xc riding. I have a 140mm Pike on it and went a size up with a short stem.

I really like it, and the frame is affordable (£600-700 new at On One). It’s very nicely made and was easy to build up.