I would think there's probably not many longer as that's about the same as a sagged 100mm suspension fork isn't it?
I think my 29er rigid is 490mm
Post-Sovereign Hardtail Options
- Thread starter MikeD
- Start date
I think my 29er rigid is 490mm
If I was going to hit the reset button on my hardtail fleet this is where I would go.
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If you are going to spend Kingdom money you could get an American made Lynskey for similar money with their 10% off sale.
In my opinion this is the only frame they have ever made with close to decent geo, hopefully they are made to take some abuse.
Chumba still have nothing.
In my opinion this is the only frame they have ever made with close to decent geo, hopefully they are made to take some abuse.
Chumba still have nothing.
I think so, they also did some stuff for Planet-X/On-One way back when.
If the reach was a bit longer on the Lynskey I'd probably get one but custom geo is +$1000.
The non sliding DO frame is $1800 at the moment.
If the reach was a bit longer on the Lynskey I'd probably get one but custom geo is +$1000.
The non sliding DO frame is $1800 at the moment.
Not modern geo but I've got 11+ years on a Lynskey frame that was a prototype they made for Salsa and it's got >10000miles on it now with no issues.
It's got an unrideable 100mm stem on it
It's got an unrideable 100mm stem on it
Haha, I wouldn't ride two miles on a bike with a 4" stem.
Not sure I would have had a bike in the last 15yrs with a stem longer than 50mm, they never seemed to make any sense.
Not sure I would have had a bike in the last 15yrs with a stem longer than 50mm, they never seemed to make any sense.
Yeah geometry is fairly conservative--seat tube longer than I'd want with shorter reach...and way out of my price range.
I love the Middle Child and it's available in purple right now and that would be such a good successor to the Evil in so many ways. But the Sirius is probably more what I want out of a hardtail right now...a shade lighter and more long-range/all-round oriented while still being fun to descend. (I enjoy going downhill on a rigid singlespeed...sue me...)
Edit: Enquired about the S5...
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People look at me funny riding a hardtail on DH oriented trails, but rigid?
(looks at you funny)
You can get the Chromag Rootdown in purple too-
I love my Rootdown/Primer but it isn't the type of all around bike MikeD is looking for. BB would be way too low running a rigid fork, too low with 27.5 wheels IMO, no single speed option. The frame is built to take absurd amounts of abuse making it heavy and has a rather stiff ride. It is designed for riding recklessly down steep rough terrain, which is fucking awesome but not ideal for tamer conditions.
Standard drops have eliminated Chromag for me...
Were they the ones who made the Sakura a few years back? Always loved the idea of that frame.
Honestly I just now want a bike that's more capable for longer hauls than the full susser, but retains that techy spirit to the extent possible.
I did look at frame weights and find the RSD isn't really out of the ballpark with the Esker or Pipedream, but I think as far as ride quality, something less rigidly constructed is where I need to go. Gonna pre-order one or the other soon, I think.
Now, do I hold onto the sovereign as wall art, or re-home to someone who's actually gonna ride it? I mean, I doubt I could get very much for it anyhow. Need to pare down the large volume of bike shit I own. In sort of the same place with the Turner RFX, too. Inclined to box them up and ship them to the father in law to put in the shed, but then again, both frames sold might fund the new HT frame to a large extent.
I did look at frame weights and find the RSD isn't really out of the ballpark with the Esker or Pipedream, but I think as far as ride quality, something less rigidly constructed is where I need to go. Gonna pre-order one or the other soon, I think.
Now, do I hold onto the sovereign as wall art, or re-home to someone who's actually gonna ride it? I mean, I doubt I could get very much for it anyhow. Need to pare down the large volume of bike shit I own. In sort of the same place with the Turner RFX, too. Inclined to box them up and ship them to the father in law to put in the shed, but then again, both frames sold might fund the new HT frame to a large extent.
Maybe weird hardtails will be like old DH bikes and appreciate in value? Probably not but stranger things have happened.
I think I've had ~10 hardtails in the last 15yrs, I think I sold two as frames and the rest either broke or had a date with the hacksaw and got recycled, none of them were worth keeping.
Yeah, maybe one day. Hasn’t happened yet.
There is some market for the very rare things in boutique condition, but who has that? I say keep for nostalgia or pass along to someone who will know how to ride it. Still riding mine some 15 years on. That’s gotta say something about the quality of the frames!
In for a penny, in for a pound on this one, I think.
Got a buyer lined up for the Turner who will love and use it vice letting it be wall art for me, and I'm cool with that. So now I can afford to get the Sirius, a used 29er suspension fork, a rigid fork...maybe even carbon...and a set of used 29" wheels. This will let me play with absolutely every combo of wheel size, travel,. and drivetrain, and clear out a bunch of 26" wheeled stuff while I'm at it.
Got a buyer lined up for the Turner who will love and use it vice letting it be wall art for me, and I'm cool with that. So now I can afford to get the Sirius, a used 29er suspension fork, a rigid fork...maybe even carbon...and a set of used 29" wheels. This will let me play with absolutely every combo of wheel size, travel,. and drivetrain, and clear out a bunch of 26" wheeled stuff while I'm at it.
^now back to dithering over Esker vs Pipedream.
Esker's a 66 HA and slightly taller seat tube, but geometries are really similar. Like the Esker's dropout modularity but wonder if something more conventional (Pipedream's sliders) might not be simpler/more reliable/less troublesome in the end.
Esker's a 66 HA and slightly taller seat tube, but geometries are really similar. Like the Esker's dropout modularity but wonder if something more conventional (Pipedream's sliders) might not be simpler/more reliable/less troublesome in the end.
Seat angle and wheelbase are fairly different. Have you ridden a bike with modernish steep seat angles?
The 2020 Balance I just got is the steepest seat angle I've tried. Per their site, 75.7 effective but 70.3 actual. Whatever that means in the end. (edit: I'm unaware of the practical difference in feel of the 2-ish degrees difference in the two frames...I do know I like pedaling the Balance uphill. It works a lot better for me than my older Balance or any other previous big-bike I've had. Roomy top tubes that I'd have begged for in 2005 are finally true and it works for me in reality...)
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Also...torn between that classy silver and the dark purple on the Sirius. The babyshit mustard olive ain't doing it for me. And for the esker, the green and orange are both killer...I always love a green bike...
Never thought I'd care about the color of a bike, but here I am...since I'm buying new for only the third time in 23 years of biking...
Never thought I'd care about the color of a bike, but here I am...since I'm buying new for only the third time in 23 years of biking...
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Yeah, I think I'm getting Sirius here.
Esker's dropouts look like something that could develop a problem; just more complicated than it needs to be. And no ISCG mounts...I always want to run a teeny upper chainguide when geared.
I want modern geometry, I'm gonna get modern geometry...
The Hardtail Party video buildups of the bikes helped.
Esker's dropouts look like something that could develop a problem; just more complicated than it needs to be. And no ISCG mounts...I always want to run a teeny upper chainguide when geared.
I want modern geometry, I'm gonna get modern geometry...
The Hardtail Party video buildups of the bikes helped.
I approve this message. What kind of fork are you going to slap on it.
Pike @ 120mm and a Carver rigid carbon as needed.
Pike may get luftkappe and other goodies as time passes...I also have my 27.5 Lyrik if I want to get weirdly low.
Got an external-cable dropper I could use, or an internal routed with a thin seatpost shim. Have a buddy who could use the external so probably sell to him.
NX drivetrain, with singlespeed option off the HG cassette and a chainring/chain swap. TRP Slate Brakes. (TRP user now also thanks to Westy...)
Cockpit TBD; have 35/40/60 stem options I could swap in and some nice FSA carbon-wrap bars, but think the rise may prove too low on them given the stack height of the bike. We'll see.
Exact wheels TBD but looking at a lot of cheaper 29" options, OEM take-offs and such, before deciding what I really want on it. 25-30mm width rims for sure. (Ed: anyone have any old Boost 29er wheels around...?)
Purple or gray?!
Pike may get luftkappe and other goodies as time passes...I also have my 27.5 Lyrik if I want to get weirdly low.
Got an external-cable dropper I could use, or an internal routed with a thin seatpost shim. Have a buddy who could use the external so probably sell to him.
NX drivetrain, with singlespeed option off the HG cassette and a chainring/chain swap. TRP Slate Brakes. (TRP user now also thanks to Westy...)
Cockpit TBD; have 35/40/60 stem options I could swap in and some nice FSA carbon-wrap bars, but think the rise may prove too low on them given the stack height of the bike. We'll see.
Exact wheels TBD but looking at a lot of cheaper 29" options, OEM take-offs and such, before deciding what I really want on it. 25-30mm width rims for sure. (Ed: anyone have any old Boost 29er wheels around...?)
Purple or gray?!
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I'd bump up the travel on the Pike if Lufkapping as you will get an additional 5mm of sag. I'd go 140mm as I think that bikes geometry could handle a longer travel fork and would help with your stack height issues, but I am projecting my personal preferences.
Gray is awesome if it is raw metal. Life is too short for gray paint. And it is Nightshade you culturally insensitive brute.
nightshade. you can always raw it later...
Nice. You'll be able to check out all the different setups.
I'll do the pre-order once they answer my question about frame carton size.
If it was coming through normal mail that'd be easy, but with parcel services I have size restrictions and the WORST would be having it get returned. Worst comes to worst I might be in DC in the next few months so have it shipped there and grab it...
If it was coming through normal mail that'd be easy, but with parcel services I have size restrictions and the WORST would be having it get returned. Worst comes to worst I might be in DC in the next few months so have it shipped there and grab it...
Hawt
Almost makes me wish mine had paint.
Lack of seat tube gusset on the Sirius is hawter
Funny that the seattube gusset was something I always wanted in a hardtail till just now, like a visual signal that the bike meant business.
And I still love the RSD...if I was looking for something just a little more rough and tumble, that's be it. (Hell, it's available right now and takes 27.5s with a 12.2 BB height...maybe I should just go for it lol)
And I still love the RSD...if I was looking for something just a little more rough and tumble, that's be it. (Hell, it's available right now and takes 27.5s with a 12.2 BB height...maybe I should just go for it lol)