New hardtail advice please
jakesurf
Posts: 31
Hi,
A while back I asked if there was any benefit in moving from a hardtail to a full suspension bike as I fancied a change of bike. Since then I've decided that I still want a new bike but want to stick to a hardtail. My current bike is a Boardman Pro Hardtail (09 version, Rockshox Reba race 100mm travel forks), which has a 70 deg head angle and weighs approximately 11 kg.
There are three main reasons why I'm looking for something new:
1) I want something with more travel, ideally 120 / 130 mm
2) I want something with slightly more slack geometry
3) I've always felt that my boardman is slightly too small for me (I'm 6 foot 2 and the bike is a medium, however when I test rode (round the car park) the large frame years ago it felt slightly too big).
My main riding is at Cannock Chase and Hamsterly and my budget is £1,000 but would like to spend less so that I can get a dropper post as well.
As well as the above, I would ideally like the new bike to have a fork that gives similar performance to the Reba race on my pro and for the new bike to be a similar weight as my current bike.
The trouble is I don't think such a bike exists anymore (another later model Boardman Pro (2013) would probably have been ideal but they only do a 29er Pro now and I'm not convinced that 29ers are for me as I struggle enough at times with tight twisty sections).
So far I've looked at:
On-One 45650B Shimano Deore and On-One 456 Evo 2 Shimano Deore (£950)- Which I feel would be too slack geometry wise
http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOO45650BD ... ntain-bike
On-One Parkwood (£1000)- Which looks perfect except it's a 29er
http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOOPWDEO/o ... ntain-bike
Boardman Mountain Bike Team HT 650B (£689) - which I'm not sure about the fork on and if it would be a step backwards from my current bike
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... -650b-2014
So my questions are:
1) Are there any other bikes out there that meet my requirements?
2) If I went for the Boardman Team HT, does the frame and the rest of the bike warrant a fork upgrade with the money I've saved or would I not notice any real difference compared to my current reba race?
3) Are there any bikes that are slightly over budget currently but might fall within my budget in any future sales that would be worth keeping an eye open for?
Sorry for the long post and thanks for the advice!
A while back I asked if there was any benefit in moving from a hardtail to a full suspension bike as I fancied a change of bike. Since then I've decided that I still want a new bike but want to stick to a hardtail. My current bike is a Boardman Pro Hardtail (09 version, Rockshox Reba race 100mm travel forks), which has a 70 deg head angle and weighs approximately 11 kg.
There are three main reasons why I'm looking for something new:
1) I want something with more travel, ideally 120 / 130 mm
2) I want something with slightly more slack geometry
3) I've always felt that my boardman is slightly too small for me (I'm 6 foot 2 and the bike is a medium, however when I test rode (round the car park) the large frame years ago it felt slightly too big).
My main riding is at Cannock Chase and Hamsterly and my budget is £1,000 but would like to spend less so that I can get a dropper post as well.
As well as the above, I would ideally like the new bike to have a fork that gives similar performance to the Reba race on my pro and for the new bike to be a similar weight as my current bike.
The trouble is I don't think such a bike exists anymore (another later model Boardman Pro (2013) would probably have been ideal but they only do a 29er Pro now and I'm not convinced that 29ers are for me as I struggle enough at times with tight twisty sections).
So far I've looked at:
On-One 45650B Shimano Deore and On-One 456 Evo 2 Shimano Deore (£950)- Which I feel would be too slack geometry wise
http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOO45650BD ... ntain-bike
On-One Parkwood (£1000)- Which looks perfect except it's a 29er
http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOOPWDEO/o ... ntain-bike
Boardman Mountain Bike Team HT 650B (£689) - which I'm not sure about the fork on and if it would be a step backwards from my current bike
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... -650b-2014
So my questions are:
1) Are there any other bikes out there that meet my requirements?
2) If I went for the Boardman Team HT, does the frame and the rest of the bike warrant a fork upgrade with the money I've saved or would I not notice any real difference compared to my current reba race?
3) Are there any bikes that are slightly over budget currently but might fall within my budget in any future sales that would be worth keeping an eye open for?
Sorry for the long post and thanks for the advice!
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Comments
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The Bird looks good but is outside of my budget.0
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I sent you a PM about our forthcoming model rejig.
Ben from Bird.A Flock of Birds
+ some other bikes.0 -
Whyte 901? Slightly over budget but could see if 2014 are in the sales anywhere.0
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The rockshox xc 30 gold on the boardman team 650b are not the greatest and would definitely be a step back from the rebas. I had issues with my xc30 gold on my team 650b and the elixir 3 brakes were not all that. In the end I got rid of it and bought a Whyte 901, which is fantastic.0
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I have the OnOne 45650b, and love it. Not missed a beat. It is slack, but that makes it very very confidence-inspiring down hill, but it is still very manoeuvrable, and climbs well too. The frame obviously makes it heavier than an alu framed bike, but I don't think its that noticeable out on the trail; I certainly keep up with guys on lighter bikes, and we all have a similar level of fitness. As a package for under a grand, its great value; the deore kit is more budget end, but works really well; the Sektor fork is a significant improvement over what the Boardman offers, and gives more travel than a Reba, and is, I would say, a highlight at this price point.0
