Have a BFeMax at the moment which I really like, but I’m always looking at other hardtails. Just sold a bike, so have a few quid to spend, tempted by a new frame, would be used with a 140 29er fork.

Staying Roost has caught my eye, but probably over the budget, even more so as I’d have to buy a 27.5 rear wheel for it.

Sour Big Fun also on the list, looks lovely, and the Crumble gets good reviews.so hopefully it’s more of the same

Always liked the Moxie, so that’s another maybe.

Bird Forge is lovely but I don’t really like either of the colours

Stif Squatch maybe in silver.

Anything else I’m missing? Stanton is out, as is anything else with an ugly seattube brace.

Rå .410

Yeah, had seen those, the fork oddness had put me off a little. Nice clean lines though.

Have a look at Hardtail Party on YouTube. He’s ridden a fair chunk of what’s available.

I’m quite* particular about geometry, especially on hardtails, so any new frame purchase depends on what I like/dislike about the details of my existing frame’s geometry.

I’ve ordered a Moxie which I hope is going to tick all the boxes – the numbers vs my Zero AM say it should and the reports of the frame feel are very positive too. And they look so good.

*ie spectacularly

Yeah, the Moxie was what I had in mind initially, might still go for it, but there are a lot of tempting options

Love the pink Moxie – I’m not in the market for a new hardtail but if I was it’d be right up there. That Ra looks good in the photos – haven’t looked at the geometry though. What’s the fork oddness you mention? Do you mean the really short offset or something else?

40% sag oddness.

From the site,

Designed for all round trail bike duty the .410 is a new breed of hardtail. The geometry is designed to work with a 160mm fork with reduced negative spring to allow 40% sag. Or a 140mm fork running 20% Sag

I’m gonna run 150 at 30%, to begin with.

The BFeMAX has longer chainstays, slacker seat angle, and higher BB than most, so they’re things to bear in mind. But also the BFe’s seat tube is straight so the angle is what it says it is, it doesn’t change with saddle height (most get slacker). The longer chainstays balance out the slacker seat tube though for pedalling up steep stuff.

Some of these recent hardtails are super low – the Forge is very low but slightly higher than the Zero 29 was (which is now higher than the original version). The Squatch is even lower. I think the BFe is over an inch higher at the BB!

I haven’t tried a mullet hardtail but unless you’re riding smooth bermy trails it seems odd to make the wheel with no suspension even worse at rolling through the rough?

Yeah, tbh the mullet is kind of putting me off the Roost ever so slightly, not just the expense. Handy to be able to swap wheels amongst my bikes. That said, be nice to have a 27.5 wheel in the shed to try on the G1.

I went for a Moxie, bit of a punt having not tried one but it was 2020.
Well happy with how it rides, mullet setup as that was the available wheels and I don’t mind it. Colours are brilliant, I just missed out on the pink at the time after too much deliberating but the green is very reminiscent of a Dekerf.

Also considered Nordest, Nukeproof Scout and Orbea Laufey as a built bike.

Stealth ad for a Long Moxie frame in the blue/teal colour. I’m just not riding it enough and need to pay my tax bill. Fun bike though and I like the sliding dropouts, had mine setup with 140 fork and it felt fine.