# What's the best Hardtail to buy?



## Moss (4 Aug 2011)

Hi All,

I'm in the market for a new (or possibly used) Hardtail Bike, would like to keep it under a Grand (£1000) or look for special offers, end of season sales etc, must be a lightweight! I'd been thinking of maybe a GT Zaskar? but, would appreciate any (Sensible) Suggestions on make and model?

Will be used for Trail, Cross Country and some mountain riding.

Thanks

M


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## Angelfishsolo (4 Aug 2011)

Moss said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I'm in the market for a new (or possibly used) Hardtail Bike, would like to keep it under a Grand (£1000) or look for special offers, end of season sales etc, must be a lightweight! I'd been thinking of maybe a GT Zaskar? but, would appreciate any (Sensible) Suggestions on make and model?
> 
> ...



This article may help you.


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## Tat_ (4 Aug 2011)

i to am looking for a hardtail bike. I have looed on lots of forums, spoken to loads of MTB riders and read reviews. i only intend to ride trail and XC and i am about to buy a http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOO456TR/on-one-456-trail-slx, its got good components, a good reputation and to be completely honest the more you look the more there is to consider.
So for about a grand i think this is ok.


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## Angelfishsolo (4 Aug 2011)

Tat_ said:


> i to am looking for a hardtail bike. I have looed on lots of forums, spoken to loads of MTB riders and read reviews. i only intend to ride trail and XC and i am about to buy a http://www.on-one.co...e-456-trail-slx, its got good components, a good reputation and to be completely honest the more you look the more there is to consider.
> So for about a grand i think this is ok.



Looks like a sweet bike


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## Moss (4 Aug 2011)

Some of the hardtails in the reviews weigh in at a heavy 28LB, I'm looking for a durable lightweight! I climb hills where-ever I go, living in a hilly and mountanous area. Anyone know the weight of a GT Zaskar complete bike?


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## smithy92 (4 Aug 2011)

Tat_ said:


> i to am looking for a hardtail bike. I have looed on lots of forums, spoken to loads of MTB riders and read reviews. i only intend to ride trail and XC and i am about to buy a http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOO456TR/on-one-456-trail-slx, its got good components, a good reputation and to be completely honest the more you look the more there is to consider.
> So for about a grand i think this is ok.



Do you need 150mm travel for trail/xc? I'm currently running rockshox reba race at 100mm and have never thought "i wish i had more travel", this years boardman mtb pro has 120mm reba's on it and the adjustable (better) avid elixir R brakes. SRAM x.9 2x10 drivetrain.

Or if you prefer the shimano groupsets what about the Voodoo Wanga with 140mm revelation? And SLX? 

Both bikes retail at 1k and I know where they come from will put some people off (halfords) but they dont HAVE to put it together for you, and their website regularly runs 10% off voodoo/boardman, at least a couple of times a month.


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## addictfreak (4 Aug 2011)

Scott Scale 30 or 35 (carbon). You may pick one up second hand for around a grand depending on age.

Absolutely fantastic bike, I just love mine. 

Theres a couple on Ebay at the moment. A nice scale 20 at a good price too.


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## jethro10 (5 Aug 2011)

Rose, a big German I think, direct seller are starting to make a push into the UK, and are pricing aggressively to get a foot hold, so currently a bargain

I like this one for £722
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/count-solo-1-2011-/aid:435327
Only 11.4kg, Air forks, DT Swiss wheels and Avid Elixr 5 brakes. Have no idea how they do it.

or it's 11.1Kg big brother for £950 perhaps
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/count-solo-2-2011-/aid:435310

Jeff


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## Moss (5 Aug 2011)

smithy92 said:


> Do you need 150mm travel for trail/xc? I'm currently running rockshox reba race at 100mm and have never thought "i wish i had more travel", this years boardman mtb pro has 120mm reba's on it and the adjustable (better) avid elixir R brakes. SRAM x.9 2x10 drivetrain.
> 
> Or if you prefer the shimano groupsets what about the Voodoo Wanga with 140mm revelation? And SLX?
> 
> Both bikes retail at 1k and I know where they come from will put some people off (halfords) but they dont HAVE to put it together for you, and their website regularly runs 10% off voodoo/boardman, at least a couple of times a month.



Just like you! I think 100mm, of travel on some air forks is enough! Boardman and Voodo get some good reviews. It's something to consider!

Thanks

M


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## Moss (5 Aug 2011)

addictfreak said:


> Scott Scale 30 or 35 (carbon). You may pick one up second hand for around a grand depending on age.
> 
> Absolutely fantastic bike, I just love mine.
> 
> Theres a couple on Ebay at the moment. A nice scale 20 at a good price too.



Me too!! I really do like the Scott Scale Bikes! I'll have a look at the 20, on eBay.

Cheers

M


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## Moss (5 Aug 2011)

jethro10 said:


> Rose, a big German I think, direct seller are starting to make a push into the UK, and are pricing aggressively to get a foot hold, so currently a bargain
> 
> I like this one for £722
> http://www.rosebikes...011-/aid:435327
> ...



First time for me to hear of this make! I'll certainly take a look at them! Thanks for the links.

M


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## GrumpyGregry (5 Aug 2011)

I swear by my Boardman Pro HT. Just been riding it down some Spanish mountains. Sweet ride.


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## smithy92 (7 Aug 2011)

GregCollins said:


> I swear by my Boardman Pro HT. Just been riding it down some Spanish mountains. Sweet ride.



Which year is yours greg? Mines the 2010 and I also swear by it!


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## GrumpyGregry (8 Aug 2011)

smithy92 said:


> Which year is yours greg? Mines the 2010 and I also swear by it!



The white one with SRAM X0 & X9 on it. 2009 I think.

I swore at it today. The rear disc won't stop chattering / squeaking and then the chain snapped.


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## Zoiders (8 Aug 2011)

The current Specialized range and namely a Rockhopper fits the bill, good spec, upgradable, other than that Boardman as mentioned or the Voodoo frames with the sliding drop outs so it can double up as a SS/Fixed for winter commutes.

Ten years or more ago back when GT were GT and not a minion of a big consumer products group I would have said get a Zaskar. I had a pre-take over GT Backwoods with the same frame and it was brilliant, these days though they just don't have the resale value and the spec always seems just a little bit off.

On-ones look nice and ride well but they weep rust out of the head tube gussets and the welds rot out, having your head tube separate as you ride is not a good thing.


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## Globalti (8 Aug 2011)

I had a ride on somebody's Boardman hardtail MTB a few weeks ago and loved the way it rode and handled, it felt fantastic.


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## Cubist (10 Aug 2011)

Mate of mine swore by his until it was stolen. For the heretics among you may I point out it's a 120mm Reba fork on the Boardman 2009s? My Cube has a 100mm Reba fork, and is twitchy as hell on loose rocky steep stuff, but really flies on the flat..... 

If all you want to ride is fire road and organic XC then yeah, 100mm is enough. If you want to get adventurous then 120 or even 140 is far more forgiving.


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## GrumpyGregry (10 Aug 2011)

Cubist said:


> Mate of mine swore by his until it was stolen. For the heretics among you may I point out it's a 120mm Reba fork on the Boardman 2009s? My Cube has a 100mm Reba fork, and is twitchy as hell on loose rocky steep stuff, but really flies on the flat.....
> 
> If all you want to ride is fire road and organic XC then yeah, 100mm is enough. If you want to get adventurous then 120 or even 140 is far more forgiving.



100mm Reba Race on my 2009 HT Pro surely?


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## Cubist (10 Aug 2011)

GregCollins said:


> 100mm Reba Race on my 2009 HT Pro surely?



Paul's was a 2009 and had 120s... so it looks like the spec changed during the year. I think they could be changed from 80 to 120 by swapping a spacer but had to be dissembled to do it.


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## smithy92 (11 Aug 2011)

100mm on my 2010, but they seem to change spec mid year because I met someone else with the same bike and my reba's have blackbox motion control and theirs doesnt.


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## GrumpyGregry (11 Aug 2011)

Cubist said:


> Paul's was a 2009 and had 120s... so it looks like the spec changed during the year. I think they could be changed from 80 to 120 by swapping a spacer but had to be dissembled to do it.






smithy92 said:


> 100mm on my 2010, but they seem to change spec mid year because I met someone else with the same bike and my reba's have blackbox motion control and theirs doesnt.



Based on my research it seems

a) it depends on which batch your '09 model 'year' comes from clearly some HT's got forks intended for FS bikes which were spec'ed at 120mm

b) some Boardman, and other, OEM Reba's can have different internals to after market ones and thus may not allow for the spacers to be swapped

c) some Boardman, and other, OEM Reba's aren't OEM Reba's at all but aftermarket (?"All Travel"?) models shipped to the manufacturers

I get the impression that Boardman were basically fitting whatever model of fork they could get their hands on, such was the deserved success of the HT range.

Based on one short test ride of a HT Pro with modded Reba Race running at 120 (in reality more like 114mm) I hated the way it felt. Now this was a medium, and I ride large, it was set up for a much lighter rider, and I'm a big unit, and I like the Pro twitchy fast steering which makes it both a great flat out XC bike and a joy on singletrack, but the modded version felt a bit less responsive. I might still pull mine apart and give it a go one the summer is over and see if the extra 20mm makes me more 'adventurous'!

But out of interest what other departures from standard spec/mods have others gone with?


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## Cubist (11 Aug 2011)

My Cube Ltd Team originally had 80mm Tora forks, which I didn't get on with. I'm quite heavy and found them not as well damped as I would have liked. I swapped the fork for a Reba Race and after a few bits of twiddling have found the fork to be far more supple and far better damped. I love the way I can play with compression and return rates and spring tensions depending on the stuff I'm going to ride. 

The Cube has an XC orientated geometry. It's arse up head down with a long stem and low rise bars in original spec. That's great for fast fire road thrashing and some blue/red route trail stuff, but got very nervous on steep drops and descents, too easy to go over the bars if you got it wrong ( and I often did 'cos I lost a bit of confidence) . A shorter stem, higher wider riser bars made all the difference, and it no longer feels like you're staring over the bars into oblivion on descents. My riding changed a bit towards more technical stuff and the modifications have given me more confidence. 

The OP needs to make some decisions based on an honest assessment of what he intends to ride. If you are thinking of long rides over bridleways, MTB challenges and so on, then go for a more XC orientated bike. If you will spend a lot of time at trail centres then you are going to need a slacker geometry with a longer fork.


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## Angelfishsolo (11 Aug 2011)

Cubist said:


> My Cube Ltd Team originally had 80mm Tora forks, which I didn't get on with. I'm quite heavy and found them not as well damped as I would have liked. I swapped the fork for a Reba Race and after a few bits of twiddling have found the fork to be far more supple and far better damped. I love the way I can play with compression and return rates and spring tensions depending on the stuff I'm going to ride.
> 
> The Cube has an XC orientated geometry. It's arse up head down with a long stem and low rise bars in original spec. That's great for fast fire road thrashing and some blue/red route trail stuff, but got very nervous on steep drops and descents, too easy to go over the bars if you got it wrong ( and I often did 'cos I lost a bit of confidence) . A shorter stem, higher wider riser bars made all the difference, and it no longer feels like you're staring over the bars into oblivion on descents. My riding changed a bit towards more technical stuff and the modifications have given me more confidence.
> 
> The OP needs to make some decisions based on an honest assessment of what he intends to ride. If you are thinking of long rides over bridleways, MTB challenges and so on, then go for a more XC orientated bike. If you will spend a lot of time at trail centres then you are going to need a slacker geometry with a longer fork.



I agree with Cubist about the Cubes. Mine is also very XC orientated and makes for an "interesting" Red Route experience even with DH riser bars.


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## zizou (11 Aug 2011)

This is really good value for £700 down from £1200...Rocky Mountain make some seriously good bikes and getting one for this price is pretty unusual!

http://www.wiggle.co...ain-uk-project/


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## Angelfishsolo (11 Aug 2011)

zizou said:


> This is really good value for £700 down from £1200...Rocky Mountain make some seriously good bikes and getting one for this price is pretty unusual!
> 
> http://www.wiggle.co...ain-uk-project/



It does indeed.


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## Nordog (15 Aug 2011)

That RM is cheap my rocky was £900 second hand two years ago mined it is a full sus.

I'm still miss my old hard tail Ridgeback. I did try the Cotic Soul year last March up in Coed Y Brenin North Wales 

I had a great time Cy had 11 bike in a Mondayo estate all by him self I tried the Befe, Hemloc and the Soul and is the one I would love to have it was so-so smooth and that only had the 120 forks then. The Soda is just to costly for me.


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