The Unicorn
The RC429 is our North Yorkshire-bred, down-country steel hardtail, the livelier sibling to the RC629 hardcore hardtail. It pushes the limits of what a short-travel hardtail can do, striking a sweet spot between trail riding and bikepacking to create a true do-it-all machine.
From carving down gravel fire roads in the drops, to fast-paced XC efforts, to all-day trail missions, the RC429 is ready for whatever you throw at it. Get out, go further, and rediscover your sense of adventure.
Reynolds 853 steel
We’ve combined legendary Reynolds 853 with Pace chromoly tubes into one elegant frameset for the ultimate in strength, durability and comfort. Alloy and carbon, eat your heart out.
T-Pack builds
Squeezing every ounce of performance out of a short-travel trail bike was our brief: no compromises on spec, speed or stability, with lots of attitude and fun built in. Low, slack geometry with short travel breaks down the boundaries of what a short-travel bike can achieve.
G-Pack builds
When the gravel runs out and the tech begins, the RC429 comes into its own. The drop-bar cockpit mimics a modern gravel bike, but underneath you the geometry stretches and slackens, making it far more capable and confidence-inspiring.
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Every bike is fully configurable and assembled start to finish by a single mechanic, built just for you. Upgrades include the Pace RC33 carbon fork, RockShox SID fork, Invisiframe kit and tubeless setup.
Shimano XT 1x12, Öhlins RXF34 M1 120mm fork, Shimano XT 8200 wheels, Fox Transfer dropper, Maxxis DHR2 2.4.
Öhlins RXF34 M1 120mm fork, Hope Fortus 30 wheels with Pro 5 hubs, Hope carbon bar and stem, Fox Transfer dropper.
RC429 frame with Öhlins RXC34 m.1 carbon fork, Hope Fortus 30 wheels and a Hope headset, ready for your own parts.
Shimano GRX, Pace RC33 carbon rigid fork, Hope RX24 gravel wheels, Discover Flare 48 bar, Maxxis Ikon 2.2 tanwall.
Fox AWL 100mm fork, Hope RX24 gravel wheels, Discover Flare 48 bar, Hope TR stem, Fox Transfer dropper.
Hope bolt-type seat clamp (colour choice), Burgtec thru-axle, UDH. Medium, Large or XL in Bucktail White, Iron Ore Orange or Moss Grey.
Medium in Bucktail White. DT Swiss 120mm fork, Shimano XT, Hope cranks and Pro 5 hubs. Fully serviced, full 5-year frame warranty.
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Short travel shouldn’t mean old-skool XC geometry. We blend short travel with progressive, slack geometry for confidence in the steeps and at speed.
Just the right amount of travel keeps the bike taut for the journey, and fun when you’ve pitched the tent and want an evening ride on some mountain gnarl.
Room for manoeuvre in flat-bar trail bike mode, or fit drop bars for a cockpit similar to a gravel bike.
Spec up to 130mm and harry your mates on their enduro rigs, or fit our rigid adventure fork with MTB geometry and clearances for an ultra-light, reactive ride.
A stronger, stiffer wheelset plus improved tyre clearance. Just what you need for bikepacking or trail hacking.
Legendary Reynolds 853 combined with Pace chromoly tubes in one elegant frameset, for the ultimate in strength, durability and comfort.
We’re in our thirty-seventh year of designing hardtails, and first worked with our European factory twenty-eight years ago.
20 with our RC33 carbon rigid fork, giving you virtually unlimited loading options, whether you’re off on the Silk Road or out for a weekend.
Wherever your RC429 takes you, the chances are the local bike shop stocks a spare Universal Derailleur Hanger, whatever rear mech you’re running.
“Could Pace’s radical RC429 really be the one bike that does it all? The brand claims it’s a trail, XC, adventure and gravel bike all-in-one. I put it to the test and the results really surprised me.”
It’s absolutely perfect for what I was looking for. The versatility of the bike is really useful, as I have also run it with a short-travel SID and flat bars. The bike handles anything put in its way. It’s extremely capable and so much fun to ride.
Faster than its weight would suggest and more forgiving than I would have expected. Perfect for long distance, bikepacking and ripping singletrack. Versatile and comfortable, the best hardtail I have ridden.
It is planted and assured on the downhills, even with lighter tyres, and climbs with purpose and precision. The ride is so comfortable, supple and pedal efficient. I’ve been told to slow down a few times.
