Not sure what advice this post will bring, but here goes.
I’m looking for a light (possibly carbon ??) hard tail bike for cross country tracks and trails. I’m very tall so must be avail in xl or a big large. I quite like the thought of a 29er as it appears to hit the bill, taller rider, fast flowing. Etc.
Really interested in a Santa Cruz highball or whyte 29C, but would prefer second hand for financial reasons.
Big problem, neither exist in my size second hand. What else should I consider ?. Have had a quick blast on a 29 scale and quite enjoyed that but what else beyond these?
Thanks for any advice. R

Got an Aluminium Scale 29er and love it. Use it for longer, less technical rides as a means of getting fit and it is great for that. Not sure about what other but the Canyon usually gets a mention on here as being great value

Got a Whyte 19 in carbon here which is perfect, very able and rapid. Would recommend.

Also have a carbon Whippet which is being reworked as a 1×10

I’m 6’7″ and have a Tomac Flint in XL, Finally a bike that fits me! I find it much better balanced than 26″ for a lanky git like me. Its aluminium and pretty light.

Got an aluminium Highball. Nice and agile, not the lightest. Buy a frame for £500 and build up from S/H parts which should make it affordable & you have a warranty on the frame.

Faced a similar choice 12 months ago – I’m 6’3″.
Was very tempted by either 26 or 29 Scale, but difficult to get a test ride in large sizes. Ended up with a reduced 21″ Taureg from the Van Nicholas website.

…how about a Planet X Dirty Harry carbon 29er frame, they’ve got stock coming in soon and have an XL size from £500 depending on paint options?

Why do they make bike for anyone over 6’4″. You should be playing basketball or be in a circus.

Hi all thanks for your feedback its good to know what others are riding and your thoughts, even those that feel I should be wearing a vest and shorts and buying a heavy ball, or worse wearing long striped pants and working in a big top. Incidentally the yeti big top is another possible contender but I feel they build up a little heavy..
Pridds your riding is exactly what I’m looking at doing, long track non techy rides for fitness. The scales crop up occasionally in large but not sure if I need xl at 6’3 or even 4 if I listened to my mum and put my shoulders back. Will check out canyon but really want to be able to try first.
Grtdkad. The carbon whyte really appeals and a few pop up. Size is only issue I think a l is a little small, hence looking at 29c frame is just a bit bigger. How tall are you?
Phil. The tomac is an interesting one one has just come onto my radar, a review in a month old mbr and a shop offered a few hundred of a large. I will check them out. How light / heavy is yours. I can’t find anything on weight.
Simon . I think I may have read a post from you recently thanks. I’m thinking of doing exactly what you’ve said. Did hrs build to circa 26lb. I think I need to change my views but I’ve got a target of sub 24lb. Still a very real option I’m scanning for parts but bit concerned about getting all bits correct.
Rkk. Not familiar with this one but wil be after a bit of research tonight. Thanks for your input.
Pushbike Again thanks for your comment. Dirty Harry was mentioned by a guy at work but I need to check them out for myself. I’m a bit cautious of carbon from a lesser known company but def one for me to review.
Thanks all, will research the new advice given here.
Happy riding all. (even mr stevewhyte)

Air 9 carbon rigid or 100mm fork is very good.

Simon . I think I may have read a post from you recently thanks. I’m thinking of doing exactly what you’ve said. Did hrs build to circa 26lb. I think I need to change my views but I’ve got a target of sub 24lb. Still a very real option I’m scanning for parts but bit concerned about getting all bits correct.

Without pedals comes in at exactly 25lbs. Would be tough/expensive getting to 24. Don’t worry about getting right parts – all standard stuff. I’m running straight steerer forks on a Hope reducer headset with no problems. Stif faced and chased BB & fitted the headset for me. External BB etc

Canyon Grand Canyon AL29

From a grand upwards. Carbon on the way, dunno if prices have been released yet.

I have a yeti bigtop lovely frame rides really nice…but ain’t cheap for what is mostly alu and would cost to build to your weight target. Think my large is about 27lb with xt group, arch wheels and sid forks. Love the frame and would recommend it but it may not quite fit your requirements.

Thanks again all. Just going for ride now but definitely got some research to do later.
I’m already thinking I may be too ambitious with my desired weight, think may need to be 26lb with pedals, that should allow more options.
Another shout for the canyon and always good to hear from a big top rider. Any other thoughts most welcome.

I’m 6ft5, and ride a Grand canyon 29er. Frankly, the base model with the fox forks looks rather good VFM, I went for the 8.9 and have since changed the forks from the DT swiss which I just didn’t get on with to the flexier but in my opinion more supple and better damped Fox 32 floats. I also upgraded the wheels which made a big difference to the weight, to stan’s crest 29er rims on superstar hubs. The cassette also got an upgrade to a much lighter XT, and bars saddle and other bits were changed so suit. Its as light as I’d want it, but I’ll be looking at a carbon frame soon, maybe a Dirty Harry as mentioned above. Its about 24lbs with pedals on a park tools scale.

Haha @ stevewhyte! I’m rubbish at basketball though some days I do wonder why anyone over 6’4″ bothers riding, I’m just a technical mess – arms and legs everywhere!

bikebob my Flint XL is 27lb, but I have it built up weird, depending on your viewpoint. I have it with an Alfine 11 setup (32/22), not the lightest pedals in the world, a front XT dynamo hub, and a brooks B17 saddle! Has arch wheels run tubeless. There is probably room to save at least about 2lb’s on all that. It’s a second hand frame bought for just under £300, the 2010 design with the Bushnell eccentric. The 2012 model no longer has this and is about another half pound lighter. Bought the frame off “the other Matt” @ 18 bikes then built it to my spec, no idea where he sourced it from. Personally I love it, it really flies and my riding is nothing special but I love really long XC rides in the Peak and it really excels at that.

Giant XTC composite 29er looks good, the XTC3 retails for £1500 – the spec isnt bad but im not sure there are many better carbon frames out there – would be fairly easy to get sub 24lbs without too much effort..

Waiting on delivery of my Grand Canyon AL7.9. Can’t wait.

I just bought a Rocky Mountain Vertex 970 from Evans, which was reduced as it is a 2012 model, they are also doing 12months interest free on sale bikes. I am very pleased with it, although I have only ridden it four times so far (one of those was 115miles in a 12hr solo race) For the last couple of years I have been riding a 26er Scale and I would say the Vertex is a nicer bike to ride, very stiff rear end when pedalling, but flexes over bumps when you are sat down. I am 6 foot and the large is a good fit for me, but they also have the XL reduced. The other carbon 29ers I tested where Cube, Giant and Cannondale. I personally preferred the Cannondale or Rocky Mountain.

Very pleased with my On One Scandal 29er. In XL size fits me fine and I’m 6’8″. Built up its 27lb with full Xtr and Thomson finishing kit. Running Reba RLT’s at 120mm but fancy a pair of the new on one carbon forks to take it to 25ish. Hope that helps.

I think I need to change my views but I’ve got a target of sub 24lb.

Unless you throw money at it, no way – esp. not with pedals etc

I’d definately go 29er at your height.

If you’re tall i’d go for a 29er, if for no other reason that they look more normal 😆

I’m 6ft 3″ and ride a Large XTC 1 29er, which I built up. Very nice ride, once you wind it upto speed you can just fly along.

I’d look at some of last years Giants and see if there are any XL or L about, I would be surprised though!

Based purely on internet research and never riding one the Canyon AL7.9 looks brilliant spec for the money!

My Cube Reaction GTC 29er is a flying machine. Very light and accelarates very quickly. I’m loving it.

IMG-20120711-00035 by michaelpark41, on Flickr

andypaul99 – – would be fairly easy to get sub 24lbs without too much effort..

POSTED 2 DAYS AGO # REPORT-POST

Really!

I suppose if you have enough money, but new I would think you are well into £2k to get a sub 24lb bike.

My reaction 29 + a set of crest wheels + carbon post stem and bars might do it. But the performance might start to suffer as a result.

25lbs is a good target for a mountain bike and is by no means heavy.

I recently built up a Tomac Cortez (26er) to 22lbs for just under £2k, all new. The frame is beautiful, slightly old school but stiff as hell. They’re quite hard to find though…

XL Cotic Solaris – rides like a dream! 🙂

Absolutely loving it!

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/finally-my-green-cotic-solaris-is-rolling

+1 Cube Reaction GTC 29 SL. Very fast bike.

[/url] 29er by jwmlee, on Flickr[/img]

I have had a few 29ers now had the Scott carbon pro last year was a fast and light piece of kit and stiff Sold that and invested in a carbon FS 29er. I also brought the Canyon 29er the 7.9. changed the seatpost and bars to carbon and found the ride to be far more forgiving than the Carbon Scott. Changing the bars to EC70 and a cobalt Carbon seat post saved over 200gms, you could easily save another 500 gms easily by changing the wheel set and that would get you around e 24lb mark. You shold easily achieve a sub 24lb build under £2k. I loved the Fox 15mm evolution CTD fork, thought that it performed very well comparing to my 2 sets of SIDS

Thanks everyone for your I put, really enjoying the thread and lots of ideas to research. I’ve though of building one using the for sale section as much as poss, was a little unsure but now thinking again. Might poss put a little time into my well retro orange 02, old and knackered but a project still the same. Either way still going the 29er route. Just don’t know which one at this stage.
For now, more research checking out all the options above.

Pretty much what ijs445ra said about Big Tops. Great, but expensive. They do come up 2nd hand occasionally.