# Looking for Some HT Recommendations



## The Prof (Aug 5, 2019)

Hello Everyone, just a bit about myself before asking for advice. I have been riding for about 5 years, and get out about 2-3 times a week. I live in the southeast US, and mainly ride XC to steep single track (ie no big drops or anything, but do go off 2-3 footers). I enjoy going up as much as I do going down, and can grab a few top 10s on the ups in my area. I have a Specialized Chisel as my HT, and a few years ago I got an Ibis Ripley V4. I absolutely love the geometry and riding style of the Ripley. The steep seat tube angle puts you in a solid climbing position, but the slacker head tube angle is pretty confidence inspiring going down.

I still ride my Chisel to spread out the wear, but I just do not enjoy it as much as the Ripley. Not so much because it is a hardtail, but just the riding style. I have looked around, but I figured I would see what opinions were of a HT that may have a similar geometry and feel to the Ripley? Given it is impossible to find demos, I wanted to see what the community thought. For reference, the Ripley has a 66.5 head tube angle and 76 seat tube angle. Thanks for any recommendations/ideas!


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## SSsteel4life (Jul 1, 2016)

Probably think this is crazy, try the new Chisel! Little slacker and little steeper. Besides that, lots of options today to get you closer to that geometry. Quick ones to name, new salsa timberjack, canfield nimble 9, specialize fuse. If you have not, I recommend going to youtube and watch the channel "Hardtail Party". He has reviewed probably 75% of main stream hardtails out there.

Also remember for STA on the FS you will get sag, so the 76 on your FS may feel like a 74 on a HT, which has no rear sag.


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## cassieno (Apr 28, 2011)

Custom and steel is the way to go


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## The Prof (Aug 5, 2019)

Thanks for the replies. I should have clarified that my Chisel is a 2018 model (I believe). It is super fast, and fun on very XC style trails, but is kind of terrifying on steeper downhills. A friend of mine has a steel Surly and loves it. What is it about the steel bikes that is so appealing? Just curious...


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

The Prof said:


> Thanks for the replies. I should have clarified that my Chisel is a 2018 model (I believe). It is super fast, and fun on very XC style trails, but is kind of terrifying on steeper downhills. A friend of mine has a steel Surly and loves it. What is it about the steel bikes that is so appealing? Just curious...


Ride quality is generally much better than aluminum or carbon. Steel is more compliant which equates to less harsh ride.


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## cassieno (Apr 28, 2011)

Steel gives something back when you push into it. It feels sort of alive and "flows" with you and the trail more.

Its hard to describe and not all steel bikes have that feel. I had a Haro steel dirt jumper that was just heavy and stiff feeling. 

But, my Neuhaus metalwork hardtails feel great. I think some of the other brands (surly / chromag / etc) come closer, but it's not the same as custom.

I think compliance (can typically get this from steel and a properly engineered carbon frame) make HTs a lot of fun to ride. 

And foam tire inserts


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

My Paradox is about as compliant an aluminum frame as I've ever ridden (the design plays a huge part in how it rides, not just material.. the carbon chameleon is reportedly stiffer than the Al, for example). It's still Al, and it's still a hardtail, but it's not as jarring as some designs are. It's a fairly aggressive geo, pretty slack with short chain stays and a steep seat tube. It's happier when ridden hard, but it's fun and I do recommend.


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## TazMini (Jun 21, 2019)

Spot Rocker, toss a 130 fork on it if you want something a bit more “trail”. Hardtail Party liked it so much he bought his own.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## trulede (Sep 12, 2018)

The Prof said:


> Thanks for the replies. I should have clarified that my Chisel is a 2018 model (I believe). It is super fast, and fun on very XC style trails, but is kind of terrifying on steeper downhills. A friend of mine has a steel Surly and loves it. What is it about the steel bikes that is so appealing? Just curious...


I've been riding a Spot Rocker SS for the last month. Most noticable is the stability at higher speeds (much more), and a little bit slower turning in tight corners (longer wheelbase) which I think can be addressed by technique. The ride is a little harsh, however I have carbon wheels and I think that is more the reason ... and I still don't have the suspension sorted. Eventually I will figure out the setup, and tyre pressures, and it will be OK.

Weight is 8 kg (single speed) and its a very fast bike. Has room for 2 750ml water bottles. Really great for XC.

Also have a steel Stanton HT, enduro bike, probably more comfortable ... but also 5 kg heavier. Also a fast bike, just a bit harder work when going up hill.


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## rton20s (Aug 27, 2010)

As others have stated, Hardtail Party is a pretty good resource for this. He has hours and hours of videos for you to check out just on current models alone. 

Just as another data point, I have a friend with a 2020 Norco Torrent HT S1 and he loves it. Steve (Hardtail Party) released a video review of the 2021 model about a week ago.


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## cookieMonster (Feb 23, 2004)

Build up a Kona Honzo Steel frame or just get a Honzo ESD.

I had a 2019 aluminum Honzo — loved it! However, I cracked it at a weld point and was offered to upgrade the frame to an ESD frame — man, that was an excellent outcome!

The ESD solved all of the minor issues I had with my original Honzo: #1 the seat tube is much shorter, so I can now get the seat completely out of the way for the rowdy lines.🤘. #2, the head angle is properly slack. REALLY slack— 63 degrees, though mine is probably 63.5 with my 140mm fork as opposed to the 150mm fork the complete bike ships with. I was a little hesitant to go for the ESD at first, thinking it wouldn’t climb well because of the slack HA. Boy, was I surprised. It climbs every bit as well as my original Honzo with a 68 degree HA. And it loves to be pointed down even more. I use it for everything from XC to double-black gnar trails. It handles it all extremely well.

At this point, I would not even look at hardtails with a HA of more than 66 degrees— there’s no advantage to going steeper. The newer aluminum Honzos are set at 67 degrees with a 120mm fork, and the regular Honzo Steel is 66 degrees with a 120mm fork. Running a 140mm fork is a solid upgrade, I must add.


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## The Prof (Aug 5, 2019)

Thanks for the replies and suggestions everyone! I will have to check out the Hardtail party YouTube channel and see what he has to say. The biggest problem I am running into now is what bikes are even available at this point! Hope I can get one on order soon!


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