Carbon hardtail....?

miss notax
miss notax Posts: 2,572
edited November 2011 in MTB buying advice
Hello :D

This is kind of a 'what if...' thread, but after a cheeky little mtb race at the weekend it reminded me how much enjoyed it and how much I would like to be faster and overtake more people :lol:

I usually ride on my 5 which is actually pretty light, but I realise probably not the best machine for the odd weekend xc race when everyone else is on racey hardtails :? It's too bobby and probably not very efficient. But then again more forgiving on line choice etc....

Anyway, have now been thinking that maybe a lightweight hardtail would be a good addition to the Miss Notax bike fleet. I have only ever ridden full sussers off road, so i'm certain it will improve my riding. And it might make me a little bit faster if i'm being competitive. And what the hell, it would just be fun.

Am looking around the £1k mark - and it's a bit 'what if' because i did have some cash saved up until yesterday when the clutch on my car is sticking and my tenant phoned up to say the boiler is playing up :cry:

Will probably wait until the January sales, and am currently looking at Focus / Boardman / On One. Ideally 120mm forks. Any suggestions?
Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc

Comments

  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    Whippet: http://on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOOWHIPSLX/on_ ... hippet_slx
    The Boardman has got better kit, but if you want carbon it's another £600.
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    Yeah, I like the Whippets - rather tragically I don't think they'll be small enough for me though :oops: I am only 5ft 4 and ride a 14" 5 or a 15" Kona.... I'm not sure whether a 16" frame would be too big for me :?

    Do they ever have demo days?
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    Not that I've ever seen, and oop North is a heck of a way for you to travel for a test ride!
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • It'd be quite close on a 16", nice short stem could probably put it in contention for your height? Cracking bikes for the money mind
  • styxd
    styxd Posts: 3,234
    I think a 16" would be too big for you. I've seen 6' tall people riding 16" On Ones.

    What about a Scandal? I think they come in a 14" size, I know they're not carbon, but are probably a very similar weight to the 456 Carbon.
  • Pudseyp
    Pudseyp Posts: 3,514
    Tomac Synper 140 Giant XTC Alliance 1
    If the world was flat, I wouldn't be riding !
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    Pudseyp wrote:

    Interesting, I don't know much about these bikes though. Will do some investigating..... :D
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc
  • Pudseyp
    Pudseyp Posts: 3,514
    miss notax wrote:
    Pudseyp wrote:

    Interesting, I don't know much about these bikes though. Will do some investigating..... :D

    You can get a 15" carbon frame on ebay for £225 from China....though I would spend the extra and buy from exotic as you get a years warranty and piece of mind the frames are tested to CE and EN standards.
    Tomac Synper 140 Giant XTC Alliance 1
    If the world was flat, I wouldn't be riding !
  • Kaise
    Kaise Posts: 2,498
    miss notax wrote:
    Yeah, I like the Whippets - rather tragically I don't think they'll be small enough for me though :oops: I am only 5ft 4 and ride a 14" 5 or a 15" Kona.... I'm not sure whether a 16" frame would be too big for me :?

    Do they ever have demo days?


    afternoon!

    if you're not too far from bristol there is shop called Bike Science thats a Planet X and On One dealer, you can book a free appointment and they do all the fitting and stuff, without an appointment its a bit shoot, but you can get your hands on the bike in various sizes

    anyway, thats if your in bristol.......
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    Oooh, that's good to know! Thanks Kaise :D
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    On One's frames are fairly big. The tube heights are still 16, 18, 20, etc, but the frame length is pretty long in terms of reach even with 16. I normally go for a medium / 18 frame, but looking at the specs the 16 was about right for me for the 456 frame I got and it's still slightly more reach than many medium frames.

    Good to hear there's a fit service. Didn't know about that. I ended up going by the spec published on their site and comparing it to other frames I know fit me.
  • grenw
    grenw Posts: 803
    In that 'cheeky little MTB race' you rode in at the weekend was an On One team rider (I assume as her was in a team jersey) on a carbon Whippet. He was flying round the course and was the first person I saw from the 4hr group. Probably all about the rider but the bike looked suited to the course and was a stunning piece of machinery!
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    If you only have a grand, and unless you see a blinding deal, then an Alu framed package may work out lighter. Frames like Zaskars, XTCs and Boardmans are about 1500g in alu. Carbon frames maybe 1200-1400g at this price, but cost a lot more, so the savings on the alu bikes are passed into lighter components.
  • Pudseyp
    Pudseyp Posts: 3,514
    I know we said a 15" would probably be best....but how about a XTC Carbon Alliance in 16" ???
    http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1b0s2p2291
    love mine !

    Or womens specific
    http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 0s163p2715
    Tomac Synper 140 Giant XTC Alliance 1
    If the world was flat, I wouldn't be riding !
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    That Giant is a steal, great find!