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Thanks for commenting and for watching! That used to be the case. But now we are seeing 130-150mm depending on the type of hardtail and it’s intended use! For XC bikes you still see the 100-120’s but trail bikes are going to the 140mm mark. Enduro and all-mountain are going 150+.

Yes sir! Bingo!! It just makes so much sense. Thank you for your comment.

Yeah man, the esd does not mess around with its geo and therefore fun factor! From what I understand, kona made this bike to test geo numbers for their process 153 back when they were designing that bike. The ESD stuck around. I’m glad it did!

“SPRINGIER” I love it! That is it!!! Steel is real! The old school factor is something I should have mentioned! Nice one! Thank you for watching and leaving your comment, we appreciate it.

That’s great to hear you’re back!! Welcome back to mtb! The Fluid is a solid hardtail! Plus the value of the Fluid is also excellent! I have heard Norco is ditching their current hardtail line and coming out with a new hardtail called the charger in 2025. We shall see what that is like. Thank you for watching and leaving your comment!

@@dirtyforksmtb I look forward to seeing what will happen! I’m also in Ontario so I look forward to seeing you out on the trails sometime!

That’s awesome! If you see us, say hi! Always good to see people on the trails who watch the channel! Thank you again for watching! Enjoy the Fluid!

That’s awesome! It’s a great bike! Thank you for watching!

@@dirtyforksmtb I’ll definitely purchase a frame just for the extra slack

It’s sooooooo good! 👍👍🔥

That’s awesome! I have 40mm risers on mine and love it!

Check out this video. Talking about risers! Riser Bars: The Upgrade You Didn't Know You Needed th-cam.com/video/ZgqHVfKlqhM/w-d-xo.html

Yes man! It’s so good once you get used to it! Shred that Dave!!!

Thank you for watching! Yeah, sag is different for hardtails. 160 fork set at 25% on a 60 degree HTA is awesome! 60 degrees is so slack but it just works on the hardtail. What is the chainstay length on that bike? So awesome on downhills. I took mine to the bike park last month and it was so good!

👍👍 I can’t imagine a 410mm chain stay! The shortest the dropouts adjust to on this bike is 417mm. At 420mm my bike handles so good. It is twitchy on DH flow trails but so good in tech. I am addicted to the feeling of 420’s and when I’ve put them back at 425 or 430, it doesn’t last long! On the past two bikes I’ve had, they had 325 and 330 bb heights respectively. So this for me at 319 is low. But it’s not so low that I clip my pedals off rocks etc. I find it’s the perfect height! The 150 fork I put on is the recommended travel for the ESD frame. I wouldn’t mind going to a 160mm but I don’t want to jeopardize the climbing ability of the bike. Climbs so good! 308 is very low! Wow…. Thank you for watching and commenting! Appreciate it!

Agreed! Love it! Thank you for watching.

Lol, I refuse to accept that! 😎. Maybe one day I will but I love the hardtail.

Hey there and thank you for watching and commenting! Mullets are cool for increasing manoeuvrability and agility. Think of it this way: a 27.5 inch wheel with a 2.8” width is very close to the same size as a 29er. What you’re trying to achieve is a softer ride with the 2.8. A 2.8 on a i30 rim will be quite rounded out. To get the softer ride you’re looking for, I’m assuming you’ll run low pressure. Because of the narrow rim width, the 2.8 will likely squirm . Taking into account the narrow rim width plus the low tire pressure. A 2.6 on an i30 rim 27.5 is a better choice only in my opinion. But setting up a bike as mullet, if the bike is not meant to be mullet then you will drop the bottom bracket by a few mm. I have a new bike and I run 29” wheel front and rear with 2.6” rubber. I am set up tubeless and find I can run 24psi in the rear and get away without rim-dings. The higher the tire volume is (2.8) the lower the pressure you can get away with but on an i30 it may work against you.

@@dirtyforksmtb Hmm, ok. Thanks for the input. Maybe I'll try a 2.6" instead. I was trying not to drop the BB by much. The Pivot Switchblade has a flip chip in it, so it compensates some, but it'll still be dropped a bit. I'm not a very aggressive rider, and I avoid rock gardens and rooty trails for my back's sake. I tried my buddy's hardtail fat tire bike, and liked the soft rolling of it, so I thought I'd try something fatter.

Ah I see. The switchblade with the flip chip for mullet configuration. In that case going mullet is good. In the case of the fat bike, that bike likely had 5” rubber. Those tires can run crazy low pressures. I used to have a fat bike with 4” rubber and I remember running 9 psi front and 11 psi rear. Definitely cushy. You could also think about running that rear 27.5 with a 2.6” tire and a tire insert. Obviously you’d need a tubeless set up when running an insert but the insert will allow you to run even lower pressures as the insert will help protect from pinch flats and rim dingers!! And also, every tire manufacturer is different with regards to “actual width sizing”. I know maxxis runs on the smaller side. Research each brand you’re looking in to and see what their actual sizes are like!

Oh and a big back saver on the bike is stack height experimentation with the spacers and bar rise!

@@dirtyforksmtb Yea, the fat bike I rode had 3.8" tires, but it was like riding on carpet. Good point on the manufacturer tire size variances. I saw someone measured a Maxxis DHR 2.8 and it was 26.62" I think. The DT Swiss tire size/pressure guidelines for a i30mm rim is up to 2.7" width in the "recommended" range, with 2.8" being in the "Doable" range. These tires are expensive, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if I made the wrong choice, lol. Definitely will be running tubeless, probably in the low 20's PSI wise. Not looking for super low fat tire pressures. I'll still have my 29" wheel and 2.4 DHR tire if I want to swap back and forth. Going mullet, I might have to drop my stem another spacer. I got riser bars for it and was wheeling up hills so I had to drop it a little already. It's all fun experimentation though. At some point it'll be dialed in.

Steel vs aluminum. In my case and in my personal opinion, I would choose steel every time. Unless I wanted to race XC…

Thank you for watching and leaving your comment! Yes that is a common issue. Trashed bearings, more specifically the bearing cages are common. The bearings are the 1/4” caged. Should be easy to source. And they are cheap as well.

Yeah, pre covid $5 maybe. Found a 4 pack for $10, was a half hour fix. He’s back on the rd and pumped. Thanks again!

@@sebouharakelian9896oh sweet! Good job!

Honestly this was a great bike and started an obsession with mtb! I would say this bike is likely not the bike to look at for trails. It served me well but very quickly the geometry of the bike became no good for trail riding. If I were in your shoes now, I would seriously take a look at the trek roscoe 6. Just be sure it’s the 2024 Roscoe 6. That frame is excellent and it’s highly upgradable for the future and the parts that come stock on that bike are great for beginners. Also the geo on the Roscoe is mint for trail riding.

@dirtyforksmtb thanks for the fast response I prob won't be hitting any trails I want to but life happens and have other hobbies I choose over that first but I will look around just looking to ride with my 5 year old and ride down to the river and fish

Ahhh I see now! Then yes, this bike would be great! It’s a Giant frame which is practically indestructible and good solid reliable parts.

True. I used to think that until I rode steel! My perspective has shifted due to ride quality of steel!

Yes exactly. I didn’t even mention titanium because I’ve never ridden one before and the cost is crazy. Yes, steel is heavy which wouldn’t be a good thing for some people but I think the weight actually adds to the stability of a long and slack frame! Also, the rust. I have found that it keeps me honest with bike maintenance! Thank you for watching and leaving your comment! I appreciate it!

Right on! It’s so good! What did you get?

@@dirtyforksmtb sadly the ESD was not available at the time. So I went for a very similar bike and bought a Ragley Big Wig Modell 2023. Sadly it was probably one of the last bikes Ragley sold, because they are out of business now 😭

That’s a great bike! It’s too bad they went under. Have fun on that Ragley!

It’s in beamsville

Yeah, I keep mine pretty clean and service it regularly. I know that won’t keep the rust away from the inside of the tubes but where it counts it’s always clean and lubed! Rust is definitely going to happen but it takes years for a well kept steel frame to degrade to the point where it’s not usable.

@dirtyforksmtb Even keeping a bike in our garage, moisture can still get in the smallest areas and still cause issues. When the bike got sorta bouncy like I had, I was concerned about the structural strength over time to possibly give way, I have spoken to some at bike shops in British Columbia and they have seen whereas a bike owner had a particular bike for a long time then all of a sudden the frame fails, and the person gets hurt real bad which is not good. Anything man made really never last just like automobiles.

that’s for sure. Anything man made doesn’t last. Once it gets to a certain point of age any material starts to lose it strength. But I’m not the type to keep this bike for the next ten years. Might be three years to four years then it could be full suspension time. It’s the fact that steel just feels so good on the hardtail!

@dirtyforksmtb My BANSHEE MORPHINE from 2005 is almost 20 years old and I don't know what I would get for it, even if I had a consignment done at a bike shop, the metal in the frame is about 1 1/2 half inches wide. It has done better than other bike brands but I don't know what downhill bike I get next but it had the best quality and warranty on the frame for 5 years that expired in 2010. It still rides pretty stable but I don't know if I want to pay for another downhill bike at $3,500 or more, maybe Electric Downhill Bike could be a possibility.

That’s awesome! Yeah, bikes are expensive…. It’s hard to know what to get next.

Oh man I wish! We are in Ontario. One day we will get to BC!

Lol! I know exactly the feeling!!!!

I wish. We were planning on it but then life got in the way…. Enjoy it! Looks like it’s going to be epic!

I get it. We definitely will. Thanks!

@@bleckndecker🤘🔥🤜🤛

But that’s the fun part!

@@dirtyforksmtb I'm sure sometimes tree parts can put a dampening on tires.

Yeah man. 300 is a good deal. As long as it’s in good shape. Have to watch that lefty fork. They are sometimes sketchy. But yes, would be a great bike to get you started. I have been a runner for 31 years and mountain biking is so much fun, you’re going to love it!

@@dirtyforksmtb Sweet. Thanks, man.

@@christiantgoldenno problem! Have fun out there!!!

That’s awesome man! Thank you for watching and I really appreciate your comment! The best riding partner ever! Just keep it fun and let them lead! The R9 is a solid bike! So good!!! Have fun out there!

Lol! Yes an N+1 would solve it! Lol! Two bikes is definitely not in the cards for me!

Hey thank you for watching! It was a great bike. Mine was a 26er. The bike that started the obsession!!!

Yes! That is correct. I completely missed that when I edited…. I was waiting for this comment! Lol! Thanks for watching, I appreciate it:)

It is so much fun. Thank you for watching!👍

Stem spacers rise the height of the bar in a different way. Experimenting with spacer placement is always a good place to start. That’s if you have enough steer tube left in order to do that. For me, I don’t like the look of a lot of spacers under the stem. The riser bar makes the bike more aggressive in my opinion. But yes, experiment with what is already there before buying things for sure! (Ie: spacers)

You would think so but not always. If you look at what bike companies are spec’ing on stock bikes you rarely see riser bars. Even in the scenario you spoke of, it’s rare. Your example makes sense though. But it’s all about the style of riding, where you ride and what you ride.

@@dirtyforksmtb i have found that stack height - relative to seat height and leg length is crucial. do the proper cranks sizing first, then see what kinda stack you can improve. some bikes, like my banshee enigma are fine with a 10mm spacer and 20 mil riser bar. on my propain Hugene, i have the same bar but a 15mil spacer (both have almost identical Stack and Reach) but like you said, intended riding style/purpose... dont forget proper crank size!! ;) for example, i have a 30" inseam and i run 155-160mm cranks, and a 30T ring.

Yes for sure! All of what you said is bang on. I’d say one of the most overlooked is the crank length. I have a 34 inseam and run 170’s. I could definitely run 175’s but my bike is low and I don’t want strikes. But also I like the feel of the slightly shorter cranks. While the trends are riser bars and shorter cranks in the mtb world right now these are trending for a reason. My bike also has a 490mm reach for a size large which is long for that size. It just makes sense to throw a riser on it. Once I did and rode it, I wondered why it took me so long to put it on!!!

Hi there and thank you for watching and commenting! We appreciate it! High rise bars are on trend currently for mtb’s. On trend for downhill, enduro and some trail but not so much for XC. The geo on dirt bikes is pretty close to what it is on modern mtb’s. But there are a lot of differences in riding styles and how you ride between the two. One thing is for sure, what you say about the riser bars being higher and closer and the benefits is very true. That’s why they are trending. There seems to be a lot of takeaways from the moto world transferring to the mtb world but not everything moto will work for mtb. One thing I know for sure, my risers aren’t coming off anytime soon! That part definitely works for me! Thank you again for watching!

Yes! Makes a massive difference! Thank you for watching and leaving your comment! Appreciate it:)

Hey thank you! I appreciate that! Hardtails are the best!

get a banshee paradox.

@@mikestivers8302that is a great bike frame and you wouldn’t be disappointed!

​@@dirtyforksmtb i think @Jonasthepigeon should get the Paradox or Enigma on his short list. it is the top 3 hardtails youre gonna find without some really deep digging. my enigma is a blast, and part of my 5-bike rotation.

Thank you for the kind words and for watching and leaving a comment! Didn’t change my seat height. Also the front end of the ESD (at least for me) stays on the ground! That is one thing I noticed right away doing punchy climbs with the esd. The front end stays on the ground. When I had the 27mm riser bar on it the front end wouldn’t come up. The 40 riser is the same for me. I did a bunch of punchy climbs today and I just am surprised every time… I feel like it climbs better than people think it would. The fact that the seat tube angle is 78degrees puts me right over the bb and keeps that front end on the ground. My old Trek Roscoe used to pull off the ground constantly and had to lean far forward. It does take some getting used to. The geo feels weird at first. The more I rode this bike when I first got it the more I liked it. Every time I went out with it, was a new a great experience. Now it’s like old hat and wouldn’t have it any other way! The other thing is the super long reach on my large is 490mm. Keeping your body forward by default. In my experience with the 40 riser on this bike is that you can’t go wrong.

It is very fun!

YES! I love to hear this! It’s really a great bike! My son is 13 and is tall and he has officially outgrown his Kona. We had a lot of good times with the kona, made good memories. He now has a new bike three days ago and has since sold his cindercone. Keep shredding the Cindercone and yes if you ever see us say hello! Love meeting people who watch the channel! Thank you for watching and leaving your comment!

Phenomenal! He loves it. This video was before the new bike.

@@dirtyforksmtb oh! Still sick!

Hey thank you for watching and leaving your questions! Yes for sure the meta frame was harsh but not terrible. What I noticed most about the Meta frame was the really high bottom bracket and shorter reach. The bike did not feel stable at all. Also, every time I went through techy sections of trail, it would get super squirrelly. I actually “ate it” on one of my local tech sections, a section I’ve done a zillion times before. Overall I wasn’t happy with the Meta frame. Now the difference between the Meta and the ESD is night and day. ESD is a completely different frame though. It’s steel, it’s low, it’s as long or as short as you want it, it has very long reach, is super slack, climbs like a goat, is quiet, has convenient external cable routing and just takes everything! The ESD frame is heavier for sure but to me that doesn’t matter. I think the difference in weight is a couple of pounds when the is built up complete the way I have it. So to sum up; I wouldn’t personally buy a meta frame or build again. To sketchy the way the geo is set up. I would however buy an esd frame again. I personally think that steel is the best frame material for a hardtail. Period. It’s just so good. Also, at first I thought, what am I doing getting such an aggressive bike? But I have to say, the combo of the slack HA with the steep ST and short CS and low BBH is a combination that just works. Thank you again for watching! I can talk bikes all day!!!

@@dirtyforksmtb Wow...thank you so much for this very detailed reply!To be honest I am a bit skeptical about the Meta frame..and your opinion is enforcing this even more. From the geo scheme of the Meta, it is clear that the BB is very high...but I thought that maybe it could be a good thing, at least regarding the playfulness. Higher the BB...easier to lift the front wheel and to move around. I would buy a size medium frame building it as a mullet..MAYBE it would be a bttere bike with a smaller rear wheel and lower BB? Who knows...The strange thing is that , even if they went out with a refined version of the frame 2 years ago..there are no official reviews around..Thy are all quite old reviews .about the first version, with taller seat post tube and less slack head angle. I have had many hardtails ..( maybe 10 different frames? ) and actually I have a NS BIKES Eccentric 29 frame..not so bad..but quite budget quality and somehow harsh . Maybe the best one I have had is the last version of the Nukeproof Scout 29...very neutral and stable..not so long but quite good at everything..I passed it to my gf which she loves it..since it's the perfect size and handling for her.. I could not buy another for me..since Nukeproof is now ut of business and frame are all gone.. ( at least in EU )Now I am selling my NS BIKES frame and I am deciding which one to but..my finalists er..the KONA ESd...Banshee Paradox 29...Banshee Enigma 27,5 , Production Privee Shan GT ( the last version that came out a few months ago ) and ...the Commencal META HT.. By the way..I have read soooo many reviews and articles about your ESD.. :) but I am afraid that it could b too long and not that comfortable pedalling while seated..maybe I am wrong?

@@lucaneuburg976that’s awesome! NS bikes are great bikes. So you’ve been through 10 or so frames, that’s commendable! Got to love the hardtails!!! And good for you for giving the GF the best bike! So from hearing what you are saying and seeing what you wrote about the frames you have researched, that Paradox stands out to me! The Paradox is a beautiful frame and will likely be a perfect fit for what you’re looking for. Albeit it’s an expensive frame but never heard a bad thing about the banshee. I also looked at that frame. It was actually between the Paradox and the ESD. I went with kona in the end because I could get it through a local shop. Therefore if I have warranty issues, I have a reputable shop to help. Otherwise I more than likely would have went with the banshee. As for the ESD, I’ve had that thing out on 6 hour rides and I love it. It’s great on the climbs and a beast in the DH! I even had it at the bike park recently! Make sure to check in again once you decide on your next frame! Always interested!

Thank you for watching and leaving your comment! Yes snobbery is across the cycling board for sure. The big part I always notice is whenever you say hi to other riders in the trails, the first thing they do is look at your bike! Lol! It’s crazy. You rock that Walmart bike man, don’t ever take anything anyone says negative about your bike to heart. The thing is, we all ride what we are willing to afford and all that matters is the fun factor when out on the trails! It’s the rider that makes the ride, not the bike!

Thank you. I’m happy this video helped you out! No, I don’t think a Shimano freehub body is compatible. Unfortunately.

Truth! Thanks for watching and leaving your comment! TRUTH!

It’s all good!

Hey man thanks for being a supporter of the channel, we appreciate you! The Roscoe 9 is a solid ride that’s for sure! Love that bike! The mtb scene is so good! Sometimes I forget that or get in my own head about how things might be but turn out to be awesome! Absolutely love this sport. The bike park experience was insanely fun! Can’t wait to get back! Thanks again for watching and keep shredding that hardtail! HARDTAIL GANG!🫡

ESD GANG!!!!! Yeah you guys have some access to really good trails eh? We’ve watched some videos about trails in Australia and New Zealand! It looks killer there! It’s always been a dream of mine since I was 25 to get to Australia some time! Yeah the bike park was an absolute blast! The ESD is a Fantastic bike! Funny you mention the rider bars as I literally just finished editing a video about the risers. It will be out next Sunday. But I can say that the riser won’t be coming off my bike any time soon! Very much worth it! Thanks again for watching and commenting! We always appreciate it!

Thanks man! It was so much fun and can’t wait to get back! It’s all in my head about the feeling of not belonging! I don’t know why I do that to myself……. Thank you for watching and commenting! We appreciate it!