Ex-MTBr, not ridden off-road in what must be 8 or 9 years now. Was never that gnar, Cannock Monkey was fine as far as I was concerned.

Currently have a old Commencal Super 4, which although showing its age I always loved the feel of.

My son has now claimed that so I need something new.

Do I save a few quid and go with a modern geo 29er hard-tail, or should I spend the extra on another FS.

I have my eye on on the Nukeproof Scout and On-One Scandal from the hard-tail stables or a Vitus Mythique VRX if I go for a FS.

I guess my question is does a modern geometry hard-tail with high volume, big wheels outclass an old school 26” 4 inch travel FS bike?

Feel free to throw a spanner in the works with your own suggestions.

I guess my question is does a modern geometry hard-tail with high volume, big wheels outclass an old school 26” 4 inch travel FS bike?

I’d say the modern hardtail comfortably outclasses and old full suss. So much has moved along. No doubt you can have fun on any bike but modern bikes have got better and better. A decent LLS hardtail with good forks, dropper post, wider rims, grippy tyres, etc will handle the trails really well. I’d start there. The scout is a great option.

Go 29er full sus if you can. As much as I love my modern hardtail,it’s not as quick nor as comfy as my full sus.

A hardtail is less maintenance in the winter slop.

Add the Orbea Lauren to that HT list, great all round bike

I think the scout or scandal sound absolutely ideal for you.

Currently have a old Commencal Super 4, which although showing its age I always loved the feel of.

I’m quite fascinated by this, I thought they all cracked the rear triangle! I had one. Bloody loved it until it broke.

I had a super 4 and i loved it. However its really an old xc FS bike. A modern HT will be so much more fun. You really will all the benefits of bigger wheels, longer slacker geometry and stuff like wider bars, dropper post, 1x transmission with narrow wide chainring and tubeless tyres.
The super 4 is still a good bike from 15yrs ago, but things have moved on.
You wull be pleasantly surprised by a modern bike.

I guess my question is does a modern geometry hard-tail with high volume, big wheels outclass an old school 26” 4 inch travel FS bike?

Strava says that my Solaris is faster down Flat White at the Golfie than my Stinky!
Having said that there is some stuff I can do on the Stinky that I don’t dare do on the Solaris, but you are unlikely to encounter stuff like that at Cannock, an HT should be absolutely fine there

I think it’d be hard to go wrong with any of the bikes you’re looking at, but that Vitus looks like very good value, solid mix of components SLX /Deore is still a brilliant workhorse choice of gears and heard nothing but good things about Marzocchci/Fox forks in general. Unless you’re dead set on a HT, I’d go for the Vitus personally

If you were always fine with cannocks monkey and don’t really intend doing more then I’d definitely go for a hardtail. Easier maintenance and will make cannock seem far more interesting than a full suss will. Fella had a nukeproof scout before and rated it so I’d go for that one personally, nice geometry and fairly well tested and rated.

I’m quite fascinated by this, I thought they all cracked the rear triangle! I had one. Bloody loved it until it broke.

Indeed, I took a punt on this as a bare frame (it was a later revision so not sure if they fixed the issue) and it’s been totally fine, although the bearings are a bit sloppy now and both the fork and rear shock don’t really hold pressure anymore.

It’s the most fun bike I’ve ridden by far.

The Scout has much more modern geometry than what you have. At speed and on steep trails it’ll feel slower to steer and more stable. It looks like it’s got normal 2.35” tyres not plus and it’s an alloy frame. I’d go for the 29er version and it’ll smooth things out better than the 27.5” version. It looks like they’ve revised the frames a bit – they used to have really long seat tubes for the size once you went over a large but they’re now shorter so you can run a longer dropper post.

The Vitus Mythique has a better spec for the money somehow – the Lowest spec Scout (£1399)has a worse fork / drivetrain etc than the £1799 Mythique VRX even though Vitus have a more expensive frame with 4 bar suspension and a rear shock to budget for. You have to pay £1899 on a Scout to match the fork and drivetrain spec.

The Vitus is middling trail geometry – the reach isn’t wildly long but waaaaay better than what you have and you get a nice 66 degree head angle etc.

For me as my only bike I’d pick the Mythique. As an all rounder it’ll be great – it’s not too radical or long / low / slack that it won’t be fun on easy trail centre trails, but if you decide to ride harder stuff it will be capable for that too.

The cheaper scout has too basic a fork and drivetrain for the money for me – plus it’s not a big tyred cushy hardtail like one with plus tyres. I have a big Transition Sentinel 29er as my main bike – but I also have a steel framed hardtail with 2.6” tyres – that has a bit for give in it than the alloy framed Vitus Sentier I had before it – which isn’t a million miles different to the Scout. I have a lower back issue that can flare up (previously bulged discs) so the more give the better for me.

That’s said the Vitus Sentier could be another option for you to look at as a better specced bike for the money than the Scout. The Scandal is also a good allrounder and when on sale it comes in with a good spec for the money.

I guess my question is does a modern geometry hard-tail with high volume, big wheels outclass an old school 26” 4 inch travel FS bike?

It’s becoming a much more difficult decision between riding the Scandal or 27.5” Edit these days…the question being do I ride the HT again, or blow the dust off the FS.

With 2.6” wide tyres (other tyre widths are available), the modern HT is an absolute hoot to ride

Any modern geometry bike will feel MUCH safer…

You don’t say how tall you are or if you are bothered about going 1% faster… both considerations for a 29er…

Was never that gnar, Cannock Monkey was fine as far as I was concerned.

My son has now claimed that so I need something new.

Help me get back in

Your son rides!!!!…. I’m guessing a bit harder than you did but I’m betting he’d be happy to just go and MTB with you… I’d say leave yourself open .. perhaps discuss with him what you could do together and what bike?

Your son rides!!!!…. I’m guessing a bit harder than you did but I’m betting he’d be happy to just go and MTB with you… I’d say leave yourself open .. perhaps discuss with him what you could do together and what bike?

He rides, but he’s not much of an MTBer, he’s happy with forest trails and fire-roads. Just nice to get out and ride together, maybe take him to Swinley for a lap of the Blue and some cake.

But he’s long since grown out of his 24″ bike and has always fancied my Super 4 so makes sense to let him have that and I can upgrade.

Some good advice from all here, I’m swaying more and more towards the hardtail options for value reasons, but if that Mythique ends up in a sale it’s probably the one to go for since I tend to keep a bike for a long time (see Super 4…).

Ragley hardtails provide good value and a solid ride (very similar to nukeproof), so worth a look.

If price is more important to you – and a hardtail is what you’re after I’d go for the Vitus Sentier 29 VR (if you can catch it in stock) over the bottom end Scout. The Sentier is a few hundred pounds cheaper and has a better fork and drivetrain. The frame is marginally less ‘hardcore’ but it’s bang on for general trail riding. £1124 with a Bomber Z2 fork and wide range 1×11 deore drivetrain. I think the wheels and tyres are broadly the same as the Nukeproof.

The equivalent Ragley (big al) has a worse fork / drivetrain (less range) for the money. If you go up to £1399 on the Ragley the mmmbop gets a similar spec to the Vitus Sentier I mention above – but it’s a bit more hardcore geometry with a slacker head angle / longer travel fork. I’d think the Sentier would suit you better from what you’ve said.

The Scandal for £1199 doesn’t look a bad option either – the fork on there is probably stiffer than the Bomber Z2 on the above bikes but has an inferior damper. Probably a similar level though. Gx eagle is good for the money – albeit they have downgraded the cassette to an 11-50 HG one. Broadly the same as in the above Sentier though.

Thanks for the help all who posted, update is I’ve just ordered a Vandal.

For £1099 or £1599 – looks like the same bike spec is being advertised at 2 different price points.

Sounds very cheap for a titanium frame with gx eagle and a 35 gold – good find.

Only trying I would change straight away is the tyres if they’re the quoted panaracers.

If ou’re happy with what you’ve got, why not fix the shock/forks? As you say you’re not into ‘gnar’ so why do you need a more gnarry bike? if anything they will make the trails you ride appear a bit tamer/flat.