In the last few years, we’ve seen a new type of steed surface in the mountain bike world. There are a few names for these new machines, but the simplest one seems to be the Hardcore Hardtail. These bikes are changing a lot of what we originally thought of when we think; hardtail mountain bike. They’re categorized by several things: Long travel forks, long front centers, usage of long dropper posts, and most recently; steep seat tubes.
I’ve done several builds for folks recently that reflect many of these features. I love building these kinds of bikes, partially because they appeal to a completely different client than my other bikes. There are no features intended to work for bikepacking, These are bikes for riding steep singletrack, and rip while doing it. I’ve wanted to introduce a semi-custom model like this for a long time, and finally, here it is.
Slaypnir 29er hardtail
In Norse mythology, Sleipnir was Odin’s eight-legged steed. We’ve changed up the spelling a little to make it (hopefully) easier to pronounce. This bike is progressive, modern, and LONG. It’s not the most progressive frame out there, and it isn’t trying to be. This is what I think is a nice balance, and where I think many of these types of frames will settle when the pendulum stops swinging.
A couple new things:
-Slaypnir is available down to a size Medium, but I have added a size M/L that is smack dab between a medium and a large. I think this will help dial in the fit for many of my riders, especially since you don’t have a lot of stem length options with this bike. 30 – 35 is about where you want to be.
-Stealth dropper routing is standard. This is the style that is zip tied along the down tube, and enters the seat tube on the non-drive side. This bike is designed for really long droppers, and many of the options for those are stealth routed, so this makes the most sense.
Geometry
You can visit the Slaypnir page for more info on the features of this bike, but I’ll discuss the geometry a little more in depth here.
The main thing that excites me about this bike is it’s ability to run a 160mm 29er fork. I think running a long travel fork is loads of fun, and if your technique is good, you can stay light enough on the rear wheel to really take advantage of it. The geometry still works well for 140mm travel forks as well, if you’re looking for a lighter/less crazy option.
The front center is long, but not crazy long. It’s long enough that “normal” mountain bike downtubes aren’t long enough, and I have to order special XL DZB 853 tubes from Reynolds to make it happen. Where I draw the line with modern geometry is if you’re trying to make the front center so long that your cockpit is too big to ride it well. The Slaypnir’s size run is made to still fit riders like I think they should, while still having your front wheel quite a bit further out in front of you.
The high bottom bracket is something I always prefer in my bikes, and it seems like people have come to expect that of Myth. I think it’s advantages are self-evident, and the disadvantages are largely handled by dropper posts and long front centers.
Steep seat tubes are also something I’ve always liked on my bikes. It’s great to see much of the industry going that way, because I think it makes so much sense. Here in Colorado, we have long, steep climbs, often at altitude, and the difference you feel when pedaling OVER the bottom bracket instead of behind it is huge. One place where I think this is less ideal is if you’re doing many miles on flat to moderate ground. However, this bike is designed to go up, and go down, and if you’re riding less steep terrain, the Wyvern is an excellent choice.
Slaypnir is available to order right now! Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions, or are interested in placing an order.
Speaking of 
The course then heads downhill for the first big descent, I closed the gap to Ben and was able to make the pass for the single speed lead. We then headed back up a jeep road for about 10-15minutes and at this point it was just 4 of us off the front-3 open category racers and me. The next big section was the anticipated crux of the course, Skull Valley. The way down is a chance to take a deep breath before the 8-mile grunt back up the road. After the turnaround, you can see your time back to other riders coming down. I had a good gap and the legs were feeling great plus the plan was that my crew would greet me at the top with a couple of fresh bottles this kept me motivated to the top. The Open guys rode a good pace for the majority of the climb but with gear I was running, had to grind it out for the second half and ended up leading overall at the top. In my mind I was like “hell yeah my friends are going to be stoked that I’m leading overall at the top” …Not so. Car Traffic from the 30-mile race had stopped them from getting up the road in time to meet me and I was out of water…Sure, I could have stopped and filled up at the aid station on my own time but there was no way. I was leading and feeling good and I was determined to ride it out if I could. Luckily there was a spare water bottle for me later on. Side note-I have been doing a lot of Hot Yoga lately and I think this helped a lot with heat management for the period of time I was completely out of water.
