5010 owners, a quick question. I know it’s a shorter or mid travel bike (relatively compared to Nomad and Bronson type of bikes). Would you say this is as much at home doing places like BPW, very occasional bit of downhill (Cwmcarn DH, FoD, Antur, Aston Hill etc), the Alps even, as much as I assume it is great as a general trail bike and I guess a good climber?

Looking at moving from an old mk2 ali Nomad and new Nomad is a bit too slack and freeride/DH I think for me, though I love the look of it. Not so keen on the Bronson for some reason I can’t quite put my finger on. The 5010 looks good. Seems more of a geometry for me, my size and my kind of riding.

Dilemma is whether 130 travel is enough. I rarely go though more than that at the front (a bit of a waste of the 170 Lyriks on the Nomad! though they are super plush), but usually go through most of 160 at the rear but then I’m running a CCDB Air fairly soft and no spacers. My hard tail has 150 Pikes so would be odd having a full sus with less travel at the front, but then I probably don’t max out the Pikes anyway. Though the 150 on it does get me the right angle at the front so I wouldn’t want lower on the HT.

Depends how fast you want to go and how good you are I suppose.
I’d probably get a Bronson if I were you, with the new geo changes it’s a lot better than it was although I kind of get what you mean, it just isn’t as desirable as the hightower to me.

Not a 5010 owner but I have gone from a 2012 TR Covert to a Scout with less travel. I still ride the same stuff I just need to be better at it and pick my line a little more carefully.
I don’t miss the longer travel 99% of the time. The Covert felt like a bludgeon compared to the Scout, which was fun in its own right but was never going to make me a better rider.
I went up a size to a large for the Scout also which fits better with the newer ‘long front centre’ probably made a bigger difference than the travel with regards to general riding.

it just isn’t as desirable as the hightower to me

That’s another tempting option 😀 . Looks similar to a Nomad, but 650b+ or 29er. Shorter travel, but with the plus wheel do you run them softer like fat bikes? Or 29er option. I wouldn’t likely go 29.

I have a v2 5010 and ride it on all the steep, technical trails of the Tweed Valley and it is brilliant! Snappy, stiff, fun it is a great bike. I have changed the air shaft in the forks and upped the travel at the front to 140mm to give me a bit more but never feel like I run out of travel at the back. Dirt School’s Andy Barlow raves about his and Nash Masson hammers his racing with a set of 150mm Fox 36s on!

That’s another tempting option . Looks similar to a Nomad, but 650b+ or 29er. Shorter travel, but with the plus wheel do you run them softer like fat bikes? Or 29er option. I wouldn’t likely go 29

Man, I don’t even like 29ers and I’m not convinced that 275+ or whatever is here to stay, but that bike……
I wonder if you could just put normal 650b tyres on the plus bike?

Bronson owner 150mm found its a do it all travel really, the geometry of the frames is so close to the 5010.

What I do like about the Bronson is its BB height over Nomad and 5010 but that’s just IMHO. As always depends on what and how you ride.

It wasn’t at home on the blacks at bpw but was great on the blues. I took mine on a few uplift days – bpw, fod and regularly to s Wales dh spots and felt the lack of travel was limiting. Sold it for something more suitable to where I usually ride.

I am on a v1 and its my only bike. I ride everywhere on it – trail centres, local trails (ae, mabie, tweed valley etc), endures, spain, lakes, xc races, ten under type events and so on.

I have a set of 150mm Pikes on the front which are great. ok on really rough stuff it may get a bit overwhelmed but that’s not what its designed for or I bought it for. For 90+% of my riding its brilliant.

Ratboy types and some on here who are better riders will exploit its capabilities even more.

mmm that’s interesting, I can’t do the black at BPW with my Solo, and I found the red challenging. So maybe that’s the answer, I’ve got the wrong bike.

BPW red challenging ^^

Every so often mine reminds me that it has ‘only’ 125mm or so of travel but then it does make you feel great when you ride it hard and fast – running 140mm fork and tempted to up it to 150mm to make it a bit more rowdy. I’m on the v1 frame and find it’s great for any riding I do, even a week or so in the Alps each year

Although only having ridden one on a short demo loop, it’s a massively capable bike and, in the right hands, would be able to take on most stuff. I certainly didn’t think it would struggle too much doing the kind of stuff I ride.

As an all-round bike though I’d probably opt for 140-150mm forks and sure you could even put a piggyback shock on it, but suppose it then creeps into Bronson territory.

If you’ve not ridden a Bronson, definitely try one. With their more generous sizing on the 2016 frames, you can go with your “normal” size and, on a medium, I found it to be an absolute riot.

If 10% of your riding is DH and bike park stuff and the other 90% general trail riding and AM stuff, a 5010 would fit the bill. There is a degree of cross over with the Bronson so depends on whether you want the extra stability in the rough stuff the Bronson brings or whether you’d prefer the greater pedal efficiency of the 5010.

Either way, I think they are genuinely both excellent bikes.

I have a V1 Carbon 5010 and it’s a blast. I have no problem riding it at BPW (all of the trails), Snowdon trips, trail centres, rocky stuff in the Peaks. Is it as plush and plowable (?!) as a Nomad, hell no, but it’s still very capable if you stay on your toes and don’t get stupid.

With a GOOD rear shock (I’m running a pushed RP23), a proper fork (I use a Marzocchi 350CR) and proper tyres it should be more than enough for a decent rider.

The V2 looks even more aggressive and capable. I think I’d prefer the lower BB and steeper HA on mine though, it’s a great all-rounder.

Just and FYI, my recently purchased 5010 came with a 140 PIKE (IN THE UK)

I have a last years 5010 in aluminium and a nomad 2 in carbon. As many said above the 5010 is a superb sharp trail bike and can handle more rough ground than one would imagine on its fairly short travel suspension . I think if you regularly “downhilled” it you would wreck it . Yes it’s a strong bike but doesn’t have the reserve for accidental big landings to flat etc you might do on an DH course. I think the 5010 can be ridden on almost anything but you just have to reign it in a bit whereas the Nomad is much bigger hit. When I took my 5010 up to the highlands where I ride the nomad the same rock garden I motor through on the nomad felt steeper and tougher on the 5010. My nomad is superb going down hill but can still be peddled up, it’s coil shocked each end for ultimate reliability . I love riding the 5010 and it’s my ultimate all round trail bike but the Nomad is much better on gnarly bits. The new Bronson someone mentions above might be a good compromise against the new bigger slacker Nomad. However if DH is very important to you and you have only1 bike I would go nomad. Of course it’s also important to fit in with what your mates are riding too . If you are on a nomad and they are all on short travel extra light trail bikes you might not feel right especially if your fitness isn’t as good as theirs.

V2 5010 here with 150mm Pikes.
Very capable bike, nothing seems to phase it.
It feels well balanced and stays on line.
Tried the Bronson at the same time as the 5010 and preferred the nimble 5010 over the sluggish (at my speeds) Bronson.
previous bike was a 2012 Blur LTc with 140mm rear travel and i would say the 5010 V2 feels like its has more travel than the Blur….

@zelak999

Do you find the 150 makes it a little light on the front up steep hills. I find my 140 a bit light, can’t imagine 150!

By the way if u get a 5010. I also definitely recommend choosing the pikes rather than some of the other options. Mine has the 150mm pikes on which are superb and complement the frame well as they track very well and are nice and stiff with good damping .

@ryder

Just move slightly forward on the saddle. The 5010 was designed for 150s up front . Mine climbs almost as well as my ti hardtail

@ryder nope i dont find it light at the front at all and thats with my saddle right back.

This is what it is perfect for, it’s not a downhill bike 🙂 [video]https://vimeo.com/67430580[/video]

@dk Peaty et al have a facebook page on the 5010, clearly not your average riders but the bike doesn’t seem to hold anyone back 🙂

@tom – edit out the s from https

I can’t really comment on the 5010 as I only had a quick test ride. but if you like your mk2 nomad then you will like the mk3 even more. I have ridden the mk2 a lot and own a mk3. The mk3 is better at everything including uphill. I would definitely try a 5010, Bronson and nomad before you buy anything. For me the Bronson is pretty pointless. Not as good as a 5010 uphill and not as good as a nomad downhill and no better uphill to boot(mk1).

I ride a HT at BPW, So I wouldn’t worry about a ‘lish travel’ bike working there

Thanks for the feedback, very interesting 🙂

I know you can ride much everything on many/any kind of bikes. I’m interested in taking the HT to BPW just for a laugh. Seen plenty do Cwmcarn DH on hard tails. I surprise myself even around Surrey Hills when I take the HT out, just how capable it is. It’s just harsher on the rear and I’m using the legs as suspension.

The Nomad though really is plush, especially with the Lyriks and CCDB Air. It comes alive when it’s given good rough terrain and hit it at speed. I’d like to keep as much of that feel as possible if I replace it.

Or I could keep it. Just I need replacement wheels and been thinking maybe this is the time to consider 650b and thus new frame etc.

+1 is an option, though I’m running out of space for it and was thinking more of a singlespeed and/or a fat bike 😀

Radioman – Member
Of course it’s also important to fit in with what your mates are riding too . If you are on a nomad and they are all on short travel extra light trail bikes you might not feel right especially if your fitness isn’t as good as theirs.

Very true 😀 , though also a dilemma as I ride with a mix of groups during the week and weekend and riding varies between weekend warriors on burly bikes doing steeps and gnar (and me mincing around all the gaps), and fast singletrack to xc evening rides where half of them are on light 29ers and I need something to keep up 😀 . But then I generally use the hard tail for that, even though it’s old 26 wheels and 150 forks and slack by comparison (c456).

I ride a HT at BPW, So I wouldn’t worry about a ‘lish travel’ bike working there

I have ridden a HT there loads of times (and antur and cwm) but it’s hardly the best tool for the job if you like the reds and blacks. Much like a short travel trail bike really.

Build/geometry>>>>>>>>amount of suspension travel.

You’re surrey hills/swinners/TH rider right?

Big enduro bike is too slow for the flatter stuff, infinitely more fun at swinners/TH and blues/reds at BPW on my smuggler. Smuggler is way more fun for general riding in surrey hills too.

Big enduro bike only comes out for mucking about and uplift days, where it only really feels worth it on the blacks.

Yeah, basically. In the main, SH/TH/Caesars etc, bit of Swinley. Then odd days Aston, Rogate, Afan, Cwmcarn (trail or DH), BPW, FoD and others. Also Morzine a couple of times.

I could just keep the Nomad and fix up new wheels. Keep for muck about days, and then another for a general trail bike. Though the HT is my general go to bike these days and I prefer for a lot of stuff. Do like a bit of suspension round SH though, but still nice to mix it up.

Maybe three bikes. HT, light trail full sus, big bouncer.

I pretty much have what you just described. A hardtail (chameleon), xc full suss (anthem), xc trail (trance) and my mk3 nomad. I pretty much always pick the nomad for any type of riding. It’s just more fun everywhere. The trance never gets ridden any more as its rubbish up and down compared to the nomad and the anthem is about as dull as a mtb can get. Yes it’s fast but I’m not interested unless I’m having fun. Overbiked is a stupid term that is irrelevant if you have chosen to ride that bike over others you have.

If I were you I would upgrade the nomad you have. Just because new stuff has come out doesn’t mean your nomad is rubbish. The bigger wheels add absolutely nothing to how much fun a bike is.

I’ve got a v2 5010. Geometry and weight is basically the same as a Bronson.

If you go Alps riding once a year then go Bronson. I can’t comment on the bike parks you listed, as I’ve never been.

But for Scottish (my territory) riding then 5010 is as much as you’ll ever need. I’ve only done the Alps once, and would take my 5010 if I ever did go back. But I’m more likely to go to a more pedally destination in future (Lake Garda for example).

I take mine to the Alps, but I ride steep and rooty rather than park stuff. I love it!

On the upgrade, aside from Nomad needs new wheels after broke one, the Lyriks can take the charger damper upgrade and the rest is fine as is. CCDB Air is lovely so would keep that. Ali frame though. Could do with shedding some weight.

If we’re honest, 95% of the time a shorter travel bike is all we need. No point in buying a big bike for that one week of the summer you go to the Alps.

I still race DH & Enduro on my one bike, which is still a 160mm thing, albeit a bit longer, lower & slacker than a new Nomad, but in reality, a well set up 5010 or a carbon Scout (hurry up Transition) is probably the more suitable bike in the south of England, even with the racing.

If I was you I would probably try to keep the old mk2 Nomad and keep it set up for the more gnarly rides and get a 5010 for everything else. That’s what I have done. I also have a 456 hardtail for winter and mud. As many said above 5010 is totally capable but I wouldn’t want to wreck it on uplift days, plus I keep it relatively light for trail rides at which it totally excelled . Yes it loves small kickers and some drops but if wouldn’t appreciate constant hammering. You might not get that much for your Mk 2 Nomad and it will probably have more value to you than somebody else making you a lowball bid for it. I love my my 2 Nomad and it’s my bike of choice for big mountain riding.