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Old 09-11-23, 07:39 PM
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Metieval
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scalpel HT

Coming from a 2015 hi-mod carbon 3 scalpel, I found the scalpel hardtail 4 to be a slug on test ride today. I expected so much more!

Could this be the wheels? The rear hub?? The Frame? The head tube angle? I mean it's a hardtail!

Maybe I should just drop a 120 fork on my 2015 scalpel rake it out 1⁰ and call it done.

I'm confused.
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Old 09-11-23, 08:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Metieval
Coming from a 2015 hi-mod carbon 3 scalpel, I found the scalpel hardtail 4 to be a slug on test ride today. I expected so much more!

Could this be the wheels? The rear hub?? The Frame? The head tube angle? I mean it's a hardtail!

Maybe I should just drop a 120 fork on my 2015 scalpel rake it out 1⁰ and call it done.

I'm confused.
Tires?
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Old 09-11-23, 09:51 PM
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Originally Posted by Kapusta
Tires?

The 29er scalpel has had Xkings, and then I put on 2.4 rekon/2. 35 ikon

The scalpel ht had stock 2.35 racing Ray/Ralph

They had a good amount of lube oozing from seat post, maybe they greased the thru axel too? That will create drag. I just wasn't that impressed, but I wanted to be.
I love the new geometry though.

Maybe it felt dead sluggish because I wasn't getting any feedback.
My 2015 surges on power then it rockets. I didn't get anywhere close to this scalpel ht feeling like a rocket.
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Old 09-26-23, 09:48 PM
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Metieval
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Originally Posted by Kapusta
Tires?
Good call, I test rode it again today. Tubed tubeless tires is my guess.
It's probably a combination of that. And the fact that I'm accustomed to hi-mod frames so I expected more. Maybe I should wait until 2024 drops more hi-mods onto the market. at the same time as a town bike, I'd rather lock up something less expensive. I'm putting it in the running against a Sir 9. I have. Not ridden a sir 9. But if it it anything like comparing a steel rlt9 to an rlt9 rdo. I'm definitely positive I'd love the sir 9.

Not really fair, yet both bikes fit my uses.

I'm mostly favoring buying the scalpel ht. With a rigid fork. It's more fitting to be like a hybrid that I like on a fatter tire.
Also, With a carbon spoof of a Surly corner bar I think the scalpel ht could very well become my new rough road gravel bike, or flowy single track. Camp bike, town bike, my whatever bike. That lands between my carbon 29er Trance and my rlt9 rdo.

Dead sluggish feeling could be new bearings, fresh grease. It needs broken in. Or maybe the hubs suck.
Regardless I'm glad I gave it another chance.

Now I have to make a choice.... a hard one.

I want the scalpel ht for CO, I want the sir 9 for AZ. With that said in AZ my Trance gets all the love. I'm on chunky trails. Or chunky double track.
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