Most fun 29er hardtail frame?

+1 for the design your own and get it built suggestion. If you don’t know what you’re doing it’s a good way of learning, if you do then job’s a good ‘un.  Plus, you’re not designing anything too weird so you probably can’t get it that badly wrong…

I’ve done it a few times and it’s like a crash course in bike design. I specced my latest hardtail with no gear or dropper routing options and less than a year later even Spesh are copying my ideas!

One of the Pace hard tails? My 627 is ace fun and much more lively than my 29” full suss. The 627 is low too so I image you could mullet it without any problems, especially with 130mm 29” forks? Might even try that myself!

“Stif squatch and canyon stoic have short chainstays and rip the corners.”

Good suggestions.

Plenty of options without having to resort to custom building IMO

I still haven’t managed to figure out whether a lower or higher BB makes for a livelier bike. Longer wheelbase/reach/chainstay and slacker head angles all make for a calmer bike. Lower BB feels better on the steeps and when drifting turns. But is it as nimble as a higher BB? Very high BB seems to be worse in all ways but there’s some really key differences in that ~20mm range between super low and fairly low.

Yeah I don’t feel like I’ve tried enough stuff to know what I actually want out of a custom build, only that I don’t think I like my reach and chainstays too long!

Just seen a Matt Jones video of him riding the San Quentin at Woburn and it does look like loads of fun! His looks like a 27.5 though.

Have a chameleon that I switch between 29er and 27.5+ and also a kona honzo ESD. Both great bikes. The chameleon has taught me that just lobbing a smaller rear wheel in makes the bike turn in more readily but it does get hooked up more. The honzo is a beast but once it’s rolling it’s great fun and despite it’s weight it’s easy to get in the air. It’s standard spec but would benefit from lighter wheels and cassette. Look forward to trying the honzo ss (as the chameleon is) but it’s a pain to sort due to the spec.

Wheels and tyres make a big difference.

Also 29ers do often feel a bit ponderous to start with.

Fairdale Elevator is pretty much exactly what you are asking for. Frame only option should be about in your price range.

Funnily enough that video just came up in my YouTube recommendations. Looks ideal, similar kinda thing to that Stanton Sedona.

Cotic BFE max.

I bought a Sentier 29er, swapped the parts over. Great bike.

Covers ground quick, great geo (for me anyway) works great with a 130mm fork.

No regrets.

This is her…

Magenta

“Fairdale Elevator is pretty much exactly what you are asking for.”

Those are crazy short chainstays! Looks fun but surely just a fair weather bike for anywhere on clay like Northants?

Yeah it might be a bit extreme tbh 🙂 would possibly end up feeling unbalanced and weird that short.

I’d actually quite like something with sliding dropouts so I can experiment a bit and figure out what I like, plus it opens up singlespeed as an option for when my gears inevitably mess up and I can’t afford new stuff. I do like how the Honzo ESD looks with the low slung steel look, but it’s crazy slack. I saw someone on YouTube fitted one with a reversed angle set to steepen it up a bit.

You’re 5’8″ so a 406mm chainstay for you is like someone 6′ riding 430mm chainstays, yes it’s on the short side, but not crazy, if you want poppy and fun then it’s what you want. If you want to be able to bunnyhop and lift the front wheel when you need to then short stays are the way to go.

There is so much BS about weight over the front wheel in the media, but as soon as the trail heads downhill nearly all the weight shifts to the front wheel anyway.

All BMX’s are short CS and DJ bikes go for the shortest they can fit round the wheel.

I’d actually quite like something with sliding dropouts so I can experiment a bit and figure out what I like, plus it opens up singlespeed as an option for when my gears inevitably mess up and I can’t afford new stuff. I do like how the Honzo ESD looks with the low slung steel look, but it’s crazy slack. I saw someone on YouTube fitted one with a reversed angle set to steepen it up a bit.

I’d maybe suggest the Chameleon then. I’m not sure I’d say it was the most “fun” bike I’ve rode but others seem to really rate theirs. I’ve adjusted the dropouts on mine to the shortest position to see how it rides, just got to wait for these little summer showers we’re having to ease off so I can get out ion to a dry-ish trail and try it out.

If you’re anywhere near the Chilterns then you’re welcome to try out my large chameleon and see if you like it.

Pipedream Moxie is a fun bike with sliding dropouts.  Easy enough to run mixed.  Plenty nice ones around used.  I’ve currently got a frame only deal on a Kona Honzo ESD. It’s an absolute blast. Not tried it mixed yet, I’d want a higher volume 2.6 in there as the BB could get low.  Again, sliding dropouts.  I’ve ridden it on some steep stuff – the trails off the back of Staunton,  if FOD is your reference, a lot of the steep off piste stuff in the peak, Macc Forest, Warncliffe and it’s never let me down or felt like the wrong bike.  I’ve had it out for winter all dayers too and it’s not been a slog.  Much recommended.