Rad-ish hardtails

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


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  1. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
    Oh there will be a lot of squatting going on.
    To be ridden properly, the hardtail requires a full-body commitment. The brain just gets in the way.
     
    Danmtchl, Cyclotourist, Grego and 3 others like this.
  2. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower

    Not user serviceable. I don't wanna have to send it out.

    Bikeyoke is user serviceable.
     
  3. Voodoo Tom

    Voodoo Tom MTB Addict

    Location:
    Castaic
    Name:
    Tom Kokkinakis
    Current Bike:
    Mango one, black one, Ti one
    Understood completely, I hate sending/paying somebody else for anything I can do myself.. So far in my 3 years and probably tens of thousands of ups & downs in every condition known to man the Fox Transfers have been flawless and needed zero maintenance...
     
    DangerDirtyD, Mikie, mike and 4 others like this.
  4. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower

    It's like suspension, you don't realized how bad it is until you do service it. :Roflmao

    I just watched both Bikeyoke service videos.....should be able to knock it out in about 20 mins.
     
    DangerDirtyD, Mikie, mike and 3 others like this.
  5. Grego

    Grego iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Fullerton
    Name:
    joe
    Current Bike:
    WFO9
    Pros: Overforking is badass, nuf said.:thumbsup:
    Cons: Slacker seat tube, higher BB. Although minimal- longer effective chainstay, higher stack, smaller reach. Going against the grain of the current trend.:thumbsdown:

    But wait, you can still overfork and keep the geometry! Just run a 29er wheel on the rear and a 27.5 front.:p
     
    DangerDirtyD, Mikie, mike and 6 others like this.
  6. Voodoo Tom

    Voodoo Tom MTB Addict

    Location:
    Castaic
    Name:
    Tom Kokkinakis
    Current Bike:
    Mango one, black one, Ti one
    Hmmm they go down easy and they go up easy (and make a clacking noise when they reach the top) and they don't have suspension like couple of the KS posts I've got so I don't know how much better they should work. I get where you're coming from though. I'd never recommend anything to my best pal or anybody here that I haven't had positive experience with...:thumbsup:
     
    DangerDirtyD, Danmtchl, Mikie and 6 others like this.
  7. da big hills

    da big hills iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    pearl harbor
    Name:
    cagey
    Current Bike:
    enduro 29
    I have a hardtail, it is the backup backup. I always think it will climb better because it's 10 lbs lighter, not true. I always end up hurting myself by jumping and forgetting it is not an FS. You jump a hardtail with precision always landing rear first and then your butt, as the fun increases I tend to land the butt with the rear wheel, not a good idea. Also you ride faster on a hardtail since you are standing 90% of the way down. And my hardtail has a big 42 x 11 so the gearing is built for speed. After I am done I cannot believe I ride a big ring 30 and give up so much ratio
    Happy trails with lots of scary fast air
     
  8. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    24mm is .94488 inches. 30mm is 1.2 inches. Fun with numbers!! Sorry my OCD was kicking in
     
    DangerDirtyD, Mikie, mike and 3 others like this.
  9. Grego

    Grego iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Fullerton
    Name:
    joe
    Current Bike:
    WFO9
    The little ° next to 1.2 is the symbol for degrees, not inches. :)
     
  10. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Hey, @Grego... You might approve of my re-direction. :sneaky: I wanted to curse and thank you for planting (re-planting? nurturing?) that seed. I recall @stevers had a similar beauty, but I haven't seen the customs around yet, nor was I aware of the new option before you pointed it out.

    Screen Shot 2020-02-10 at   10.43 AM.png

    Kingdom Vendetta 2020 (semi)Custom (shown with slider dropouts, not Breezer as noted)

    Because you want to know...

    Large
    64.5° HA
    75° STA
    Straight head tube
    BSA BB
    Sliding dropouts
    Bolt-on routing
    Ti seat collar
    CC Forty HS
    Polished, bronze decals

    Set up SS with alloy wheels and a PNW squishy dropper. Yea, that could be a fun challenge. :geek:
     
  11. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    We saw a rider dropping PCE on a ti HT beauty this past weekend. I think he was on a Sage? It was a GORGEOUS frame!

    EDIT: It wasn't a Sage, I checked their website. The frame had lines more similar to @mike's image above. It wasn't a Vassago Radimus, but similar.
     
    Faust29, Danmtchl, Mikie and 3 others like this.
  12. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
    I have seen several of these on the trails. Great looking bikes. The riders rave about them...
    @Erik H has one, or two?
     
    Erik H, Faust29, Danmtchl and 4 others like this.
  13. hill^billy

    hill^billy iMTB Rockstah

    This seems like a fun little trend :).
     
  14. Grego

    Grego iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Fullerton
    Name:
    joe
    Current Bike:
    WFO9
    drooling.jpg
     
    Danmtchl, DangerDirtyD, ~JB~ and 7 others like this.
  15. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    See any mistakes??? :confused::p

    A02BBDE3-B786-4288-8343-34CC81D2C364.png
     
    DangerDirtyD, Mikie, Faust29 and 4 others like this.
  16. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Nope. What do you see @mike ?
     
    Mikie, Danmtchl and mike like this.
  17. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Cool tshirt or splash page slide graphic/motif possibly with logotype superimposed?
     
    Mikie, Danmtchl, rossage and 2 others like this.
  18. Grego

    Grego iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Fullerton
    Name:
    joe
    Current Bike:
    WFO9
    What’s that thingy hanging from the dropout???:D
     
    Mikie, Danmtchl, mtnbikej and 3 others like this.
  19. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    A safety net. :cool:
     
    Mikie, Grego, Faust29 and 3 others like this.
  20. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
    3:41am... obsession.

    Dude! I'm seriously thinking about Kingdom bikes. I've been bashing Al hardtails for years looking for the right Geo/fork combo, all in a quest to get a Ti frame with that Goldilocks combo, without having to bust out the Krugerrands. Well maybe only 2....hmmm:cool:
    Seriously, those bikes look fantastic in person, even covered in El P. The riders rave about them.
    Maybe they'll chime in.

    Hey @Erik H ! Post up some pics of your Kingdom!
     
    Mikie, Erik H, Grego and 5 others like this.
  21. Dirtrider....

    Dirtrider.... Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Mission Viejo, CA
    Name:
    Paul
    Current Bike:
    Ibis Ripley V4
    WOW that is one beautiful bike... look at all the slackness!! would that bike still attack the climbs with an average rider attached??
     
    Mikie, mtnbikej, Faust29 and 3 others like this.
  22. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    RSD Middlechild on anyone's radar? $2,200USD for Taiwanese Ti frame via Cañada.

    They also have steel and Al versions.

    p4pb15714035.jpg
     
    DangerDirtyD, mtnbikej, Mikie and 6 others like this.
  23. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    In fairness...I am one hour ahead of y'all. :geek: My man...how old will you be, how many burly rides behind you, how much of your time spent staying in the black, before you justly compensate yourself with something you've earned many times over? It's not an Erikkson. Under 2k for the semi-custom unless you must have tapered head tube. Non-sliding dropouts will save $. You can try mine later this year, that should seal it. :)


    Right on, Dirt-r. :thumbsup: My previous hardtail was around 65.5°. I didn't notice any wheel flop or excessive wandering while pedaling up rough stuff. But that's coming from a 66° FS bike whose head angle doesn't change a lot during sag. Coming from a steeper head angle, I'd say it would feel weird for an hour or two and then you'd be dialed.
     
    Mikie, Faust29, rossage and 2 others like this.
  24. Derkderkall

    Derkderkall iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Monrovia
    Name:
    Derek Allison
    Current Bike:
    2020 Specialized Fuse 29
    Chromaly and titanium options if I recall...
     
    Mikie, Danmtchl, mtnbikej and 2 others like this.
  25. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    All three metals for your retail pleasure.
     
    Mikie, Danmtchl, mtnbikej and 2 others like this.
  26. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    It sure was. But the Vendetta Custom actually saved me a few hundred. I'd have trouble going for a ti frame at all if I had to spend over 2k. I was in line for a steel MC, but for the price of two I could get the Kingdom. Bargain!!!! :rolleyes::cool:

    The alum and steel MC frames are not out yet. I did fight some instant gratification on the ti one they have in stock.
     
    Mikie, Faust29, rossage and 2 others like this.
  27. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    Those Kingdoms are a bargain... what's their shipping to U.S.?
     
    Mikie, Danmtchl and mike like this.
  28. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Shipping from our office in Denmark is around 155USD and 175USD and we can ship through our LA office so you will not have to pay any import duties.
     
    Mikie, rossage, Danmtchl and 2 others like this.
  29. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    ¡Gracias!
     
  30. Grego

    Grego iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Fullerton
    Name:
    joe
    Current Bike:
    WFO9
    Given the choice, I'd rather go for the tapered head tube. I had an issue with my straight 44. I believe heavy riding/braking forces tend to make an external cup rock back and forth slightly. I found this happening on the Optimus. But with a flush internal bearing, the forces push directly against the head tube, not 5mm or so away from it. Mo solid imo.
     
    Mikie, SnakeCharmer, Faust29 and 6 others like this.


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?