RSD Middlechild - EXTREMELY versatile.

[@MotorolaTriumphUser]

It’s late in the series, but it would be cool to see the Marin San Quentin compared too!

[@austinsprouse2405]

I was thinking that as well but he's only doing 29 in wheels this season

[@64Spokes]

Love the Quentin but this test is 29er only

[@romanagne]

I've been saying this on almost every one of these videos

[@MotorolaTriumphUser]

@@64Spokes Dang, I didn’t realize till now that the San quin only came in 27.5. He should do a 27.5 to mullet conversion series in the future with it or just a 27.5 only series

[@1325386]

Maybe he could do the el Roy

[@jackmast6983]

Loving this series Evan! A few comments - the horizon balancing gave a really cool POV vibe, but some settings would definitely need some tweaking for video use - I think it would only be fair for the bikes if you tested the top two at the end of the series back to back - it would be really cool if you did like a "fork quest" after this series using the winning bike, like keep everything else constant and test all of the forks (rockshox, fox 36, marzocchi z1, cane creek, dvo, etc.) to try and find the best fork. I love the way you test stuff methodically like in the high-low and this series.

[@mtbboy1993]

Great ideas.

[@jaywolff16]

Love that idea of the "fork quest". If you do this Evan, dont forget to throw in sr suntour (one of their high spec forks not the low end trash) & ohlins

[@Notaloras]

Would like to see a Canyon Stoic or Giant Fathom on the new episode of hardtail quest! Sick video, cant wait for the next. Good luck

[@dolphin-studio]

no, i rather have new bikes that hardtail party nor evans have tried before,

[@lentz_al]

A canyon stoic would be awesome for hardtail quest

[@goatsplitter]

I've been strongly considering this bike lately. Probably will be clicking that order button soon. Seems like such a good bike frame and loadout too.

[@joebikes]

Dude this series has been so great! Geometry is like some kind of magic isn’t it? What I think would feel weird, actually doesn’t feel weird at all when riding. Anywho… I am so excited for the steel hardtail series coming up 🤠

[@MtbOverload]

Dude the editing is so sick as always great video.

[@ttemple5296]

You should try the Dartmoor Primal, great geo numbers with compliant feel.

[@fafinnn]

R u polish guy?

[@jwillmadeit]

​@@fafinnneven non-polish guys know about dartmoor brand

[@Missinglink3003]

I have the 2016 Primal 29 and even though it isn't my main bike and I actually don't need it...I still build up a new bike with it!

[@jurisx85]

I love this series! All Hardtail content is booming!

[@mikefidler4421]

Well done Evan, I’m glad that you saw the versatility of the Middlechild. I ran mine with 27.5 x 2.8 wheels and tires and then went 29 x 2.6. You just can’t beat a bike that you can play around with.

[@scotthubley]

which do you prefer?

[@dimimtb]

Was already looking at an RSD and here you go scoring it higher than the Nukeproof which was the other bike in the quest. If I do get the RSD I'll go with the cromo one for a steel is real feel. Loving the series.

[@leokuo7127]

I saw a video review of the steel RSD by Hardtail Party and it wasn't smoother than the aluminum version. I'm also a steel frame fan and used to have two steel hardtails. My previous one was a Chromag Wideangle and I replaced it with a Nukeproof Scout 275. Scout was a bit harsher, but I can also run plus tires on it to make it smoother than the Chromag. Then again, Chromags aren't known to be plush for steel. If I were to do it all over again, I'd get a Stanton frame.

[@dimimtb]

@@leokuo7127 Stanton's look nice, but the versatility of the RSD and having it built in my home town makes it a bit more accessible. I also like the provincial emblem on the back of the seat tube. My Optic has the maple leaf there. And I'm more patriotic than I thought LOL

[@mmingram]

Dec 2022, after waiting months for the RSD MC Al to be restocked, found the Marino Cabala, similar geo and made from Reynolds 520, half the price of the steel MC. Was able to add a few custom touches including sliding dropouts and custom color for no additional fees. Hand made in Peru, worth checking out

[@mxfreek09]

I came across a company the other day with kind of a similar bike. Wyatt Bicycles, the vista frame specifically. They say its an aggressive trail bike but it doesn't feel out of place jumping. Obviously too late for this season but may be something that peaks your interest. Made in usa too.

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Yeah I saw one of those on Pinkbike and considered it, but was worried it was more of a fat bike frame

[@glenhuizenga6251]

Love my Vista. Great choice. @wyatbikes

[@mxfreek09]

@@glenhuizenga6251 Awesome to hear. They are on my list of bikes I want to give a try. Plus their prices on complete bikes really arent bad considering they are a tiny company and usa made. Alot of the usa bike companies unfortunately are out of my budget.

[@natandirt]

I really like that frame, looks like my ns decade dirt jump frame but beefed up ! Plus with that higher bb and adjustable dropouts it's extremely similar to a dirt jump frame, interesting

[@philippebenard1075]

So happy your doing these hardtail reviews and your tests format is great. Please bring in a Marin san Quentin. Would love to here your thoughts on that one

[@kilgoretrout25]

I am biased since I have this bike, but some of the criticisms he had are solved by running it with 27.5s, which is the intended build version. I have 2.8 plus tubeless which can take really low pressures. It eats up chunk and smooths out trails. Also, I found having the sliding dropouts changes the feel of the bike immensely. I didn’t think it would. When I had the rear wheels all the way forward, it didn’t feel quite right. It felt unstable for me when going down technical trails. Moving them to the middle made the bike handle so much better. But that may change for others. So those sliding dropouts add a HUGE value to the bike due to changing ride feel on what a person prefers.

[@beauharvey8138]

At the end of this series you should get everything you have learnt together about fit and geometry and get a custom frame made and try to make the dream frame for your, like Berm Peak did. Loving the series.

[@EvansMTBSaga]

I love learning, hence this quest and my MTB Saga. I'm just about finished with season 1 and I'm only settled on 74° STA and maybe 64.5° HTA, but that's negotiable. Still figuring things out!

[@nevillepretorius8948]

Dude I am loving the mid school BMX you are putting in the videos! Those ProConcept BMX's where amazing bikes!

[@EvansMTBSaga]

I definitely wanted a Pro Concepts, Staats, or Redman but my parents wouldn't buy it for me haha. I'd love to build one of those up now

[@tbroadbridge2k23]

Here’s my prediction: the last bike in this season will be an Orange Clockwork. We’ll just have to wait and see 🤷‍♂️

[@nathantrcka3856]

It would be super cool if he took everything he learned about geo and every review area he did and made his own custom bike with the exact geometry he likes. Idea probably crazy expensive but would be cool

[@SprSonik13]

HT Party did that. He made some interesting observations in his reviews on his custom bike. Tying back to Evan’s comment in the video, geometry is voodoo.

[@jonthomas8487]

He said it was a Chromag in a reply to another video saying it was a British bike but it’s actually British Columbia (Canada). I’m hoping you are right and Evan didn’t make that mistake

[@cleanestedits1]

Wrong

[@chrisf8584]

Highly requested Canfield? Looks like a fun frame though.

[@EvansMTBSaga]

I meant to say highly rated 😂 I feel like the Canfield will be the lowest viewed video out of the series

[@MagCecu]

you should for sure try a dartmoor primal frame. I have one still in the go to bikes and its the best hardtail i have ever had!

the rear slides more to the front for the 27,5 wheels. this bike looks sick!

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Maybe all the way slammed with 26 🤤

for me, with my bmx background, looks like the perfect fit. almost like a DJ or a hybrid like my MOB 26"er@@EvansMTBSaga

[@Paledrifter87]

Please do a Marin el Roy. It’s a unique frame and very well built. I would love if you gave it a shot

[@jaywolff16]

Thanks for subtlety including the spreadsheet. The RSD looks sick, could probably do better on the looks score if the components matched a little better. Also wondering if it could of perhaps scored better on flow/jumping/cornering if the trails were dry. You were still clearing jumps despite the wet conditions, pretty impressive and glad to see it still scored well despite the disadvantage but not a fair comparison IMO.

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Yeah that's why I went to a paved trail to get confirmation. It wasn't an amazing cornering bike like the Rocky MTN. I really liked how poppy it was for jumping. I believe the RSD scored much higher for jumping than the Scout

[@charteredvessel]

That’s interesting that the Middlechild rated so highly as a 29er. Although it can handle different wheel sizes…Alex from RSD would definitely say it’s more intended to be a 27.5 wheel bike. Side note the steel version would solve some of the compliance issues and look better in my opinion.

[@bicicris]

True that this frame was designed around 27.5” wheels, not 29ers. Maybe the sliding dropouts help in keeping it fun and versatile with various wheel sizes in spite of the higher BB. So many variables but it works! Regarding the steel version, I’ve read several comments from various sources that the steel version is not as compliant as people think it would be - actually, it’s almost as stiff as the aluminum frame. Now, if the Ti version could enter the search, it would win hands down in the compliance department while keeping everything else the same. But alas, this HT Quest series only involves aluminum frames.

[@thelads32]

It would be cool if you made a budget hardtail quest

[@jamesweldon8118]

The engraved chain stats are sick

[@patriktoman29]

I personaly think in the next three bikes will be Whyte which is a British bike brand.

[@GAJO_DH]

Realy cool vídeo, and you need to tru the Specialized Rockhopper .

[@GoodTrails]

Hey Evan, I would like to purchase a Middlechild. Unfortunately all that Alex has left is larges. I am 5’10. What size are you running and how tall are you? Do you think I’ll need to throw on a short stem?

[@itai468]

Great Series ! Re: geo: you should consider stack + bb height as indicator for handlebar height so you probably shouldn't change handlebar rise...

[@PeterCPRail8748]

I am an hour from there factory. Can't wait to see there 160 front and 145 rear full squish

[@TomCollins-c4h]

You must be turning into a master mechanic with all these swapping out parts to frames. quite the workout too it looks like.

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Haha it feels like it. I can swap a frame in about 15 minutes now

[@TomCollins-c4h]

@@EvansMTBSaga I recently did a lower fork service and took me like 3 hours lol, first time and took breaks though.

[@speedygarage264]

Great video as always! Have you considered checking out the Santa Cruz Chameleon or the Salsa Timberjack? Two of my favorite hardtails!

[@80nodrog]

You didn't watch the video, did you

[@speedygarage264]

I did miss that part on the first viewing lol@@80nodrog

[@cory7328]

I am a BMX fan so this bike looks amazing to me. Also I do like that Canfield frame. The copper color in a single track/XC set up would be a fun bike.

[@sebastiandiaz9828]

All we want in life it's versatility. Maximize joy, minimize costs.

[@Phonophobia]

Love to see the tests! Also if you want something nice and slack with unique features around 130-140mil travel that sticks to the ground like glue and just hunts corners: Stif "Squatch". Lowest BB I've ever ridden on a 29er and it's amazingly fun. Also looks rad cause steel.

[@bassfacebg]

Love the series so far, you should try the Dartmoor Hornet Pro, it's an agressive frame with 420mm chainstays, i think you'll love it.

[@walken199]

It looks like an interesting frame, the only downside is it seems a tad heavy but still would make an interesting review. I think the hornet pro is a 27.5 only and Evan is only reviewing 29" wheels. Either way it would be about time that someone makes a good review with these damn Dartmoor hornet's caus for some reason no one is doing it

[@fantomita_rider477]

I think this bike would really shine in skate park taking big hits with a raked out 160 mm fork with 38 stanchions like an old rockshox totem (40 mm) or a zeb

[@SprSonik13]

versatility is key, and sliding dropouts should be a +10 for any frame. And yes, I am biased…SS Chameleon Mullet with a 160mm coil is my go to ride.

[@dadbod4life]

My 8 year old son has a 26" Nukeproof Cub-Scout coming in the mail today!! Just wanted to share my excitement!!

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Oh wow that's going to be an awesome bike for him! I can't wait til my kids are that age

[@dadbod4life]

@@EvansMTBSaga he currently rides a Commencal Ramones 24 and that bike has brought him pretty far! Once they get to 20” there are really amazing bikes to choose from. Every size up gets more and more expensive though. Haha.

[@denverk7062]

Look at the Kona Honzo ESD, slack, short chain stay, very playful while still being shreddy!

[@butterknife_mtb_rc]

I would love to see you add the Santa Cruz Chameleon to the list!

[@mikej1348]

Great review. Of course I’m biased because that is the exact bike I have. My is in Plus 27.5 mode with 415mm. chainstay. It is in the stiff side but it climbs well because it is stiff at the bottom bracket. I also run 50mm worth of spacers to get me in a good riding position.

[@iBelamendia]

I am Ns eccentric 29er owner. With 150mm front travel. I love my hard tail😊!!!

[@john-di1bn]

I can definitely say based on my experience that shorter chainstays are better. I have an old 26er xs aluminum xc frame that I installed a 27.5 wheels and a 2.1 tires on it and I have to say that the whole bike feels more responsive and easy to control. I might make it into a mullet build where I'd install a 29er front wheel with a beefier tire on it and a 100mm airfork so that it can handle chunkier terrain.

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Sounds like a fun bike! Tinkering is awesome

[@dieselmilne]

It’s definitely late in the series but it would be great to see a Norco torrent on this seiries

[@aqp88-56]

Love hardtails . My Chromag Surface is so versatile... Though if I could go back in time 5 years I'd buy the Rootdown / Primer instead as Im way more into heading down now ... Good reviews , keep up the good work

[@goatkin3845]

Red and blue idk about that

[@gopro_vlogs]

Maybe you are bottoming out the fork more easily on some frames than others is because of stack height? 🤷‍♂️ maybe you just have a little more weight over the fork with the lower stack height on some of the frames. Just a theory I had, maybe wrong and it may be something else

[@pistatoth4809]

hey Evan, You should try a canyon stoic, i've had one for a few monts, and i enjoyed every minute of riding it.

[@Theseconssenbei]

I’m from the uk and here the Vitus sentier is a really popular bike it would be really cool to see you review it

[@CharlieBrwn8]

yo video quality is looking pretty good. nice bike

[@JustJake77]

I own a RSD RS-291.... The gnarly big bro of the Middlechild..... RSD is hands down one if the brst bike companies going....

[@Hurvy1]

Great series. Maybe you can look ať Dartmoor frames.

[@nathantrcka3856]

I really want to see him try the Kona Honzo ESD. I think that’s what it’s called. I just think it looks awesome

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Season two is going to be steel frames

[@steverox13]

@@EvansMTBSagacan’t wait!

[@Gurung59]

I'm also waiting for that so bad

[@RobertFullStop]

Great review and brilliant series! I would have loved for you to give the Ragley Marley 290 a go.

[@themarauder6108]

The frame design is pretty nice, but i'd peel the "middlechild" and "rubber side down" decals off.

[@9paraneil]

Good series, have you managed to get your hands on the cracy geo "On one hello dave" from Planet X uk?

[@That_Stealth_Guy]

Unless they start smoothing out the welds, it's not a bike I would give a 4.9 on build quality. Just look at how nicely stacked and consistent the weld beads look on the Rocky Mountain on the head tube vs this bike. Hopefully, it makes up for that in how it rides.

[@hambo76]

Ooh Stanton, Bird or Orange coming up?

[@CordlezToaster]

Would love to see a review on a commencal meta ht, loving this series I don’t want it to end😂

[@yamahschector]

A stock meta ohlins would be nice. Only thing I would be interested in is the full 29 vs mullet since it comes in both depending on size

[@walken199]

If you look up his older videos you will see that he has already owned a commencal meta HT and now he has sold the bike, it was too stiff for his ankles

[@CordlezToaster]

nice ill have a look @@walken199

[@yamahschector]

@@walken199 an older one. Is the newer one better?

[@walken199]

@@yamahschector The new Commencal HT has slight improvements but I would still say that the reach is still too short and it is not possible to upsize cause of the seat tube height. Evan complains about the frame being too stiff, I personally owned a Commencal meta ht 2021 and was not bothered by the frame being too stiff but I know a lot of people do and I don’t think much has changed on that level. The 2022 Commencal Meta HT runs probably better as a mullet than a full 29” due to the high bottom bracket.

[@hughperkin6765]

Great Video! You should review the Chromag Rootdown or Doctahawk!

[@Estymtb]

most underrated mtb youtuber:

[@Bluelights17]

Sad that you hadn’t gotten the chance to try a Chromag frame. They are the king of fun hardtails.

[@mailsquare]

Why not try Haro Double peak? It's a hardtail. Overall great series can't wait to see the final frame you have in store for us to see.

[@isaaccuartase3546]

I really want to see this RSD on 26" wheels, that would be a lot of fun 🤘

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Just took shipment of the 26ers today! It's gonna be a little while to get the parts though

[@Moutanman]

Canyon stoic? 🤔 this series is really cool. Been following the entire thing and i love it. Can't wait to see what other series your mind can imagine

[@walken199]

I’m really curious to see your review on the Yelli Screamy, I’m considering getting this frame, I personally owned the Canyon Stoic and the RSD middle child, I can say that they are both great bikes, but I really love the Canyon Stoic at the moment. So I’m guessing that you are going to review the On One Hello Dave, am I wrong? If it is that it definitely will be different than the other bikes.

[@stevenkurth3729]

You need to try the Specialized Fuse! Great all around HT!

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Out of stock everywhere

[@davidblackman3127]

You would probably love the Titanium Middle Child !!!!

[@user-bm5dw5hq8j]

Would love to see the yeti arc on here

[@shaymtbrider7244]

Thanks 🙏 really appreciate it . I will say if u add. Giant fathom that will be great too

[@sampah89]

2:32-2:35 So RM sent Keith’s Banshee Paradox V.3 frame to RSD…

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Haha just a picture of tubing, the only one I could find quickly

[@cory7328]

Looking at this frame really has me wanting to grab one. Would you think this frame paired with the super gravit tires from the kollosus video be too chucks for this frame?

[@EvansMTBSaga]

It would be a heavy bike, but probably super fun!

[@cory7328]

@@EvansMTBSaga It seems like you could bash it around and the tanky nature don’t he set up would soak it up.

[@zxny]

Could you list the weight of every bike in the description?

[@rpiian]

Cool vid man! You could auction all your frames off like Paul Aston, if you couldn't return them :)

[@BryceBetts]

Love the color of this bike. Prob my favorite hardtail so far

[@EvansMTBSaga]

BMX background!

[@djzrobzombie2813]

​@@EvansMTBSagahey can you help me ? What's the better choice.... Specialized fuse or chisel ????

[@ryansteiger6960]

Thank you for the video Evan. I really appreciate this series 👍

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Np Ryan thanks for watching!

[@chandlerdenton]

Would love to see the Surly Krampus compared with the group!!!

[@sstrazzi]

maaaaannnnnnn i've been hoping for the yelli screamy, hell yes

[@julianw5692]

I'm betting that the last bike in the series is a Cotic Bfe max

[@ethanmartin626]

Very serious question- the geometry of this bike is IDENTICAL to the banshee paradox- why did they score so differently?

[@EvansMTBSaga]

They aren't identical. STA - 74 RSD, 76.3 Banshee. RSD longer reach, way lower stack, higher BB, slacker head tube.

[@brettjohnson9453]

Throughout the series it seems that your preconceptions about geometry have been challenged. It would be really interesting if you had a custom frame made based on what you learnt and reviewed that

[@EvansMTBSaga]

I agree! I'm still super far from a custom build but I feel like I've settled on a 74 degree STA and 64.5 HTA. Still learning about the rest

[@ewanwood2773]

Sick video as always

[@X41N3]

Omg, the middlechild has been my top pick for a while now and even if it's not gonna end up your top pick..(I rly wonder what would ofc) but I'm saving money to import this frame next summer. Maybe I can ask some bikeshops if they can help distribute rsd's awesomeness, and with reviews like this one, hardtailparty etc why wouldn't they want to sell this? Thank you so much Evan, really loved to see you comparing stuff your own way edit: just mailed the biggest bike shop in my country if they want to be an official distributor..but i have no hopes whatsoever lol Edit2: yes plz test 26" nobody has done that before on a review afaik

[@wallyedmonds8199]

That’s up to RSD

[@owen7502]

Are you gonna do a Santa Cruz chameleon. I'm pretty sure those have sliding dropouts

[@artem_teliuk]

What about Dartmoor Primal 29'? Please try it)

[@ttemple5296]

Great ride just got one

[@andrewmorton6032]

I’ve been enjoying this series, thank you. Wondering if the final frame will be an On-one?

[@Alex07985]

On one or cotic i reckon

[@bicicris]

I also think it’s Cotic.

[@lime2575]

Try the Chromag Rootddown next!

[@NokkaMG]

would love to see the Orbea Laufey on these series 😊

[@elikeproduction854]

Try the Fuse, one of the best I think

[@nobody_noob2694]

last bike will mayb be a cotic?

[@eroldemirbas2350]

hey evan why dont you try nsbikes eccentric its a 140mm 29er frame and its dirt cheap rn (Frame)

[@puffilp4493]

I know this might be a little late, but you should have at least a look at the Nicolai Argon GAM. It’s a small manufacturer from Germany ;)

[@buddystix]

I really love the Ti Middlechild !

[@ttemple5296]

Does the EC44 not add 13mm to the stack

[@EvansMTBSaga]

I don't know if that's factored in, pardon my ignorance on that!

[@stevensass3552]

Curious about sizing, at 5'10 average proportion I'm leaning large. Any advice?

[@EvansMTBSaga]

I'm 1" shorter and the medium fit perfectly

[@tyrellcobb4665]

Marin el rey would be one of the most extreme hardtails you'll ever test. At least do that

[@prawnis]

Will Charles come back? :(

[@fairlyhooked6873]

hey what about the merida big trail