About the Laufey: you're right, current specs are a little underwhelming, price-wise. yet the frame is excellent and Orbea warranty service is unbeatable. I've had most of my own Laufey replaced under warranty, including the frame since paintjob was faulty, yes, orbea warranty also covers defective paint or stickers! so great! I've done what you suggest, thou: bought the H10 because of the SLX drivetrain, and then slowly upgraded EVERYTHING when components needed replacement. now it has a Yari 160 RC2.1, magura 220 rotor in the front, Shimano M7120 brakes, PNW Rainier dropper post, higher riser bars, HUNT wheels, even the jockey wheels are now XT grade! it's a very capable, dependable, fun bike!
I got the Laufey H10 with a Marzocchi Z2, 140mm travel up front, a mix of shimano deore crank, shimano SLX derailure and sunrace 10 - 51 cassete, Shimano Deore MT601 dual piston brakes paired with two 180 mm rotors. It cost me more than 2000 USD at the time I bought it. It's an awesome agressive bike and you can go mellow if you want to. I changed the rotors - 203mm in front and 180mm in the back to accomodate metallic braking pads. This has changed the way the bike brakes. Put in wider bars - 800mm so it is extra stable in descends.
Wish I saw this two weeks ago. The giant and orbea was on the radar. Leaning more towards orbea. The Roscoe 9 is a winner. It’s just hard to find. Why would a company not have in stock a bike everybody is buying? I really came on here to say. You should do a list like this every year. Good job!!!
@@AdrenalineIsLife for sure! I researched the frame a lot, compared with 2-3k bikes and the frame geo (size large) is pretty aligned to several 2022 bikes…aside from the seat tube length. It’s reach of 453 is actually perfect M/L in-between for us 5’10 riders.
Well presented video and a ton of relevant information. Seat tube angle is decidedly modern? What are old time angles? Why is modern better? You mention this on the Giant fathom.
Thanks Rico. Im glad you asked! In a nutshell, all the different geo numbers work together. Older geometry hardtails have seat tubes in the low 70s. As bikes get longer and slacker, a steeper seat angle is needed to keep the rider over the bottom bracket and the front wheel properly weighted. Makes for efficient pedaling, better rider position and allows for more tire clearance. Also what's slack/steep on a full squish vs hardtail is different due to the way each compresses at sag.
new Subs here. I would love to watch your next video featuring the Dartmoor Hornet as I actually have one, 2018 still solid until now. I grew up riding BMX back in the days, and and i think yeah HT are here to stay. All the best!
Canyon Stoic 4 was missing on this video.... great Bike I have one since June 2021, unbeatable. Make a 2nd version, and include Stoic and maybe the Commencal Meta HT... Regards!!
You should do a video on 27.5 hardtails since there are alot of us who like to play on hardtails and utilize them for their purpose instead of just bombing over everything and losing agility like you do on 29ers.
@@AdrenalineIsLife ok thanks,if you had £2500 which bike is the best do you think my list was a,on one wrekker,trek roscoe 9,whyte 909 or orbea laufey h ltd .
@@SSH01 They are very different bikes. If I was doing nothing but steep gnarly lines, the Wrekker. For an agressive all rounder, the Whyte. If you are pedaling a lot and not sending extreme lines regularly, the Trek or the Laufey are very similar ( with the advantage to the Trek for the high engagement rear hub).
@@AdrenalineIsLife Does the trek have the best hub and wheels of all 4 ?,my current bike is a whyte 801 v3 2021 with a 64.5 ha and 75.5 sa,the 909 would be a good upgrade but i like the look of the others espescially the wrekker for titanium finish but with a 62 ha and 77 sa i'm not sure if it would be worse than the 801 for climbing,when i compare all 4 potential upgrade bikes on 99 spoke it's claiming the orbea is fastest at 44 km/h and both the trek 9 and whyte 909 are at 42 km/h with the wrekker at only 40 km/h which is only 2 km/h faster than my 801 so not great but why if it has 12 x 1 gx drivetrain vs 10 x 1 deore of the 801 must be the geo and tires maybe 🤔
@@SSH01 The Trek will have the best hubs out of the 4. Not sure about the differences in speed. It could be related to weight. I don't see the Wrekker out climbing your Whyte. It's a big long bike.
2021 model had 12-spd deore, and was priced at $1300 US. I snagged one and it’s been a great ride, can handle most of what I ride here in Colorado. Pretty sure Giant downgraded the 2022 Fathom 2 because it just didn’t make sense to step up to the Fathom 1 in 2021…you were getting an (arguably) worse drivetrain in NX/SX Eagle and better brakes for $400 more. Re: the Crest fork, no complaints…it’s nothing special, but definitely better than a RS Judy or Recon which is what bikes in the $1300 range were specking when I was shopping…but a harder sell with the Fathom 1.
Fathom os actually made in PRC and not in Taiwan. Seller was trying to pass off as made in Taiwan. The suspention fork is crap. It makes wierd noises. Very heavy rolling bike and not agile at all. Elroy has a wobbly frame...
Part two of this video covering the British Hardtails can be found here:
ruclips.net/video/CUD0r2vp7Gc/видео.html
Commencal Meta Ht and the Canyon Stoic 4 could of easily of made the list too................ Great video tho, thx 👍👍
Thanks for watching.🙂 Both those badass bikes were in a previous video. Fantastic values.
@@AdrenalineIsLife ahhh okay, i will take a look thx. Im just new to the channel. thx again.
About the Laufey: you're right, current specs are a little underwhelming, price-wise. yet the frame is excellent and Orbea warranty service is unbeatable. I've had most of my own Laufey replaced under warranty, including the frame since paintjob was faulty, yes, orbea warranty also covers defective paint or stickers! so great!
I've done what you suggest, thou: bought the H10 because of the SLX drivetrain, and then slowly upgraded EVERYTHING when components needed replacement. now it has a Yari 160 RC2.1, magura 220 rotor in the front, Shimano M7120 brakes, PNW Rainier dropper post, higher riser bars, HUNT wheels, even the jockey wheels are now XT grade! it's a very capable, dependable, fun bike!
Orbea makes a nice bike for sure. Too bad about the paint but I'm glad they took care of you. Bikes customized to the rider are the best bikes. Enjoy!
I got the Laufey H10 with a Marzocchi Z2, 140mm travel up front, a mix of shimano deore crank, shimano SLX derailure and sunrace 10 - 51 cassete, Shimano Deore MT601 dual piston brakes paired with two 180 mm rotors. It cost me more than 2000 USD at the time I bought it. It's an awesome agressive bike and you can go mellow if you want to. I changed the rotors - 203mm in front and 180mm in the back to accomodate metallic braking pads. This has changed the way the bike brakes. Put in wider bars - 800mm so it is extra stable in descends.
I really like this frame and you have a very capable setup. Good parts that perform well. Enjoy!
great video bro. all great bikes. i would go for the giant, i think it would be great for florida trails with the 66 degree ht.
Thanks. Fathom is a good option for Florida. More efficient but can still hit aggressive lines.
Wish I saw this two weeks ago. The giant and orbea was on the radar. Leaning more towards orbea. The Roscoe 9 is a winner. It’s just hard to find. Why would a company not have in stock a bike everybody is buying? I really came on here to say. You should do a list like this every year. Good job!!!
@lamarwilliams185 Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. We'll put another one out in the near future.
This fully confirmed that the $750 Sync’r sale was truly incredible
That was a really great deal! Even if you hated the frame, the parts alone cost more than that.
@@AdrenalineIsLife for sure! I researched the frame a lot, compared with 2-3k bikes and the frame geo (size large) is pretty aligned to several 2022 bikes…aside from the seat tube length. It’s reach of 453 is actually perfect M/L in-between for us 5’10 riders.
Well presented video and a ton of relevant information. Seat tube angle is decidedly modern? What are old time angles? Why is modern better? You mention this on the Giant fathom.
Thanks Rico. Im glad you asked! In a nutshell, all the different geo numbers work together. Older geometry hardtails have seat tubes in the low 70s. As bikes get longer and slacker, a steeper seat angle is needed to keep the rider over the bottom bracket and the front wheel properly weighted. Makes for efficient pedaling, better rider position and allows for more tire clearance. Also what's slack/steep on a full squish vs hardtail is different due to the way each compresses at sag.
new Subs here. I would love to watch your next video featuring the Dartmoor Hornet as I actually have one, 2018 still solid until now. I grew up riding BMX back in the days, and and i think yeah HT are here to stay. All the best!
I definitely need to feature the Hornet. It's a very cool bike. Hardtails are a perfect transition for BMXers. Enjoy!
...and thank you for the sub. 😁
I'm really considering getting the NS eccentric steel frame and building it up. I had a suburban and regret selling it last year.
They are good frames. People that ride em love em.
RSD Middlechild, RS291 and Sgt V4.
RSD bikes are very cool. I definitely want to cover them in a future video.
Great usable info, but it'd be nice to get the max tire width too.
Thanks for the suggestion! I'll try to include that on future videos.
Canyon Stoic 4 was missing on this video.... great Bike I have one since June 2021, unbeatable. Make a 2nd version, and include Stoic and maybe the Commencal Meta HT... Regards!!
Two great bikes. We actually covered both of them in this video. 😀
ruclips.net/video/5W2HJiFyJfI/видео.html
Stoic 4 is never in stock
I’ll take the fathom 1 any day Absolutely the best value Under 2k
The derailer is an NX
Great trail bike
About Orbea Laufey, i got the H10 version and am satisfied with the parts. Nice Marzocchi fork.
Should include niner air 9. Great hardtail bike.
🤔 I didn't consider that one. I'll look into it. Thanks for sharing!
Might not have included the Niner because it’s an XC hardtail not an aggressive hardtail
That's correct. Looks like that's an XC bike. It wouldn't be in this category.
Why do you not consider weight? Awesome video regardless.
The bikes in this category are going to be built a little tougher with more robust parts. Most of these bikes will be similar in weight.
You should do a video on 27.5 hardtails since there are alot of us who like to play on hardtails and utilize them for their purpose instead of just bombing over everything and losing agility like you do on 29ers.
That's a great idea. I'm partial to 27.5.
@@AdrenalineIsLife right on! I'm partial to 26ers for those reasons too.
@@seano218 oh man don't get me started. We need new hardcore 26er hardtails. 26 is so much fun.
@@AdrenalineIsLife oh, absolutely brother!!!
@@seano218
I roll an old Status 1 with 26’s at my local bike park.😂
Rocky Mountain Growler should be on this list
Great bike! We did feature it in a previous video.
Riding a dartmoor Primal 27.5 , feels great
Very nice bikes. I've wanting to get my hands on one. They are a bit hard to find in the US. Enjoy!
@@AdrenalineIsLife Situation is just the opposite here in China lol🤣. Not easy to find the video ones.
@@asahil618 😄
Have a look - dartmoor hornet pro
why focus on the cheap laufey not h-ltd,that one is good value right ?
The H30 was the model that I get asked about frequently which is why I reviewed it. The H-ltd has a solid spec and is a decent value.
@@AdrenalineIsLife ok thanks,if you had £2500 which bike is the best do you think my list was a,on one wrekker,trek roscoe 9,whyte 909 or orbea laufey h ltd .
@@SSH01 They are very different bikes. If I was doing nothing but steep gnarly lines, the Wrekker. For an agressive all rounder, the Whyte. If you are pedaling a lot and not sending extreme lines regularly, the Trek or the Laufey are very similar ( with the advantage to the Trek for the high engagement rear hub).
@@AdrenalineIsLife Does the trek have the best hub and wheels of all 4 ?,my current bike is a whyte 801 v3 2021 with a 64.5 ha and 75.5 sa,the 909 would be a good upgrade but i like the look of the others espescially the wrekker for titanium finish but with a 62 ha and 77 sa i'm not sure if it would be worse than the 801 for climbing,when i compare all 4 potential upgrade bikes on 99 spoke it's claiming the orbea is fastest at 44 km/h and both the trek 9 and whyte 909 are at 42 km/h with the wrekker at only 40 km/h which is only 2 km/h faster than my 801 so not great but why if it has 12 x 1 gx drivetrain vs 10 x 1 deore of the 801 must be the geo and tires maybe 🤔
@@SSH01 The Trek will have the best hubs out of the 4. Not sure about the differences in speed. It could be related to weight. I don't see the Wrekker out climbing your Whyte. It's a big long bike.
what makes a "aggressive" hardtail is it the components/parts or the geo of the frame?!
The geometry and the build of the frame. The parts spec is also a factor. But the frame is the foundation.
Giant fathom 2 is speced with a 12spd Deore drivetrain, except for the crank arm and bottom bracket. The crank is praxis
Giant advertises the Fathom 2 with a 10speed deore 4100
2021 model had 12-spd deore, and was priced at $1300 US. I snagged one and it’s been a great ride, can handle most of what I ride here in Colorado. Pretty sure Giant downgraded the 2022 Fathom 2 because it just didn’t make sense to step up to the Fathom 1 in 2021…you were getting an (arguably) worse drivetrain in NX/SX Eagle and better brakes for $400 more. Re: the Crest fork, no complaints…it’s nothing special, but definitely better than a RS Judy or Recon which is what bikes in the $1300 range were specking when I was shopping…but a harder sell with the Fathom 1.
What Huffy bicycle do you have available for a 48 year old woman who is 5’8” tall
Add the RM Growler to that list.
We actually covered the Growler and a few others in the Spring.
ruclips.net/video/5W2HJiFyJfI/видео.html
Fathom os actually made in PRC and not in Taiwan.
Seller was trying to pass off as made in Taiwan.
The suspention fork is crap. It makes wierd noises.
Very heavy rolling bike and not agile at all.
Elroy has a wobbly frame...
Excluding the new Trek Roscoe 7+, I see?
No. Not at all. We looked at it in the spring. 🙂
ruclips.net/video/5W2HJiFyJfI/видео.html
canion stoic is one of the best
I agree! Its a great bike.
Where is the Rocky Mountain Growler
It's here ==> ruclips.net/video/5W2HJiFyJfI/видео.html
Where's the merida big trail series!!!!!?
I hear great things about Merida. Unfortunately they're not sold in the US. Maybe we'll do a feature on the Big Trail in the future.
That would be amazing
?!!!!aaand the Canyon Stoic 4?
The Stoic is a fantastic bike! We looked at it this past spring in a different video.
The best hardtails are steel
Steel is real!
Merida Big Trail
Very popular bike. Sadly, Merida is nearly impossible to get in North America.
Nukeproof Scout
🇧🇷
Just picked up a brand new NS Eccentric for £1050 😁
Good price! Enjoy! 🍻
@@AdrenalineIsLife thank you 😁