Mountain Biking - XC Hardtail

Hi all,

I'm looking at racing in some XC races next year and would like to upgrade my bike to something lighter. I'm currently riding a Diamondback Topanga and looking for a racing XC bike with a hartail. Any suggestions??

Thanks

Give us an Idea of your budget, what your bike weighs and how it's equipped and we can throw out some suggestions.

I second what b2b said.

just to throw you some options....I personally like the Kona Kula, Specialized Stumpjumper HT, and GT Zaskars, Scott Scale series for fast XC duties...

yes, with more information, it would be easier to give you more helpful suggestions.

Yep - need a budget to make a reccomendation. I love my new Yeti ARC and lust after a Dean Colonel. But those are $800 and $1800 respectively for only the frame.......weight wise my Yeti came in at 21.5 lbs including heavy-duty Slime tubes (gotta get me some Stan's) but excluding bottle cages, tool bag, pump, computer, etc. Build list would be long as it's a mish-mash of parts. I can list it if you're interested......

Budget probably between $1500 and $2000 for the complete bike. I'm looking for something light and fast but quite strong as I'm a bit bigger than the average rider. If the price is a bit higher then you can also recommend them. The money is not my main focus but I want something strong and fast. I've only just gotten into cycling seriously so my knowledge of the finer details and even some of the basics is still rough.

Basically just looking for idea on where to look. I've tried looking on the internet but there doesn't seem to be anything directed at just XC racing bikes and I don't have the time to trawl through all the reviews looking for the bike of my dreams. This is because of my lack of bike knowledge and I don't know the various manufacturers and what they have on offer. I have also looked at some of the sites but then again I prefer getting the info from guys who have actually thrashed the bike around a bit and can give good feedback.

Jamis Dragon Pro I have one, not that I am a heavy rider. But the steel frame should take a beating and it weighs in at around 25.50 pounds. It's all XT too and a fox fork, it is a really well equipped bike for the price.

Gary Fisher Paragon
http://www.fisherbikes.com/images/bikes2007/bikes_medium/paragon_red.jpg
http://www.fisherbikes.com/bikes/bike_detail.asp?series=29er&bike=Paragon

Specialized Stumpjumper Comp
http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/2007/bikes/SJ_HT_Comp_Sat_Blk.jpg
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=22272

Giant XTC is another good one. Sevens' are the fastest though :)

Stumpjumper comp, Scott scale 40, Trek 8000/8500 series. I suggest test riding!

I think you would have a number of decent options in that price range. Check out some shops, test ride, you'll find something.

Jamis Dragon Pro I have one, not that I am a heavy rider. But the steel frame should take a beating and it weighs in at around 25.50 pounds. It's all XT too and a fox fork, it is a really well equipped bike for the price.

That's an awesome bike. I want one.

I have been very pleased with my Kona Kula Dlx.

Gunner Rockhound.

How about this bike: http://bspbikes.com/itemdetails.cfm?catalogId=39&id=1053

or this one: http://bspbikes.com/itemdetails.cfm?catalogId=39&id=976

or this one: http://bspbikes.com/itemdetails.cfm?catalogId=39&id=1011

I don't know if any of these bikes would work for you, but it's a worth a shot to try them.

:D

The knowledge flows like a river. this is something you can't get from reviews. Thanks for all the recommendations I will slowly start to take tests on as many as I can manage to locate.

Gary Fisher RIG. You won't have to worry about gears then. :D

If you are bigger, as in taller, you may want to expand your search to include 29ers.

For $1,500 you could get a Salsa El Mar - http://www.webcyclery.com/product.php?productid=18028&cat=468&page=1

Gary Fisher has a whole slew of 29ers - http://www.fisherbikes.com/bikes/bike_detail.asp?series=29er&bike=XCaliber

There are also many more available as frames that would suit your needs.