I have recently bought a bike from crc which turned out to be faulty and they don’t have a replacement so now looking for a hardtail
Doesn’t need to be from crc but have seen this
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/vitus-bikes-sentier-vr-hardtail-bike-sram-nx-1×11-2018/rp-prod159770
Can I get better for this money?
Also who would you recommend buying from as I don’t really know who provides good service

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/how-about-a-1k-hardtail-thread

Yes, get the British cycling membership which gives you 10% off, and buy the VRS model, £1299 or £1170 after discount (plus £22 for the BC membership).

It’s got a brand X xl dropper worth £140, a better Reba fork (the recon can’t use the bottomless tokens) and you get the full SLX groupset, NX is srams bottom level stuff.

Sentier VRS

That makes it £270 more, which is worth it for the upgrades you get.

Oh and Vitus are only through CRC or Wiggle – same company.

Ragley Marley and put the extra into some broader tyres?

Oh or a dropper if it isn’t specc’d I can’t remember

How would this compare pls
https://www.sunsetmtb.co.uk/shop/index.php?product_id=4658&category_id=21

Have a hunt around, I got one of these for £950 from Cycle Surgery.

Orbea Loki

How about the Bird Zero? A little over budget but heard lots of great reviews.
Link

Thank you for all your replies…..
Quite a bit over budget but really leaning towards this
https://www.sunsetmtb.co.uk/shop/index.php?product_id=6823&8424=40357&8502=40748&8503=40750&8678=41564
Love to have your thoughts.pls

I love this too, prefer this as I’ve got used to a 29er from my other bike

https://www.sunsetmtb.co.uk/shop/index.php?product_id=6820&8421=40345&8487=40689&9048=43386&8681=41576

Don’t forget to use the 10% code on them.

@somtam:

copied this over from the other thread…:

your size might be sold out so.

Merida Big Trail 800. Maybe available in winter sale? 1.3 k would be good.
Plus bike. Checked it out at an store nearby – was really impressed…
Not for racing. Slack and long, fat tyres.
Frame size up to 21 inch I believe.
2.8 inch tyres.

Merida Big Trail 800 first ride

Just an idea.
But sounds your made your decision already.

Have a great time!
Cheers!
😉

I’m selling a 21 inch Niner at the moment. There may be some room to negotiate on the amount I’m looking for it. It’s spotless and only been used three times.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/niner-air-9-alloy-xl-2

Should you be looking for a brand new bike, then I have recently ridden both Scott and Specialized hardtails and the frames are excellent. Should you not have had a ride on a 650b plus, I should add, then that is totally worth doing. It’s not dissimilar a ride to a 29er, I think, and there is bags of traction. I’m not too fussed about a basic drivetrain you get on these mid tier bikes, as I find even the entry level stuff to be excellent, but the more basic forks you get with these builds aren’t wonderful

You can get a Cotic SolarisMax for £1.5k.

Lovely steel frame and similar level kit to the other bikes you’re looking at.

Similar but different

Those are great fun. another £125 on top gets the next model up. or a dropper.

Last years crush a that you linked first with the Yari looks good to me. Most of the other bikes seem to have rebas and if I was looking for a hardcore hardtail (most have 140/150mm travel that you’ve linked and 65 degree ish head angles) the Yari is a better fork.

The new revelation would be ok though as it has been upgraded to the same 35mm chassis as the Pike.

Someone mentioned a Bird Zero above, but for the money the spec wouldn’t be as good if you wanted the new boost version from what I can make out.

joebristol – Member
Last years crush a that you linked first with the Yari looks good to me. Most of the other bikes seem to have rebas and if I was looking for a hardcore hardtail (most have 140/150mm travel that you’ve linked and 65 degree ish head angles) the Yari is a better fork.

The new revelation would be ok though as it has been upgraded to the same 35mm chassis as the Pike.

Someone mentioned a Bird Zero above, but for the money the spec wouldn’t be as good if you wanted the new boost version from what I can make out.

This is the issue I’m having, I’ll be buying a plus hardtail for about £1200 in a month or 2, but I want boost so I can swap wheels etc with any future FS bikes I may buy, to get revelations and a dropper on the sonder transmitter/bird zero/etc you’re looking at anywhere from £1450 to £1700, which pushes my budget more than I want. If I was spending £1600 or more I’d be looking at a full sus bike rather than a hardtail, and boost wouldn’t be needed.

The price appears to be going up lol
https://www.rutlandcycling.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/whyte-905-2018-hardtail-mountain-bike-blue_379552?origin=pla&kwd=&currency=GBP&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIre3Qs4vk2AIV5r3tCh2cEQdlEAQYASABEgIXmfD_BwE
How is this whyte 905 as it seems to have won mtb reviews

@somtam:

according to the spec & looks & geo:

fantastic!
Not a bargain so.
But more importsnt than this: fun!

😉

if you are looking at that value, have a look on the Bird Zero TR Bike Builder. You’ll get a very nice spec and a great bike

I highly recommend the Voodoo Bizango – similiar spec, good geo, dropper ready. Fantastic bikes – about £500 with the BC discount code!! Got one for both my brother and my ex. Nothing to be gained by going higher imho.

Nukeproof Scout 275 race has boost but only a recon fork for £1099:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/nukeproof-scout-275-race-bike-2018/rp-prod159423

Whyte 901 – fork still a recon though:

https://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/84161/Whyte_901_27_5_Inch_2018_Bike_Lime_Eucalyptus_Large?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIx_WgkpLk2AIVbLXtCh3gXAJMEAQYAiABEgLUafD_BwE

On further look at the Bird website for £1401 youncould get the Zero an boost with 150mm Revelations / Sram NX 11 speed / DT Swiss m1900 wheels etc for £1401.

No dropper and I’m not sure what Sram level t brakes are like but the rest of the spec is solid. You could get a brand X ascend or RSP Plummet cheaply to go with it. Guide r brakes are a £64 upgrade should you want better.

https://www.bird.bike/product/zero-am-nx-2/#configuration

There don’t seem to be many burly and cheap boost hardtails about yet. However, the Bird Zero can take pretty big tyres (as can some of the Whytes) so maybe you could run 2.6″ tyres and not need a plus hardtail?

I’m getting so.lost in the choices out there but would prefer a 29er
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/vitus-bikes-sentier-29-hardtail-bike-deore-1×10-2018/rp-prod159766
I like this one too but not sure about the spec

@somtam:

I love the Deore stuff.
But not as 1×10….

This Vitus:
Front: 30T
Rear: 11-42T

30 / 42 = 0.71

For me: this is an mtb for “no mountains”/ no uphill.
0.71 is just pain.
At least for me.

idea: there is an other thread – think ” 1 k ” hardtail or so.
Have a look at the Commencal AM HT. According to one bloke there the “frame crack issue” is really history? (I can’t check this)

Stif Morf is worth a look. Absolutely love mine!

the Android phone version of this thread read which handrail to buy for under £1 I was prepared to be amazed

joebristol – Member
On further look at the Bird website for £1401 youncould get the Zero an boost with 150mm Revelations / Sram NX 11 speed / DT Swiss m1900 wheels etc for £1401.

No dropper and I’m not sure what Sram level t brakes are like but the rest of the spec is solid. You could get a brand X ascend or RSP Plummet cheaply to go with it. Guide r brakes are a £64 upgrade should you want better.

https://www.bird.bike/product/zero-am-nx-2/#configuration

There don’t seem to be many burly and cheap boost hardtails about yet. However, the Bird Zero can take pretty big tyres (as can some of the Whytes) so maybe you could run 2.6″ tyres and not need a plus hardtail?

Just specced up a Bird AM boost and it’s £1577 with the raceface dropper, and a 800mm bar added, that’s with NX and revelations.

For £1665 so not even £100 more you can get a FS bike, with revelations, SLX, Brand X dropper – Vitus Escarpe VR which is the problem. If I had a budget of £1600 I would’t be going for a hardtail…

The wheels on the Bird are better and it’s lighter (being a hardtail) but other than that the Escarpe is much better specced for the money.

I want rebas as a minimum not only for the black uppers 😳 but also for the ability to use bottomless tokens, the recon/sektors can’t use them. Not too fussed about 3″ tyres but deffo want at least 2.6″ tyres on the hardtail.

I think with the Vitus it’s an own brand type situation vs most of the hardtails being more mainstream or boutique type brands.

If you want a cheap FS look at the Boardman Pro FS at the moment – £1350 with Pikes and GX 1 x 11 etc. For Alex you probably won’t beat that. Only let down is narrow rims on the wheels really.

Thank you everyone for all your replies….
The bird looks really nice and will definitely give it due consideration over the weekend but I have absolutely no idea what spec is good or not as I haven’t been into cycling for over 20 years but loving getting back into it.
The vitus escape looks cool.
I havent really considered a full suspension but under the impression that they require more maintenence/cost.
Thanks

If you want a cheap FS look at the Boardman Pro FS at the moment – £1350 with Pikes and GX 1 x 11 etc.

12 more days…then winter sale is over…

Full suspension isn’t that much more maintenance….maybe a change of pivot bearings every couple of years. Bike shop job probably £100 – £150 depending on the bike.

What kind of riding will you be doing? The hardtails mentioned above all have fairly laid back head angles for downhill fun etc. If you’re going to do more cross country / general trails centres then I’d look nearer 120-130mm forks and something around a 68 degree head angle perhaps.

It all depends!

I will be riding gentle trails with my children to begin with but the intmention is to do harder trails when I can and as my children they get older we can all do the tougher trails.
The bikes I’m looking at I wish to last for this use

@somtam:
Low maintenance might be important then?
What you describe: most hardtails will last long. Difficult today to predict how long the ‘standards’ stay…
Just thinking … bike with thru axle front and rear? 25 mm internal rim width? 1×11 Shimano SLX, BB Hollowtech II – stuff like this? Minimum 130 mm fork? (If you like to do tougher trails as well).
Or or or – the Boardman FS Pro indeed…?
Going in circles…
Sorry!

In that case Somtam I wouldn’t go for anything too extreme, the Bird AM zero for instance may be a bit too slack for you.

Something fairly light with a good spec and moderately slack geo (66-68 ha) with a decent fork should see you right.

Thank you for your replies
I’m sorry I don’t understand as you’re getting little too technical for my knowledge

alexcrash – Member
Ragley Marley and put the extra into some broader tyres?

Second this, I love my Marley! Great all round hardtail.

Essentially the slacker/more laid back the head angle, the more stable the bike will be at high speed and good for steep technical trails. The flip side is on flatter more pedally trails it’ll be harder work to get it to turn corners and you have to get your weight over the front to get the tyre to grip.

If you have something more conventional it’ll probably be more fun on the kind of trails you’d be on with your kids. The steering will be more responsive and it’ll be less work to ride.

Often slack bikes can also be harder work uphill with less efficient riding positions and steering that wanders / front wheels that lift up on steep uphills.

The really good slack bikes now adjust the seat tube angle to counter this, but not all bikes do.

Something like the below might be worth a look – much less cash out at the start – just add a dropper post like a brand X ascend perhaps (around £125 ish) and you’ve got a very capable bike.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductMobileDisplay?catalogId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=165499&productId=1378487&storeId=10001

https://www.bird.bike/product/zero-tr-nx/#configuration

If you want to spend more, then going back to Bird the Zero TR might be more suitable than the AM. But boost isn’t available.

For £1289 you get a Yari fork up front with DT Swiss wheels and NX 1×11. Just missing the dropper that you might want.