New SC Tallboy build

In right rude orange. Mainly XT, XTR cranks off previous race bike and standard wheels. Has a nice set of Stans wheels to go on once i have the QR15 adaptors. Its really quite beautiful. Its large, i'm 5'11" and centre BB to top of seat is 75cm exactly – its sad that i know these things ! Apologies for the grips, have a sore hand at the mo and the ergons help me ride for long periods. Also logos etc not lined up because i don't care 😀

It would be interesting to hear how it rides..

The first 29er I've actually even considered….

Sweet bike dude

That does look great. + 1 for ride reports and comparison with bikes you've had previous.

These are getting a bit common now. 😉

That's two in two days

Looks great though. 🙂

Loving that colour. Looks ace.

Onion – you need to grow a bit before you get a 29r! 8)

Splosion,do you know when Two wheels are getting these in?

actually doesn't look at all like a 29er, is that a good thing?

Onion – you need to grow a bit before you get a 29r!

Lol, oh I love the irony.

OK get a cuppa here comes the feedback on how it goes…

4hrs, 42K, approx 2100m of climbing.
Wet, overcast, 12 degrees, 30-60kmh winds. Just the usual Wellington summer then.
Previous and current bikes: Serotta TiMax 29er, RM Element Team 18", Kona Explosif 18" SS

The bike was ridden pretty much as I got it bar different tyres (WTB PRowler 29×2.1 on the front, Maxxis Crossmark 29×2.1 on the back) and ergon grips. Its got a Fox F29 100mm RLC on the front with the tapered steerer.

Hopping on it initially felt quite short in the TT which was interesting as the geo chart has it at 24" and I had originally ordered a medium but when the L came in they wanted me to ride it as they also felt it rode quite small.
The loop I did is a mix of long doubletrack 4wd track climbs, steep single track climbs, rooty descents and a couple of long ridgelines with rock steps and drops. Everything was super slick and wet due to 3 days of rain.

Initial impressions are this thing is awesome. Honestly, it climbs like nothing I have ever ridden and is way better balanced than my Serotta 29er, hard to explain but you feel like you are right in the middle of the bike, the front does not feel too high and it is just planted. Stuff that I would normally not get up due to steepness i just rode straight up now worries. Where it was was beautiful was anything vaguely undulating, the wheel size lets it roll and encourages you to pedal faster and faster. I'm not a Dh king but know my way round a bike so i was very keen to give it some beans on some technical downhills. Firstly the balance is right there again, the carbon frame also gives an almost silent ride, no chain slap, nothing – feels odd. The QR15 on the fork I think makes a huge difference in 29er wheels and would not go back now, normal 9mm QR's seem to let the wheel flex too much. All the downhills were a hoot though and the natural balance of the frame just encourages you to lean it over and let it carve. Technical tight stuff felt much the same as on other 29ers if a little easier for some reason.
All in all I would say the following:
Looks: Lovely, the black is nice and this orange is ORANGE !, call it a safety measure. Well finished as well.
Geometry: Rides short to me, this is a Large and has a 90mm stem on it, i'd consider a layback post perhaps for a little more room for adventure racing where i'll be sat down most of the time but would not want to have gone any shorter on the TT
Uphill: Climbs like a goat on red bull, honestly, just flies up stuff and suspension bob and feedback is nil, soaks up small stuttery bumps very well, big hits can stall the bigger wheels. Like all 29ers I think if you are not quite fit they punish you more than a 26er
Downhill: Solid and secure, rolls well and easy to manouvere in tight spots despite its bigger wheels, suspension even at 100mm soaked up big rocks, tree roots and drops brilliantly.

Its staying – I'm a bit fussy about bikes and i'd not normally take something totally new out on a 40ker like that but it just felt superb and I needed the training miles. The only changes I'd make would be possibly try a post with 10mm of layback and move the bars down 1 spacer. Other than that its brilliant.

Your house looks like an exercise in sensory deprivation.

Ha ha ha thanks for that took me ages to pick that colour as well… 🙄

Explosion In a Spaghetti Factory – Member

These are getting a bit common now.

That's two in two days
Oh, not like bloody "On One" posts! A welcomed change if you ask me! 😀

A good report there Col.

Sounds like you like it a bit then. 😉

Thanks NZCol. Interesting comments about the short length and QR15. I ended upwith an XL superlight, to get the right fit. Was terrified about it being a barn gate, but the fit ended up just right!

** Updated report **

OK so now having lived with it for a week we headed out on Saturday for a 150km ride. Mostly gravel 4wd with a long technical stretch in the middle, some tarseal then a long technical climb and descent down an old rail trail.
Weather – fckn awful, wet, 60knot southerly, 12 degrees. YEs its still summer – somewhere !
I use this ride as a good long training ride and having done it a fair few times now I know what I normally feel like at the end – battered. This time I was bit bonky but physically felt way less battered. The combo of 29er wheels and the suspension were amazing. Once again I have to say thsi frame rides REALLY short. I've got a layback post for it now to try as I am 15mm shorter on this that my (allegedly) same length TT Serotta. This bike rules, its that simple. Balanced, very fast on almost everything and quite nimble as well in really technical stuff. There is a long stretch over a boulder field (an alluvial fan from a river) which a lot of the 26ers struggled to roll over. I went straight through no worries.
Again, nice bike, rides very comfortably, would make a great endurance/24hr/long day out bike, climbs instantly, descends brilliantly (would go well with 120mm on the front and a flipped stem), but check the TT length as its very short feeling.
😀