Hardtail

Discussion in 'Bike Reviews' started by Dirtrider...., Oct 11, 2016.


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  1. doublewide

    doublewide iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    Mark
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Tallcan
  2. HBkites

    HBkites Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Huntington Beach
    Name:
    Sharone
    Current Bike:
    Why S7, Revel Rascal, Spark RC
    I've been spending most of my bike time on this 21 lbs beast.

    One bike I would like to test is the Trek Procaliber with IsoSpeed decoupler.

    25329519875_7b1921eaaa_o.jpg
     
    Kreature, Cyclotourist, kioti and 7 others like this.
  3. littlewave

    littlewave Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Newport Beach
    Name:
    Brett
    Current Bike:
    GG Smash (Alu)
    bvader, DangerDirtyD, RS VR6 and 4 others like this.
  4. riiz

    riiz Member

    Location:
    Redlands, CA
    Name:
    Eric
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Heckler/Killmaleon
    Awesome looking bike, those features really caught my eye until I looked at the Geo. They've gone the opposite direction with the way geometry has progressed lately, an XL frame with a 440mm reach, but 22" seat-tube?
     
    Faust29 likes this.
  5. Racer X

    Racer X Member

    Location:
    A valid location
    Name:
    B
    Current Bike:
    Kona Explosif
    Faust29 and DangerDirtyD like this.
  6. Dirtrider....

    Dirtrider.... Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Mission Viejo, CA
    Name:
    Paul
    Current Bike:
    Ibis Ripley V4
    Test rode the Ibis Tranny this morning on Whiting.... that bike was fun. So much different. Felt way lighter than the Hightower and felt quick. Missed my best time up Mustard by 1 second... haha i also didn't feel as taxed climbing or as tired when i got to the top.

    I'm really liking the idea of getting a hard tail. now just trying to justify it to my wallet... haha starting to feel like i shouldn't have test rode it so i wouldn't want a new bike.
     
    Cyclotourist, littlewave and Faust29 like this.
  7. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    New life for the HT thread – what's going on? (You Highballers must still be in bliss. I can see why...)

    Not enthralled by plus/Boost. Salsa has the Boost issue wrangled with their Gnot-Boost rear end featured on the new Karate Monkey. It's 145mm and simply flexes open or closed to 148/142. Sneaky! Rack eyelets and trail-centric geo? They call it 27.5+, but I see it as a 29er with clearance for big tires and mud, with a squish fork.

    http://surlybikes.com/bikes/karate_monkey_27.5


    Wish I could consider another El Mariachi, but I'm sorta in between sizes. And the EM is no longer produced.

    • 29er
    • not Boost specific
    • ability to run a tapered steer tube/100mm sus fork
    • durable
    • comfortable (steel/ti?)
    • rack mounts are a plus
    • besides a Highball...
     
  8. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
    Like the flexibility of the dropouts.

    However, as a SS I do not like horizontal dropouts and disc brakes.

    And as Steve and I were talking about yesterday....everything Surly makes is heavy. Heavier than the El Mariachi you had.
     
  9. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
    Ha!

    The more Sh!t I throw at my Highball, the more smiles I get in return. Carbon rigid fork, 100mm fork, and now 120mm with a dropper
    I am finding it to be a superb all-around hardtail even if it is just lowly Al, not some fancy Cro-moly or Hi-Ten!
     
  10. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    You know I'm being facetious...I would consider a Highball. The alloy bike seems very well conceived. I don't consider alum a deal breaker.
     
    Faust29, mtnbikej and rossage like this.
  11. Ebruner

    Ebruner Well-Known Member

    Name:
    Erik Bruner
    Current Bike:
    22' Nomad, 22' Trance x 29
    I'm on a chinese carbon hard tail. I actually just built a second one for a friend. I've got 600 miles on mine with zero issues to speak of. If you want info just lmk.
     
    Faust29, mtnbikej and mike like this.
  12. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Thanks for that, Erik. I do wonder about these boatloads of Asian carbon frames I see advertised.

    One aspect I'm inflexible on is the ability to run singlespeed, and from what I'm picking up, it seems that swinging dropouts are the way to go. They worked fantastically on my El Mariachi.

    I'm in no rush; just waiting for the right used frame to come along. I could live with another El Mar, despite being nearly between sizes.

    Thanks again for all input...
     
    Faust29, rossage and mtnbikej like this.
  13. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
    One thing I'm inflexible on is the ability to run a front derailleur! Ha!
     
  14. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    @mike - Any progress on the search? Just curious, as I'm 99% certain I'm going to add a new Chameleon in the next month or two. I want to be certain that I wouldn't be better served with something else...
     
    Runs with Scissors, mike and Danmtchl like this.
  15. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    I got to do a parking lot test of the new Chameleon. Rode better than I thought. Can't really give it a test review after a 10 minute parking lot ride. Seems pretty fun.
     
    Faust29 and Runs with Scissors like this.
  16. no worries

    no worries Member

    Location:
    Mission Viejo
    Name:
    Brad
    Current Bike:
    Jeffsy CF Pro 29
  17. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    ^ The Timberjack is what I am going to go with if I ever decide to build an aggro HT. Been eyeballing this one since it was released. :thumbsup:
     
    mtnbikej, Faust29 and mike like this.
  18. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Exciting stuff! "Add" being the operative word, yes? So the Highball and El Mar stay in the fleet? Cool.

    I'm more searching for the right ride this year, and then the right bike for it. I'm gravitating toward something that FS will be good on, so I might be tooled up already. But I still have eyes for something singlespeed-able for local rides. The new Karate Monkey looks nice, but titanium, mmm, Carver 420 and El Mar ti are still on my radar. I'm still not psyched on plus tires and Boost, which makes Surly's Gnotboost system appealing. A couple other distractions, the usual. Thanks for askin...
     
    mtnbikej and Faust29 like this.
  19. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
    I don't need it. I'm looking for a bike-packer. But damn it! I want one of those Chameleons!
     
    mike, mtnbikej and Faust29 like this.
  20. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    This may be a long shot, but what about a Ritchey Timberwolf......
     
    Faust29 likes this.
  21. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
    Looks like a great bike but I want to stick with a 29er.
    I wonder if the Chameleon leans a little to the fun side more than something made for longer travels.
     
    mike likes this.
  22. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    @no worries and @SnakeCharmer - I like the looks of the Salsa, but after my bad experience with the company, I'd probably hesitate before buying another bike from them. Which is a real shame, because I absolutely loved my el Mariachi. That bike and I would have been together for a long time...

    @mike- This will be an addition to the Highball. The el Mar died last summer... :thumbsdown: I'm thinking a second hardtail set up on the more aggressive side. Probably geared, but maybe not. I like having the option. And the option for burlier tires... That is one weakness of the Highball.
     
    mike, mtnbikej, SnakeCharmer and 2 others like this.
  23. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    What was your bad experience with Salsa?
     
  24. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    It wasn't really bad, but it wasn't great...

    I had an el Mariachi for a year and a half when the frame broke. Salsa agreed that it was under warranty, but there were no el Mariachi frames available to replace mine. They tried the hard sell for a Cutthroat, but that is not the kind of bike I was in the market for, and it would have been more than the $500 they gave me for the frame. The kicker is that this was just before the Timberjack and all the other new Salsas were released... If they had said, "Hey, we have these other bikes in the pipeline. Just hang on a couple weeks", I probably would have waited and been happier with them...

    In the end, I took the money from Salsa and bought a Highball frame. Mtnbikej's dealings with Santa Cruz for warranty issues was one of the big selling points...
     
  25. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    Well I was told that in the 29er mode, that it will take a 2.5 inch tire. I would use that as a bikepacker.
     
    mike, rossage and Faust29 like this.
  26. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    Well I was told that in the 29er mode, that it will take a 2.5 inch tire. I would use that as a bikepacker.
     
  27. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    2.5 is what the reviewers are saying... That's better than the Highball. It probably takes a 2.4 with the regular dropouts, but I'd never get one in there with my single speed gearing...

    @rossage - Watch the Chameleon video review I posted in the other thread. That looks like fun to me! :)
     
    mike and rossage like this.
  28. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    Santa Cruz is the one who told me you can put 2.5s on the bike. The bike I rode had 2.35s and looked to be able to put them on there.
     
    Faust29, mike and mtnbikej like this.
  29. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Highball as bikepacker doesn't seem like any stretch at all. Rack eyelets, hmf! How do you think your HB doesn't cut it?
     
    Faust29 and rossage like this.
  30. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
    I've already bike packed it. It works great. I'm just looking for an excuse to buy a new bike!
    I put on the rigid fork, longer stem, riser bars and smoother rolling tires. And all my Specialized packs.
     
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As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?