Sour Crumble - A Steel Hardtail From Germany ft. Ignite Cranks and Ti Bars from Roost + Frozen Grips

[@SlowpokeRodriguez80]

DRESDEN REPRESENTING!!! lived there for 15 years, and I'm so happy you are featuring them... that's so awesome

[@billw_mtb5333]

Wow! Those post mounts are the first thing that caught my attention. I'm with you on the external routing for brakes. I prefer it on all bikes, even high end FS bikes.

[@nathanb101]

I don’t mind it if it’s in a carbon bike with extra molded channels…but I agree, prefer to run them external. My old Canyon Torque had a great solution - all the cables ran below the bottom tube and were covered by a heavy duty, tube long bash guard that was fixed with 2 screws

[@HmmmKuchen]

Nice one, as I life in Austria, it is cool that Steve also reviews bike which can be easily sourced in the European market. (UK not being in the EU anymore)

[@Dwaynefreeman]

I would love to see you reviewing their Pasta Party XC bike/frame. There’s so few reviews on that one

[@hardtailparty]

Hopefully one day i can

[@devinbyrnes8058]

I love the idea of clear grips with cool designs under more than I should.

[@albert85b]

Make me REALLY appreciate the cable routing on my 2018 Chameleon!

[@nathanb101]

I see Steve uploads I’m clicking. Love seeing a bike built in country too

[@musicjnky1982]

Thanks for helping me out with choosing my next bike Steve. Can't wait to build it up. For anyone thinking about joining his Patreon for a bike consultation, go for it. Best $30 you'll ever spend for all the info and knowledge that Steve brings.

[@hardtailparty]

Thanks, it's been a pleasure working with you.

[@easyrider75]

Details on the frame are out of this world. Colour is awesome!

[@oliverpasztor788]

I recently got an email that my Marino is done, but they did all external routing instead of all internal, but watching this I am glad they made that mistake. It made me remember how I hated working with internal cable routing, when I was a bike mechanic.

[@hardmtnbiker]

As you know, I love steel and Ti and this frame “clicks” almost all the boxes with geo and travel. I agree the internal brake routing is a pain for hydro’s. I also prefer the brake mounts between the stays. Just looks nice and tucked in instead of sticking up north of the seat stay. I’m interested in hearing more about all those components! Your reviews are probably the best hardtail frame reviews available, thanks Steve, I’m looking for an excuse to buy a new hardtail lol.

[@tommyr95]

Happy customer here! Steve really helped me select my next hardtail and did a great job. Thanks, man!

[@hardtailparty]

It's been a pleasure working with you thanks for supporting my work, i really appreciate it. This channel wouldn't exist without my amazing patrons.

[@likejustchiII]

What bike did you get?

[@hardtailparty]

@@likejustchiII keep in mind my recommendations are specific to the rider and where and how they ride. I don't recommend the same bikes to all patrons.

[@tommyr95]

@@likejustchiII for my needs the Stanton Sherpa in steel got the nod.

[@SWFBrickbox]

@@tommyr95 that's awesome man! I really want one. Enjoy.

[@jadoningalls1205]

Looking forward to your input on the trp’s!

[@sixate]

Not sure how you have time to test all the cool stuff I've never even heard of. Another set of hot cranks, that purple looks amazing with that frame too. Can't wait for the upcoming reviews, keep up the great work, much appreciated.

[@hardtailparty]

It's a 60+ hour work week lately, but it's tons of fun.

[@jalbrecht55]

Thanks for the review -I really like that you try and show what tire combinations fit in each frame. Thank you. -I like that you included weights in this review. Weight isn’t everything but every little bit contributes and at the end of the day it can be the difference between a lethargic feeling bike and a fun one, especially when your as light as I am. (140lb). Would love to see an itemized list of parts and weights in the description of each review as able. -I’m looking forward to your brake review and would like to know how they compare with the other main offerings-both cable and hydraulic.

[@hardtailparty]

Glad you enjoyed the new scale. I don't plan on itemizing the weigh of every part for every build. I fear it would add an hour of work, and it would detract from the focus of the channel and of the video. But when i get new parts in to feature, I'll try to remember to weigh them to get an idea of eherger they're heavy or not. Hsrdtail party will remind focused on the fun of riding more than ram counting, wart counting, or chasing Strava times.

[@Orney]

Those frozen grips look so sick

[@chrisgarland9381]

Those purple cranks brought me back to my BMX childhood. My buddy had a set of technique cranks and if my memory is right they were similar in color. Very cool Steve

[@kevdad3587]

Love the content and analysis! Best thing on KZbin! I thought those 5Dev cranks caught some attention, but purple anodized machined cranks are next level. Thanks to you and Doddy for bringing back the late 90’s.

[@Eri94]

I totally agree with you on the external routing. I’m not too mechanically inclined on how to bleed my brakes and whatnot so the ease of being able to have externally routed brakes on my ns eccentric makes life so much easier especially when wait times at the lbs for work to be done is +4 weeks.

[@hardmtnbiker]

The components that I’m most interested in hearing more about are the Ti handlebars and stem ( this would pair well with my Rigid Ti SS) those 🇺🇸 made aluminum cranks, although I’m really looking forward to seeing what Boone comes up with. Those TRP brakes look promising but I normally use hydraulic brakes but feel cable is a nice choice for some builds.

[@ElevationEveryWeekend]

Great looking frame! Taiwan produces quality bikes for sure, but nice to see any company bring manufacturing in house.

[@persistentconsistency]

Cool frame and very awesome review. I love all of the details you cover, the close-up shots, the tire size check, etc. Just a fantastic channel!

[@TheNinthPhotography]

Fully agree with the critique of internal routing and those rubber things for the entry points. My Pole Taival has them for the dropper but thankfully uses external routing for the rest. Kudos to RAAW, I am really glad that their Madonna frame I have uses full external routing.

[@johnnydoe66]

Tip for you on those rubber grommets, have a spray bottle w/ alcohol and spray them and the frame port. They'll pop in much easier and it dries quickly. You can wet them again to help with removal. I use this technique at my work on rubber clamps, hoses, etc to facilitate with moving rubberized parts. Some petroleum based products can cause rubber to swell making things worse

[@hardtailparty]

Excellent tip, thanks John.

[@Perception_]

That frame color looks surprisingly good even on video. Besides that I'll have to say the bars and stem stands out so much, but in a good way.

[@robbchastain3036]

All respect to Asian framebuilders--Giant fabricating Schwinns in the late Seventies and beyond--but it is nice to see a German bike company build its frames in Germany. When I lived there as a high schooler in the Seventies, I was happy to ride a Rixie, a German ten-speed. And two friends commuted to school on French bikes. And here in my apartment I have one of those made-in-France Peugeot frames--and it proudly says so on the frame.

[@hardtailparty]

Well Said.

[@YanDoroshenko]

That's genius, I never understood why there are no cantilever disc brakes around, such a simple and efficient concept.

[@William.N]

I am looking forward to hearing about how everything comes together on this one! If we don't see you before Thursday, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

[@Mkpn74]

Those roost bar/stem are awesome, just wished someone would make ti bars with a 40-50 rise, for those low stack bikes

[@hardtailparty]

These are the highest riss I've found yet in a ti bar. They're 30mm rise. Ti riser bars are newish to the market, who knows what we'll see in the future.

[@mellissanash7517]

The TI bars with those grips on the yellow-ish color frame just looks perfect. Be interested to see how you like the bars and grips.

[@scrinsonberger]

Frozen grips... let it goooooo ( parents of young kids will understand) Love the content, I have a banshee paradox because of you, what a bike. I still watch your video for the information and perspective you provide, keep up the great work. Peace from Australia

[@susanraye8824]

Late to this party - I know- but I would LOVE LOVE to hear more of your impressions on those cranks as I have been looking for something special for my Cotic BFE max!

[@hardtailparty]

They're beautiful cranks and really nicely built.

[@MBdrummer3288]

Those are the sickest cranks I’ve ever seen! Absolutely love them!

[@ohiomoto]

I put the grommets on the cable and push them in after the cable is in place. I use soapy water and it works out okay, but I only have to use one for the dropper on my current MTB. I also went to my hardware store and picked up some small plastic tubing that I run through the rubber grommet to make sliding the cable in and out easier. I remove my dropper every time I ride so that it will fit in my van so the rubber grommet was causing issues. (I tried it without the grommet and it just tore up the outer cable.) I totally get why it would drive you crazy for as much as you have to build up and tear down bikes.

[@hardtailparty]

Great tip about the tubing.

[@johnsonjay60]

Pretty sweet stuff! But yeah that cable routing. Glad to see stuff made in Germany and the us!

[@isaacbrooks5999]

That Ti bar is rad. I've never had a problem with hand fatigue, but it looks amazing

[@josephodell9141]

Wow one of the more simpler traditional looking frames . Super clean

[@rommiemex9532]

Just discovered your channel, it's awesome. I like internal routing personally. Going through your catalogue of videos now, looking at going back to my roots and getting a hardtail to improve my skills

[@hardtailparty]

Right on! Welcome to the party

[@ianfurqueron5850]

Sweet looking bike! I had the cable-hydro TRP calipers on my gravel bike and replaced them with Klampers I like the Klampers a lot, but that may be because they are designed for the Campagnolo levers I run. The TRP calipers worked, but had a bit more of a mushy feel at the lever. I don't know if that was indicative of the caliper or the different cable-pull Campy brakes have. I've felt the calipers on other bikes and they feel almost as solid as a pure hydraulic setup. The bars look really sweet - but at $289, had they better be. Tempting, tho... not sure about the $339 Ti stem, tho... wow... The cranks look even better... to the point where I think I'll be ordering a set for my Chameleon.

[@hardtailparty]

I was reading on roost's website about the bars, and apparently carbon bars are supposed to be replaced/inspected every 1-2 years. The ti bars are supposed to be replaced every 7 years. So if you replace as recommended, the ti bars will be cheaper in the long run. Personally, i don't replace my carbon bars every 2 years, but perhaps I should.

[@duncanjohn]

An informative video. It’s cool the way you explain all about the frame interspersed with other stuff too.

[@ctsingletrack]

Beautiful frame, minus the cable routing difficulties. The purple crankset and ice grips actually looks great on this build. A hardtail party edition ice grip would be so cool on a boutique hardtail like this. Would prefer lock on though.

[@TK-OK]

Love you showcasing USA products and totally agree on cable routing. Looks like a big box bike way of doing it especially those grommets

[@patchesthejaybird8431]

Ha, I had one rubber grommet on a bike, for the dropper seat post. The grommet popped out while installing the cable. I tried reinserting the grommet with the cable in place, and I split the grommet in two. I ended up sealing the hole around the cable with a silicon caulk sealant.

[@thescandiflick]

On my list!! As per Sour’s chart it has a 462mm reach in the Size Meduim , 451mm is for the Small👍🏼

[@wyric]

Learned a lot from your videos, especially on cable routing 🤣. Still waiting for your full suspension bike reveal.

[@GokkunGuru]

The purple and mustard is an homage to Decepticon Swindle.

[@CaptainShiny5000]

Being a german myself it definitely wouldn't meet my quality expectations as it stands. Hopefully they can fix these issues with local production. I'm actually quite excited to see a german bike manufacturer producing in germany at all so I'll definitely keep them on my radar.

[@davetbassbos]

As a BMXer I weep for all of you and your suffering at the hands of this insane technology.

[@garycaruso4883]

Green and Purple = The Incredible Hulk HT!!

[@brackonlundy8263]

I have the Spykes on my middlechild build. Super interested in your take on them!

[@hannahtaylor8996]

You need to look at the curtis am7. My frame is 5lb in weight. The frame is Reynolds 853, brazed and not welded too.

[@gesundheitstips2197]

the water bottle mount getting in the way of the dropper is a dealbreaker for me. Nice bike apart from that!

[@ylfcm6469]

As an added detail, the post is actually only hitting the bolts and not the 'thread' . I just shortened the bolts and can run my 210 bikeyoke fully slammed

[@vindeta360]

That color is super cool.

[@dgriffinm]

That is a super sweet color , Definitely not a fan of internal Routing either. I love that color, and those grips are sweet looking. Thank you for sharing

[@jameshansen3699]

Combo of colors, pop.

[@ylfcm1255]

You can do the "bottle-mount delete"-mod (that will probably come on the next iteration) yourself: Just remove or shorten the screws and the post will go down all the way - at least it did on mine. I too had to find some shorter brake screws in the parts bin, since the ones I've been swapping over from the old frame were too long. I'm not sure if there is a standard length, so I just chalked it up to my old screws being unsually long. They do custom paint for a really fair price - "my" painter could not match that. It's done locally in Saxony (not sure about the "stock" colors) and my fade paintjob is about as flawless as you can expect from a powder paintjob. The grommets were a major pain. I've mounted a bunch of those before, but on the Sour they... just... didn't.... go... in... Only upside is that now they're locked in tight haha Excited to hear what you'll say about how it rides. I'm loving mine

[@hardtailparty]

I've removed the screws and it still doesn't go down more. The inserts protrude into the seat tube.

[@ylfcm6469]

@@hardtailparty huh, that's weird. I was positively surprised that mine didn't, but now I'm equally flustered that's not the case on all frames (I have a recent/mk2 XL)

[@streetbeast7078]

When I started riding again I would just ride my bike didn’t care how it look what components were on it all my bikes were all blacked out and after watching your videos I started paying more attention on what I put on color matching and making my bike look good and it’s fun because everybody asks me about my bikes. I think these parts were built knowing they were going to go on hardtails they just pop out more on a hardtail you don’t really see these kind of parts on full suspension bikes

[@hardtailparty]

I find a lot of people like pumping out their bikes just like people pimp out their cars. To me, it's more about the rider thab the bike, but there are some beautiful bikes and components out there.

[@WaveformWanderlust]

Bike's cool and all, but that shirt is the business. 😎

[@hardtailparty]

Party shirt international has some of my favorite designs. Check em out.

[@JimmyRadloff]

It really doesn't look too bad for having a bunch of different colors on there. Looks like it should ride and handle pretty good. It'll be nice if it feels compliant and not too stiff.

[@kulafachi9571]

Great video! You should make a chart from best to worst of all the bikes you have reviewed. I'd like to see which bike fits where among the rest you have reviewed.

[@hardtailparty]

I get a lot of requests for stuff like this, but i think it would do a big disservice to bikes, since some are great at some things and not great at others. For example, is an escalade better than a Harley Davidson? It really depends.

[@kulafachi9571]

@@hardtailparty I see, that makes sense.

[@AORNova]

Nice idea from them to put the rear axle reversed way. Means you can work on the bike drive side face and never have to scoot around to other side and fiddle with an allen key. Makes LBS and at-home stuff much easier. Everything else though.... the external/internal half routing, grommet choice, XC style seat tube bottle mounts... seems like they did not pay enough attention to the purpose of the bike. Even my 200$ chinese hardtail frame comes with internal and full external routing choices together!

[@BikeBrosBikeShop]

Those cranks! Beautiful! Those grips... so BMX from 25 years ago. We used to put our shop decals under the clear GT grips that came with bikes back then... sadly clear grips would look kinda yellowish over time. Shame they aren't lock-ons as the inevitable throttle grip is no fun.

[@uwpipu]

Hi! No, those frozen cool grips do not turn yellow after a while! These grips are made of a 100% recyclable so called thermolastmaterial which does not turn yellow and is sweat resistant at the same time. there are also a bunch of fresh and pretty cool labels in freakin cool designs to choose from. ;) flies away...

[@caseyas8572]

I am so excited for the trp Spyke review. I am worried the issues with the brake mounts will affect brake performance if the caliper/pads aren't at the optimum spot on the rotor. Shouldn't matter too much if the front brake is good, right?

[@fastfish666]

hmm its was on my shortlist, but so glad I went with a Nordest Britango instead!

[@bigmikeshooter]

Great frame...Cheers from Greece...

[@kevinriseborough1521]

As a mechanic +1 for full external!

[@glenlyman2882]

Two Sour Questions: 1- When is the review coming on this Crumble? 2- What are the chances of you building up a Sour Bad Granny for trail use and reviewing it?

[@justinofboulder]

Thanks for the video!

[@AndrewSmyk]

Just discovered your channel last night and the content is excellent. Love the logo! Do you have stickers available?

[@hardtailparty]

Thanks welcome to the party. I sell my stickers through Patreon

[@mikej6668]

Hi Steve. Great content. Those machined cranks remind me of the Kooka/AC cranks from long ago. Anyway when you state the weight of the total bike at approx. 30 lbs, is it fair to say if you used budget wheels instead of the unique wheels you prefer you would add approximately 2 lbs to the overall weight of the bike? Just curious. Aren’t the wheels one of the heaviest parts of the bike?

[@hardtailparty]

These are budget wheels. No, wheels aren't the heaviest part on a scale, but they are the most important place to save weight since it's rotational weight. In other words, they're not what makes a bike heavy, but they are what make a bike FEEL heavy when you're riding it. The fork and frame are the heaviest parts.

[@MikeOnaBike]

The other issue with the cable routing is if you run rear brake left. There will be cable issues.

[@hardtailparty]

I think there are enough ports in the downtube they you could make it work.

[@isidromuniz1322]

Love these videos !! Where you buy your colored Alan wrenches ? They are Sick !!

[@hardtailparty]

See my video if my toolbox tour.

[@mikey7278]

Need a purple King headset on that thing ;)

[@derekstangle6521]

Could you do a review of the roost ti bar vs the Stanton ti bar? Thanks

[@hardtailparty]

I can't tell the difference between the two. I almost wonder if they come out of the same factory.

[@salvaged_title]

Use silicone spray on the PITA rubber grommets 👍

[@ArmaniFlyHigh]

if possible, look for the Nordest Bardino2 also steel and Ti

[@hardtailparty]

I've reached out to them many times and haven't been able to convince them to send me one for review.

[@ArmaniFlyHigh]

@@hardtailparty okay, you did your best.

[@kennethelliot8164]

Why, why is it so hard to use a weld stud for the top mount for the seat tube bottle cage? It seems so obvious.

[@hardtailparty]

Aesthetics often trump function for a lot of companies.

[@bentudder]

I wonder if it's also build cost. My old Stache had flush bottle mounts so you could slide a dropper past them with the bolts removed - although you soon hit the flattened part of the seat tube. The M4 Fuse frame I'm running now *should* have a nice straight run on the seat tube, but they used rivnuts. It's infuriating, especially when Specialized did almost everything else on that frame very, very well.

[@pagosa1040]

Internal routing is not a plus , imho. My major complaint with almost all the currently made frames is the head tube . Even on a large they use a 130mm tube. I have a 39.5 " saddle height which forces me to look for frames with at least a 150mm head tube , otherwise i would have 2" or more of headset shims to get the bars level with the saddle.

[@hardtailparty]

I recommend checking out the stack height measurement more than head tube measurement.

[@hambo76]

That's one of the reasons I chose a Ragley Big Al, they have a pretty tall stack height - not as high as the Banshee Paradox though! I also went with a 50mm rise Chromag bar and it's only just level with my seat! I wish they made an XXL Big Al frame.

[@vicentesanchez4939]

Extraordinary review! Good to know when a no very good engineering design is placed in a hard tail.

[@carlwinslow4175]

Subbed you bc of good content I have had bikes for years heck I,m selling my CAAD 12 but realise I,m still a bit of a noob when it comes to modding and dem greasy bits

[@slide_drexler]

4:10 a german made allen wrench used on a german made frame.

[@hardtailparty]

So meta

[@theshredneck7296]

My Honzo ST has one of those rubber grommets for the dropper cable. Hate it. First one got chewed up over time. Second one got sucked into the frame. They’re the worst.

[@scottmorton21]

Since the bike frame is a demo and you will need to return it and hence remove the brakes and cables, why not just use a bunch of zip ties for the cables instead of routing them through the tubes? It will look awful but works. And easy to take off for the next frame. Although, it is nice of you to go through the effort to show everyone what they might expect.

[@hardtailparty]

It's tempting to do that and save hours of frustration fishing wires. But Im committed to reviewing the bikes as they were intended to be used and built. I'm curious to see if the cables will rattle inside with the stock routing..

[@yvmalnt4761]

Nice frame but too many issues that are not that small in my view: routing; post mount, paint...

[@wayneschenk5512]

Unique.

[@koganmb]

SRAM AXS would fix some of those cable issues.

[@hardtailparty]

Some, but not the brakes.

[@koganmb]

@@hardtailparty who will come out with Fly By Wire brakes first!!! Routing should be easy on the Nordest Bardino 3 I'm building next year. And for cable grommets, you could always cut them with an Exacto so they can be put on after the cable is run.

[@keithbasham2413]

damn, those germans, thats a beauty

[@lucaneuburg976]

I do not understand the reason why the screws for the water bottle are often welded so high on the seat tube....I think it is deal breaker for anybody, long or short , willing to use droppers longer than 125/150...If I could have used my OneUp 180mm on this frame , I would have seriously considered it! Apart for that..beautiful frame indeed!

[@skullsroad3642]

With all the great solutions for adding auxiliary water bottles to frames (wolftooth, granite, fidlock), those seatpost bosses are pointless now. Under the top tube is a better place for aux bosses since frame storage is so popular.

[@albert85b]

Vassago and some other builders mount the bottle bosses externally so they don't protrude into the seattube. I don't know why more frame builders don't do this!

[@GokkunGuru]

TRP Spyke! Yes!

[@janibremer1312]

Hey Steve and greets from Finland! I know your tired of these "test bike X or test bike A.." But I followed your advice on your earlier post and send Surly a message that I would love to see theyr bikes on your channel... Guess they didnt send you a bike right away?😉😁 Any chance seeing a test ride etc.featuring Karate monkey or Krampus any near future???!!!🙏💙🙃 Tänx for the only channel I actually follow and wait for a new video like waiting christmas eve as a kid!✌️💙😁 Jani

[@hardtailparty]

That's up to surly. I've had a couple email exchanges with them, but it's not looking very promising at the moment.

[@janibremer1312]

@@hardtailparty Ok, thats too bad🤔🙃 Well you have your hands full anyways☺️😉✌️✌️ All the best to you and your family💙🙏

[@patchesthejaybird8431]

The current state of the bike industry, and the supply chain debacle, should help home grown companies find some ground.

[@hardtailparty]

Yup, stay tuned for some upcoming videos from small builders.

[@techjeeper8800]

I’ve avoided helping my brother in law fix his dropper because his bike uses those stupid internal rubber things…they are the worst. Last time I asked if we could just zip tie to the down tube.

[@kimrice394]

Keep being picky! Your First Looks are very revealing for frames/bikes. Important as more and more people are buying online. I’m not a fan of integrated seat post clamps.

[@hilfskonstruktion]

Yeah, the details of this frame have a wide range from gorgeous (rear post mount) via lame (seat post collar) to awful (who the heck puts the exit of the dropper remote cable on the down side of the BB - right into the mud?). Looks like somebody built his/her personal vision of a frame and did not look for what the riders want.

[@edlorenz1552]

As gross as it sounds, saliva works good to lube the plastic grommets to slide the cable hose through.

[@juanlaagan4473]

Wow handle bar..

[@TimToesWalters]

the grips tie all the colors together, lol, weird.

[@Allan_Varcoe]

So frustrated with the cable routing you had to change your SHIRT!!!!

[@austindean4035]

A good way to wake up!

[@StanEby1]

In European countries it seems OK even laudable to reshore manufacturing. So often in America you suggest this and you're branded as one of those unenlightened anti-globallists. Well, I'm for the home team period, but there are a lot of practical reasons too for making things right here at home. Go hardtail party.

[@hardtailparty]

Well said

[@UnEmploymentDude]

And those rubber grommets have a tendency to tear in half when trying to remove them! Good luck on the downtube grommet.