Hardtail Round Up - Sea Otter 2022

Apr 8, 2022 at 17:58
by Mike Kazimer  
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It's not new, not by a long shot, but this 1996 Nukeproof Reactor is still a looker. Check out that coil sprung linkage fork, and the period-correct stem length.

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The Pine Mountain 2 is Marin's steel adventure / bikepacking machine. With a 120mm fork the head angle sits at 66.5-degrees, and the seat angle is 74.5-degrees.

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Mike Levy approved. There's no excuse for running out of water, or really any supplies at all when you have this many mounting bolts available.

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The Inverness was built specifically for Duncan Shaw, Marin's resident trials wizard.

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The Alcatraz has been updated for 2022 with a new frame that's available in two sizes. As shown, it retails for $1,579 USD, or there's a frame-only option for $549.

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There was no shortage of titanium hardtails on display, including this Thomson Hooch.

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The Sage Flow Motion is made from 3/2.5 titanium in Portland, Oregon, and is designed around a 150mm fork. It's long and slack with a 491mm reach for a size large, and a 64-degree head angle.


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It makes me happy to know that Chris Chance is still out there making bikes. There are two hardtail mountain bike options, the Yo Eddy and the Wicked Eddy, along with a road bike and a cross bike, all welded in Medford, Oregon.

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The aluminum Canyon Stoic comes in just under $2,000, a price that includes a RockShox Pike fork, a Schwable Magic Mary / Hans Dampf tire combo, and a dropper post.

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Sea Otter 2022
Hope you like red... This Kona ESD was build up with all sorts of fancy parts, including a wireless SRAM AXS drivetrain and RockShox dropper post, titanium Cane Creek cranks, and Derby carbon wheels.

Sea Otter 2022
Spot's Rocker carbon hardtail can be set up with a geared drivetrain or run as a singlespeed thanks to the 15mm of sliding adjustment that the dropouts provide. The design also makes it possible to set up the Rocker as a belt-driven singlespeed.

Sea Otter 2022

Sea Otter 2022
Sea Otter 2022
The Bombtrack Cale is designed to be an trail / adventure bike, with a 150mm dropper post, 130mm RockShox Pike fork, plus room for three water bottles and rear rack mounts.

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BMC's TwoStroke 01 is a purebred XC machine, with speed and efficiency taking top priorities. This is the top of the line model, which goes for $5,699 USD, a price that gets you a carbon frame, SRAM GX AXS wireless drivetrain, RockShox SID Select+ fork, and DT Swiss X 1700 wheels with Vittoria Barzo tires. The 67-degree head angle and 75-degree seat angle are right in line with what's becoming the norm for modern cross-country bikes.


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We recently finished putting the miles in on a Salsa Timberjack as part of our Value Bike Field Test down in Tucson, Arizona. A full review is on the way. Spoiler alert: it's a really fun bike.

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This Turner Nitrous was shining bright in the California sun.

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Why Cycles' Jefe hardtail gets its name from Jefe Branham, an endurance badass and overall awesome human being (full disclosure, I used to work with Jefe when I lived in Gunnison, Colorado). The bike is his pro model, and a portion of each sale goes to help support him on all his crazy bike riding adventures. The frame has room for up to a 29 x 2.6" tire, plus fender and bottle mounts for equipping it for multi-day rides.


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56 Comments
  • 28 6
 Just like a Ferrari F40 at a car show with new exotic cars, that red Nuke Proof still stands out and looks good — you can’t deny it has gorgeous lines and interesting engineering and CNC machining. You don’t need a new Ferrari Enzo to have fun — a 1992 F40 or a 1996 F355 will still be hugely enjoyable to drive...I imagine just like riding that Nuke Proof =)
  • 21 0
 The Enzo is 20yrs old... this also makes me feel old...
  • 9 0
 I get what you're saying, but I've ever heard anyone mention an F40 in a "run what ya brung" analogy. Personally, I would "settle" for an F40 over pretty much any other car ever made.
  • 5 3
 @cap6cap3: Oh, sorry, I meant the Ferrari La Ferrari (“Ferrari the Ferrari” haha) — a seriously lame and forgettable name =P. I work in the industry with McLaren, Bugatti, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ferrari (just on composites for safety for Ferrari), and a few others...but I’ve never understood certain names, from a marketing and branding perspective, like La Ferrari and the MP4-12C (which was obviously named by an engineer). And also certain models that people struggle to ever pronounce correctly like the Pagani Huayra, which I’ve finally mastered with an Italian accent after hearing it from an employee there. But I always cringe at the Lamborghini Huracán — as many Americans and Brits say “Her-uh-can” but it’s actually “Who-ruh-con.” Oh, and Ferrari is “Feh-raw-ree” with very short Italian “R’s” rather than the American “Fur-are-ee” =). Anyhow, even for worst car names I can think of are still better than Continental’s new tire model names =P
  • 7 0
 @WRCDH: In Germany the "Huracan" is sometimes pronounced "Hurenkahn", in english that would be "a hookers ship", some names just don´t stick in some languages. Also remember the X350d? dont read that one upside down...
  • 3 0
 I endoed just looking at that bike
  • 2 0
 @Helmchentuned: Famous quote by JC about the naming of the Aventador pointing out parts of the car: "a vent, a door."
  • 8 1
 Love hardtails.... Feel like the showings at SeaOtter are a bit under inspired. That BMC looks great for XC and I really like the spot. Needs more Steel IMO :-P
  • 2 0
 Hey @Phaethon85 , I thought you might enjoy looking at this steel Hardtail on Lal bikes Instagram: www.instagram.com/p/CbzwltYgJrm/?hl=en To bad it was not displayed at the show.
  • 1 0
 That's more like it!
  • 4 0
 As a hardtail lover, there's certainly some real treats up top. But there's no question - that yellow Chance would have to be "the one'.... (followed closely by that Turner ;p)
  • 2 0
 In 2018 (I think), a guy crossed the Sea Otter XC finish line on a Yo Eddy about the same time I finished. He directed me to the Fat Chance booth where I got to tool around on the prototype Wicked (one of a kind). Haven't stopped thinking about it... But I already have 2 HT's, 3 if you include the DJ...
  • 3 0
 Have you checked out thier website? They do the frame in a 3 colour fade and it's the nicest frame I've seen for a good while.
  • 3 0
 I DROOLED over YO Eddie's when I was a teen XC head. Over 30 years later an I still can't afford one Frown
  • 4 0
 Turner looks really like a Titus ti frame Fat Chance for the win - just for pure sentimentality
  • 5 0
 While I ride a full squish most of the time, a hard tail is still fun to ride.
  • 2 0
 My current DH hardtail fantasy is that red ESD with the CC Eewings in the 'Raven' edition, Trickstuff Maxima brakes, onyx hubs in green and all the little bits from Chris King in Sour Apple green with a sprinkling of Chromag... And of course the red Lyrik.
  • 2 0
 get one they rip!
  • 1 0
 My favourite too
  • 1 0
 @y9pema: I intend too! Since they are purple now I will have to go with purple/silver/white but thats cool too Beer
  • 6 2
 Always find looking a beautifully made metal Hardtails far more fascinating and interesting than your latest carbon full sus Penny Farthing.
  • 1 0
 You know it.
  • 6 0
 Spot
  • 2 0
 I have two buddies who have them and they looooove them! They're pretty sweet rigs.
  • 3 0
 I was scrolling down and saw the "Sage Flow Motion" & thought it couldn't get better than that... Then saw the "Spot's Rocker carbon hardtail" wow, & can run it as single speed even BELT drive & there you go!!!
  • 3 0
 I love my single speed Spot! It’s the most fun bike I’ve ever ridden.
  • 1 0
 Loving it. Red ones are faster!
  • 5 0
 I support US made titanium frames
  • 2 1
 Where does the majority of titanium come from?
  • 27 0
 @aeyjay: A small, little known country called Titania
  • 2 0
 @h82crash: thats the tits
  • 5 0
 That Kona remains my dream +1 rig.
  • 3 0
 I remember seeing lots of the Nukeproof Reactors in the mid-90's during the Michigan Mountain Bike Association race series. Those and a lot of slingshot bikes.
  • 2 0
 I need me a fat chance bike with the 90s fade paint job and those 90s graphics. Those Ti frames are trying way to hard to be classy.
  • 4 0
 That Kona ESD looks stunning.
  • 3 0
 absolutely...geo is a tad too extreme for my likings
  • 3 0
 @funkzander: the geo is writing out checks,the quality of steel cant cash,is my impression, from the sir fb group
  • 2 0
 @funkzander: ride one. It’s only extreme on paper. Just get the reach right and put on shorter cranks. Awesome all around.
  • 1 0
 Would love a modern hardtail... But I keep on buying ones from the 90's because they are still awesome. Just picked up a Fat Chance Wicked Lite & a Yeti Pro Fro... So much fun!
  • 2 0
 As soon as the Fat Chance arrived the rest of the hardtails may as well of packed up and gone home.
  • 2 0
 i wish turner would make an actual alloy update of the 5 spot or rfx... i loved my 5 spot back then
  • 2 0
 That Nuke Proof is hot! I always wanted one of those back in the day and still do.
  • 2 0
 Turner Nitrous with the fork stickers on the wrong legs so they're running a Rockshox DIS
  • 2 0
 If only Thomson were a bit more brave with their angles and geo! Phoar!!!
  • 2 0
 Yo Eddy in hi vis yellow for me, loved 'em years ago and love' em now.
  • 1 0
 Such beautiful bikes, completely ruined by the cranks not being set to 3 and 9 o'clock. Oh the humanity!
  • 1 0
 Do you even pedal, bro?
  • 1 0
 Honzo ready for bar spins? Bottom out looks hard on the front brake hose though
  • 1 0
 Bombtrack is getting aggressive with the brake lever position.
  • 1 0
 would ride the shit out of that nukeproof
  • 1 0
 BMC
  • 1 0
 Hail Titania!!!
  • 1 0
 We'res Roscoe
  • 1 0
 Best sea otter post yet
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