tldr: looking for a comfortable fast xc ht for bikepacking
Looking to purchase an XC hardtail mtb to complement my gravelbike which is more of a asphalt/gravel bike for me. I can do the chunkier gravel and easier single track with it but it’s not just fun rattling around for hours on end, thus a hardtail mtb.
And why xc? I like to go fast and 100-120mm travel is enough (120mm maybe better if you have a handlebar bag?), and I don’t really need all that much slack in the HTA. But xc bikes usually don’t have comfort in mind (I’ve been told). And if I can use the same bike for just fast xc riding that’s a plus.
I’ve looked at [bikepacking.com](https://bikepacking.com) for inspiration and Canyon Exceed seems quite popular for example at the silk road mountain race, and a second one is Specialized Chisel. The silkroad mountain race has the type of terrain I would use this bike for.
I live in EU and budget is up to 3k€$.
by Significant-Walrus33