freeride hardtail AND climber?

[sellurcar]

Okay, I am obviously too big for the frame I am riding on right now- I am looking for a new one. I have a SMALL Kona Nunu that I bought for my brother and since he never used it, I put a marzocchi z1 fork on it and started jumping it/riding singletrack. I like the control I have with it in technical situations, it's also a fun bike in the freeride park near my house, but my knee bends past 90 degrees when pedaling which puts strain on my knee and I have to stand up to hang w/ xc friends on singletrack uphills. I know there is never a bike that will accomplish everything, but can anyone help me find a compromise between a freeride hardtail and something that I can get up the hill? I am 5'11" and only 150 lbs, so I haven't been destroying components, got decent rims/tires too. I have always wanted a cro-mo frame like a planet-x, I do take the occasional hit, but was not sure if these were okay for climbing. Ahh hell somebody school me please!

:cheers:

[njdeadhead]

I would look in to a NEMESIS PROJECT Secret Agent. Or you can look at the transition bikes Vagrant.

[Strakar]

Okay, I am obviously too big for the frame I am riding on right now- I am looking for a new one. I have a SMALL Kona Nunu that I bought for my brother and since he never used it, I put a marzocchi z1 fork on it and started jumping it/riding singletrack. I like the control I have with it in technical situations, it's also a fun bike in the freeride park near my house, but my knee bends past 90 degrees when pedaling which puts strain on my knee and I have to stand up to hang w/ xc friends on singletrack uphills. I know there is never a bike that will accomplish everything, but can anyone help me find a compromise between a freeride hardtail and something that I can get up the hill? I am 5'11" and only 150 lbs, so I haven't been destroying components, got decent rims/tires too. I have always wanted a cro-mo frame like a planet-x, I do take the occasional hit, but was not sure if these were okay for climbing. Ahh hell somebody school me please!

:cheers:

Well I've been using my Endless lifetime for that exact purpose for about 3 years. It works great. It has a 24" wheel at the back which limits your tire choice, and I don't know if Marshall and Adam are still making them (although from time to times a few show up in the classifieds), but my advice is to look for the same characteristics: short backend, low standover, roomy cockpit to allow to pedal while standing...

I think the evil sovereign has roughly the same geo, but with 26", see if you like it (and can afford it ;))

PS - I don't like easy praising, I just wanted to emphasize that at least for me (same height as you), the geo on the Endless *really* works well. Today I'd probably prefer a 26" back wheel, because of tire choice, but as for the rest the bike, it's all still spot on for what I use it for.

[chuffer]

buy another bike. use one for XC and one for DJ.

[[Tha]Shovla]

I rock a 16.5" (frame) Jamis Komodo with a Z1 fork. i put a chain guide/Bash guard on it and made it a single Chainring up front because i was using it for moderate freeride stuff and some DJ'ing. It runs 26" wheels. Its a burly frame and i take 4-5' drops to flat on our local freeride trails on the bike. im not saying its the most pleasant feeling but its more interesting than doing it on deulie, and people give u more props for it too ;) I also take it out to do some trail riding and if i had left it a 2 chainring up front it would have been more of an All mountain set up. I just ride Freeride/light DH with it too much and keep loosing the chain with a double ring. The top of the line one runs for like 1200 and has a decent parts spec and since you already have a Z1 i would just put that bad boy on it.

www.jamisbikes.com

[allsk8sno]

azonic steelhead might work for you too if you're on a budget.. just make sure the seatube isn't so ridiculusly short that you can't put the post up high enough to pedal, that being said it really is hard to get a bike to do both well. i had a small kona scab for a while and it was a tad small for climbing but great jumper..aside from the 7lbs of steel...

[rid3HB]

if you feel like spending $550 for the frame, santa cruz jackal. people use it for dj, downhill, single track. its a bit heavy tho, 6.5 pounds for the frame only if i remember correctly. i think its aluminum too, not steel

[DUKESofTAH0E]

ya check our nemesis project secret agent out. one of our team riders won a pretty good XC race this summer on his. i use my secret agent in my trainer as iam waiting for my arm to heal and it feels great pedaling on it for long stetches of time and iam 6'2" with long ass legs. pm or email dukesoftahoe@hotmail.com for more info on the NEMESIS PROJECT secrect agent.

[1453]

my new(ly put together) bike climbs pretty well and goes where it's pointed to on the DH and drops

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r117/calnra/P8312384.jpg

[bbrz4]

santa cruz chamelion

[kramonut]

Chameleon's are versatile bikes...right now it's my only MTB after ditching my fully:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v404/kramonut/MTB/05%20Santa%20Cruz%20Chameleon/IMG_1217.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v404/kramonut/IMG_1281.jpg

Now it's SS & soon to be rigid w/ urban tires for messing around town...might even throw a 29er wheel on the front to hit the trails w/ the rigid fork :crazy:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v404/kramonut/MTB/05%20Santa%20Cruz%20Chameleon/IMG_1332.jpg

Strong bike...holds up to my 200+lb body & climbs well.

[Evil4bc]

I'd also suggest the Nemesis Project secret Agent .
check out this build , DJ with a lil XC influence tossed in for flavor!
http://www.hcor.net/gallery/NemesisProject/IMGP0485.sized.jpg

[micahb]

^^aaarrrrggghhhh....i want one of these so bad. Someone sell me a used frame. The new price is good for what you get, just too much for me right now.

[SuspectDevice]

I'd also suggest the Nemesis Project secret Agent .
check out this build , DJ with a lil XC influence tossed in for flavor!
http://www.hcor.net/gallery/NemesisProject/IMGP0485.sized.jpg

Damn, that is a fantastic looking bike!

[jtdcg]

I'd also suggest the Nemesis Project secret Agent.... That is a really nice looking bike but how long is the seat tube? Doesn't seem like the best for an all around hardtail but everyones definition of "climbable" is different.

For some other ideas look here:
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182567
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165494
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=161587
some custom some not but lots of pics:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=321961

[Evil4bc]

That is a really nice looking bike but how long is the seat tube? Doesn't seem like the best for an all around hardtail but everyones definition of "climbable" is different.


Thanks , the seattube on the Secret Agent is 13.0 center top top
with a 12.00 standover height