foxwelljsly
Me too, I ate one sour too.
Exactly that. 140mm of slightly slacker travel and 2.5" or 2.6" 27.5 tyres is an awesome combination on anything other than road.I think I might have dismissed the 27.5" bikes too easily. Im 5'8" which might suit the smaller framed bikes better - and also have noticed my old 26" Cube is a lot more wieldy both on tight uphill hairpins, and the snakier downhill single track than my mate's 29".
Can I ask what you mean by a slack hardtail - is that one with more rake in the front forks (like the more modern downhill bikes) ?
The Vitus Sentier is a great example, but most bike manufacturers offer something similar. They do pull up a bit heavier than a whippety 26" xc hardtail, though, with more wheel rubber and stantion.