Nukeproof Scout Review (2022 Gen 3 )
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Cons:
- Still a good value
- All parts swap over from previous scout (and other Nukeproof models)
- Excellent cable routing
- Not extremely modern or extremely outdated geometry
- Happy on most trails
- Threaded BB
- External Cable Routing (except for the dropper, of course)
Cons:
- Not as great a value as prior models
- Stiff riding frame
- Vanilla ride
- Could use a longer reach
- Not very playful
Who it's for:
- people looking for an all-rounder that's up for anything
- people who are on a tight budget but still want modern components
- people who want to get the most bang for their buck
- heavier riders who don't want a flexy frame
Who it's NOT for
- xc racers
- enduro shredders
- riders under 160 lbs due to its stiff ride
- people who are looking for a bike with a ride feel that really stands out from the crowd
My full thoughts on the 2022 Nukeproof Scout Hardtail
today we're reviewing the stanton sherpa
i'm super excited to share this review with you i've had this bike on about 10 different rides now and i've really gotten to know it it's going to be featured in many more videos and i'm going to still be comparing it to the tie frame i haven't ridden the tie frame yet but today we are just reviewing the stanton sherpa steel and i'm with some special guests this is josh from the penny pinching cyclist and dan also from prescott and cody aboard the bc podsole yep i know you guys like that frame we've got this setup as a 27.5 by 3.0 so in plus mode it's great it's a 29 or two but i really like plus bikes and if you're gonna set this up bike packing this is how i would do it don't worry you'll get to see it in more configurations but this is how we got it set up today and i've also swapped out the fork for a fox 34 step cast because the sid that was on here it would rub with this tire this tire would not clear in the sid so a stepcast 34 is a great lightweight 120 mil fork that will still fit big 27.5 plus tires i've also swapped on my pawl clampers my cable actuated disc brakes that i loved so much i bought a couple pair and we'll be breaking them in on this ride just here to have a fun ride
hopefully these brakes start working
i do not know prescott very well but i'm excited it's been raining for the last 20 minutes before we got here and now the sun's out we're gonna have a good time
oh this bike is awesome so dan stanton designed this bike and dan stanton is one of my heroes he is a hardtail genius he understands just how thin you can make tubing while keeping it supple but still strong and he has the best feeling bikes out there some of the best and this bike feels so good remember that johnny rotten i loved a couple years ago at outer bike and it just blew me away this bike's even better than that
this is what hardtails are all about so this bike's designed around a 120 fork and it's meant to be lightweight and zippy crush out epic long rides bike packing blue and green trails just having fun on trails without getting too crazy wild they have the switchback and the switch niner for those that want to get a little crazier
this bike is so fun though so to meet its needs it's a little bit shorter than an aggressive hardcore hardtail and this has quite a small reach compared to modern bikes but that's kind of the magic in the charm of this thing so yeah a lot of people that prefer old-school riding bikes a little more traditional riding bikes you're gonna love this thing see if we can get up it
that's going to take a couple tries
that short reach i kicked the bars with my knee all right let's give that another go
i need to pick a line instead of just going for it i'm missing my longer bikes my knees keep hitting the bars get the rock nice and wet yeah nicely done
man it keeps pulling me over here i need to do two more tries there it is ah
you all right i mean i broke my finger oh no straight now straight ish
yeah we got it straight whoo that was spicy oh just went in that hole oh almost made that all right we're good my finger's not going to fit in the glove anymore but we'll see how this goes that's my first broken bone in 25 years of riding you know i earned that one though i was almost there and couldn't dismount fast enough came down stuck my hand in a hole and it grabbed my pinky and just went and then i just pulled it right back straight hopefully uh hopefully it grows back together the right way and that tape does its job let's see if i can keep riding
oh that was so good cody yeah so much fun riding with these guys josh is prepared with the ibuprofen 400 will be great thank you sir all right we'll keep riding see if i can finish out this review because this bike is too cool to stop now so sometimes when you push it you get hurt i am feeling the shorter top tube on really technical climbs like this i actually like longer slacker bikes for really technical climbs i've got a little bit more room to move around i can feel my knees hitting the bars on this and let's be honest uh most people don't have terrain like this to ride on their trails and most people aren't going up them on 120 mil hardtails so i think we can give the sherpa a pass i don't think it was meant to do that but i have made it up that on other bikes that had a little bit longer cockpit all right let's keep riding well if my bones are going to grow back crooked at least they'll grow back in a handlebar shaped position this bike climbs really well this bike is fun it's like your kid brother that's just the life of the party that everywhere you bring him you have fun this is such a compliant hardtail this is probably my favorite steel hardtail at the moment and that's saying a lot i haven't bike packed with this yet but i have a feeling it's going to be my favorite bike packing bike so one thing about this bike you have to remember that all stantons are measured at sag so this bike has a 440 mil reach at sag which means it's a shorter reach when unsagged so when you're comparing it to other bikes a little two foot hook there so when you're comparing it to other bikes you kind of have to calculate one of them to sag to match this or calculate this one to unsagged so that you can compare them so when the fork's higher your reach is actually shorter
and you feel that on this when you're doing big technical fast moves but that's not what this bike's meant for 27.5 plus is way slower than 29ers this bike is completely at home on blue trails like this
so much fun and despite the 435 chain stay it still wants to dance easy to bunny hop easy to manual just a joy just you just grin the whole time you're riding this thing i've had it on double black diamonds and it handled it but not at the speed i like to go and it was sketchy compared to what i normally ride but it did it what a great little bike just goes to show 120 mil can be plenty for a great hard tail on the right trails but yeah this is a really relaxed riding position it's not a modern feeling bike where you really have to get forward and wait that front and all the corners you can ride pretty neutral kind of old school still steer through your feet but not have to really muscle the bike around but yeah you're just in a real comfortable riding position so for an all-day ride i'd feel right at home i'm not hunched over not reaching for the bars
but when you're on a 27.5 plus bike your buddies on 29ers drop you
29ers are faster you have to sneak in extra pedals wherever you can on these 27.5s to keep up
and this bike rides really great as a 29er i've got some other bikes in for review and i'm having a hard time reviewing them because i just keep choosing this bike to ride instead
so this bike reminds me a little bit of the chameleon not quite as easy to manual as the chameleon but almost reminds me of that johnny rotten by ionic said this is significantly cheaper it reminds me of the spot rocker a little bit but a metal version but this is what steel hardtails are all about people one of the most supple bikes i've ever ridden and dan has that secret combination down to make his bikes
ride just the way he wants him to so his enduro bikes like the switch niner is a little stiffer he didn't want it quite this compliant and smooth because it's gonna be rallied and pushed hard and all of stanton's bikes ride a lot slacker than their geocharts suggest yes they're measured at sag but even when you calculate that out they still ride slacker than they look oh this is the perfect bike for this stuff it's not quite as attack fighter jet as the spot rocker i'd definitely be faster on the rocker i'm just having a joy on this trail though what a fun day
oh this is what hardtails are all about is this kind of riding right here so much fun very few bumps you just feel connected to the trail when you put power down it translates into movement you don't have some squishy suspension back there today would have probably been a little better on 29er i just don't need the cushion and traction of the 27.5 plus but this is how i've been riding it lately and it feels a little bit more aggressive and 27.5 plus like it just has a little more travel even though it doesn't
that hurts with my pinky i won't be doing a whole lot more of that today
fun bike man
i just can't stop smiling having a blast so smooth and man this mint green that i chose it's a custom color you can have custom colors on your bikes it takes a little longer to get them painted oh it's the most beautiful bike i've ever had in the shop can't wait to try the thai one it's like almost two pounds lighter
but this bike does not feel heavy at all a lot of steel bikes these days are overbuilt and they just kind of feel like tanks
this bike doesn't it feels like the best bikes of yesteryear with modern geometry this has a much more modern geometry than a johnny rotten i've got a riser bar on it because it's only got that 120 mil fork on it oh my goodness this is amazing what a day
i do not know this trail
this little bike likes to jump likes to play it's not faced by these big chunky rocks
yeah so i can't climb as fast as these guys right now so i'm not even going to try but i would like to talk about how this bike climbs it's got a nice modern seat angle and because the reach isn't super long i don't feel like i need a super steep seat angle
we need to be careful whenever we look at one number like head tube angle or reach or seat angle because they only tell part of the story but yeah this is a really comfortable climbing position so this is a super comfortable climber i love the climbing position i feel like i could sit in this position all day and not have back pain or feel hunched over which is why i think it'd be a great bike packing bike
oh what a fun area
you do feel the shortness of this bike and most people are going to love that a lot of people are having a hard time adjusting to the long bikes that i like
and sizing charts have changed and people recommend different size bikes than they used to
and a lot of people haven't adapted their riding style to suit those new longer aggressive bikes if that's you you're gonna like this bike
so just because it's not super long and insanely slack does not mean it's not fun or capable you just ride it differently than the switch niner or the banshee paradox or my new bike that i'm designing
you just ride them differently and people that like a more traditional comfortable relaxed pedaling position where you don't have to put quite so much body english in they're gonna love this thing i love this bike it just makes me happy really great riding feel and i love that i can fit a 150 mil dropper with double water bottle mounts inside the frame
never realize how much i used my pinkies before especially on technical climbs and bunny hops i'm noticing today oh that's fun
give that another go i definitely feel the short front end
so yeah that front's wanting to lift a little more on the really big power moves and that's the nature of a shorter bike
still doable though you just have to change your technique
picking our way through the boulders super fun
love rock slabs we're at the village goofing around fun little spot
man i'm struggling on these ups with this bike i need to get used to it a little more there we go
a little bit shorter wheelbase taking me a while to get used to
yeah these are fun love it
tricky one that's hard to get smooth
such a playground up here cody's putting on a show tonight let's see if he can short start this
that's big that's 40 inches there's no way
that is massive i think i got it so much fun riding with cody he always pushes me i like to think that i push him you do you got this up and over smooth go cody you got it go that's so big
there it is nice work cody yeah that's how it's done ladies and gentlemen always ride with someone better than you they will make you better and cody's a positive fun upbeat dude
you've got to be kidding me
that was beautiful
man i'm just having dismount problems all day
there we go i am having a harder time keeping the front end down
yeah that was a great move if you guys aren't subscribed to the penny pinching cyclist yet go do it he's our trail guide today keeping us from getting lost it is amazing here i get lost every single time
sometimes dragging your brakes helps in technical moves
all right nice work you got it
that was so sloppy but i got it
man i am missing my gloves all right cody
my pedal was right in the way all right let me try that again i can swing a little wider
i love this climb
right there
all right here goes josh he's got it all day long yep look up yeah there it is nice work all the way up yeah
nice work so if you couldn't tell i absolutely love this bike but i do think it has its limits as you could see i struggled on really steep power moves it was just a little bit short for that and if i size up the seat tube is going to be too long and i'm not going to be able to run a long enough dropper but that's not really what this bike is meant for that's more the switch niner territory and the switch niner climbs this stuff super well so for what this is designed for holy cow i think it is one of the best bikes for blues and greens if you want a metal frame if you want to see what the steel is real feel is all about this has it in spades this has jumped up to my favorite steel bike and i can't wait to take this bike packing because the riding position that shorter cockpit it's just going to be super comfortable to spend all day in the saddle on this thing i'm not going to be super stretched out it's the perfect head angle perfect chain stay length it just fits really well if you're not doing big power moves or double black diamond trails i've had it on double black diamond trails and it'll handle it barely and i still have fun but it's not as controlled or composed or collected as my bigger enduro bikes with a longer reach so who's this bike for this bike is for people who don't love the ultra long ultra modern ultra aggressive geometries that are coming out on so many bikes these days it's for people who like to sit and spin put down lots of miles get a bike that they can just hammer and put away wet and pull out and just ride and ride and ride low maintenance not having to think about it too much it's just like a labrador it's a great friend it's ready to go play whenever you are but it's not like a race bike to me it's not a hardcore enduro bike it's a fun trail bike and most people haven't ridden a fun trail bike hard tail like this so this bike's for people who are looking for fun who are riding blue and green and a little bit of black diamond trails but who just really want to know what a comfortable steel frame feels like that isn't too stretched out you know somebody that's been on an older traditional bike kind of more old school bike if you like the way old school steel hard tails rode you're really gonna like this this is like the new school version of what those great steel hardtails in the 90s were like it's light it's not overbuilt i think it's the most beautiful bike i've ever had on the channel especially in this mint green and stanton knocked it out of the park now make sure you're subscribed because soon i'm going to compare this back to back on the same trail with the titanium version to compare how they ride and what the difference is between them and i will have 29s on for that because i think we've explored it in 27.5 mode pretty well here but i know that the 29 inch tires give it another flavor and i want to make sure that flavor is represented in the upcoming videos of this as well so make sure you're subscribed and stay tuned and if you need advice on bikes and you're not sure which bike to buy and you need help talking through all the options or understanding the geometry or wondering how this bike compares to the common saw meta ht i have a service for that called patreon that's how i make money doing this this is my full-time job youtube does not pay well at all but my patrons support my work and that's how i'm able to keep doing unbiased unsponsored reviews like this so if you enjoy my work and want to support it that's a great way to do it head over to patreon.com hardtailparty and if you're not ready to pay that's okay feel free to keep enjoying these free reviews
fun stuff so it'll handle going down steep spicy stuff you just have to reel it in a little and use a little more skill and a little less bike to handle it for you my big long bikes i can let the long front end keep me from ending this one i have to position my body a little better oh man you do not realize how much you use your pinkies until you break one when it gets dark my gopro stabilization stops working and it gets all shaky giving you an idea what it's really like riding a heart deal because it's not all smooth all the time this bike handles extremely well at lower speeds
it's just real easy to ride you don't have to put aggressive movement movements into it
now we're riding a black diamond here and some aggressive moves are needed to get through this but it's a very neutral feeling bike
if most of your trails aren't super rocky or very steep this is probably the one to go for oh this bike makes you feel like a kid again it's just plain fun descending i'm going to give it a 9 out of 10 on black diamond stuff 10 out of 10 on greens cornering under 20 miles an hour 10 out of 10. but cornering over 20 miles an hour i'm going to give it a 8 out of 10. playfulness i'm going to give it a 9.2 out of 10. especially at slow speeds that short compact reach just makes it fun for throwing around long days in the trail long day's seated i'm going to give it a 10 out of 10. it is so comfortable
dan you knocked it out of the park on this bike this has raised the bar for what a steel hardtail can be steel is real on this one so much special sauce in this bike thanks for watching there's a party in the mountains and you're invited
i'm super excited to share this review with you i've had this bike on about 10 different rides now and i've really gotten to know it it's going to be featured in many more videos and i'm going to still be comparing it to the tie frame i haven't ridden the tie frame yet but today we are just reviewing the stanton sherpa steel and i'm with some special guests this is josh from the penny pinching cyclist and dan also from prescott and cody aboard the bc podsole yep i know you guys like that frame we've got this setup as a 27.5 by 3.0 so in plus mode it's great it's a 29 or two but i really like plus bikes and if you're gonna set this up bike packing this is how i would do it don't worry you'll get to see it in more configurations but this is how we got it set up today and i've also swapped out the fork for a fox 34 step cast because the sid that was on here it would rub with this tire this tire would not clear in the sid so a stepcast 34 is a great lightweight 120 mil fork that will still fit big 27.5 plus tires i've also swapped on my pawl clampers my cable actuated disc brakes that i loved so much i bought a couple pair and we'll be breaking them in on this ride just here to have a fun ride
hopefully these brakes start working
i do not know prescott very well but i'm excited it's been raining for the last 20 minutes before we got here and now the sun's out we're gonna have a good time
oh this bike is awesome so dan stanton designed this bike and dan stanton is one of my heroes he is a hardtail genius he understands just how thin you can make tubing while keeping it supple but still strong and he has the best feeling bikes out there some of the best and this bike feels so good remember that johnny rotten i loved a couple years ago at outer bike and it just blew me away this bike's even better than that
this is what hardtails are all about so this bike's designed around a 120 fork and it's meant to be lightweight and zippy crush out epic long rides bike packing blue and green trails just having fun on trails without getting too crazy wild they have the switchback and the switch niner for those that want to get a little crazier
this bike is so fun though so to meet its needs it's a little bit shorter than an aggressive hardcore hardtail and this has quite a small reach compared to modern bikes but that's kind of the magic in the charm of this thing so yeah a lot of people that prefer old-school riding bikes a little more traditional riding bikes you're gonna love this thing see if we can get up it
that's going to take a couple tries
that short reach i kicked the bars with my knee all right let's give that another go
i need to pick a line instead of just going for it i'm missing my longer bikes my knees keep hitting the bars get the rock nice and wet yeah nicely done
man it keeps pulling me over here i need to do two more tries there it is ah
you all right i mean i broke my finger oh no straight now straight ish
yeah we got it straight whoo that was spicy oh just went in that hole oh almost made that all right we're good my finger's not going to fit in the glove anymore but we'll see how this goes that's my first broken bone in 25 years of riding you know i earned that one though i was almost there and couldn't dismount fast enough came down stuck my hand in a hole and it grabbed my pinky and just went and then i just pulled it right back straight hopefully uh hopefully it grows back together the right way and that tape does its job let's see if i can keep riding
oh that was so good cody yeah so much fun riding with these guys josh is prepared with the ibuprofen 400 will be great thank you sir all right we'll keep riding see if i can finish out this review because this bike is too cool to stop now so sometimes when you push it you get hurt i am feeling the shorter top tube on really technical climbs like this i actually like longer slacker bikes for really technical climbs i've got a little bit more room to move around i can feel my knees hitting the bars on this and let's be honest uh most people don't have terrain like this to ride on their trails and most people aren't going up them on 120 mil hardtails so i think we can give the sherpa a pass i don't think it was meant to do that but i have made it up that on other bikes that had a little bit longer cockpit all right let's keep riding well if my bones are going to grow back crooked at least they'll grow back in a handlebar shaped position this bike climbs really well this bike is fun it's like your kid brother that's just the life of the party that everywhere you bring him you have fun this is such a compliant hardtail this is probably my favorite steel hardtail at the moment and that's saying a lot i haven't bike packed with this yet but i have a feeling it's going to be my favorite bike packing bike so one thing about this bike you have to remember that all stantons are measured at sag so this bike has a 440 mil reach at sag which means it's a shorter reach when unsagged so when you're comparing it to other bikes a little two foot hook there so when you're comparing it to other bikes you kind of have to calculate one of them to sag to match this or calculate this one to unsagged so that you can compare them so when the fork's higher your reach is actually shorter
and you feel that on this when you're doing big technical fast moves but that's not what this bike's meant for 27.5 plus is way slower than 29ers this bike is completely at home on blue trails like this
so much fun and despite the 435 chain stay it still wants to dance easy to bunny hop easy to manual just a joy just you just grin the whole time you're riding this thing i've had it on double black diamonds and it handled it but not at the speed i like to go and it was sketchy compared to what i normally ride but it did it what a great little bike just goes to show 120 mil can be plenty for a great hard tail on the right trails but yeah this is a really relaxed riding position it's not a modern feeling bike where you really have to get forward and wait that front and all the corners you can ride pretty neutral kind of old school still steer through your feet but not have to really muscle the bike around but yeah you're just in a real comfortable riding position so for an all-day ride i'd feel right at home i'm not hunched over not reaching for the bars
but when you're on a 27.5 plus bike your buddies on 29ers drop you
29ers are faster you have to sneak in extra pedals wherever you can on these 27.5s to keep up
and this bike rides really great as a 29er i've got some other bikes in for review and i'm having a hard time reviewing them because i just keep choosing this bike to ride instead
so this bike reminds me a little bit of the chameleon not quite as easy to manual as the chameleon but almost reminds me of that johnny rotten by ionic said this is significantly cheaper it reminds me of the spot rocker a little bit but a metal version but this is what steel hardtails are all about people one of the most supple bikes i've ever ridden and dan has that secret combination down to make his bikes
ride just the way he wants him to so his enduro bikes like the switch niner is a little stiffer he didn't want it quite this compliant and smooth because it's gonna be rallied and pushed hard and all of stanton's bikes ride a lot slacker than their geocharts suggest yes they're measured at sag but even when you calculate that out they still ride slacker than they look oh this is the perfect bike for this stuff it's not quite as attack fighter jet as the spot rocker i'd definitely be faster on the rocker i'm just having a joy on this trail though what a fun day
oh this is what hardtails are all about is this kind of riding right here so much fun very few bumps you just feel connected to the trail when you put power down it translates into movement you don't have some squishy suspension back there today would have probably been a little better on 29er i just don't need the cushion and traction of the 27.5 plus but this is how i've been riding it lately and it feels a little bit more aggressive and 27.5 plus like it just has a little more travel even though it doesn't
that hurts with my pinky i won't be doing a whole lot more of that today
fun bike man
i just can't stop smiling having a blast so smooth and man this mint green that i chose it's a custom color you can have custom colors on your bikes it takes a little longer to get them painted oh it's the most beautiful bike i've ever had in the shop can't wait to try the thai one it's like almost two pounds lighter
but this bike does not feel heavy at all a lot of steel bikes these days are overbuilt and they just kind of feel like tanks
this bike doesn't it feels like the best bikes of yesteryear with modern geometry this has a much more modern geometry than a johnny rotten i've got a riser bar on it because it's only got that 120 mil fork on it oh my goodness this is amazing what a day
i do not know this trail
this little bike likes to jump likes to play it's not faced by these big chunky rocks
yeah so i can't climb as fast as these guys right now so i'm not even going to try but i would like to talk about how this bike climbs it's got a nice modern seat angle and because the reach isn't super long i don't feel like i need a super steep seat angle
we need to be careful whenever we look at one number like head tube angle or reach or seat angle because they only tell part of the story but yeah this is a really comfortable climbing position so this is a super comfortable climber i love the climbing position i feel like i could sit in this position all day and not have back pain or feel hunched over which is why i think it'd be a great bike packing bike
oh what a fun area
you do feel the shortness of this bike and most people are going to love that a lot of people are having a hard time adjusting to the long bikes that i like
and sizing charts have changed and people recommend different size bikes than they used to
and a lot of people haven't adapted their riding style to suit those new longer aggressive bikes if that's you you're gonna like this bike
so just because it's not super long and insanely slack does not mean it's not fun or capable you just ride it differently than the switch niner or the banshee paradox or my new bike that i'm designing
you just ride them differently and people that like a more traditional comfortable relaxed pedaling position where you don't have to put quite so much body english in they're gonna love this thing i love this bike it just makes me happy really great riding feel and i love that i can fit a 150 mil dropper with double water bottle mounts inside the frame
never realize how much i used my pinkies before especially on technical climbs and bunny hops i'm noticing today oh that's fun
give that another go i definitely feel the short front end
so yeah that front's wanting to lift a little more on the really big power moves and that's the nature of a shorter bike
still doable though you just have to change your technique
picking our way through the boulders super fun
love rock slabs we're at the village goofing around fun little spot
man i'm struggling on these ups with this bike i need to get used to it a little more there we go
a little bit shorter wheelbase taking me a while to get used to
yeah these are fun love it
tricky one that's hard to get smooth
such a playground up here cody's putting on a show tonight let's see if he can short start this
that's big that's 40 inches there's no way
that is massive i think i got it so much fun riding with cody he always pushes me i like to think that i push him you do you got this up and over smooth go cody you got it go that's so big
there it is nice work cody yeah that's how it's done ladies and gentlemen always ride with someone better than you they will make you better and cody's a positive fun upbeat dude
you've got to be kidding me
that was beautiful
man i'm just having dismount problems all day
there we go i am having a harder time keeping the front end down
yeah that was a great move if you guys aren't subscribed to the penny pinching cyclist yet go do it he's our trail guide today keeping us from getting lost it is amazing here i get lost every single time
sometimes dragging your brakes helps in technical moves
all right nice work you got it
that was so sloppy but i got it
man i am missing my gloves all right cody
my pedal was right in the way all right let me try that again i can swing a little wider
i love this climb
right there
all right here goes josh he's got it all day long yep look up yeah there it is nice work all the way up yeah
nice work so if you couldn't tell i absolutely love this bike but i do think it has its limits as you could see i struggled on really steep power moves it was just a little bit short for that and if i size up the seat tube is going to be too long and i'm not going to be able to run a long enough dropper but that's not really what this bike is meant for that's more the switch niner territory and the switch niner climbs this stuff super well so for what this is designed for holy cow i think it is one of the best bikes for blues and greens if you want a metal frame if you want to see what the steel is real feel is all about this has it in spades this has jumped up to my favorite steel bike and i can't wait to take this bike packing because the riding position that shorter cockpit it's just going to be super comfortable to spend all day in the saddle on this thing i'm not going to be super stretched out it's the perfect head angle perfect chain stay length it just fits really well if you're not doing big power moves or double black diamond trails i've had it on double black diamond trails and it'll handle it barely and i still have fun but it's not as controlled or composed or collected as my bigger enduro bikes with a longer reach so who's this bike for this bike is for people who don't love the ultra long ultra modern ultra aggressive geometries that are coming out on so many bikes these days it's for people who like to sit and spin put down lots of miles get a bike that they can just hammer and put away wet and pull out and just ride and ride and ride low maintenance not having to think about it too much it's just like a labrador it's a great friend it's ready to go play whenever you are but it's not like a race bike to me it's not a hardcore enduro bike it's a fun trail bike and most people haven't ridden a fun trail bike hard tail like this so this bike's for people who are looking for fun who are riding blue and green and a little bit of black diamond trails but who just really want to know what a comfortable steel frame feels like that isn't too stretched out you know somebody that's been on an older traditional bike kind of more old school bike if you like the way old school steel hard tails rode you're really gonna like this this is like the new school version of what those great steel hardtails in the 90s were like it's light it's not overbuilt i think it's the most beautiful bike i've ever had on the channel especially in this mint green and stanton knocked it out of the park now make sure you're subscribed because soon i'm going to compare this back to back on the same trail with the titanium version to compare how they ride and what the difference is between them and i will have 29s on for that because i think we've explored it in 27.5 mode pretty well here but i know that the 29 inch tires give it another flavor and i want to make sure that flavor is represented in the upcoming videos of this as well so make sure you're subscribed and stay tuned and if you need advice on bikes and you're not sure which bike to buy and you need help talking through all the options or understanding the geometry or wondering how this bike compares to the common saw meta ht i have a service for that called patreon that's how i make money doing this this is my full-time job youtube does not pay well at all but my patrons support my work and that's how i'm able to keep doing unbiased unsponsored reviews like this so if you enjoy my work and want to support it that's a great way to do it head over to patreon.com hardtailparty and if you're not ready to pay that's okay feel free to keep enjoying these free reviews
fun stuff so it'll handle going down steep spicy stuff you just have to reel it in a little and use a little more skill and a little less bike to handle it for you my big long bikes i can let the long front end keep me from ending this one i have to position my body a little better oh man you do not realize how much you use your pinkies until you break one when it gets dark my gopro stabilization stops working and it gets all shaky giving you an idea what it's really like riding a heart deal because it's not all smooth all the time this bike handles extremely well at lower speeds
it's just real easy to ride you don't have to put aggressive movement movements into it
now we're riding a black diamond here and some aggressive moves are needed to get through this but it's a very neutral feeling bike
if most of your trails aren't super rocky or very steep this is probably the one to go for oh this bike makes you feel like a kid again it's just plain fun descending i'm going to give it a 9 out of 10 on black diamond stuff 10 out of 10 on greens cornering under 20 miles an hour 10 out of 10. but cornering over 20 miles an hour i'm going to give it a 8 out of 10. playfulness i'm going to give it a 9.2 out of 10. especially at slow speeds that short compact reach just makes it fun for throwing around long days in the trail long day's seated i'm going to give it a 10 out of 10. it is so comfortable
dan you knocked it out of the park on this bike this has raised the bar for what a steel hardtail can be steel is real on this one so much special sauce in this bike thanks for watching there's a party in the mountains and you're invited
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