I don’t know anything about mountain biking any more. There was some brief talk about six hundred and fifty bees, 29 of something, through axles and single rings. It all sounded very complicated so I got the road bike out for a bit and the 26 incher sat sulking in the corner.

Now I’m a little MTB curious again, but haven’t a clue what is going on? Have we found a standard yet? Is Marin still the brand to go for? 🙂

Let’s say I want a fast xc hardtail (is MTBing still all about gnar?) I’m 5’8″ with short legs… would i be best going with the 650 bees?

Not even sure what I’m asking really. I fancy a quick hardtail. The thought of building one is appealing too. And any recommendations are welcome. But I’m also genuinely intrigued by the question: what is going on in the world of mountain biking right now. Has it moved on from that storm trooper stuff?

Get a red one

All the cool kids are on singlespeed fat bikes.

😎

I am a 5’7-8″er with short legs too.

I am pretty darn happy with my 26″ hardtail.

From what I understand, the ability of a bike of varying wheel sizes and widths and different components keeps changing.

Far be it for me to suggest that they might be being changed to sell new items of bike hardware…….

I suspect that is just a cynical ole duffer talking.

Although various souls are attempting to convince me to try tyres without inner tubes.

All I need is someones fluid and some tape apparently……

Is Marin still the brand to go for?

Oh you have been gone a long time. Marin are making a comeback in the least year or two IMHO.

Let’s say I want a fast xc hardtail

29er, even at 5’8″, 100-120mm travel. Lots to choose from at any price point, from race oriented speed machines to more relaxed trail focused.

XX racer bikes have now diverged to the point they aren’t quite so much fun for general rides. There are bikes that are XC like but are much more fun for general XC use.

I’d still get 29er at 5’8 – 29ers aren’t barges any more. But fit a dropper even if you aren’t doing steep difficult stuff. They make you much quicker through twisty singletrack because you can lower the saddle slightly to get a lower CoG but still pedal well enough.

29er, even at 5’8″, 100-120mm travel.

Caveat being that I already have a CX bike running fairly large tyres. I want it to ride and feel like a mountain bike. Capable of big mountain terrain. And make the trails come alive. Etc.

Just throwing that in there.

I thought you said you wanted a fast XC hardtail. For more rufty tufty mountain terrain you want to be looking more at trail bikes then, something a bit slacker and with a bit more travel, and that’ll be more different from a CX bike.

If you want to be really on trend, as in more niche and right on than what the STW journos ride – get a high pivot 29er, with 130mm of travel at the rear, 150 at the front and put a coil shock on it, maybe even one in the fork. See Forbidden Bikes. Run 2.6 inch tyres.

That would be about as niche and simultaneously as on trend as possible.

All the things have changed and some of them are about adding a thing and some of them are about taking a thing away. Some of the things are electrical some of them are about how the spatial and angular relationships between the things have or have not changed and whether this has made them better, worse or different.

Hope that clears that up.

Think you’re asking on the wrong website 😉

Ask about e-bikes (eebs as the cool kids call them) I dare you 😛

I thought you said you wanted a fast XC hardtail.

I’m hoping someone can tell me what I want 🙂

How hard do you want it?

How fast do you want it?

😲

Just get an Orange Five.

(No I don’t ride a Five – though I have done)

650b=27.5″= probably what you want if you can find one that works for you. It’s closest to the 26″ that you’re used to.

For a hardtail in that kinda area, check out the Cotic Soul as a starting point. They’re a small British brand, made by people who ride British trails (for fun). See if you can get a test ride and see what you think – from that you’ll know if you want something cheaper/ bigger/ heavier/ lighter/ etc.

Trying to think about other good hardtails out there my mind’s gone blank – does Specialized still make decent HTs?!

(I realise I’m doing this wrong by answering the actual question…)

OP what 26inch mtb do you have?

A lot of the trouble I am finding is what people call different types of riding.

Took me a while to realise what enduro meant. I just assumed it was an endurance type XC event. Nope.

I think (correct me if I am wrong) a lot of people go to trail centres and ride berms and jumps and stuff.

(smoothed out riding in my book) (Yes, I know not everyone, I am just trying to make a point)
My point being that it is worth finding out what people think of as ‘mountain biking’ when they suggest stuff to you.

You will get no joy on here, it’s all about ebikes, cx ( sorry gravel ) and the TDF , unless you go steel mtb, in which case you will balls deep before you know it.

Yeah get an e-bike.

You won’t get as fatigued and you will get fitter.

😀

Took me a while to realise what enduro meant. I just assumed it was an endurance type XC event. Nope.

A lot of this is just bollocks that marketing departments dreamed up to convince us that we need another bike.

So you’d up with:

Enduro bike

All Mountain bike

XC bike

Dirt Jump bike

E-bike

Trail bike

Downhill bike

Gravel bike

Fat bike

Rigid

29er versions of all of the above

Hardtail versions of all of the above

You’d basically need an aircraft hanger to store them all.

Where is your nearest trail centre with a big hire/demo fleet?

I’d go there try some stuff out, ignore any numbers about wheel sizes etc. and go for a ride see what you think and how it feels. Or look out for some of the demo tours that are going around and head there for a day of working out what you like.

butcher. where do think you’d ride?

i’m 5’7 and riding a brand new marin short travel full suss (130 front, 120 back) which has either 29 wheels (rift zone) or 27.5+ (b-17 as it came). it changes personalities when i change wheelset. for a XC ride the rift zone style ride is awesome.the plus wheelset is for more winch/plummet rides. depends who i’m with and where i’m riding how i go. but as you mentioned XC, something like a rift zone (or the HT equivalent) would see you good.

depends on your budget what options there are..