Budget Hardtail

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c0ncept
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c0ncept
Hey guys,

I found my way over here from VitalMX. I've kind of been getting back into mountain biking more and want to upgrade my bike.

I currently have a 2015 Giant Stance 2. As many of you know its a super entry level FS bike. At 1st I loved the bike but the more I ride the more I have a desire for a hardtail. No matter what I do with the rear shock pressure it just feels so soft and spongy. A nice FS bike with the proper components and rear geometry seems to be way out of my budget.

I'm looking at hardtails in the $1500-$1700 range. I really want a 29er with 1x12 gearing and more than 100mm of front travel.

I currently have my eye on the 2020 Specialized Fuse Comp 29.

Any ideas or recommendations would be great!
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bulletbass man 4/15/2020 7:27am
4/15/2020 7:27am
ooo man so many great 29er hardtails out there. Also not too many people making bad bikes anymore, pretty much everything in that price range is going to be a super solid frame and it's mostly if you want something on the nimble side or more on the stable side. Shorter chainstays, steeper headtube angles, and a "traditionial" reach will be more maneuverable but easier to crash and less confident at speed than a bike with more modern geo.

The hardtail I'm currently building up (transition throttle) has geo numbers most people would find laughable today but it's exactly what I want.

In that price range builds will be pretty similiar. I'd personally go with 10 or 11 speed and a smaller chainring to help with your budget. But the low end 12 speeds ain't too bad. I'd also consider looking at frame only options. I find hardtail builds tend to be a little less favorable to the customer than F/S builds so it can be nice to pick the parts you actually want. Especially with all the online deals that are out and about these day. Personally I'd go 10 or 11 speed with a smaller chainring to save $$$ on drive train and put that cash somewhere else on your bike.

As far as forks I'd prefer a Marzocci Z1 to a Recon.
Big Bird
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Big Bird 4/15/2020 8:33am
4/15/2020 8:33am
I was going to suggest a Santa Cruz Chameleon but then remembered that they're carbon now. I'd say go steel for a hardtail. It will soften both the ride and the hit on your wallet. I forget the name, but Spec. offer a pretty sweet 29er steel hardtail that the local Police force uses. Solid chromo frame at quite a few price points.
westeegarden 4/15/2020 8:59am
4/15/2020 8:59am
Check out the pinkbike field trip videos, they reviewed a bunch of affordable bikes and the Kona Honzo and Norco Torrent are among the bikes reviewed. The Norco was a bit more expensive than your range, but I'm almost positive they make less expensive builds.
Daniel_Layton 4/15/2020 9:38am
4/15/2020 9:38am
Nukeproof Scout

Comp
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/nukeproof-scout-290-comp-bike…
Right on the nose for your price. The SRAM level Ts are a total toss up on whether they will work well for you (SRAM low end everything has notorious QC issues). The SX drive train is heavy and finicky but you can upgrade to NX/GX as you go.

Expert
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/nukeproof-scout-290-expert-bi…
$500 more but everything works well and no need to replace anything down the line.
c0ncept
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c0ncept 4/15/2020 10:06am
4/15/2020 10:06am
Big Bird wrote:
I was going to suggest a Santa Cruz Chameleon but then remembered that they're carbon now. I'd say go steel for a hardtail. It will soften...
I was going to suggest a Santa Cruz Chameleon but then remembered that they're carbon now. I'd say go steel for a hardtail. It will soften both the ride and the hit on your wallet. I forget the name, but Spec. offer a pretty sweet 29er steel hardtail that the local Police force uses. Solid chromo frame at quite a few price points.
The Santa Cruz website still shows an aluminum version of the Chameleon. I shot my dealer an email to see if they are available!
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c0ncept
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c0ncept 4/15/2020 10:13am
4/15/2020 10:13am
lloyd506 wrote:
Kona honzo
The Kona Honzo looks like a really good bike for the money. The nearest Kona dealer is like 50 miles away from me tho.
Mandingo915
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Mandingo915 4/15/2020 10:55am
4/15/2020 10:55am
Agree with the other comments that you should get a steel frame. Unless you’re in super good shape, the aluminum bikes will beat you up more. Speaking from personal experience. Also, unless you’re going to be doing a lot of dirt jumping, 29” wheels will make the ride smoother. Less body effort to get the bike through rough sections.
bturman
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bturman 4/15/2020 11:14am
4/15/2020 11:14am
Beyond the hardtail, have you tried adding a larger volume spacer inside your Giant's rear shock? That will likely help alleviate the mushy feel in a big way.

A hardtail will really drive home those skills and several good options have been suggested. Agreed on steel so you don't get your brains entirely rattled out. Yeehaw!
dsmdan18
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dsmdan18 4/18/2020 6:18am
4/18/2020 6:18am
I've had two steel hardtail (Transition Trans Am's) and one Aluminum (Ragley Marley). I have never noticed a difference in compliancy. What I do notice and what makes a hardtail more fun these days are:

-The better tires we have available. Stronger casings, more volume.
-Better forks at an affordable level. A fork that can't stay up in its travel and is harsh kills the fun so quick.
-Tire inserts. Specifically Cush Core. Now that you can run the tire pressure you should be running and don't risk rim damage and flats a well set up hardtail can be a weapon on most trails.
-Modern geometry. Coming from a dirt bike you should be used to speed. The older hardtail had 70 plus degree head angles. As soon as that fork would dive (which was often with underperforming forks) the head angle would become steeper and eject the rider.

The Scout and Commencal are both solid choices.
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