Just returning to trail centre xc’ing after a few years dh and 4x- bought a Pace 303 but felt like I was going over the bars as soon as it went off horizontal so have sold that and need something to bolt my 140mm pikes and finishing kit to. My budget is severely limited so its secondhand all the way and now have a choice of 1) an 06 Meta 5.5 at c£200 or 2) 07 575 Yeti at c£350 or 3) hold out for a Blur LT though chances are slim on choice 3. I’m 5’10”, 15 st and plan to do nothing more on it than c-y-b and Cwmcarn. All advice/abuse gratefully recieved.

Either of those bikes will be fine. Buy whichever you like the most.
If it’s in good nick, I’d say the meta and spend the xtra £150 on some bling (seat dropper?). AFAIK there were no cracking problems with the early metas.

You’ll buy them all eventually, then sell them cos they’re not niche enough. Then you’ll buy something from a Peruvian company that makes 2 bikes a year, hand built from bamboo and snakeskin.

Look out for a Cannondale Prophet

Low and slack like a DH bike, light and nimble like all the best trail bikes. I was really annoyed they stopped making them, cos the Rize isn’t half as nice IMO…

You’ll buy them all eventually, then sell them cos they’re not niche enough. Then you’ll buy something from a Peruvian company that makes 2 bikes a year, hand built from bamboo and snakeskin.

Do this peruvian company have a website? I like the sound of them.

Real niche brands don’t have websites. They gently pencil their phone number onto the stomachs of Peruvian bicycling princesses. If you deserve their bikes, you will find it…

(I have no idea what bike the OP should get. Any frame with Pikes attached will be fun at Cwmcarn)

Real niche brands don’t have websites. They gently pencil their phone number onto the stomachs of Peruvian bicycling princesses. If you deserve their bikes, you will find it it will find you…

fixed that for you.

ha ha- I’m looking for the niche brand that makes me ride uphill like Lance and downhill like Peaty but without the years of training and natural talent. So far I’ve found only bikes that make me ride like Augustus Windsock uphill and Jeremy Beadle downhill but the quest continues!! And I tried that Peruvian bike but the tyre clearance wouldn’t let me put those tyres made of swan fat and whale blubber on.