On-one c456. Still got it but really don’t enjoy riding it. Geometry is a good match for previous bikes on paper, but just doesn’t feel right at all.

Ti456. It never felt right. I was so happy to see the back of it.

Yes, My Bionicon Supershuttle, felt ‘wrong’ and all weird at the front end. Looking back, maybe I should have kept it and battled on as it really was a do it all kind of bike

also the Yelli Screamy that I bought expecting it to be too large for me…sadly… it was.

Pace RC405. Nice looking thing, decent geometry, and suspension which simply didn’t work. Too hard at the start of travel, but with a significant falling rate so you were constantly bottoming out the rear shock. And when it did bottom out, the rocker hit the frame. 👿

It got 5/5 in most reviews, so I assume either they never actually rode the thing or it wasn’t made right.

I’ve had a few. The most notable was a Ellsworth I.D frame. Very tall and confused feeling so it bloody hurt me.

For me, if you don’t like it instantly, get rid or don’t buy. Bar a couple of changes it should feel ‘right’/you should know?

Another for a ti456. I saw the glowing reviews and thought ‘how come I think its ****’? Maybe you need to be a lighter rider as the c456 had ‘too rigid etc’ yet I found it compliant/good – maybe its a rider weight thing as the testers are all race snakes..?

I bought a virtually brand new Zesty off a guy a few years back and took it straight to Cannock chase for a dabble in the woods. Well the thing was horrendous on the climbs, went alright when it got moving but I was dying and I know my fitness wasn’t so bad and Cannock doesn’t have mounatins so to speak.

Anyway, I was thinking I’d made a massive mistake, all the reviews and praise are wrong, this thing pedals like cack. How can it be soooo bad.

It was then I looked more closely at the tyres and realised the gentlemen had replaced the spec’d Conti’s with dual ply Minions.

Needless to say things improved drastically after I removed that upgrade 🙂

I wouldn’t say hated, but there’s quite a few I was distinctly underwhelmed by (including a Lynsky built Soda and an air can Chumba). BITD I had a Trek 990 that lasted all of three months.

However this can be balanced by instant love of others (Soul, Rocket and Labyrinth Agile).

Go figure…

Three stand out for me.
1- fsr stumpjumper 2009.
A dull bike that’s was sooooo dull and boring to ride. dull, dull, dull.

2 – giant SL3 carbon road bike.
The integrated seatpost was I can’t and had absolutely no flex or comfort.
Just an uncomfortable bike no matter how it was set up.

3 – litespeed obed
Bendy hideous snorefest of a frame.

there’s alot of bikes mentioned here that have had a lot of hype, maybe there’s expectations not being met.
some pretty good cases for test riding.

Speshpaul +1

Not owned but bikes that surprised me on demo in a negative way were trek fuel EX (just felt wrong for me – the wheelbarrow effect) and a stumpy. Both great holes by all accounts but I just couldn’t get on with either.

Only owned 1 hike ever, so tough if it’s not good – but in this case ignorance (of other bikes) is bliss!!!!

Orange X1, a full suss Massi which fortunately only lasted a short time before I broke it and my Cotic Soul.

The first two were just rubbish, the Cotic…just felt all wrong. I just couldn’t get it to work whatever I tried so I sold it on here many moons ago.

Pace RC405. Nice looking thing, decent geometry, and suspension which simply didn’t work. Too hard at the start of travel, but with a significant falling rate so you were constantly bottoming out the rear shock. And when it did bottom out, the rocker hit the frame.

A mate had one (it replaced a Scott Genius) – it took him 2 years to admit it had been a terrible mistake. He’s now got a Scott Spark 720 which he loves.

He had interfaces between the rocker and frame too. We assumed his was just a bad one.

Surly Crosscheck. Very heavy and very flexy. Don’t know why everyone rates them.

Also, possibly an Orange Patriot 7+.

hora – Member

Maybe you need to be a lighter rider as the c456 had ‘too rigid etc’

I think the only place I’ve seen that for the C456 was that terrible what mountain bike review where they declared you couldn’t ride it down a rocky descent without stopping for a rest… Just nonsense, I think the fork was knacked and they were too busy looking for things to say about the frame to stop and think.

thegnarlycenturion – Member
Did anyone buy one and hated it to begin, before loving it? I’ve liked my bikes, I suppose I clearly havnt had enough of them!

My 2011 5-spot was exactly like that. Initially it felt really tight and cramped. Coming from a pitch its not surprising. I had absolutely no confidence riding anything techy.

NOW though, that bloody bike puts a smile on my face every time i ride it. There is absolutely nothing it does not do well. From big mountain days to xc bimbles it just excels 🙂 . I get a case of upgradeitis now and again looking at new frames, then i go and ride and i realise very quickly i have everything i need or want. LOVE IT!!!!

Soul 17.5″ and Soda 19″ both just felt wrong for my size…I needed an 18.25″. – tried for a couple of months, but sold both.

Ti456 – It just felt weird to me on anything other than a fast descent; on the flat and when climbing I felt like I was teetering on top of it. Sold after 8-10 rides.

Ibis Mojo – Initially I couldn’t get on with the squidgy suspension and low bottom bracket after my ETSX, it also didn’t climb as well. I persisted and tweaked and now…by God it’s good! Still in the shed.

Sort of had it with my Chameleon. Front end seemed too low with short forks so I had to run them a fair bit longer than I like on a hardtail. However I think its actually just the way the fork is set up as my Blender has a similar feel which I never had with the old one I had before. So gonna try a firm spring rather than the standard it currently has!

Intense 6.6
Just couldn’t get along with it. Sold soon after purchase

I had a bit of this with my Kinesis FF29. From the first ride it was obvious that it loved to climb, ate up road sections and was fun to hussle along on tamer trails. But as soon as the downward gradient got a bit high what little confidence I have went out of the window. It felt too steep, unbalanced and hard to move about on anything technical.

I’ve thought of selling it a few times and even thought of relegating it to a winter road bike. But I love the way it climbs and since I have a Five for fun on the downs I’ve stuck with it. I’ve tried various bar and stem combinations with it and I think I may finally have hit on a setup I like. Whether that is due to the latest bar/stem combo or whether I’ve got used to it, or whether riding the Five has given me a bit more confidence on the descents, I don’t know. But I have been having fun on it the last few times out, so maybe it is worth sticking with these bikes that you don’t instantly like.

Another Nicolia Helius FR. It felt like it was too short and too tall, the numbers on paper looked fine, the reality however….and the other was a Kona Explosif. Borrowed one as I was just about to she’ll out for one as a replacement for a scandvik Hummer, and it was just dull, nothing really wrong with it, but it was just…mleh.

Meta 5 – must have had some extra gravity fitted as it shot off downhill then refused to go along the flat let alone up again.

Rc305, all the compliance of an extremist girder.

My 06 Heckler took some sorting out, mainly rear shock settings, but it didn’t last long before being sold on. I had a Corratec xc hardtail, that was below par on just about every measure. And finally a c456, try as I might I could not get it to feel right.

My 06 Rocky Ridge lives on and I think my 13 Bandit will be a keeper too.

Orange 5. Dreadful thing. Felt like sitting on a fence panel trying to balance. Kept it for nearly 3 years trying various combinations of forks, stems, tyres, etc. Never felt good.

A Chumba VF2 – terrible thing, flexy rear end and it just didn’t ride like the angles suggested it should.

Cove G Spot – bouncy sofa no matter what shock I tried and not even that great pointing down. Lasted about 3 months

Evil Sovereign, built it up and rode it once, hated it, I swear it was actually trying to kill me. Took it apart as soon as I got home and rebuilt my Inbred.

2001 Stumpy FSR XC Pro. I thought it was going to be amazing with SID’s and XTR and Fox Float-R, my first full suss bike too.

I knew within about 4 rides that I had made a huge mistake chopping my 1999 Rockhopper A1FS in for it. Cheap as the rocky was, it fit me like a glove and I was faster everywhere on it.

I used it for 2 years but it’s the one bike I look back on as a mistake.

I’ve had a few, mostly due to not test riding, buying the wrong size or generally not feeling the hype

meta 4- load of dung, did nothing well, heavy, flexy, crap

cotic soul- felt dead and clunky

cotic soda- felt like it had an elastic band instead of a top tube

orange 5- test rode an 18″ and felt cramped, bought a 20″ and felt way too tall, replaced with current stumpjumper. would still have another if they did a 19″

orange 5- test rode an 18″ and felt cramped, bought a 20″ and felt way too tall, replaced with current stumpjumper. would still have another if they did a 19″

Well you’re in luck then 🙂 The latest iteration of the Five comes in 14″, 16″, 17″, 19″ and 21″

Oh yeah, and my Ellsworth Dare, but to be fair I was reasonably sure it was going to be rubbish before I bought it so I should give it marks for that. And it did ride slightly better than it rode.

Specialized Tricross, it was bloody heavy for what it was (about 25lbs IIRC), the head tube was 7 feet long and the brakes were dreadful.

Just a terrible terrible bike. Others love them.

Another DW 5 spot vote here.

Mine was a 2011. Sorely dissapointed and spent a while trying to convince myself I’d gel with it. It was too short and steep. Back end was great but it just rode like a pig.

Bought a 2012 Banshee Spitfire frame to replace it and it did everything I wanted the Turner to di…. I won’t ever get rid of it until it breaks.

JCL – Member
Stumpy Evo 26″. Not even 5% the bike the 29″ is.

I find that 8008.5% hard to believe.

Specialized tricross – had it a week before selling it, a bike that half ticks every box but does nothing well.

XTC composite 29- Couldnt get comfy, bike either felt cramped or a stretch no matter what set-up i used, and for a carbon frame it didnt climb well but was still uncomfortably stiff. Broke it and sold it, luckily didnt loose too much money. The only Giant bike ive bought i regretted.

Kona Four Deluxe. First FS bike and hated it. Put me off FS bikes for a wee while. I still prefer HTs, but have at least found a FS that I get on with (Cotic Hemlock).

Surly Crosscheck, just a piece of shite.

Scott Ransom – just felt wrong, like sitting on a sofa.

456 – Bought the 18″ which was supposedly the right size for me but it just felt way too big and would have preferred the 16″. Turned it into a commuter in the end, then sold it.

Ghost 6500 ltd. Too short. Rescued by an insignificantly longer stem (60mm changed to 80mm), and 40mm wider bars. Transformed the bike hugely.

2010 DW 5-Spot…it’s fine, in fact, it’s much better than I am (not hard tbh) but I’ve never really gelled with it. I always feel perched on top rather than as an integral part of the bike (reach & stack not suited?).

Can’t decide whether to tweak the setup (longer stem, more rise on the bars) or just strip it & sell it, then buy a Canyon or YT for next year.

Bought a Cotic BFe to replace a Rocky Ridge. I’ve had it 2 years and still am not convinced. It wanders all over on the mildest of climbs, and feels rather tall in general. My Alpine 160 simply does everything better. The BFe now hardly gets a look in. I’ve tried to like, I really have. I’ve also kept the Rocky Ridge frame.

RestlessNative – Member
Evil Sovereign, built it up and rode it once, hated it, I swear it was actually trying to kill me. Took it apart as soon as I got home and rebuilt my Inbred.

See, I spent ages trying to get an 06 Heckler to feel right, had just managed it, and then bought a Sovereign and we ‘clicked’ immediately (previous HT had also been an Inbred). Heckler got sold, but I miss it now and am secretly hoping the local I sold it to will get bored with it.