Rad-ish hardtails

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by mike, Jan 19, 2020.


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  1. SS Barby

    SS Barby Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Palmdale, CA
    Name:
    Barby
    Current Bike:
    Ibis Ripley LS/ Esker Hayduke
    Faust29, mike and Danmtchl like this.
  2. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    mike, Danmtchl, scan and 6 others like this.
  3. Grego

    Grego iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Fullerton
    Name:
    joe
    Current Bike:
    WFO9
    Damn! Sometimes I wonder if I should have purchased the Radimus. But at the time I was purely focused on a bike that climbed, and climb the Optimus does. That's rad.
     
  4. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    They're on sale as well!
    http://shop.vassagocycles.com/OptimusTi-Frame_p_14.html
    It's optimal!
     
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  5. Grego

    Grego iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Fullerton
    Name:
    joe
    Current Bike:
    WFO9
    Yeah but I have one already.

    Strange thing the Vassago site posted new geo coming for the Optimus earlier in 2020. Finally just recently the geo was posted, then taken down.o_O The numbers did look very close to a Radimus, which has me thinking new Radimus in the near future? Fingers crossed.
     
  6. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    I would expect a slacking of the HTA on a renewed Radimus. Probably 65ish degrees. That's where many of the others have headed.
     
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  7. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    And... Salsa updates the Timberjack. 66ish degree head angle, steeper seat tube angle, lots of mount options, adjustable dropouts, interesting top tube mounts, etc... aluminum for now.

    Salsa Timberjack (link to Salsa blog...)

    295790_SAL_Timberjack_2.1_Launch_Blog_Header_.jpg
     
  8. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Saw that this morning. TJ is a solid contender for the perfect, not over priced, alloy HT frame.
     
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  9. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
    glad to see they are giving the ok to 150mm forks.
     
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  10. Derkderkall

    Derkderkall iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Monrovia
    Name:
    Derek Allison
    Current Bike:
    2020 Specialized Fuse 29
    If you go to the salsa site, you can also purchase as ss option
     
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  11. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    I have been looking into one of these, I want to get a 29er hardtail, and Trek and Specialized don't have anything I would like. I could easily strip down my Kona and use most of the parts on the Salsa. I could keep it a 27.5 till I got all the 29er parts.
     
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  12. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    It looks like a good direction overall, but 66.4° with a 150 sounds wrong to me. Bragging about your bikepacking offering having lower rear rack attachment points and not upper is kind of weird. Anyone can add a Axiom or similar seat collar (and Tubus seat stay attachment points for lower) if they want to rack a HT. A core bikepacker will have external, bolt-on routing inside the tri for a strapless frame bag or more accessories. They used my third favorite metal, but even ti isn't going to pitch my tent over this one. Mild Salsa.

    While the 66.4° headtube angle may seem slack for a hardtail... It seems slack if you live in a Salsa bubble.
     
  13. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Doesn't Salsa already offer better choices in HT frames for bikepacking? 99% of the riders out there see this frame as a trail shredder but I appreciate your POV, nonetheless.
     
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  14. UPSed

    UPSed iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Simi Valley
    Name:
    Ed
    Current Bike:
    Niner Jet 9 RDO
    What parts would you need?

    When I hear hardtail I still think 22 lb rocket ship!
     
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  15. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    To make it a 29, just wheels and a fork. I actually have a Bontrager Line Comp 30 rear that I took off when I upgraded to carbon wheels. I am sure I can find the front cheap. But the Kona is 30 pounds, so it’s a bit portly.
     
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  16. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    I think “adventure” biking kind of runs through the the brand, or at least it has. How or if that applies to different models seems to be evolving. It seems somewhat token on the TJ. A bolt-on TT bag is kind of a joke. Let’s see if they update the frame bags. My guess is they won’t because the tri shrunk, people like b-rad type bolt-on gadgets and they have overstocked Anything Cages to unload. The cage triple bosses needs to be under the downtube.

    Bikepacking happens with wildly varying terrain, timelines and styles, so the right bike and setup is so all over that the term is somewhat meaningless as it applies to bikes. A shredder that’s comfortable to pedal can make a sweet bikepacker on even partly shreddy terrain.
     
  17. Sidewalk

    Sidewalk iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    The road is where I call home
    Name:
    Josh
    Current Bike:
    N+1
    With a 150mm fork, I would want something a bit slacker. I am thinking about how steep that HA is when you take a hard hit!

    I can see myself going with a long travel HT after I am done with my E29. If only I didn't love that bike so much.
     
  18. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Yep, I'm thinking the new TJ isn't going to be a popular adventure bike due to the short height of the front triangle. Someone will make bags to fit it and someone will do some adventuring on it but it's clearly not the best choice.
     
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  19. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    I would take more issue with the frame material than the triangle size, but point taken. All said, I would think the TJ is a more fun ride with a 130-140 fork than the previous iteration.
     
  20. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Agreed :thumbsup:
     
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  21. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    Y’all with your through axles and tapered head tubes and dropper posts and head angles in the 60s and fancy 650b or 29er wheels are cheating!

    AA2DB4BA-AAE2-4B58-9E20-30CF9B3CD3CF.jpeg

    This one gets rad!
     
  22. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    I haven't seen a bicycle from the 1890s in quite some time. Thanks for sharing. You may wanna call the Smithsonian.
     
    Oaken, Danmtchl, Cyclotourist and 2 others like this.
  23. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    That's just for show! You don't even have it listed in your signature. :p
     
  24. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    It's actually my wife's bike, but I pretty much confiscated both her rigs (the Bonanza and a Trek Rumblefish) and dialed them to my liking since she got pregnant with our first child. This one has lived at Mother-in-law's, mostly relegated to Arroyo Trabuco and the Ladera Ranch Circuit, but it will be coming home soon for some jaunts at Marshall Canyon and probably Bonelli.
     
    Cyclotourist, Oaken, Danmtchl and 3 others like this.
  25. da big hills

    da big hills iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    pearl harbor
    Name:
    cagey
    Current Bike:
    enduro 29
    REI bikes, My Frankenbike is a Novara. It is the one I put Panniers on. I use is on long business trips to the flat lands. The bike is older, before they invented formed drop tubes
     
  26. Derkderkall

    Derkderkall iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Monrovia
    Name:
    Derek Allison
    Current Bike:
    2020 Specialized Fuse 29
    The 66.4 angle is with a 130 mm fork.
     
    Danmtchl likes this.
  27. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
    At 25% sag
     
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  28. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    I can bag on the TJ because I'm in hardtail heaven already.
     
  29. kingaucho

    kingaucho Well-Known Member

    Location:
    South OC
    Name:
    Lubo
    Current Bike:
    Giant Anthem 29er
  30. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
    Based on build kit.....looks to be on the old side....geo is gonna be very outdated.

    Not to mention that the description says SID fork....but looks like fork has Reba or Recon on it. Yes, little details like that matter.
     


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?