I currently have an on-one scandal 26er, and while it is a good bike and very nice to ride i cant help feeling i should have got something with more travel!

I love just bombing around singletrack etc but also am planning on using trail centres etc more this year and learning to use bigger drop offs and jumps so fancied something along the lines of an mmmbop/blue pig/456/crush or even a secondhand kona dawg. I just dont want to wreck the scandal.

I only have lightweight xc wheels and sid forks on the scandal so fear it wont take the abuse or take being chucked down on occasion.

I am swaying towards the dawg but love building the bikes up so wouldnt mind building up a tough longish travel hardtail.

What do you all think?

Yes.

Now shall I go back and read the rest of your post rather than just the title?

Ok, thats that then, sorted!

Now, shall i get a secondhand Kona Dawg to batter about?

Yes. Start with at least one more, make it a 5-6 FS then you can work your way to a FR/DH one! Then you will only need an SS, and maybe a …………..

The roadbike is on its way so thats another sorted!

Glad to here it, would not want you posting up here with less than 3, no make that 5 bikes.

Work out what your ideal bike is then buy something that’s almost, but not quite exactly like it. Then you can change that in a year’s time without any guilty conscience.

first you must demonstrate that you are gnarly enough to warrent a new bike, break the scandal/sids/lightweight wheels!*

fail to break it, you have to keep it.

getting a tougher bike without breaking the one you have qualifies you as ATGNI. However this will give you a weekend pass to the trail centres of which you speak.

*the old addage, pics or it didnt happen – particularly relevant.

On what timescale do i need to break the scandal?