Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 45 total)
  • Best enduro bike for the money
  • swainy90
    Free Member

    Looking to spend roughly 3k. Currently looking at yt capra and specialised enduro. Is there any other good recommendation you guys think. Wanting a bike that can really handle anything from black mountain to revo. Thanks

    toomba
    Free Member

    From what I’ve seen over the last few weeks it would be a Nukeproof mega, they are getting very popular

    jamesmio
    Free Member

    In before the torrent of ‘recommend-what-you-bought’ comes in, but for £3k you’d pick up one kick-ass specced Bird Aeris.

    Noone seems to have a bad word to say about the bike, and EVERYONE has only great things to say about the company and back-up (myself included on both counts).

    Seriously well worth considering – they’re a brilliant outfit.

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    Northwind
    Full Member

    I’d back the Mega 290, the specs are a wee bit wonky but it’s a beast (I don’t own one, but I testrode it when a mate was looking to buy, very impressed) Just good numbers, decent suspension, good enough components- apart from the ****ing nobby nic, I mean really?.

    I have a thing for big 29ers and it’s definitely one of the best. Craps on the Enduro imo.

    swainy90
    Free Member

    Really??? Surprised me there dude. Don’t think they carbon though are they? Dunno if I’m thinking yt because they are best value rather than best bike

    hainman
    Free Member

    +1 for the Bird Aeris

    swainy90
    Free Member

    Never even crossed my mind the bird aeris but I am
    Now going to look at them!!!

    chakaping
    Free Member

    Look at the Radon Swoop 170 if you’re riding places like Revo.

    It rides great, can be slacked out to under 65deg HA with a flip chip and is superb value.

    Yeah I own one, but I really do think it’s the best value enduro bike on the market.

    tymbian
    Free Member

    Thought the Swoop was sold out…

    deviant
    Free Member

    Sorry to be the voice of reason but there’s no such thing as ‘the best Enduro bike’…..Dan Atherton could beat me on a £150 Halfords HT….a decent level Enduro was won in NZ recently on a Trance FFS….as always it’s whatever works for you, course layout etc.

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    .a decent level Enduro was won in NZ recently on a Trance FFS

    Subtle brag… Well done mate 😉
    Enduro is so varied that find a bike you like for what you do,that and one that fits you.

    scottfitz
    Free Member

    Bird Aeris 145 with X01 EAGLE, I would always go for spec over extra 1k for carbon frame.

    jamesfts
    Free Member

    In the theme of recommending what you own…

    Save your self £500+ and get one of these pre-ordered
    https://www.airdropbikes.com/collections/bikes/products/edit-coil

    Or if you save £700, sell the Hopes and spend it on some posh carbon wheels if you’re worried about weight
    https://www.airdropbikes.com/collections/bikes/products/airdrop-edit-pro

    br
    Free Member

    Where will actually be riding this Enduro bike, as no point buying 170mm of travel if it’s the Surrey Hills for example.

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    I would always go for spec over extra 1k for carbon frame.

    Other way round for me the running gear upgrades the frame does 4 years

    Larry_Lamb
    Free Member

    mikewsmith – Member

    I would always go for spec over extra 1k for carbon frame.

    Other way round for me the running gear upgrades the frame does 4 years

    Agreed, the parts will wear out and you can upgrade them. A good frame isnt something you can just upgrade.

    CaptainMainwaring
    Free Member

    <cough> Was about to re-post with a lower price Bronson

    swainy90
    Free Member

    I want it to do a bit of everything really from xc just to keep my fitness up to riding places like black mountain, revolutionbike park Arthur stiniog. I’ve also never been bikepark wales but been told it’s much better with a enduro and I currently have a xc bike and dh bike. My idea was to sell them both to have a bike that does it all

    joolsburger
    Free Member

    https://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s183p6535/CANNONDALE-JEKYLL-CARBON-2-2016

    And a grand for beer and chinese. Seems like plenty of bike for the cash and they win races and all sorts on them.

    Onzadog
    Free Member

    I’ve been test riding a lot of bikes just recently. I’m about 2/3rds of the way through my test list so far and the Airdrop Edit is out in front knocking some well known and well regarded bikes off the list completely.

    So, not recommending what I own but very likely to be backing this recommendation up with my own money.

    moose
    Free Member

    I love my YT Capra AL. Couple of changes to make to get it running how I like, but apart from that, it’s bloody brilliant.

    eddiebaby
    Free Member

    Edit.

    tomaso
    Free Member

    Giant Reign, Whyte G160 and Trek Remedy are all great bikes.

    But you can get an alloy Capra with Lyriks for £1900 and invest the change in a bike holiday

    And a grand for beer and chinese. Seems like plenty of bike for the cash and they win races and all sorts on them.

    All good if you can get past the fact that it fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down… 😉

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    Bird Aeris 145 with X01 EAGLE, I would always go for spec over extra 1k for carbon frame.

    If the wear rate is as good as I’ve heard then getting Eagle on a build may not be such a scarily expensive idea!

    I’d prioritise geometry and suspension behaviour first (Aeris 145 good on both counts), then decent forks and shock, then wheels and brakes and dropper. And then gears (hence why I’m still on 1×10!)

    I think going on the shorter end of enduro bike travel (140-150mm rather than 160-170mm) but with slightly more fork is a good bet for most UK enduro racing.

    scottfitz
    Free Member

    mikewsmith & Larry_Lamb

    When I say spec over carbon I mean, the perform gain from Ali to Carbon is minimal at best but the performance of entry level shocks and fork vs top end is massive.

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    When I say spec over carbon I mean, the perform gain from Ali to Carbon is minimal at best but the performance of entry level shocks and fork vs top end is massive.

    Exactly!

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    best but the performance of entry level shocks and fork vs top end is massive.

    Fair point though I’ve avoided brands that put crap on decent frames. As for forks these days even the base (so long as it isn’t a crap heavy coil) can be upgraded for sensible cash via tunes a d cartridges.

    deviant
    Free Member

    I want it to do a bit of everything really from xc just to keep my fitness up to riding places like black mountain, revolutionbike park Arthur stiniog. I’ve also never been bikepark wales but been told it’s much better with a enduro and I currently have a xc bike and dh bike. My idea was to sell them both to have a bike that does it all

    I’d get the Bird-120, it has a 130mm fork which is plenty for places like BPW, Antur etc while retaining a fairly pedal friendly 120mm back end….angles look good despite the ‘short’ travel.

    If your ego gets the better of you then go the whole hog and get the 145mm one with either the 150mm or 160mm forks…..but it ain’t going to XC as well as the other one.

    chakaping
    Free Member

    Good luck on that 120mm bike at Revo and Antur. You’ll need it.

    OP needs to go full enduro IMO – Capra if he likes a short bike, Swoop if he likes a long one. I honestly don’t think this can be beaten…
    https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/radon-swoop-170-8.0-583118/wg_id-7251

    I’m assuming by XC he just means pedaling up hills, rather than lycra and racing.

    patriotpro
    Free Member

    https://www.airdropbikes.com/

    OR

    Trek Remedy 9 RSL

    Both within budget

    jonnym92
    Full Member

    It depends what trails you’re riding at the uplift venues?
    You will want more than 130mm travel to do the bigger trails at Antur, Revo & BPW. I’ve seen people on hardtails on the blacks and ridden my hardtail at Antur on the red&blues but it’s not great and wear/failure of components is going to be higher not to mention wear on yourself!
    If you’re sticking to the blues/reds then look at lower travel.

    deviant
    Free Member

    Good luck on that 120mm bike at Revo and Antur. You’ll need it.

    Why?
    Just requires a different riding style….i have only recently had FS again and regularly rode BPW, Antur, FoD etc on a selection of 456-evo, Ragley Piglet, 45650b and a Dartmoor Hornet…..for a laugh I still dig out the Hornet for uplift duties, it’s a little ‘unconventional’ running 170mm coil springs but gives the DH boys something to think about when I’m right behind them.
    Christ. 120mm out back would be luxury!

    (That said I am nearing 40 and fully pussified, my most recent two bikes have been a 160mm trail/enduro weapon and a 200mm DH sled….age comes to us all!)

    chakaping
    Free Member

    Aren’t you the guy who increased his Trance travel to 160mm?

    Why was that again?

    deviant
    Free Member

    Pure curiosity….and wondering why Giant didn’t do it in the first place.

    chakaping
    Free Member

    So is there a reason you haven’t reverted to 140mm? Or shortened it to 120mm?

    Stevet1
    Free Member

    Aren’t you the guy who increased his Trance travel to 160mm?

    Hoisted by his own petard.
    Always wanted to say that and this seems like an ideal opportunity.

    deviant
    Free Member

    I have a HT for decent pedaling duties, I now have a 160mm FS for comfortable trail riding and a DH bike for uplift days…..variety is the spice of life, I may get a short travel 29er as my next bike, shame Orange stopped making that 110mm rear travel machine really.

    gonzy
    Free Member

    Giant Reign, Whyte G160 and Trek Remedy are all great bikes.

    But you can get an alloy Capra with Lyriks for £1900 and invest the change in a bike holiday

    with a £3k budget the OP could go for a Giant Reign 2 which retails at £2300…if he’s a cash buyer then most shops will do a significant discount whic will leave him with at least £1k to spend on upgrades.
    the freehub on the reign 2 is a steel one which might be durable but it is heavy…the wheels would be the first upgrade on that bike

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 45 total)

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