whats your plan if so?
what frame?
what kit?
tyres?
Forks?
etc?

Nope but I’ve recently finished building up a winter roadbike. I already had a ‘winter hardtail’ so this completes the quiver.

That would be my fatbike then?

I did this last year – went for a cheapie Vitus Sentier frame / 2nd hand 140mm Pike / some spare DT Swiss e1900 wheels I had / sram Gx 1x / magic Mary 2.3 / dhr2 2.3 / guide R brakes etc. Since upgraded the brakes to Codes but every thy img has been perfect.

The frame (being for plus tyres) has masses of mud room in it with 2.3 tyres in there – and because it’s reasonably low it corners like a demon. Can’t say I’ve had loads of pedal strikes either.

Tend to use it for short rides as my back doesn’t like hardtails much over a couple of hours due to a last injury. So playful though and makes easier flow trails more exciting than a big enduro style bike.

Kinda.

Bought a Scandal from On-One, determined it’s going to stay nice as long as possible so it’s only getting used in the dry-ish.

Going to build up a new singlespeed fat bike for the slop. Which will be utterly pointless as 4.8″ tyres and no gears do not make for a quick combination.

Built up a jumpy/4x/pumptrack bike last night from the spares bin (90% of it was on it previously so not quite the streak of good luck it sounds!). Decided that after losing some weight I’m now quicker than my mates uphill, but have lost a lot of my ability sprint, even just to jump back on a wheel if someone comes past when I’m on the front. So the plan is to ride down to the local BMX track in my lunchbreak. ~20 laps, 4 straights per lap should give my legs something to do a couple of days a week!

Kinda.

My Parkwood is in a state of “sort of”

One weekend it’s got 130mm Revelations on and 2.35s, the next weekend it’s a pseudo CX/roadie with rigid carbon forks and WTB Cross Boss tyres.

1×10 drivetrain with SRAM X7s and sometimes depends on the rides it will either have a 38T ring with a 11-36 or maybe even the 38T and an 11-42. It’s not unknown for it to have a 32T from with the 11-36 either.

Wheels are either Mavic Crossmark (or is it Crossmax) or Giant PXC 29er.

It only takes 10 mins to swap mode between the 2 really, half of that is re-aligning the caliper after removing

I am but I’ve cheated by buying a complete Vitus Sentier VR SRAM SX.

I built up a ‘winter hard tail’ 2 years ago.

Bird Zero Mk1 frame
Fox 34 Fit4 140mm forks
SLX M675 2×10 gears
XT M785 brakes
SRAM something or other hubs on WTB i25 rims
FSA 50mm stem
Brand-X bars
Brand-X 120mm dropper post
Charge Spoon saddle
Specialized tyres – 2.6″ Eliminator and Butcher

Everything apart from the bars, dropper post and tyres was second hand – either forum/eBay buys or from my parts box.
It’s now my favourite bike and gets ridden more than the others.

Yep.just waiting on brakes (BB7) from eBay.

From spares bin:
Scandal frame, old school 26er.
Rocket Rons F&B. But 650b x 2.8 front.
425 a-c carbon fork, keeps front low.
X9 fr & XT rr shifters, XT mechs, 2×10

New:
Deore cranks, cassette and chain.

Should be low maintenance and also suitable for easier rides w/ Mrs PF.

APF

Bird Zero 29
Pike RC
1×10 XT with 11-34 cassette
Hope X2 brakes.
Ardents front and rear

Those bird Zero look lovely 🙂
some nice builds going on!

Pace RC129
RS Pikes at 140mm
GX 1×11
Rev Dropper
Guide Brakes
Smorgasboard Rear and DHF Front (both 2.3)

Bombproof….

Can’t be arsed this year,just going to use my good bike then rebuild/upgrade it in the spring.

Can’t be arsed this year,just going to use my good bike then rebuild/upgrade it in the spring.

Given (or inspite of) the rising cost of even mid range components, this makes more sense. Unless you go down the rigid singlespeed route* then even a mid range set of forks costs more than the service items you would get through over winter. That is unless you use SRAM cassettes, in which case getting high smoking plastic fivers all winter would be a cheaper hobby. Hopefully the now similar XT will give it some pricing competition.

*which is great, ive had one in one form or another for about 10 years.

Cheap hardtails are not just for Christmas winter! 🙂

I recently picked up an olde Genesis High Latitude 29er to try & get back into off road stuff more – had converted to full on roadie as it’s kinder to my knees but couldn’t resist another cheap-ish hardtail for knocking about on in the cooler months – terribly unfashionable, steel frame, 2×10, 80mm travel forks – the original tyres were shafted so i popped some cheap Mavic Crossride(?) 2.35″ flavour on there, loads of room – probably fit bigger depending on profile

Also – this thread needs more pictures

more planning how to actually ride mine…

DMR trailstar
rockshox pike dual position 130/160
wtb i29 27.5 rims on hope 2 hubs
none model 4/2 pot shimano brakes on 180mm icetech rotors
deore xt 8000 derailleur, BB, 32 tooth snail oval, sunrace 11/50 cassette
funn 35mm stem, 800mm protaper carbon bars
maxxis tubeless tyres (depending on conditions)
random dropper

For local stuff it was tempting this year, did it a few years back, its fine on anything smooth, but offroad sat down, its quite literally a pain in the ass. FS for the win!

Its also cheaper to replace the bearings in the smuggler come march and throw a new cassette/chain/chainring/bb at is as well, rather than buy another bike.

I’m in the process of doing so. It might be done sometime in the Spring at this rate 🙂

TBH it’s not really a “winter hardtail”, more a companion to complement the FS bike and replace the mk1 Soul which, while ace, is just a bit small for me.

NS Eccentric Evo Alu 29er frame
2nd-hand RS Yari @ 140mm
2nd-hand DT Swiss 27.5″ wheels
2nd-hand SLX brakes, probably 203/180mm rotors
hand-me-down 9 speed drive train from the Soul (might look at an eBay Sunrace wide range cassette)
bars/stem/saddle from the Soul, at least until I have some more money 🙂
either 2.6 Butchers from the Specialized half-price sale, or some 2.4-ish something else from Black/Cyber sales, depending on whether it’s going to be built while its still winter or not

My winter hardtail.

My not-winter hardtail.

Waiting for my planet-X Big Dog to turn up, so in answer to the OP, sort of…

Put some new SLX brakes on my 10 year old Cove Hummer as I could not sell it then got some cheap 26″ tyres from CRC so have used it quite a bit put 1×11 on it couple of years back it is rigid got plastered in mud on Ridgeway Sunday happy days.

Waiting for my Hello Dave frame to arrive then bits from parts bin, 1X11, Ohlins forks formula R1 brakes

I only have a HT! Might buy a rear mud hugger though….

Built mine up October last year! MK5 Soul in Mercury, been more than just a winter bike though in truth, ridden it far more than my T130 this year, just feels ace. Built up similarly to the T130, 120mm Revelation RC, GX Eagle with carbon Descendant cranks, Chromag bar/stem, Reverb and Hope E4’s, the Pro 4/Arch MK3 wheels get swapped between the two. Running Maxxis Forekasters at the minute but want to swap the front out for the new Dissector when I can get my hands on one!

Bird Zero 29
140mm Revelations
SRAM GX 1×11 from old bike
XT brakes from old bike
2.5 Shorty up front
2.4 DHR on the back

I was going too as had all the parts sat spare. Was looking at a BFE or a Pace with 2.6 tyres to take the sting out a bit. Ended up doing the sensible thing and bought a DH bike instead!

PX Mutsu ti
12spd XT
SID 100mm
Hunt front wheel
Ebay built rear with the micro spline hub (waiting for hunt to release the hub)
Vitoria Barzo’s front and rear.

Crossed my mind when I saw those Airdrop Bitmap frames £100 off. I keep telling myself I don’t need another bike but it would be nice.

Old 26″ Ragley Mmmbop running 1×9, a RS Sektor coil fork and Mudhugger guards front and rear. It’s hideous, but allows you to ride through massive puddles without getting a wet backside, still works fine on technical stuff and is cheap enough that I don’t worry about destroying the hell out of it. Or I just ride my Transmitter.

Another Cove Hummer ressurection here. Marz forks died, kind of resigned to hanging frame on garage wall then got a chance of a pair of 2012 from an industry insider 😜 bit more than I wanted to pay but talk about rolling back the years 😎 Polar opposite of my Kona Raijin which is pure business whereas the Hummer brings the party! 😎 My mate is convinced I won’t be entirely happy until I get a modern LLS Steel HT 650B Plus though 🙄
He could be right 🤔I’m interested in the new Sonder when it comes out in the New Year 🙄🙄🙄🙄

Seems there are a few different interpretations of “winter hardtail” here.
Some pretty posh bits for winter mud pluggers.

I love all the “26 lives again”TM bikes though.

APF

Seems there are a few different interpretations of “winter hardtail” here.

I think that depends on the reasons for a ‘winter hardtail’.

I’ve always found the dogma of ‘protecting my good bike’, be it an FS or not, somewhat disingenuous. After all, unless it’s a complete ratbike, the value of a hardtail that’s actually worth riding off-road will far outstrip the maintenance and replacement costs of keeping the nice bike running.

On my trails, the advantages of an FS are much diminished in the soft schlop in the wet months, and I find riding a hardtail keeps me sharper for the FS too.

YMMV.

Not sure what’s happened to imgur / posting links on here but it’s gone horribly wrong on this occasion…..

https://m.imgur.com/gallery/C2zNE3A

Crossed my mind when I saw those Airdrop Bitmap frames £100 off. I keep telling myself I don’t need another bike but it would be nice.

I saw the sale and they look great but I fear they’re just too stiff and unforgiving for regular riding

That’s certainly what Enduro mag had to say about them. Pretty light and will be very responsive though.

good to see a few 26inchers used.

What’s the tyre clearance on the Pole? Is it me or does the Soul look too old-skool with high standover, despite its “longshot” geo?

Nope, did it years ago & even as a decent bike, it was considerably shitter than my FS.

So no, I’d rather not ride a rubbish bike. Just keep riding a proper one 🙂

@joebristol

Cotic BFe275
160mm Yari
Purple E4’s
Pro2 on 35w, Slaughter rear, 2.6 Hillbilly front
XT 1×11
170mm Ascend XL
50mm Thomson stem

Suppose it’s good for keeping the spares in one place. Never ride it as prefer the HB160 whatever the weather or ride.