[mandown]

i'm a gear-whore and i love new parts. i think my goal is to ride every frame and fork ever made. my current obsession is with XC/Trail hardtails. i thought that people who ride DH bikes might look for different XC bikes than the pure XC people. so what rig are you on? do you treat it and beat it like a DH bike? do you plow rock gardens, rail berms, and hit mini-gaps and drops? how much fork are you running? gimme some insight.

ps - i keep staring at the Chromag TRL

 

[blue]

I'm waiting for all the IH Porters and P-bikes that DHers will say are great XC bikes to come out of the woodwork...

 

[Bicyclist]

I love Chromags, I was so close to buying one a bit ago.

I'm pretty sure that Acadian has a Samurai, you might want to PM him.

For something that can plow/jump/etc., maybe check out the Evil Sovereign or Santa Cruz Chameleon? Those are a few other rides that I'd love to own.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

evil sovereign

I race xc on it and love every minute...Used to run a chamelon (went through 2 generations) that would be my close second.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

I love Chromags, I was so close to buying one a bit ago.

I'm pretty sure that Acadian has a Samurai, you might want to PM him.

For something that can plow/jump/etc., maybe check out the Evil Sovereign or Santa Cruz Chameleon? Those are a few other rides that I'd love to own.

wow i didnt even see your post...hahha

 

[Bicyclist]

It's all good. Why do you prefer the Sovereign to the Chameleon?

 

[NapalmCheese]

Specialized Hardrock!

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

It's all good. Why do you prefer the Sovereign to the Chameleon?

The chameleon is a bit of a jack hammer in the rocks, the sovereign is a bit more stable and refined. No ill will towards the chameleon it is a great bike i just love my sovereign...Just a rad east coast technical xc hardtail.

 

[Acadian]

Chromag has a sweet lineup of steel Hard Tails. Especially if you're looking for a Trail riding HT with aggressive geometry. For lightweight trail riding the Chromag Sakura or Samurai is money – but it’s by no means meant to launch off drops and sizable doubles. For that I would go with the Gypsy or Stylus.

I picked the Sakura because I wanted something light for the buffer trails around here. If I plan on hitting anything relatively rough – I’ll bust out my FS trail bike for that.

 

[Lumagent Morple]

I second the Sovereign. It's a blast to ride on the trails, and when you want, you can lower the seat and have a little more fun.

 

[skatetokil]

STP. So fun on buff trails but a bit bouncy when things get real real rocky.

 

[jon-boy]

Another Chromag fan here. I have the Stylus and just fitted a fresh Lyrik Solo Air to it. It's a excellent combo for someone that's used to throwing their big bike around as it takes the abuse. The angles are perfect for aggresive riding and the low slung frame just begs to be thrown around. Great bike.

Photo taken by Jenny Lee Silver.

 

[pinkshirtphotos]

2005 giant iguana thing is burly as hell. 1.5 headset too

 

[jonKranked]

I have an old steel Bianchi hardtail that I use for xc. Its absolutely beautiful (well, ride wise that is).

 

[Bicyclist]

Specialized Hardrock!

I've rocked those things before, they actually work pretty well.

 

[downhillracer]

i have an 05 p1 with a minute that works bomb for dh. i don't race my hardie though, just training type rides.

 

[mandown]

Another Chromag fan here. I have the Stylus and just fitted a fresh Lyrik Solo Air to it. It's a excellent combo for someone that's used to throwing their big bike around as it takes the abuse. The angles are perfect for aggresive riding and the low slung frame just begs to be thrown around. Great bike.

Photo taken by Jenny Lee Silver.

how's the BB height on that? it looks a bit a bit taller on the chromag geo page than the other bikes they make.

 

[Nagaredama]

How about a Cove Stiffee?

68~ HA
can take a 130mm fork

 

[jon-boy]

how's the BB height on that? it looks a bit a bit taller on the chromag geo page than the other bikes they make.

For the trails I ride, it works really well. If you wanted a low slung slalom type bike then a shorter fork would lower the frame nicely. I'll try and measure the BB height tonight.

 

[kidwoo]

i thought that people who ride DH bikes might look for different XC bikes than the pure XC people.

It's true

I look for suspension on xc bikes

 

[jrfor0]

i've got a Sinister Ridge and i love it. i can charge the turns harder then any other little bike i've owned. it's crazy, my 5-spot has nothing on this frame.

 

[dcamp29]

I ride this...

I cracked one, but fisher has a lifetime warranty.

 

[Spunger]

I currently have a specialized P1 with a single crown shiver (yeah yeah) and it works great for XC trails. I have a single ring up front so it doesn't get ridden for distances but we have one trail which I love it on. The nice thing is that it forces you to pick lines unlike my full suspension bike I just hold on and go.

If I didn't get such a good deal on a P1 frame I would have went with an Evil frame. Either that or the Santa Cruz Chamelon. They were the best looking frames for the price.

I just need a different fork. I had a minute 1:00 on it and it felt much nicer than with the Shiver on it. One thing though with a bike that's ment for street/DJ is it feels funky with anything over 130mm (me personally 120mm).

 

[stgil888]

To the OP, good thinking to ask DHers what they think of XC bikes. Once you spend some real time on a DH bike, it's tough to enjoy a spandex-style XC bike as much. Others have mentioned this before, but what really makes the transition easier, and the XC bike more fun, is putting it together with components that make you feel more at home.

A 71' head angle will never feel like a 64' static angle on a sagged out FS bike, but keeping your hands from going below your saddle height will make it more comfortable. Wide risers and short stems make most any XC bike more lovable.

 

[jon-boy]

To the OP, good thinking to ask DHers what they think of XC bikes. Once you spend some real time on a DH bike, it's tough to enjoy a spandex-style XC bike as much. Others have mentioned this before, but what really makes the transition easier, and the XC bike more fun, is putting it together with components that make you feel more at home.

A 71' head angle will never feel like a 64' static angle on a sagged out FS bike, but keeping your hands from going below your saddle height will make it more comfortable. Wide risers and short stems make most any XC bike more lovable.

Exactly right, which is why my HT has a slack HA, stiff fork with nice plush travel, short stem, bomber wheels and 2.35" tires, good standover, wide riser bars and is a lot of fun to rip singletrack on. It has the same solid feel as my DH bike and means that I'm not worried about breaking anything.

 

[Sir_Crackien]

i ride a voodoo bizango. love the thing, 853 steel and all. though its a little on the heavy side for a xc frame at 4.4lbs but the whole bike is still only 25 lbs (this is a big boys bike as it is a 21"). not the lightest xc bike that i have ever owned that was when i had a KHS alite 4000. man that was one fast as **** xc bike and it weighted in at only 24 lbs.

 

[PepperJester]

my "xc" bike:

Really fun bike, I run SS on it but they can take gears also. I some times ride it like a real xc bike but it often does double duty as my light free ride bike (I keep the drops under 10ft on the Astrix) With my current set up (different rear/wheel tire) it sits at 31 pounds. Not XC light but light for a bike that will be abused every single ride.

 

[stinky|Dan]

I have a Rocky Mountain Blizzard with Hope M4's, MTX wheels and Fox Van 130 which is lots of fun on trail rides. Reynolds 853 is a magical metal in my books.

 

[KevinR86]

i ride a P2 w/ DH casing nevegals, single ring up front, hayes 9s a 100 mm marz fork. and flats. Its nice to know that if i crash , my bike will be fine, unlike the super light xc bikes that other local guys that i ride w/ are on.

 

[demo 9]

demo 9 with a 9.5x3.0 bar of metal. i am running a 200MM stiffy fork too.

 

[BikerBoy28]

Beefed up Hardrock.....

 

[Milton Burl]

An old Kona Kula, 21", 135mm stem inverted. climbing>DH.

 

[blue]

To the OP, good thinking to ask DHers what they think of XC bikes. Once you spend some real time on a DH bike, it's tough to enjoy a spandex-style XC bike as much. Others have mentioned this before, but what really makes the transition easier, and the XC bike more fun, is putting it together with components that make you feel more at home.

A 71' head angle will never feel like a 64' static angle on a sagged out FS bike, but keeping your hands from going below your saddle height will make it more comfortable. Wide risers and short stems make most any XC bike more lovable.

I disagree...I have no qualms throwing a leg over a purebred 19lb XC race bike and shredding flowy singletrack. It's not as easy as going downhill on a DH or FR bike, but that's not the point. XC is more about climbing and, for lack of a better word, "exercise", than DH/FR.

Just different tools for different jobs, IMHO.

 

[RD3]

I ride my 04 Sinister Ridge for xc when I am not on my single speed. Its a little heavy but has been an excellent frame, the new 07 frames have been lightened some and have more typical xc geometry.

 

[capt.crispy]

Santa cruz chameleon.I have been riding them since 2000 and have 2 of them now.The 00 is set up as a single speed and wieghs in at 21 pounds with a 100mm fox float on front and the newer 04 has 04 deemax and an 05 fox talas 36.Great do anything bikes.

 

[capt.crispy]

I would love to get a ridge.Nice bike.

 

[mandown]

I ride my 04 Sinister Ridge for xc when I am not on my single speed. Its a little heavy but has been an excellent frame, the new 07 frames have been lightened some and have more typical xc geometry.

that is a damn fine bike

thanks for the input gang. i'm still out there looking for stuff. the chromag and sinister frames are hard to beat. i'm not interested in a 13" DJ frame like a P and i'm probably going for something a bit more "high-end" than a Hardrock.

FWIW i am 6'1" so i need something with a bit of seat tube. i'm currently fascinated with steel frames (i've never owned one). chances are, i would build the frame up to be a bit bulky with a Pike and fatty tires.

 

[mandown]

dang, looks like the sinister site just got an update

 

[mdc]

Another Ridge 2006 (new style geo) built up SS, 25 lbs, Talas 32, etc

 

[Kornphlake]

I've got a DiamondBack Sorrento SE that is my XC bike, my sister gave it to me a year ago when she realized that she hadn't ridden it for like 5 years, I put some deore shifters and derailurs I had lying around on it and some slightly nicer wheels and called it a commuter bike. I don't know what it weighs, I don't know what tubeset it has, all I know is that I hate the RST fork but I can't do anything about it as it has a 1" threaded steerer tube and I'm not going to sink more than about $50 into a bike that is 7 years old and doesn't really fit me right anyway.

I've been thinking it's about time to sell my AS-X and find something that's more of a trail bike, I'm not ridding much FR stuff anymore anyway.