I’m thinking of downgrading my FS on to a 2nd hand hardtail frame. Ideally keep as much of the kit as possible, such as the wheels, dropper

Suitable for:
650b (27.5″ for you youngsters) non-boost
30.9 seat post
160mm forks
5’10” rider (M/L frame probs)

how LL and S can I go with those bits? something like a Ragley mmmbop or Blue pig could have worked but I’d have to rind the right model year and might have to change seat post…

Anything else worth looking out for?
Cheers

Don’t limit yourself to non-boost.
There’s some really reliable and easy to use adapters out there.

Are the 27.5 plussable? If so, you’d really open your options up.

Blue Pig (or similar) sounds ideal, you can shim the post easily (£10 for a USE one or less for Brand X)

Fit a Boost kit, again easy and cheap. Depends on the hub brand, I did my Hopes, and it’s proper endcaps, not washers.

Ragley frames on offer at CRC at the moment too 😉

Recommend what ya got….PP Shan?

Mine in 26″ flavour

Bought the frame for a couple of hundred s/h, transferred a load of bits from my old Enduro and added a few new bits

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/282zgqJwFC]2023-01-20_07-31-40~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

BFe in 27.5 flavour… Great bikes. Have a large frame maybe going spare. But they are pretty long!

Hmmm, the wheels are Hopes, so will check out adapters. I’d always dismissed them, but I suppose that plus a shim basically opens up my options to… pretty much anything 😂

Which is kind of ideal – as if I buy a new FS then I’m keen for the hardtail to be moderately similar geo

Cheers for nothing folks

No idea if it is ‘hardcore’ in the correct way for your wants but there is an Orange Crush in the classifieds for £100 which would fit your wheels and probably mostly fits the hardcore hardtail remit and would be cheap to try.

My new(ish) Blue Pig – frame was £329 from CRC.

Everything bar the headset and seatpost swapped from my oldbike.
I added a Hope Boost kit to the rear wheel, and as the new post was 30.9mm I used a USE shim.

dartmoor hornet I think meets those specs.

Hope fromt adapter is really simple, but needs a redish

I don’t like the rear hope adapter, leaves the cassette 3mm off where it should be, the Wolf Tooth adapter (which needs a re-dish) is better.

But deifinitely buy a boost frame to future proof yourself, and as a few folks have said, the Ragley frames, whether steel or alu, are a great option, with really nice geometry and seem really well made.

On the re-dish front it’s so easy it’s ridiculous so don’t be put off by that. 10 mins tightening the spokes on one side and loosening the other side. I normally do half a turn on one side all round the wheel – then half a turn the other way round the other wheel.

Hope front boost adapter for pro4 is so easy – I’ve done one myself and it works perfectly. I haven’t tried the rear one but if there’s an adapter to take up all the extra width on the non drive side and resolve the rotor to suit I’d be inclined to do that rather than the Hope own brand version.

If going non boost consider an older orange p7 or crush. I’m not an orange fan boi but I had a 2017/8 p7 and it was a great bike. Can be had pretty cheap. Wasn’t there a crush on the classifieds for £100?!!

2017 Orange Crush (Boost from 2018 on). 30.9 seatpost.

Cheap as chips.

2016 Orange P7 if you can pick one up – am tempted to sell mine (too many bikes) but never seem to get round to it!

An older Bird Zero AM, if you can find one second hand?

I’m riding 2016 P7, had to double check I’ve had it that long, time flies, pretty much rides everything ok and is ok for bikepacking duties, bashed it round Nepal for 4 weeks, hardcore enough😊 for me!

Another vote for the 2016/17 Orange P7. Mine was ace, should never have sold it.

Building up a Pace RC627 which is the years later P7 replacement and that’s another level frame quality wise but won’t fit most of your bits.

Stif Morf too. Non boost and 30.9mm 👍 a little more LLS.

Stif Morf too. Non boost and 30.9mm 👍 a little more LLS.

Mine is boost

I built this this winter. You can buy a shim for the dropper for £4. 160mm travel.

Commencal Meta HT 2021 frame and bits and bobs bought in the sale or ebay. Total cost £1200

Ragley Blue Pig would get my vote. Just been out on my Big Wig (29er version) and it’s great.