Charge Blender and Transition Vagrant, choosing between

yoochoox

Hello,
Im getting my first decent bike, im looking for a do-it-all hardtail, gonna use it for freeride, light downhill, riding around in town, to work and an occasional longer XCish rides.

I am thinking about getting a Charge Blender as it seems to be a right bike for my needs, but the problem is im 6'4" and that bike comes in only one size which is pretty small (15") and i heard that its seat tube is very slack so its gonna be a pain in the arse to pedal it for taller people.

The only other choice i got is a large Transition Vagrant which would be a perfect size for me, but it looks like its less all-round and more FR/DH oriented.

Im lost, dont know which one to get so any opinions or suggestions will be appreciated.

supersonic

I'd look at the OnOne 456, especially the carbon varietal.

lostboysaint

I'm the same height as you and the Blender is a no go. The Vagrant fits very well.

I ride an 20" Inbred with Marzocchi forks as my hardtail and it does pretty much everything that you want, so Supersonic's suggestion is a good one. They are quite long in the top tube so they work well for us taller peeps.

yoochoox

thanks for fast replys guys, i would definitely look at 456 and Inbred, but as ive said i can only choose between the Charger and the Vagrant, so i guess its gonna be Vagrant for me then.

Anyway, more opinions are welcome.

lostboysaint

The Vagrant it is then, unless you want to look like a circus bear on a clowns bike.

I have a full-sus Transition as my "other" bike to the On-One. Love it.

styxd

A large Cotic BFe is the perfect bike for what you describe.

yoochoox

So i decided to get a different frame, im choosing between Ragley Blue Pig X, On-One 456 EVO and NS Surge 2. But i got some concerns about sizing.

I would go for the surge as it has replacable derailleur hanger, i like the looks and seems to be the most freeridish of the three, but their largest frame is only 16", would it still be too small for me? Gonna use it mainly for freeride, but wanna still be able to pedal.

If the Surge is too small, then what size of Blue Pig/456 EVO should i get? I am thinking about 17"-18" because as ive mentioned im gonna use it mainly for freeride stuff. Is it a good decision or should i get the 20" straight away given im 6'4"?

TLDR: I want a freeride hardtail frame that wouldnt be a huge pain in the ass to pedal, what size i should get (im 6'4")? Would the 16" NS Surge be too small for me?

warpcow

Isn't the NS's sizing 'virtual'? I almost bought one before plumping for a Sovereign and seem to remember that it's just a 16" seat-tube on the Surge, every other measurement is roughly equivalent to a 18-19" frame. Still probably a bit short unless you have a freakishly long torso and bandy little legs.

yoochoox

Actually its quite the opposite, i think my legs are a little bit longer. Im completely lost now, think im throwing Ragley out of the list since ive just found out these new Blue Pigs have had quite a bit of quality issues, but i also add a Dartmoor Hornet frame to the list, its a aluminum AM/FR frame that comes in 14",16" or 18" sizes, it is pretty cheap too.

felix.london

I did a run on one of my local DH tracks on one of these and really enjoyed it.

http://www.sunnbicycle.com/english/bikes/enduro-362/tzar-375/article/tzar-894?/=general



With the seat right down and that sloping top tube you get loads of space to move around on the gnarly stuff.

paul.skibum

You originally said you were limited to the Blender and the Vagrant.

You now have thrown them our and picked three others but now dropped one of them and added another.

Is it safe to assume you are able to buy whatever frame you want and really just want suggestions for a bike?

Cove Stiffee is a great FR/AM oriented hardtail - pretty much the grand daddy of the genre. Getting a little long in the tooth now though.

I would say the 456 is the way to go - bit of the mondeo of the hardtail market these days but that's no bad thing - popular = good enough to be popular.

yoochoox

Originally i was going to get a used complete bike and those were limited just to Blender and Vagrant, but after some research i decided to better just get a new frame and build the bike myself, which has enabled me a lot more options. Cove Stiffee however, is a bit over my budget, but the 456 looks nice, any ideas what size should i get for mainly freeride stuff?