Glad to hear the hardtail I made for you was in the running for hardtail of the year! It was a fun bike to make and it was nice to meet you and ride your gnarly home trails.
It's neck and neck with the neuhaus. Since it wasn't a production model, I felt bad naming it hardtail of the year. But it's every bit as good as the neuhaus. Keep up the amazing work Nick!
Love the show, and love your honesty. You have almost completely ruin other mtb channels for me. When I want to know about a product or a bike, all I can think is I wish Steve reviewed this so I know what it really is like. Never change, man! Here is for a lot more bikes reviewed in 2023!
Thank you. I miss out on a lot of sponsorship opportunities by trying out lots of different pieces of gear, but I wanted to be an unbiased review and educational site, not an advertising/promotional channel like most other RU-vidrs.
Happy New Year Steve. Thanks for giving the Team Marin and Roscoe some love. For a lot of people a mid-range bike is their realistic aspirational bike, so more information on these types of bikes really helps. I'm really enjoying my Team Marin 2 on east coast trails. It's a great bike for the Don Valley in Toronto.
A word of gratitude to you Steeve, all the way from tiny little Malta (Europe), not only for the great videos; but also for making sure you stay as unbiased and objective as is humanly possible. This is my go to channel on anything MTB. Well done and happy New Year to you and your loved ones!
Glad I watched this- going to look into those cycling shorts, I have been cursing mine the last few rides . This was probably one one the best videos I have watched in a long time. Super informative and straight to the point. Cheers everyone from Prescott.🍻
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I met the Neuhaus team doing testing at Tamarancho in Marin, Northern California. Really nice people. They actually agreed with you that they spend too much time engineering and testing and not enough on marketing!
I’m glad I’m not the only person who finds the cleat position on clipless shoes too far forward. And your comments about Hardtail to Full Suspension overlap is spot on. I certainly don’t need an “enduro” hardtail to go with my Enduro full suspension I need a trail bike and trail bikes need Ground Controls front and rear
Absolutely on point with those last thoughts. Too much overlap and you will end up forgeting one of your bikes. I used to race XC about 18 years ago when I was a Kid. Now I love Trail, and I really love hardtails because they feel more nimble, playful, they are lighter and let you throw them around like no full sus. That being said, I've been invited to do enduro and even when I can do it on my hardtail, I would buy a full suspension if it becomes more constant. If we put MTB disciplines into a chart from less to more agressive it would go like this: XC - Trail - All Mountain - Enduro - Downhill So why would I get the lighest All mountain Full suspension if I have a Hardtail trail bike? A trail Hardtail and an Enduro Full suspensión make te most sense in my mind
You had me all the way until the Neuhaus. I love your channel. Your information is so honest and on point. I am in the market and was already looking at two of you runner up bikes you happened to mention. Trek and Marin. Then, the finale, everything I was waiting for and ...just a frame? Ha! Well played. Not exactly the hardtail I was expecting. I liked! I subscribed! Looking forward to the next one! Keep them coming!
Welcome to the party. To me, the frame is the heart and soul of a bike. everything else can be swapped out but the frame gives it it's character. That neuahaus is special.
Thanks for all your hard work this year. Berd is the word !!! If the Maniac isn’t the 2022 Bike of the Year I’ll be disappointed 🤣🤣 All the best to you and your family for 2023
I saw the whole thing, and I am not ashamed to say that I loved all 42 minutes of it. The only bad part is having to listen to my wife say, "You're watching him again?!!" Thank you again for everything -- the knowledge and the discounts, especially for the Lab Austere hip pack. Happy New Year!
Just ordered the toolkit you recommended. Was looking for a travel one with a little more organization vice just a bag. Thanks for the tip. Also my Binary Maniak just came in, looking forward to building it up in the new year. Will it replace my Spot Rocker? We’ll see…Happy New Year and thanks for a great channel.
i ran a CC Helm and i do kinda miss it. the ability to change progression in just a few minutes is very clever. no spacers to lose, drop, store. i also run the GC on my spot ryve. good rubber! and lastly, i agree that socks are high on the list of things you should focus on!! the merino sock is a game changer for long days, coming from a backpacking background (much like Steve) i have been riding with merino (darn tough, farm to feet) since i started riding MTB. spend the $18 on a pair of socks. worth every penny.
What a list! Even though I don't own a hardtail, this is one of my favourite channels. Never miss a video. Great work, and happy new year mate. Looking forward to more great content in 2023.
I like a dab of slickoleum on my forks , suspension and dropper before every ride . I clean them before applying . This keeps the maintenance on these items much less needed cutting it by maybe half which is a big cost savings if you can't do the maintenance yourself . . For me as a minimalist kind of guy I am always looking to do more with less .. nice review on the items
Handup shorts have back pockets! It drives me crazy that all these bicycle clothing companies design pants and shorts with no back pockets. Yes I understand that while I am riding my bike(seriously), I would not want anything in my back pocket. Most people I know have to drive to get to the trails. Having a back pocket allows me to put my wallet, etc. in my back pocket while driving to the trails. Makes stopping for food, the store or bar, whatever to and from the trails easier. For a quick ride around the neighborhood or down to the store simple. For me, I tend to just find good shorts that I can wear all the time. I hate have to change for every different activity. Thanks Handup, I'll be looking to buy some of your shorts soon.
Ergon GD1 is the grip that is on 2 of my bikes. I finally got an ONYX Classic hub with SS freehub laced to Stan’s CB7 Baron carbon rims.I totally agree with the Patagonia clothes and the Merino wool shirts instead of racing team jerseys. Some companies are making wool T-shirts ,Smartwool,Kitsbow,Chrome and Showers Pass, and Pearl Izumi has some gravel clothing that’s nice. I completely agree that a custom steel hardtail is a game changer. I have a friend that has the hummingbird and he loves it.
Great video as usual. Btw. Just picked up some small parts from Thunder Mountain Bikes and after telling them Hardtail Party sent me in the comment box, I got some slick HP stickers! Thank you!
Great reviews on the products you love. So many I haven’t heard of before, but I am just getting back into the sport and now I have more options than I knew of before. Thanks
Echoing all the others - love your stuff. Another diehardtail fan here. But really, came here to say it stoked me out when I saw the tire & instantly knew it by tread. The GC grid is so slept on in its category. Just put on a fresh set of T7 grid 2.35s today, in fact. Great value tire.
Hey Steve, I'm sure it's somewhere in one of your many videos, but what is your most common front tire choice when you're running a GC grid rear? Still think it's a superb & realistic tire choice for so many people. Currently trying out butcher T9 front & purgatory T7 rear, which I thought I'd find a bit slow - but I'm not one whose riding aims to squeeze out every ounce of speed, and it's working out really well so far.
Saw my first Maniac in the wild today. What a bike! Myself being a big surly fan, I'd love to see a video with your take on them. Keep up the great work
@@hardtailparty Thank you sir! I have installed a Pike Select 150 mm and was thinking to switch/upgrade to a Pike Ultimate 140mm, do you think it worth the extra $$ ? I am riding trails and do jumps. Thank you in advance, you have the best mtb hardtail channel on youtube.
Another great video have a good Christmas and a very happy new year to you and your family keep up the good work love your channel long live the Hardtail looking forward to your content next year stay safe have a good one 👍
Thanks Steve. Through your Patreon i advise in the past year I enjoyed a middlechild, a sweet yellow Chameleon mullet and am presently building up a Parma colored mmmbop with those nukeproof wheels. Put the rear 27.5 nukeproof on the chameleon R just to experience the 102 points of engagement and Wow! Like you said, I don’t think I’ll ever go back. Great videos, great knowledge and experience shared.
The Marin team 2 geo is very close to my 2020 Giant Fathom, heck even the frames look very similar.., the chain stay is a little shorter on the Marin.. I hope to give the Marin test ride to note the similarities.. The Neuhaus is a dream bike for sure
Thanks for the great review! Thanks again for the help and bike recommendation through patreon /subscribestar. My new bike got an honorable mention lol
So gald you mentioned the Trek Roscoe! I have had my Roscoe 8 for 2 months now, because of how well rounded it is I've stayed on a hardtail, really robust versatile bike with great components for the price
I've got the Roscoe 8 in Mulsanne Blue and its a beast... Everywhere I go people comment on how good it looks all the time... TREK nailed it with this one.
Hi bro, brilliant unbiased vids, with in depth reviews. A question? I'm 55yrs old, UK mucky weather based, ridden many bikes/brands over the years, parts/materials/everything from BMX early 80s coming to the UK, to now. I got a fatty not naming brands on this question, so I got a fatty non suspended, 4.8in tyres on a 26in wheel on a steel frame, 2x hard tails aluminium 140mm travel , steel hard tail non suspended 3in tyres on a 27.5 wheelset, gravel bike aluminium 700c with 38mm CX tyres but can't get used to drop bars. Years ago I loved the XC hard tails, light, fast, responsive. After losing some family members depression kicked in, and my fit body turned into a fat body just over 300lbs. So what options have I got hard tail wise that can motivate me to get my weight down under 300lb back on track so to speak and get motivated again. I see most carbon hardtails are still PF bottom brackets which I'm not so fussed on, as I prefer silence. So guessing my only option is steel maybe, in a 29er, with 80/100mm front travel? Can I have your thoughts and experience on this question please. Thanks.
I'm late to the hardtailParty, but I bought the Team Marin 2 for my son (12yrs races XC with NICA) because of your review of it. It's got the updated seat stay support, and I got it for $500 off (due to a few blemishes that I can't even find on the frame 😳). I just got it, put it together, and rode it in the driveway. Damn! It's fantastic!!!
That LA backpack is real similar to my USWE Patriot and I had a helmet drop out of the bag one day while getting out of my car, dropped straight to pavement and cracked it in one quick move. I suggest nobody ever puts their helmet in a pouch like that unless you are using a secondary strap on the helmet itself to secure it. Otherwise that pack design is the perfect size for most rides.
I feel my Maniak paired with my incoming Neuhaus Solstice will have me grinning from ear to ear in '23! Super happy with my Maniak so far, by the way. :)
Really appreciated this video. I've put the Aeroe rack on my list! I sure wish there was a battery powered inflator that would service the higher pressures in rear shocks.
The demo with the saxx was unnecessary, but appreciated. I liked what you said about the overlap in the bike stable. I've got a plus-mullet rigid Karate Monkey and then a Specialized Status 160. They actually compliment each other quite well! (And can share wheels!)
Great video, Steve, as always. Please help me to choose between two bikes that you had mentioned. The Team Marin or the Roscoe. A few things. A.) I'm officially a Senior now. 2.) I prefer uphill to downhill. 3.) Which has the more upright geometry.? I don't want anything too aggressive. I will be going up and down small mountain trails replete with tree roots, branches and small rocks. I will not be going over big boulders or flying through the air. Secondly, I will be going a bit over some relatively "clean" paths over open fields. Spring is but a few weeks away in the north eastern part of North America where I live and I can't wait to get out there and ride a hardtail after a hiatus 18 years!!
Awesome round up Steve, and happy new year. One recommendation I think you might like re. pants and shorts: swrve. They're all I wear, on the bike an off. My favorite shorts for biking is the transverse fabric and favorite pants are the durable cotton trousers. They've been around a while and as far as I can tell were the original company to make high-performance bike clothes that look good off the bike.
Good to see the ground control grid tires on here. Now I feel vindicated about my choice to get them last year for my Roscoe. Though in a perfect world I would swap the front tire for the next tier up.
The Vittoria Mezcals are a good lighter, fast-rolling tire too; technically a XC tire but, bike-packers like them too i hear. I refuse to give the big red 'S' one red penny..! [The same goes for Trek...]
wonder what would be involved in adding lockout to the PNW Coast suspension... one would have to presume that there would be no disadvantage (besides maybe weight and cost) vs a traditional dropper at that point.
I have watched a lot of your videos over the past few weeks, and learnt a lot of things, little nuanced things i guess, i know many of the basics and technical aspects of bike builsing and riding. Thank you
New subscriber here. Thanks for all the amazing content! I'm hoping you can review the BMC TwoStroke AL soon. The Geo numbers on a size M sound like they would work great for you!
Is the new Fairlight Holt on your radar for reviewing? Thanks for such great videos that really help elucidate the the purity of mountain biking to those of us who are new like me!
Another great video, just wondering where you would place the banshee enigma in that list, I realise it probably wasn’t available at the time, it’s such a great frame for me and made want to ride through the dirty English winter
Brand spanking new to the channel. Great Video, just ordered a pair of Club Ride Johnsons. I was hoping you had a recommendation for a multi tool to bring along on rides? Any recommendations???
Happy New Year, Steve! I love my Neuhaus to the point where there's only one downside: I don't have two of 'em. I might have to start saving up for his next Hummingbird project!
Hey Steve you should give Kirkland women's wool socks a try, they aren't cycling specific but they make a great 3 season (not summer) sock! They have an excellent blend lof Merino wool.
Would you go with the commensal or salsa timber jack for northeast riding. Lots of roots and rocks etc. Just picked up your channel and it super great. Keep it up.
So pumped I found this channel. I just ordered a Ragley Big AL 1.0 per your recommendation! Quick question. I know you mentioned it before, but what is your favorite dropper post switch again? I know you've mentioned it in a couple videos but now I can't seem to find them.
Great video ! Non biased and just awesome products. About the neuhaus, have you changed your opinion on IS headsets? I remember you saying you didnt prefer them.
Surprised there was no honorable mention for the Chameleon. You seemed to really enjoy that one...maybe a little more than the Roscoe. And they're readily accessible locally too, for the most part.
That's one reason I don't usually do top 10 lists, I'll always leave some great bike out. I figured the video was getting long enough so I tried to keep it shorter.
@@hardtailparty I totally understand about the Top 10 Lists...ridiculous click bait. And I can't speak for the rest of the viewers but your videos never go too long. It'd be cool to see more third person videos so we can steal some of your modern geo/new school riding techniques. 😉
@@smeekteek I love those third person clips too. I have a tough time syncing my schedule with others who can film, but it's definitely something I'd like to change.
Just recently found your channel. You put out some great thoughts and reviews. Thanks so much. Been riding for over 30 years myself and of course started on a rigid HT and have always kept one as a backup in my stable. For many years I've been mostly on full bore FS and full on DH rigs, riding most days of the year, but now find myself looking to simplify. One of my most enjoyable bikes is a a Surly KM with heavy duty 275x2.8 wheels (well actually a 2.6" up front right now). Over time my carbon fiber wonder bikes will wear out. When that happens I'd like to replace all of them with a higher end, more modern HT so I'm starting to look now. That's what led me to your channel. Again, thanks so much. I'd like to give back. What's the best way to contact you directly?
As usual, a great and versatile review. Did you separately review the dropper post anywhere? And, following your world of bikepacking adventures , which bike would you pick, because Nick’s frame was not on your list when you picked a bike for your family overnighter.
