Carbon wishbone seatstay really absorbs shock. The geometry is perfect for a 100mm fork. Its bright RED. Its worthy of the KFL crank and Sid fork.

The paint is as light as the frame, it chips easily. The frame weighs a bit more than advertised. But who cares?

By far the best hardtail I've ever ridden. The relatively short top tube and longer headtube with a lo rise bar inspires confident descending. This also allows the option to use a flat bar without feeling like you're in a roadie tuck. The head angle is spot on for 100mm travel forks, not too nervous but still agile enough. I wouldn't consider trying 80mm travel with this frame. With 2.35" Kenda SB8 tires at low pressure its nice and plush. With light, skinny XC racing tires it weighs under 21lbs on a digital scale. It feels light climbing and solid descending. For my 135 lbs, the 17" frame is stiff enough that I don't notice any flex. I don't worry about damaging a carbon frame anymore and this rides much better than the '01 9.8 that had aluminum stays or that punishing XTC. I would buy this again and recommend it.

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2005 aluminum XTC, 2001 Trek 9.8.

Sexy paintjob, extermely light weight, solid built, carbon seatstay works! Great geometry for do-it-all hardtail.

None so far

I LOVE the geometry of this bike, climb so well without overly stretching out, slightly slacked headangle also promote a confident downhill. Carbon seatstay and seatpost soften the small bump very well compare to alum. hardtails.

I built up this bike from scretch using the old parts from another bike, and still come in a impressive light weight 23lb. The shifting is butter smooth even better than the old bike, might have something to do with a good chainline.

FAST FAST FAST, I enjoy this bike so much that I left my brand new $3000 Motolite in garage most of the time.

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I own or have owned: Gary Fisher & Shwinnn hardtail, GF Sugar 3+, Commencal meta 5.2, Titus Motolite

The frame rides just perfect for my style. If you love XC riding and/or racing the geometry is just right.

The paint seems to chip fairly easily but heck the ride is everything and I love it.

The Sobo is a very good XC frame. I have had no problems and love how it has made me a better rider. Besides the small paint chips it rocks on the trail.

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Cannondale and Jamis mtn bikes.

Extremely light, great handling, spot on XC race geometry, climbs FAST

700$ is steep for a hardtail, but when you compare it to the 900$ salsa moto rapido of the same materials, 1200$ aluminum s-works, or the $1800 ellsworth enlightenment aluminum/carbon 700 looks pretty reasonable

I don't care what people say about scandium flexing too much this thing charges up mountains and whips down tight singletracks. The short wheelbase and steep head/seat angle make it incredibly maneuverable. The scandium tubes and carbon seat stays really do give it some shock absorption and make it feel forgiving on the descents without sacrificing the get-up-and-go feel of a XC racing hardtail.

Some have complained about the flex being too much, and I have not experienced this although I weigh 150

Point is, its everything a race bike should be, plus it gives you some fun in the singletrack

-Rides smoother than straight aluminum
-SO LIGHT,it's crazy(2.8 lbs)
-Climbs like a bat out of hell
-3 year warranty

-For XC only
-Scary flex(result of the small-tubed frame)
-Questionable shelf life
-VERY,VERY pricey

The Sobo is the only scandium bike I've ever ridden,so I'm not all too sure how it would compare to some other scandium offerings.
While the frame is SUPER,SUPER-LIGHT,it has too much flex--almost scary.This bike rides NOTHING like my Chameleon--actually it was closer to my steel Surly.This is probably more from the small tube diameters than anything else.However,I agree with others--this thing climbs like A MONKEY ON CRACK,thanks to the light weight and XC geometry.Descending it,though,is not fun.This bike can be seriously twitchy,which resulted in one or two minor crashes.
It DOES have a shelf life..which begs the question:Why buy this,when similar cash buys a sweet ti or steel frame that lasts for decades?I guess it's a matter of preference,but I can see why a pro XC racer would be drooling all over this bike.
I give it four chilies(dock off one chili for excessive flex).

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Own both a S.C Chameleon(get one,IT IS SWEEET)and a Surly 1x1(awesome too).Owned,and broke,a '98 Specialized Stumpy M2.

Update on my previous review(now that I've ridden the bike for a week now):
-INSANELY lightweight(frame weighs only about 3 lbs)
-Great singletrack geometry
-Kickass detailing--skull headtube badge,sweet welds,it's built with SOUL
-Rides as smooth as steel

-A little flexy(my friend weighs 150 lbs and doesn't complain about the flex,so it must be my fat ass)
-Too stretched-out--makes steep downhill a SCARY proposition..NO SH$T!This is an XC-race bike anyway
-Pricey as hell,and not made anymore

After riding this bike a bit more,I have gotten used to this bike's quirks,and lemme tell you,this bike is THE SH$T.

Disregard my previous dumbass claim of "too much flex"--this is EXACTLY what makes it ride so damn nice.It may be a little too whippy for a fat-ass like me,but my far lighter expert-class racer friend has never noticed any excessive flex.It's a LOT smoother than any aluminum frame I've ridden.

Forget aggressive DH on this bike!It's for XC ONLY.This baby really SHINES on singletrack+steep climbs.You could climb all day on this bike.This bike has craftmanship and SOUL..it's a beauty in raw scandium finish.Check out the neat welds(almost Moots-quality),and the bit$hin' SKULL BADGE!!This quality can be be expected for the price.It may be warrantied for only 3 years,but damn,what SWEET 3 years..

Now that I have ridden this bike for a week or so and gotten to know it better with a decent fork(the SID was a POS),I will happily adjust my previously crappy rating.5 SMOKIN' CHILIES!!

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Only scandium bike I have tested

really flexy its like riding a steel frame!

i'm just really worried that the scandium will break because although i weigh a whopping 130! i beat the shiznit out of my bikes.

I just got stripped my 36 lb I-DRIVE after the stupid little bracket that holds the crank in place was completely threaded so my crank was basically floatin' there! any way, the SOBO is the best addition to my bike collection if you will. the entire bike ways out to 27 lb most of the weight comes from the DH's i guess, this bike is amazing on hill climbs and freekin' fast! i love how responsive it is! although i've only been seriously for about four years and im only 16 have done some cranks monkey races at wakefield on my GT, i hope that my SOBO really launches my racing career. this bike is perfect for a cross country racer intermediate or expert(Beginners really don't need a scandium until they know that this really what they want to do) it is also a really good value if you can strip parts off an old bike so you just have to buy a head set or a seat post. i love this frame!!!!!!!!

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i once rode an "on-one" steel framed single speed at 12 hours of lodi farms after my piece of crap GT i-drive XC 2.0 broke (NEVER GET AN I-DRIVE!!!!!!!!!)

The stiffness of aluminun with more give than aluminum, the compliance of steal and the feel of TI without the weight. The frame weighs 2.8lbs. and comes with a 3 year warranty (their TI frame has a lifetime warranty but the company is replacing thir TI frame with the scandium SoBo, so what does that tell you). The bike is extremely responsive and climbs like a $#&@^# monkey. I have the USE-XCR suspension seatpost that gives me the cushin I need with out giving up anything in the drive train. The frame has a mission and the tubing and craftsmanhip is incredible. The tubing is taper from the welds to the middle to the point where the eye can notice it, The scandium can taper because its extremely strong and is extremely light, not a bad combination. I'm just a spectator enjoying the ride. All you suckers who spent 2 grand on your 4.5 LB. Titanium soft tails that flex like a leaf spring and climbs like the log I dropped in the toilet, I'm so sorry. I don't care what anyone says about scandium because I know the truth, just keep the truth to your self. The more that choose Ti and listen to the BS are the ones that don't deserve the fly ride.

My ass on the bike after a night of boozin-it.

The frame might have a shelf life, but nothing great lasts forever.

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I owned a VOODOO Bokor, the aluminum version for three years and loved it. I must confess that I did not try out any other scandium frames. I loved the geometry of the bokor so much that I didn't want to change it. So I got the same geometry, with the Joe Murray design in scandium. All you people out there that love your TI, all I can say is it will last forever but so what.