XC steel hardtail?

Yes, another which bike should I get topic. Looking for a steel hardtail, nice and light and takes 100mm forks.

Currently looking at:
Kinesis decade virsa
Charge duster
Cotic soul & Cove handjob (prob out of price range)
On-one? Orange? Genesis?

Thoughts and experiences please.

Thanks!

Sanderson Life – schweeet!

I’m after a HT as well. I’ve been longing for another Rock Lobster since I sold mine in 97/8, it was a lovely frame. Merlin cycles make them now and at some really good prices. 853 tubing, £300 – or complete bike £1300.

No experience of the others but i had an On One Inbred and now have a Cotic Soul which is leagues ahead of the On One and worth the extra money. The inbred seemed quite harsh in comparison to the Soul.

Duster is awesome, had mine 3 years now, brilliant for local woodsy blasts serious singletrack killer.

I do like the thought of the rock lobster as I have the alu one and it’s a lovely bike. Soul would be the clear choice and I would love one but its just to much money for me at the moment. I really am tempted by the Duster but the Kinesis is also grabbing me?

Anyone have experiences of the Duster and Kinesis??

I bought an Orange R8 frame last spring and built it up with high-end kit. I could type a lot of superlatives. Just back from another bike ride. Such a nice feel to the frame.

Yes, there is a price premium, but I don’t care. My first proper MTB was an orange 1991 Orange Clockwork, so I had to have an orange Orange R8 😀

Get two, just in case.

I’m a fanboi, got to recommend the Soul, it’s earned its place… Expensive sure but I never for a moment thought mine wasn’t worth it. But, if it’s to be a pure XC bike then there’s possibly better contenders, or better value anyway, it’s the flexibility that makes the Soul such a winner.

If the Soul might be out of the price range then the R8 definately will be I gues. I really like the R8 in some ways, it’s got that Orange balance, you just jump on it and it makes sense, and it feels damn quick. But it’s horrendous value, the Orange name on the side adds about £200 as far as I can tell… and a bit limited in scope with the short fork restriction. And I’m pretty suspicious of the weight being such a secret…

Inbred I don’t like, every one I’ve ridden’s felt absolutely dead, I figure if you want a steel XC bike you want the springy/lively feel and I couldn’t find any trace of that in them.

Ironically what did have that was my Scandal, it felt more like the steel stereotype… And also light and ideal for 100mm. So that’d be my recommendation even though it’s not steel. Not sure if the current model feels the same, mine was the old scandium one, and as XC bikes go I’ve still not found anything better.

2nd hand Soul? They’re well made and none are that old as they’ve only been around since 2004/5 I think.
I love mine, really makes you want to go out and ride

I’ve got a Pipedream Sirius and really like it, they’re all sold out but the new 853 Scions should have landed by now. The’ve got the same geometry I believe and should be lighter but no sliding dropouts.

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/best-steel-hardtail-frame-for-300-400

Genesis Altitude 853 for £399.99 in sexy orange colour, will take 100 travel forks, pic of it in the link above.

DMR Trailstar. The ultimate all-rounder!

I have the Kinesis set up with a 100mm QR15 fork, 50mm stem and 700mm bars. I ride it mostly on twisty wooded singletrack – it’s fairly nimble. I also chuck it down steepish, switchbacky stuff and it copes no problem – it feels sure-footed.

I have no experience of the Soul, but having ridden a Soda with 120mm forks for a few years, I have a fair idea of how well the Soul might ride (same geometry, or used to be anyway).

Both good frames in my humble opinion.

Cove Handjob here – fantastic HT IMHO. Geometry feels sorted and it has a nice spring in its step – just a really fun bike to rag around local trails.

If I were to look at another HT I’d take a serious look at a Sanderson Breath.

+1 Sanderson Life

Had mine for 4 and half years – best mountain bike I’ve ever ridden

I’ve got a Cove Handjob in 2008 flavour before they changed from the Columbus Zonal steel and to be fair it’s a great bike.
Built up with middle of the road kit and running at 115mm travel it weighs 27lbs dead and is a great trail/XC bike. Every time I ride it I want to ride it more

i ride an orange P7.
i love it.
BUT, if i was buying another frame, i would seriously consider the 853 rock lobster, owners seem to rave about them.
of course, its easy for me to spend YOUR money.
you need to test ride a few to make up your mind.
happy hunting!

Another Charge Duster fan here too, just about to buy a second one, the new skinny version. None of this slack head angle nonsense, a classic sharp handling steel HT. I’ve chopped and changed the spec over a couple of years, it’s as happy on an all day XC ride as it is blasting through singletrack. Survived quite few stacks, only thing I would say against it is the paint job is a bit rubbish.

<inserts obligatory pic of bike>

if your buying steel it just has to be 853, anything else simply won’t do .

Coyote – Member

DMR Trailstar. The ultimate all-rounder!

Except for the light bit

Got a Cove Handjob with middling kit running 100mm Rebas. 24lbs with Spesh Fast Track XC tyres.

Thanks everyone.

I really like the look of that Pipedream Scions R853 😀

Just got back from a 3hr ride on my RM Blizzard (the fourth of the week) and I’d recommend one in a heartbeat. However, a moment’s research reveals no Blizzards being imported this year. If I had to find a replacement, I’d go for a Genesis Latitude without doubt.

if your buying steel it just has to be 853, anything else simply won’t do .

– this is NOT true 😮

Come on then, what’s so great about 853?

tomh – might be worth taking a look at this thread – http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/853-tubing-tell-me

I am the worlds most cynical grumpy sh1te. One of the few things I buy into is the ride feel of 853. That’s it.

stAn-Bad Brains MBC – Member

if your buying steel it just has to be 853, anything else simply won’t do .

The CIPM called, they’d like to know if they can use this as the new International Standard for one (1) unit of Bullshit.

853’s good because it can make a lighter steel frame, but it’s not magic. Most 853 frames have cromo stays after all and that’s such a key part for how a bike rides.

Come on then, what’s so great about 853?

Prime number?

Salsa Ala Carte? £500 with swinging dropouts for geared or SS and a very pretty frame…

The saddle isn’t really that high – it’s just the angle of the photo…

GB

I’d vouch for the Sanderson Life. A great frame, beautifully finished, and nicely understated. I really miss mine, and am sure I’d still have it now if it hadn’t been nicked.

Huge fan of the old, non-skinny duster. Probably a bit ‘harsh’ for a steel frame, but had the capacity for huge tyres which masked this and made it such a fun ride, it was getting dangerous how fast you could thread it through singletrack.

If I was buying again though I’d probably buy a Salsa A La Carte, pretty sure they have similar geometry, and every year they seem to look nicer than the last 8)

(on a slight hijack, I’m selling my battered old Duster frame, size medium, buy it cheap, get it resprayed how you like and you’re onto a winner! 😉 )

Coyote – Member

DMR Trailstar. The ultimate all-rounder!

Except for the light bit

Aw, c’mon. It ain’t exactly heavy!

hey Ziggy….quite an odd place that firing range (you from rammy)?

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Got a brand new old stock 2008 18.5″ Rocky Mountain Blizzard frame available (reynolds 853 steel). Geometry suitable for 100-120mm forks.

£425. E-mail robin.stones@tesco.net for further info

Cove Handjob??

Dialled Love/ Hate??

Both fantastic Steel Hardtails IMHO…

Great fun, and just feel “Right”

voodoo wanga?

Handjob is a very fine bike. Awesome at climbing for some reason. Nice and comfy.

Been really impressed with my versa decade. Lovely on twisty single track and sweet ride with 100 mm forks and I like being able to run SS or 1 x 9.

Save up and buy the soul, or as suggested above get one second hand. I bought one, er, blimey, must be four years ago now and it’d had a few owners before that and it’s fantastic. It’s a replace it without even looking at anything else sort of bike.

You can pick up a second hand handjob for about £150 quid, Cotic Souls seem to go for a good bit more.