Axial Custom Frame Review - A Handmade Steel Hardtail from Colorado + PNW Coast Dropper Impressions

[@hardtailparty]

Last I heard, this exact bike was for sale on axial's website. Hit em up if you're in the market and my size.

[@ceb4382]

For the readers here. You can adjust the air pressure in the dropper post and fine tune the ride. I like mine a lot. My lower back likes it, too.

[@hardtailparty]

Thanks for adding that, I means to mention that in the video. I found it tricky to get the right pressure, but I've run it at about 8 different pressures.

[@ceb4382]

@@hardtailparty Yeah. It's an adjust to where it feels good thing for sure.

[@joelstewart2255]

Mine loses a little pressure each time I attach (and presumably remove) the shock pump, so a lot of guesswork involved in getting the pressure right. But I like it a lot when I have it right, and as a very light rider I run it well under the recommended pressure. I find that it works best for me just slightly off full extension but I might be using it weirdly, or expecting odd stuff from it.

[@shawngifford]

I’m a bit guy and I air it up to 320 psi. I like it stiffer but it always loses a little bit on my first few compressions.

[@Emolokz]

​@@joelstewart2255 you should only be losing pressure when you attach, the valve opens and it fills the tube with the air from the dropper. Removing, you really shouldn't be losing pressure.

[@jonthesailorman]

These small builder reviews have me dreaming for one of these since day ❤️. I’m planning on getting a Coast dropper for my old hardtail frame- turned-gravel bike.

[@drujenssen5444]

Does your frame have a hole for the cable?

[@justinschetrompf2703]

See my reply. I'm on my second Coast dropper and love it!

[@hammertime7740]

The stapler/hardtail analogy is so true. I road a chromag with a 160 lyric in Squamish last summer. Felt like I was chopping wood rather carving it up.

[@TrailFeatures]

I think you nailed the Coast Dropper. I love it on my gravel bikes and most hardtails since it takes hits out less technical climbs here in CO where you're just grinding up the trail.

[@justinschetrompf2703]

Man your killing Me! I'm 5'5" and ride a Scott Scale 940 w/120mm RS SID and PNW Coast dropper. It has 425mm chain stays and that's the huge difference. I feel like I'm on the bike not in it. It's my second bike with that dropper. I've found that if I set the dropper with a little sag, it works great., It took me a few rides to dial it in. I'm in PA now and miss AZ like crazy. Here we have roots and rocks. The Coast takes the sting out of my 53 yr old bum. Love the Sedona videos. I'll in Prescott for Whiskey race weekend. Great to see Us small guys getting it done on a 29'r. Thanks.

[@hardmtnbiker]

I completely agree with your perspective on finding out the right Geo and bike for the trails that you are riding and have learned so much from your channel. I’ve had a custom hardtail made but it was back in 2015. In hindsight I would definitely want to consult with you before I ever had a new hardtail custom built. Frames are expensive, especially with Ti tubing. The builder that I have been intrigued with is Kristofer Henry with 44 bikes and his Marauder Ti bike.

[@byknphil]

I shoe the PNW Coast on three of my trusty steeds. My Norco Search has a Coast paired with the full Redshift kitchen sink bar held in place with the Redshift 30° x 100mm suss stem. The post helps with the bum and back, while that stem is heaven on my wrists and palms. Can tell you it made it a lot easier to adapt to a drop bar bike again after a 40-year hiatus. The other two are on my Nukeproof scout 290 and a Salsa El Mariachi.

[@mikej1348]

Hi Steve. Great video. I noticed your comment about 27.5 wheels/tires. Are you done with this setup? Or is there still space in future reviews for this wheel set/ bike setup?

[@hardtailparty]

I still review all hardtails of all wheel sizes

[@stevencole7331]

The quest for the ultimate pancake is kind of like the quest for the ultimate hardtail . Nice review .

[@ojaisherpa]

Riding Teacup and narrating at the same time🙌🏻

[@William.N]

Looks like an amazing ride!

[@josephfarrugia2350]

I wonder if it is as compliant as the Neuhaus Hummingbird or the Maniak. So glad to see small builders raise the bar on what a (compliant, as well as versatile) Hardtail should be; hats off to you for bringing this content to the world! (Happy New Year from tiny Malta!)

[@hardtailparty]

More compliant than the Maniak. Slightly less complaint than the hummingbird, but close. These small builders really do raise the bar.

[@halnogaies1256]

@@hardtailparty More compliant than the 9er you tested at ahab?

[@christinaardelean619]

Don't know where to ask this question, so I will ask it here. I would really like to see a Lynskey Livewire bike reviewed

[@hardtailparty]

Me too. Hopefully one day

[@shaunroach7829]

Great review Steve 👍👍!!! Are we going to see you with it for it’s intended purpose on a great backpacking adventure!!! Those adventure videos are some of your best!!! They designed you that custom stainless steel rear rack did it work out for on your trip? Great job as always on the content!!! Steel is real!!!

[@hardtailparty]

Rather than carry the cameras and batteries and chargers on the bikepacking trip, I decided to just use my cell phone and document it on Instagram. You can see more about that trip on my instagram feed from a few months back.

[@cycling_plurality]

Love the food comparisons... like gourmet authentic tacos... like grandmas pancakes with home made syrup! That color is kind of like maple syrup too! So that was actually powdercoat and not the Cerakote Axial offers? I cannot wait to ride my custom Axial! So glad you featured them.

[@hardtailparty]

This one was powder coat. You're in for a treat, his bikes are great.

[@stephenkohler3472]

Man, that Yucca was HUGE! What time of year do they go off out there?

[@martinschwartz7342]

Thanks for another great video. How does this compare to the Neuhouse, and the Stanton Sherpa for bikepacking?

[@hardtailparty]

Thanks! I do my specific bike comparisons over on Patreon. I'd be happy to help you over there.

[@158158cow]

What are your complaints with the SID fork?

[@ShadLife]

I have never really liked 29 inch wheels. But I do believe it's because of chainstay length and not so much the wheel size. Most companies don't do all the trickery needed to have shorter chainstays. So now I am curious as to whether I would like a 29 inch wheel on a bike with super short chainstays. I might have to find one to try.

[@ds1755]

Do you still use the Yellow small frame MiddleChild for bike packing? We haven’t heard you mention that bike much anymore.

[@hardtailparty]

I no longer have that bike, or the ti one.

[@drujenssen5444]

This video made me hungry. Authentic Mexican food and grandma’s home cookin. Mmmmm!!!

[@mikejones420]

I had a suspension dropper 2 years ago on my marin hardtail, and wow it was a very different ride feel, didn't like it at all, just felt really weird when pedaling seated, as my butt was moving up, and down, made pedalling feel awkward

[@MMcG25]

Great Review, Steve. Any chance we might see a few rigid bike reviews for 2023? Your stapler comments about longer travel hardtails made me wonder if you'd ever get your hands on something like a Stooge Cycles model, or maybe test a new 2023 Kona Unit or Unit X? Cheers.

[@hardtailparty]

I'd love to review each of those. I'll most likely have to travel to review more rigids... My trails are far too bumpy here to review them.

[@MIHALMICHAEL]

could you ever review a trail hardtail with a reduced front travel of 100mm set up a little harder? it would be nice to see a comparison of this setup and what you usually ride

[@hardtailparty]

I don't really like the low stack height of a 100mm fork. It's great for racing, but I don't like it on all day rides. That said, if I get a 100mm bike in, I'll review it as is.

[@hardtailparty]

Sadly, Specialized is one of the toughest companies to get a bike for review.

[@streetbeast7078]

I’ve got a ferrum nvht steel hardtail it’s got a 170 fork 63* head angle 75.5* seat tube angle 510 reach 420 chain stays I don’t know why but I’m able to climb really well on it even on tecky parts I mean ight uphill switch backs aren’t to fun but doable I’m 6’1” with long arms so it doesn’t feel super long but I can’t figure why it’s so easy to climb with being so long and slack and it’s a beast at descending if you can get your hands on one you should do a review on it I would love to hear what you think of it.

[@hardtailparty]

I disagree about travel growing with frame size, but to each their own. Travel affects joe the Nike reacts to terrain, not how it fits a person's body. You'll notice that stack does change across sizes though. Increasing travel completely changes the geometry of the bike. @streetbeast, I've found my favorite tech climbers to be long and slack too. I feel like they're more stable on big ledges, and you can really throw your body weight around without tipping the bike over. I'd love to review a ferrum, but I don't have any local trails to ride it how it was designed to be ridden. It's steep here, but not high speed enough.

[@streetbeast7078]

@@hardtailparty yeah it likes to be ridden fast for sure it’s supper supple too at least for me I’m 220. The bike from nick Neuhaus that you reviewed actually inspired me to paint that frame bright pink too.

[@danielhartwig3150]

Thanks for the video, Steve. The bike looks like a dream with those cranks and ti bar. I'm curious how the pnw Coaster suspension compares to a thudbuster.

[@hardtailparty]

I haven't ridden a thudbuster in ages. I guess it comes down to whether you want a dropper or not

[@danielhartwig3150]

@@hardtailparty yea true. I ride CC and not necessarily need a dropper. Thudbuster is heavy but super comfortable. The Coast is lighter but i don't know how the suspension feels like. Your video really helped to get a first sense. Would love to test ride the coaster.

[@hardtailparty]

It feels more like a suspension fork under your seat. It's got bit of initial stiction, and when it hits a bump big enough, it drops. It's a hydraulic felling like a good fork. Also, the seat slides forward in compression, not back like a thudbuster. I imagine it's more comfortable and has more range of movement than a thudbuster.

[@danielhartwig3150]

@@hardtailparty thanks so much for your insightful answer, Steve. Really appreciate it.

[@user-lc2mu9jk2b]

Wouldn’t you prefer a TI frame for bikepacking? No color rubbing issues, and lighter. No doubt they could be built supple per weight.

[@hardtailparty]

To date, I haven't felt a ti frame as supple as this or the neuahaus.

[@mikelo303]

Please review PNW Coast Dropper more in detail. There are only 3-4 reviews in total on YT

[@Morpheas001]

You compared this to a Sherpa, saying you like the shorter chainstays. I don't suppose you have been in touch with Stanton and have an idea when they're sliding dropouts may be coming, do you?

[@hardtailparty]

I wish I had an answer on that, but I don't. Sorry.

[@Morpheas001]

@@hardtailparty No problem, you never know unless you ask. Thanks for the reply.

[@jasoniannone9675]

Stanton's dead, my man.

[@hardtailparty]

@@jasoniannone9675 they've changed owners, but they're not dead. We can always hope for these sliding dropouts. I'm not at liberty to discuss more about the company, but they're not dead.

[@jeremyatkinson4976]

@@hardtailparty Yep they got hit by Brexit and Covid just when they were stretched. Very pleased they've found a buyer.

[@Ericlikestorun]

Grandma really does make the best pancakes. Hahaha such a great a analogy.

[@alexthomas7935]

Was that a snake rattle at 4:01 ?

[@hardtailparty]

It sure sounds like. I didn't see the snake if there was one.

[@tmwei396]

I would guess that most people don't know what the exact geo is best for them. They may know how they want a bike to feel but they won't know the specific dimensions to make a bike feel that way.

[@hardtailparty]

I agree. That's why I offer my Patreon service, to help people find a bike that matches their intended riding style and trails.

[@qualm43]

Don't you get a bit nervous about these compliant frames cracking? I've cracked two steel frames now, my steel ON-ONE deedar frame (I assumed would last forever) cracked on the downtube... And that frame was STIFF.

[@hardtailparty]

I'm so addicted to a compliant ride that I don't really worry about breakage. :) Most bikes are WAY overbuilt. I don't huck stuff anymore and I'm not hitting gap jumps over 10 feet anymore, so no, I'm not worried. I've ridden far too many overbuilt hardtails that are rough and abusive. The only bikes I've cracked have been carbon.

[@AxialBikes]

Compliance/stiffness isn't exactly the same as frames cracking. Depending on where your bikes have cracked could potentially reveal why they cracked. Compliant thin-wall tubing, for example, should fail in a more predictable bending manner rather than a crack at the weld. Stiff, overly thick tubing could put all the stress on the weld, leading to cracking. Welds that crack may also have had some imperfection, oxidation. This isn't hard to imagine if the builder is using forged or cast parts as I've found forged parts require a lot of clean up to get through its very thick and uneven oxide layer. I use CNC parts that weld beautifully but are more expensive.

[@jeremyatkinson4976]

Ultra wide rims were tested to a slight disadvantage on high G turns in Britain, and as our default is claggy mud, big tyres haven't really taken off here either. Horses for courses. We just don't have this type of natural terrain, more's the pity.

[@hardtailparty]

Interesting. My testing has found narrow rims to introduce more tire squirm, burping and tire roll in high g corners, unless the tires were inflated quite high. For a full suspension racing downhill, I could see those results making sense, especially with higher tire pressure. I typically prefer 2.3 to 2.4 tires on 30i rims for high g corners. The intended use of this bike lent itself well to the wide rims, especially since it wasn't designed for high g corners. Big tires haven't really taken off here either unfortunately, but on a hardtail it makes so much sense. Hardtails have largely been forgotten in the MTB world but I hope to change that.

[@jeremyatkinson4976]

@@hardtailparty Our conditions are often grinding paste. Back in the day during an endurance event some suspension pivots weren't lasting well at all. Schwinns [different firm back then] were worn beyond redemption after 7 hours. 517 rims were lasting as little as three rides before the sidewalls exploded. IMBA couldn't understand why so many rode full sus Marins . Well they alone had durable pivots [being designed in England at that time]. Loads of sus riders have a hardtail for winter. Our ground being inherently soft in so many counties, a lot of us returned to hardtails full time. 29 wheels have made them far more comfortable. As to high g turns, your findings concur with UK tests.

[@notice_fpv]

Great. Now I want pancakes. 😂😁

[@HindsightFPV]

Hey Steve what tires are you using? I only heard the size.

[@hardtailparty]

I can't remember if I mentioned it in the first look vid or not. I can't remember which front tire I had, but the rear was a ground control

[@HindsightFPV]

​@@hardtailparty do you have a favorite tire for Sedona that works well with full suspension and 30i rims?

[@hardtailparty]

@@HindsightFPV yes, see my previous video where I talk about my favorite gear.

[@HindsightFPV]

​@@hardtailparty 🤦 lol I watched that too, my ability to retain information is diminishing with age. Thanks for all the great content!

[@Gyllbonus]

It's sad that you have to give the bike back... It looks like a fun geo....hmmm fungeo.

[@hardtailparty]

The hardest part of my job! I think this exact bike is actually for sale on his website for those interested

[@pepeanza6187]

Love the way you review and talk about the bike and stuff about bikes in my opinion you are the best reviwer of mtb im not even interest in the bike but is interesting

[@hardtailparty]

Thanks for the kind words