TOP 5 BEST VALUE XC HARDTAILS OF 2023
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2024
- When it comes to XC racing, the hardtail is still the weapon of choice for most weekend warriors and professionals alike! That's why this week I'm swapping my jorts and slack headtube angles for a bit of Lycra and carbon and giving you my top five budget XC hardtails!
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Intro
00:41 Criteria
1:02 Vitus Rapide VR
4:00 Marin Team Marin 1
6:21 Specialized Chisel
9:49 Polygon Syncline C5
13:20 Canyon Exceed CF5
16:24 What'd I Miss?
#mtb #hardtailmtb #xcmtb - Sport
Like my shirt? Get your own at hardtailgang.com and use discount code JOSH to save 15%!
Just placed an order for a Specialized Chisel after watching this video! I have been doing tons of research and this video helped out tons! Will update once I pick up the bike from the shop
Oh rad, thanks for sharing that with me! I look forward to hearing what you think of the bike!
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy wanted to give an update after riding the bike for a couple months. The bike is amazing! I feel very comfortable and confident on it, compared to my Cannondale Trail 5 I had before the Chisel. Really happy I found this video, you steered me in the right direction! Looking forward to your future content!
I also just ordered two of them. Should arrive monday.
The syncline c5 is the best, after upgrades, got it down to around 9kg+. Beast.
Whether it's a Canyon or any other brand of bike, most shops WILL know how to work on them. If not, just like this video, there is always info online. As a shop owner, I have confidence in saying that. Now, I also want to say that for bikes that are under $2000, that carbon frame is NOT the same as higher models. I guess at this price point, I would not see myself spending more money to get a heavier bike and less of a warranty. Like you, I'm a metal person, so aluminum, chromemoly or my favorite titanium. The frame is the heart of a bike, so as parts wear out, if folks are so inclined, then it would make sense to upgrade then. The other portion of this, if you find a shop that you trust and that is helpful, why not support them? If you need to send a bike back to a consumer direct company, you will need to box that bike back up and send it back to them. If you aren't able to do that, then your shop can do that, but at a cost, So in the end if you have to do that, please look at the cost...at that point you are very close to what a bike in a shop cost. That shop is going to help you in any way that they can, and get to know what you like or don't like. As a last reminder, if you ship your bike out, do you have another to ride until it arrives back home? Often times, shops may have a loaner or rental bike to help you with that. Just another side to the story...
Well said, thank you for sharing your perspective as a shop owner 🤙
I just ordered the Polygon C5 a few days ago, can't wait!
Nice!! Let me know what you think!
Josh! Brooo The BMC two stroke Al 1 XC bike would of been the best bike on this list!! 67 HTA 75 seat tube angle nice long reach, thru axles, and everything else. Not to mention the best aesthetics! Pink bike (your favorite) did a review on its channel about it! Check it out!
Great video! You should do under 3,000 next.. 👍
The Syncline C% with 27.5 in tires is the only one of the bunch that fits me.
I've got the 2021 Rapide VR that I bought during the pandemic for $1499. Bought it for the great spec at that price point and as far as I know it's exactly the same as the '23 model except mine came equipped with a Reba 110mm rather than the SID and Racing Ray/Racing Ralph tires. Great bike for the $$ except for a couple minor drawbacks. No water bottle cage for the seat tube and you can't fit any larger than a 32t ring in the front. But regardless, a fantastic bike for the $$. I did upgrade the WTB wheelset with a set of Hunt Race XCs but the stock WTBs are more than adequate.
Thank you for profiling the great deals on these XC bikes. XC hardtails don't seem to get quite the same amount of love and airtime as its more gnarly trailbike cousin.
Nice man, glad you’re stoked on the bike 🤙🤙
Its probably to allow you to have a dropper post in there without the bolts getting in the way
I really like my Niner Air 9. It has lower spec components but, higher spec Bomber Z2 with 120mm of travel. I converted it to SS, and swapped over my XT brakes. It comes with Nobby NIcs, which are way more aggressive than what I ran in the past. Wheelset is heavy even with a 28 spoke count, but they have stayed true and can take some hits. Coming from a steel frame with a 70 degree head angle and 10mm longer chainstays, to Aluminum with a 68 degree angle 427mm chainstays, it's a revelation on downhill sections. I can keep my weight more neutral without risk of ending up end over a@@. It's much more playful, but more squirrely on technical climbs, especially on the local granite chunk. But it's hardly a disadvantage. Its has a very short 35mm stem. If I was to change anything else, it would be a dropper, and a good carbon bar to take some of the bite out opposed to the stock aluminum RaceFace Affect bar.
That’s definitely a rad little XC bike! The shop I used to work at rented those and I spent a fair bit of time playing around on one. Glad you’re stoked on it!
By the way, congrats to Wendy on getting the gig with Bikes Online. Saw her on the vid for the Path gravel bikes the other night 👍
Hey thank you man!! Yes, she’s killing it there!!
Wasnt really considering a chisel until your video but now it might be out my roscoe choice, especially with the sale Specialized has now
Nice!! Yeah they’re super cool bikes!!
Bikesonline has some great deals going on right now with the Synclines, especially the C2, which is currently going for $799. Considering the carbon frame and Deore 1x11 group set, it's gotta be the best bang for buck deal on the planet right now. Bike could use an upgrade or two but then again it looks pretty trail ready out of the box. Price is 50% off from the true original price. I remember when that bike first hit the market it was at the listed $1599 for quite a while.
Actually dug a little more and saw the C2 is currently out of stock :( Should've checked that before I posted but there are still some sizes left on the C3 and C5 in the 27.5 wheel size.
Yeah, they have some crazy deals right now!!
Giant xtc slr 2 is the best value for money
I dunno much about XC other than 1) I lack the conditioning and 2) There's lots of hardtails. I'm definitely on board with one of those things!
Thanks for the shoutout and reppin' the gang! ❤❤❤
Haha ya XC has never been my scene, but I’m not gonna lie a couple of those bikes look pretty fun!
BMC Two Stroke would my choice on the alloy options. Under $2k for various models, down country race geo and it looks pretty legit cool. There is carbon models that start at $2k.
Nice! Those definitely look sick, another great option, thanks for sharing 🤙
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy $2k price or maybe it was $2,100 the base Cannondale Scalpel is another option. Carbon regular rockshox fork(only higher end models get the Lefty) and it looks super neat.
I actually looked into that bike when making this video! The Cannondale Trail SE4 is a super rad bike for being under $1,000 and was hoping they could make it back on this list, but was just a hair out of the price range
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy Maybe the Trail will eventually have similar geo to the Scalpel. It be nice to get a budget steel or alloy version of the Scalpel.
Have a Chisel Ltd frame built up with XT group set Judy gold forks, Hope wheels and hubs....it is a dream to ride on the ups with better shock absorbancy than a carbon bike. Down side is 12kg with pedals and cages...so an upgrade of wheels and fork will I hope get down to 10kg. I would say buy one if you want a great light trail xc bike , ✌✌
Thanks for the first-hand feedback! Glad you're stoked on it!
Niner air 9 is a awesome xc hardtail
It’s a great bike! Sadly just a hair over $2,000 though; and to be honest I think at that price there’s better value on the market
I will buy Bianchi nitron.
How good is the giant xtc slr 2 (2023) compared to the bikes here?
My budget is 1000€
I don't know anything about bikes. I just want a good and fast mountainbike to for streets and offroad. It should be easy to climb. I don't care about good downhill performance.
I got news for you I was choosing between the Chisel and the X-caliber. I could not find one shop that had it that I could go check it out in person.
Bummer! Yeah not many shops stock XC hardtails these days, they’re not what most buyers are looking for
Their not looking for them because they are looking for the easiest way to ride harder trails without putting the time necessary in. Hardtails are less forgiving and force you to learn.@@ridingwithjoshandwendy
How about scott scale 940?
I think this bike is also in between price range..or is this bike not good enough?
I’m thinking of getting exceed cf 6 as currently $400 off in sale. Has better components than cf 5.would there be advantages to this?
vitus actually has good warranty. They replaced my sisters fork even a year after buying it
Wow, that’s great! They’re website says they warranty the frame only, so glad they helped you out!
Only the Canyon and Specialized come in an XS size for us wittle people.
Haha good to know, thanks for sharing!
Got all amped to buy some merch to support your channel and unfortunately there’s no 2XL’s for sale on your website. Big guys ride hard tails and need shirts too, Lol.
Sorry man! It’s actually not my website though, just a company were partnering with. I’ll pass along that people are looking for bigger sizes 🤙
The Chisel frame is probably the lightest at 3.09lbs. The Chisel and Team Marin was the 2 XC bikes that i was looking at. Ended up with a Maniak and running a SID ultimate lol
Hell ya, that’s my kind of bike! I have a Stanton Switchback, currently have it built up pretty beefy with a 150mm fork but I’d love to try running a shorter travel SID or 32 on it! Have you had any pedal clearance issues with the shorter travel fork?
Nope, the fork range was 120-150mm, iirc
Nice!
It’s not, the Canyon is 2,9 lbs for the frame. But I must admit that the difference is smaller then typical carbon vs alu. Including this tier.
@1barnet1 you are right, i forgot to say "lightest alloy frame"
Take an look at the Canyon and the specialized and you see those rider reviews have to be bought.
I mean seriously an carbon fiber frame for equal money and the more bulletproof groupset?
Put in some nice wheels down the line and you easily race that one. And you would be the limiting factor.
IMPO carbon isn’t everything; there’s a lot of riders who choose to ride well-made metal frames like the Chisel. But yes, direct to consumer brands like Canyon, Vitus, and Polygon can definitely pack a ton of value into their bikes!
Giant xtc SLR 1
How do you like it?
1799 for aluminum frame with 11 speeds is INSANE!
I’d make the argument that a lot more goes into a bike besides frame material and the number of gears 🤷♂️
Hi guys, im a newby.. im just wondering why i never see the Trek mtb in the list. Is it that bad or are the other bikes just better of you look to the price/quality.
Excuse my English. Greetings from Holland
Hey there! Trek makes great bikes, though they’re often not the best value. But if you find a good deal something like the Roscoe would be a great option 👌
Serious question: how relevant are hard tail XC race bikes? Every race I've personally seen appears to be dominated by full-suspension bikes; it does not seem to matter the terrain. I love hard tail bikes, but I don't race and therefore don't have an insider's perspective.
I'd personally never own one haha. But I think there are still people who really enjoy short, fast XC rides and don't live in areas with aggressive terrain, in which case it's probably a good bike for them!
Also the Syncline only comes through BikesOnLIne and they have a horrible customer service experience if there is a problem and any warranty work means disassembly and boxing and send it back to them in CA.
Interesting, I’ve never had issues with their customer service. Bikes have always arrived quickly and with no issues
Means nothing except that you haven't been ones if them, look at and read the 1, 2 and 3 star reviews left for them. If they don't have to ship the bike back maybe, but people who end up having to have described the process as a horrid experience.@@ridingwithjoshandwendy
Why doesn’t anyone talk about BMC bikes?
Great bikes! But sadly a bit underrepresented in the MTB scene. Their sister company SCOR is making some pretty rad bikes right now!
From what I've heard, lifetime warranties are misleading. They only cover manufacturer defects for the normal life of the frame. So, if you rode a frame hard for 5 years, and it started developing a crack; the manufacturer could say that's normal wear and tear and not covered by the warranty.
That’d be a bummer, I definitely don’t think frame designers are building frames to fail within 5 years! I’ve personally warrantied a Marin San Quentin that developed a crack around the dropout weld after two years and they were super helpful; sent a new frame for free. I also worked at a bike shop that sold Specialized and they (Specialized) were always very generous with their warranties as well; essentially if a customer asked they warrantied it! That’s why for me it’s a pretty big factor when purchasing a bike. That said if you’re lighter weight or don’t ride very often or aggressively than it probably doesn’t need to be as big of a deal
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy I'm sure reputable manufacturers stand by their products, but frames, especially aluminum, do have a limit. So, lifetime warranty doesn't actually mean they expect the frame to last a lifetime.
That’s definitely a good point!
What about fezzaro bikes
Dope bikes! The Solitude could definitely be on this list!
JUST ONE HUGE CRASH CARBON GONE 😢
I think you done messed up on some of your numbers for the Vitus. It has a 420mm reach for a M, not 402mm. Also the headtube angle is 67 degrees not 68 and the seat tube is 73 degrees not 72.5. You must be looking at the geo chart for the carbon version which is quite different (shorter and steeper) compared to the aluminum version.
I see that the new US Vitus website has the wrong numbers posted for the AL Rapide so that's where the confusion must be from.
Weird! Ya I was going straight off the Vitus website and just double checked, but that’s what they have posted there. Where have you seen otherwise?
You missed sentier 29
The Shimamo 11 speed 11-51t cassette is heaver than the 12 speed.
No way?! Wonder why that is?
@Riding With Josh and Wendy cheaper material and HG vs. hyperglide. It's only a 20 grams differences
Got it. I run Advent X and Prime 9 on all of my bikes, mostly for the cost savings and ease of maintenance, but those cassettes are considerably lighter than most 12 speed options. I made the mistake of assuming the Shimano 11 speed would be as well. Whoops!
Everyone's best bikes list seems to be filled with these stupid direct to consumer bikes. It seems that the reviewers have rarely if ever seen them or ridden them but they are recommending them. Being able to try a bike in a store is so much better and I don't have to spend a ton of money to have one shipped to me with the risk that it will not be the bike for me.
Great to have options, you can spend your money however you choose 🤙
At those price points might as well get an entry level full sus Hardtails are great because you can get a great one for 700 dollars or less
You can get department store quality for that. You are paying for geo and quality. Find a modern geo hardtail for 700 dollars.
I would highly disagree lol
Ragley…?
Not exactly XC, but the some amazing trail/enduro hardtails! Check out this video featuring my top ten aggressive hardtails if that’s more your style 🤙 czcams.com/video/OHY20bEKbs4/video.html
Not wrong I think the new Marley with 29r wheels could be dual purpose. Would be more fun.
Please talk in Metric weights ,the whole world including the British gave up on imperial measurement ( except for miles and pints🍺) circa 1970🤷♂️
Sadly 90% of my audience is from the US, so I cater to them. I do use mm when referring to bike geo though.
@@ridingwithjoshandwendyDon't be sad 😢 be glad. 😅
SL C5 has been outta stock for mths. Kinda Pathetic. -U10
Bummer!
merida 600 easily beat all of them...
Definitely a rad bike!!
I wouldnt buy the specialized. SRAM SX is a bad groupset and the rockshox fork has factory set rebound.
Plus you can get a C62 Reaction from Cube. Which has Shimano 12 speed and a carbon frame.
The C62 is sadly not under $2,000 USD, but is definitely a super rad bike!
True, but at that price point the options are pretty limited haha. Honestly a huge thing your paying for is the frame, it’s arguably one of the nicest on the list. Specialized sells the frame set alone for $1,100 (which admittedly is absurd lol)
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy that’s weird import stuff given I can buy an reaction Pro for €1599,- at an major bike store in thé Netherlands.
That