What light nimble bike for me?
Expat Guern
Posts: 17
Hi everyone
I am in the market for a light and nimble hardtail. My basic position is that I own a cyclocross but ended up riding my brompton a lot more to work. After a time, I couldn't go back on the cyclocross because it felt like a bus. The brompton was so maneurable and quick accelerating the cyclocross felt like a bus on stilts.
As the direction of my riding is therefore shorter blasts and fun, I want something to buy (and sell the other two) that is still comfortable over distances but light and nimble and very fast. What should I be looking at? So far I have only read up on the Pipedream sirius and the Chameleon. Are they the sort of thing I should be looking at?
Thanks
I am in the market for a light and nimble hardtail. My basic position is that I own a cyclocross but ended up riding my brompton a lot more to work. After a time, I couldn't go back on the cyclocross because it felt like a bus. The brompton was so maneurable and quick accelerating the cyclocross felt like a bus on stilts.
As the direction of my riding is therefore shorter blasts and fun, I want something to buy (and sell the other two) that is still comfortable over distances but light and nimble and very fast. What should I be looking at? So far I have only read up on the Pipedream sirius and the Chameleon. Are they the sort of thing I should be looking at?
Thanks
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What is your budget, and what type of terain will you be riding on?0
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The chameleon is a hardcore hardtail, heavier than alternatives and slacker for technical terrain. I should think you want to go down the Scott Scale route, light weight, steep angles and racey. But why are you asking about a bike to replace the Brompton with in the Mountain biking section? are you looking for a decent off road bike that will serve you on commutes? Wouldn't you be better over in the road or commuters side of BR?0
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If your not doing anything too rough, I'd have a look at the Boardman Urban MTB. Use the slicks through the week and stick some knobblies on for the weekend if going off road.
No suspension on this bike, rigid carbon forks. This shouldn't really be a problem though if your used to riding a cyclo-cross bike.
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... m-11-456032019 Ribble CGR SL
2015 Specialized Roubaix Sport sl4
2014 Specialized Allez Sport0 -
Sorry to confuse you guys, I am looking now at mainly doing offroad riding. The only reason I mention the Brompton is to explain the type of feel of a bike I want...! Its been years since I have been offroad. Budget about £1500 I think. I wanted a front fork cos I used to find the cyclocross unpleasant on mild terrain.
Thanks0 -
The brompton will always feel different due to the smaller wheels, lower COG and lighter wheel. I used to love ripping about on mine! However 20 inch wheels fair badly off road and feel very harsh.
However a light, XC oriented bike for mild terrain is just the ticket. These will ride much better then any cyclocross bike off road due to better brakes, suspenison, wider bars, better gearing and improved ride position.
Take a look at this:
http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/PBO ... plete_bike0 -
Where can I learn the general principles, about the effect of geometery, wheel size, etc, so that I can compare a number of different things? Whatever I get I also want horizontal dropouts for the option of running singlespeed, but I also want disc brakes. And I want ti to be very light, with relatively thin tyres.
What sort of bikes, say, in Giants range, shall I take for a ride at my local shop? (We have limited range of manufacturers over here to test ride)0 -
Santa Cruz Chameleon is along the right lines, although you could go lighter. A Cotic Soul is in the right direction aswell. A Pipedream is neither light nor particularly nimble. Short chainstays tend to make a bike feel nimble, look for a bike with 16.5" or under. Make sure you use some short travel/rigid forks and pick some light weight wheels and tyres. What sort of cx bike did you have?0
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I hate to be a pedant... actually I love to but I'm usually mistaken... but I'd go for a steep head angle for lightening reactions and long chainstays for efficiency over long distances... I don't think the Chameleon is what this fella's looking for.
Giant don't do ti, but they do Carbon XtC bikes... this falls into the racey XC bike catagory and you'll find it's reactions much quicker than a trail, AM bike. I don't think Giant have a frame with horizontal drop outs.0 -
Something like a Giant XTC....check out Pauls Cycles website as they have many of last years models with huge price reductions. A nice XC machine.0
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but I'd go for a steep head angle for lightening reactions and long chainstays for efficiency over long distances
Steep head angle I can agree with, but long chainstays?!?!? - They always make bikes feel slower and more cumbersome.
also,
What do you mean by "more efficient over long distances" - that doesnt make any sense. More efficient at what?0 -
styxd wrote:but I'd go for a steep head angle for lightening reactions and long chainstays for efficiency over long distances
Steep head angle I can agree with, but long chainstays?!?!? - They always make bikes feel slower and more cumbersome.
also,
What do you mean by "more efficient over long distances" - that doesnt make any sense. More efficient at what?
No it will make it more comfortable on longer rides and climbs which is what a decent short travel XC bike should give.0 -
Thankfully the Cotic has short chainstays and is very comfortable.0
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styxd wrote:Thankfully the Cotic has short chainstays and is very comfortable.
You also missed out very expensive and over rated....0 -
You also missed out very expensive and over rated....
Expensive? Guess its depends how much you earn. Its cheaper than the Santa Cruz so would fit the OP's budget just fine.0 -
styxd wrote:You also missed out very expensive and over rated....
Expensive? Guess its depends how much you earn. Its cheaper than the Santa Cruz so would fit the OP's budget just fine.
Well at near £500 I would have the Rock Lobster, a tried and trusted frame (like the cotic) in the same material but at nearly half the price..a great old skool hard tail.0 -
Right, so I just went a did a little ride around my locla bike shops car park:
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBC ... e=Mountain
And it has confirmed that I am defo going to get rid of the cyclocross. I liked the way it accelerated quickly and can turn sharply. It felt like the nimbleness I wanted and didnt feel like it was purely designed to go in a straight line likw the Cyclocross. Based on this, what else should I be looking at, what is a bike like that considered as? Out and out XC? What are all these other hardtails like cotic, chamelon, pipedream, versus something like this?0 -
Depends what you want ? a short travel XC nimble all day ride or a heavier long travel all mountain hard tail ?
A Giant XTC or Stumpjumper would be ideal.0 -
dont want long travel. I want nimble! And I want to runit singlespeed. Preferably like this with a belt!
http://www.misfitpsycles.com/blog/?p=68580 -
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Amazing thread. Finding a MTB bike that feels like a Brompton.I don't do smileys.
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Parktools0 -
Isn't it what people feel like when going down from a 29er to a 26er
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Whatever is bought, it sounds like some changes need to be made ie new tyres etc.0
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Expat Guern wrote:dont want long travel. I want nimble! And I want to runit singlespeed. Preferably like this with a belt!
http://www.misfitpsycles.com/blog/?p=6858
Take a look at a sanderson soloist....and quick before you change your mind.
http://sanderson-cycles.com/content/sanderson-soloist0 -
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Right, so I have found the GT Zaskar Carbon Expert Cheap, and the Cannondale Flash 4 Carbon for the same price. My only hesistation is, do I need gears? The answer is probably no, but then these older models are so cheap £1500, that will I even be able to build a super lightweight singlespeed for that much?0
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Buy a geared bike. Put in one gear and ride. Like it? Then convert to singlespeed of that gear using a tensioner.0
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My cyclocross is singlespeed and I do defo like it and on reflection I do wonder whether a tensioner is nicer to use than a horizontal dropout, which always annoy me when trying to get the chain tension right. What do you think of the carbon bikes I have found?
The other option is a high spec XTC0
