Which is more pedalable? The bike will be used for 3 hour rides, but i have good strength and my pitch in its 34lb guide didn’t really hold me back.

Which is more fun to rag? I don’t want something that mumbs the riding sensation, I don’t want get out of trouble for free travel, i just want a bike the is poppy, and monoverable and feels great in the air. I’m a BMXer so am used to manning up to rough landings and prefer the feel of controlled impact rather than big pancake wallow.

I assume the sx trail has “better” suspension design, active under breaking, better at square edge(?), it has less peadal feedback which a major plus for me.

What is everyones opinons and verdicts?

I’ll assume you mean the 2012 SX trail? Seems a bit OTT for 3 hour rides, it’s a 180mm travel freeride bike, surely that’d be horrible for riding up any hills. Not due to the weight, just because it’s got so much travel, and isn’t designed for being ridden up hills. Slowrider coped admirably on his Bottlerocket on the last Peaks Pootle. I had a go and it pedaled well,didn’t notice any bob. I think a bottlerocket is more similar to what you’re looking for, a stiff, bombproof bike that pedals adequately.

I should of mentioned older sx trails, so the 170mm square framed version, ~06-08.

Don’t Bottlerocket frames weigh about 10lb? Either one will be a chore, but if he’s a fit lad, then why not?

I think a regular comment about sx trails as been that they’re a fairly active rear end, which does become a bit energy sapping. Having said that, when my only bike was a 224, I managed ok with that on all day rides around the Peaks.

Hora used to have an SX trail and used that around the Peaks, might be worth asking him?

I don’t want something that mumbs the riding sensation, I don’t want get out of trouble for free travel, i just want a bike the is poppy, and monoverable and feels great in the air. I’m a BMXer so am used to manning up to rough landings and prefer the feel of controlled impact rather than big pancake wallow.

how about something shorter travel then?
transition double?
SX (the 4″ one)?
killswitch?

I had an 07 SX Trail, and now ride a Mk1 Bottlerocket.

SX Trail is lighter, more pedallable (still nowhere near a XC bike, at least how mine was built).

BR is heavier, tougher, better for mad huckz etc.

Not sure which is better for jumping. Depends a lot on build I guess.

To be honest I wouldn’t want either as a trail (up and down) bike.

GW-Thing is with these 100mmish slopestyle bikes is low seattube height.

I didn’t get on with my 07 SX at all, it did jump lovely but the rest of the time it just felt baggy and, well, excessively bouncy and squishy. Sounds like you might like it tbh, but I just couldn’t see any point to it for me, since I don’t spend my days on the jumps- descends like a trail bike, climbs like a downhill bike.

Thought all bottle rocket’s were 16″ seattube? 😕
the short travel SX is 16″ too.
double and killswitch are smaller.
pivot 4X (or whatever it’s called) would be close to what you’re after too but IIRC it’s 15″

how tall are you?

being a BMXer why not ride a (short travel) hardtail? for anything involving climbing up to hit jumps on the way down it should be ideal, no? not quite as fast as a full sus massively more fun to “rag” a HT IMO

my br weighs 33lb an rides up/down/along 🙂

of course a lot of SX’s have DHX5’s so you can dial in a load of propedal for the climbs / mellower days. (The spare medium SX trail frame I have for sale sure does.)

I run my SX trail instead of a downhill bike, it’s very capable, it really excelled in the alps though, for longer lift assisted days with elements of traversing.

If you like a BMX feeling full susser keep an eye out for a Mountain Cycle Battery.

I tried the whole play hardtail thing for ragging, was too close to my BMX. It’s too much sacrifcing covering rough ground comfortably. The MTB is there to get awesome some things that I can’t do on my BMX.

I like MTB because it is different enough to BMX. If that makes sense?

I didn’t know the SX splope style had a 16″ seat tube, but even 2nd hand, too expensive for me.

I need to be able to get 25″ from bb to seat, with good adjustability. With the sx trail, a medium would be high enough that a dropper post would be enough.

oliverd1981 – what price/year/condition on the sx?

2007 in that colourway. Very good condition for year, no play in the suspension. Around £330 including a headset and a scoper seatpost. I only changed as I found a large one on here.

Based near Newcastle, mail in profile.