If carbon hardtails are usually reserved for speedy, racing jobs where lightweight and nimble handling are top of the wish list, and 27.5+ tyres are kept for rough and tumble, nadgery, rooty singletrack challenges where speed plays second fiddle to grip and cushioning, what do you get it you mix the two? The XTC Advanced Plus 2, that's what.
It is a wonderfully odd yet fun mishmash of several different MTB genres, with the boost hub spacing not only capable of taking the supplied chunky 27.5+ tyres, but also stepping up to a racier 29" and, thanks to the horizontal dropouts, it can go singlespeed too. Pretty versatile, and a guarantee you won't get bored of this excellent frame. If you tire of one setup just have a spring clean, change wheels and you have a new bike.
The Plus 2 comes with Rock Shox Judy Gold 29er forks with boost hub and an SLX drivetrain, Shimano brakes drawing everything to a halt - all good and effective kit without breaking the bank. A dropper post also comes as standard, together with a 780mm bar, proving that they are expecting you to take it down some fairly pokey trails. That's great, but it does still retain a cross country bent to the geometry so if you are looking for a dedicated trail bike this might not be the one. But for a bike that can dabble in a bit of everything and handle itself, it is well worth a closer look.
