Awesome responses fellas! (except one tool-bag)
I might need a little bit more time to swing over to the carbon mtb wheel side of things but as they are on rotors, heating up etc shouldn't be an issue… just maybe rocks gauging rims. I have an eye out for a road pair though…
I've got a Chinese carbon road bike (xds) which handles like a dream and crushes most of the other bikes I pass on the commute to work so I'm not afraid to take the plunge. I just built a duallie but for some reason I would like another cheapish hardtail.
Isildur - I saw your posts/bike and liked it, I'm pretty sure it’s the same frame that I'm looking at buying. I also saw another build (shrek) by c3024446 who had front shocks, but he said he doesn't get airborne much.
I would be intending to thrash the carbon hardtail (typical trail dropoffs/jumps) so I was fishing for that sorta feedback on the product. tasty.dirt74 can you comment?
I would buy a Chinese mtb carbon it in a heartbeat if I was just commuting on it because as most of you have said, producing carbon frames is a huge investment and in all reality there are only a handful of manufactures out there doing it. These manufactures have learnt it is better to offer a decent product and get repeat busy than what occurred initially. And in all reality branded bikes break too, but it IS easier to go to your LBS and get them to fix it.
I’ll keep researching but I should just get it I reckon, when the wallet allows.