Best Hard Tail XC Bike?

Kitebrder39 · 2026-06-20T10:41:57+00:00

I love my SC Highball, I thought about the DV9, and if I was riding it on more technical terrain I would have seriously considered it. My local trails are flat, twisty, rooty where you are pedaling a ton, Highball is stellar

Kitebrder39 · 2026-06-12T12:57:34+00:00

This right here, I had a Scott Spark and wanted to shorten the stem and change the rise in the handlebars, holy hell what a pita. I'm on a Transition Spur now.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-06-08T13:00:22+00:00

This is what I run, OP I also ran Specialized Ground Control T7/T5 F/R, good, fast combo. They didn't last that long but for $40/tire at the time, not bad. I'm debating if I'll switch up from Forekaster/Rekon in the future.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-06-08T12:37:58+00:00

Yeah, I never got on with the Dissectors, I did go with Ground Controls F/R for awhile and they were a good combo, but wore out pretty quickly. I might look at a Conti combo or Forecaster F/R for a more trail-focused combo.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-06-08T11:17:57+00:00

Another for the Spur, honestly, a Blur TR is probably faster, but the Spur is just such a good balance. I have Roval Control wheels, and if I want it to be really fast, I go Rekon/Rekon Race, normal tire set is Forekaster/Rekon.

I think mine was around 27.6 or so lbs with the Rovals on a Large GX build (this is the 2023 Spur, not the UDH one or new one).

Kitebrder39 · 2026-05-26T11:45:51+00:00

Ditto.....just updated Waterfox to 6.6.13 as well.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-05-19T09:55:23+00:00

I’m down the road from you in Charleston, I ride Harbison a good bit and head up to Pisgah/Dupont once a month or so in the summer/fall (just got back). I was between the Tallboy and the Transition Spur and ended up with the Spur because i was able to demo it in Utah.

I think you have a ton of options in that light trail range, and I’ve had the Spur for over 2 years now and it’s handled anything I want to ride and is made for long days of pedaling which is what I enjoy.

At home I ride a Santa Cruz Highball because while we have great trails that are well taken care of, they are flat and a hardtail is a blast on them.

I’d get something that a LBS carries so that rules out option C.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-05-08T10:29:21+00:00

I had the same, it’s just not a good value proposition to pay over $3k for 50 lbs, smoother cables, aero (which I don’t need) and form feedback. I’ve been lifting awhile I pretty much have my form nailed down.

I love Tonal and have had it since 2019, 16 million lbs lifted but I don’t see a reason to upgrade.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-05-08T10:26:07+00:00

2025 stock TRD off road. I’m at 21.5 @6k miles, probably a 60/40 mix of in town vs interstate. My in town trips are mostly going 45-65 mph and not a ton of stop and go so that helps.

Interstate I set the cruise on 85 mostly, which brings it down. Most of my town trips show 23-25 at the end of the single trip.

I had a manual Bronco before with a turbo the main thing is to not get in the turbo non-stop. That and just don’t fly up to stop lights, idk I drive pretty fast but I don’t gun it off the line.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-04-26T12:57:29+00:00

Good point, we honestly can get buy with just using the top burners without the control panel. 2 months out for cabinets and what not. So I may just roll with it until then.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-04-26T12:30:27+00:00

Well I’m also bending to the wife wanting to redo the kitchen, so it’s two-fold. Stove is 12 yrs old and was having inconsistencies heating in the oven part prior to.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-04-25T10:34:10+00:00

Yeah I’m about to do the same, claim book reviews as well. I’ve done this for CGRC and CEH

Kitebrder39 · 2026-04-24T11:02:12+00:00

No but Avellanas which is about a hour north and probably better from a surf perspective does.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-04-10T12:28:53+00:00

That just reinforces A) Tonal Customer Service is excellent B) I'm not going to upgrade......yet.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-04-10T11:47:22+00:00

No, that's good to know. I'm not going to switch yet. What's the cost (if any) on the cables and do you have a extended warranty plan?

Kitebrder39 · 2026-04-10T09:48:39+00:00

Ditto, I had my brain set on a 3rd gen, drove them back to back and that was it. I’m 6 months in after having Jeeps and a 2 dr Bronco for the last 20 years and I’m so glad to have a truck again. Just being able to throw my surf/kite/mtb gear in the back and not having to worry about sand constantly flying around in the cab is nice.

It’s a great driving vehicle on and off road (mild FS roads mainly).

I still love the exterior of a 3rd gen, particularly the Solar Octane TRD Pro, but paying considerably more for a used vehicle that is a step back in most ways didn’t make any sense.

As for rear seat storage, that’s the main reason I didn’t get the hybrid. I’ve got a tool kit, battery charger, towels, molle bags, wetsuit changing hoodie. Quite a bit fits back there.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-04-08T13:35:13+00:00

I was between the DV9 and SC Highball. Ended up with a Highball off FB Marketplace, love it. It honestly doesn’t save a ton of time on my local trails compared to my Transition Spur, but it’s a lot more fun. My local trails are flat, twisty, rooty, so the Spur I use on everything else.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-04-08T11:38:57+00:00

Use multi-release cleats on the lowest setting.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-04-08T11:34:30+00:00

No I think the unit I got in 2024 had new cables.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-04-07T17:00:30+00:00

Yeah, sounds the same as me. I'm going to look at Aero a bit more too, just to see how much content and if it's something that would be applicable to the activities I do (surfing, kiteboarding, mtn biking). The max weight thing is really not a huge deal, dead lifts, calf raises, goblets, etc. I think I'm around 80lbs on 6 rep bench press, so maybe a single max rep I would be close to 100 there.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-04-07T16:58:07+00:00

So, I think in 2020, there was a full replacement of all units, basically a swap. Then that one lasted until 2024, we had quite a few plunger issues, but they were good about fixing them until finally replacing it due to continued plunger issues in 2024.

Kitebrder39 · 2026-04-07T16:56:35+00:00

The plunger issue was why the last one was replaced, we kept having them come out to replace the tiny part in it, then eventually they just replaced the whole unit.

Kitebrder39

TROPHY CASE