Hi,

I was thinking of getting another bike with more travel.
Probably 26″ as need a 15-16″ / small frame.
I currently have 120mm reba hard tail

Local ride is climbing up quite a steep hill (Dumyat) and blast back down. Also for trail centres, general mtb in scotland. I will be keeping the steel hardtail.

Wondering how I would find trying to climb steep steady climbs? I would need the granny ring.

A couple of discounted bikes I was looking at are.
£1500 budget maybe a bit more.

BMC Trailfox TF02 2011 Mountain Bike
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bmc/trailfox-tf02-2011-mountain-bike-ec024706#features
There are newer / similar versions too.

And
Nukeproof Mega AM Comp Bike
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=75658
Probably a bit too much bike for me but good price.

The above along with the pro version I understand don’t have fork travel adjustment or lockout. How would I get on? The nukeproofs are quite a bit heavier too.

Cheers Iain

I’ve taken my Norco Fluid lt, which is 160mm front and back, up and down Dumyat and found it ok going. I don’t know much about how the bikes above ride uphill with their suspension designs, but winching in the granny ring shouldn’t be a problem if your smooth.

Mega is a beast of a 160mm bike in some ways.

I was happy as anything climbing on a Nomad C, the Orange Alpine was OK, My hackler (only 150mm but 160 up front) was and still is fine.

Head angle will make a difference on the steeper stuff, fork lock down helps here.
Weight is what it is, the heavier the bike the harder to climb genrally but suspension design and shock platform make a difference (used no lockout on the nomad, full on with the orange and heckler)

I still run 2×9 and will continue with 2 chain rings until 11 speed is cheap. for me there is always need for a winching gear especially where I used to live in the lakes, 25% is tough without it.

Just looking at the BMC, it’s got a RP2 not a 23 which is better and the fork is a Talas RL, TALAS is very linear so without any low speed compression it is bad and divey.
Nukeproof looks a decent spec but may be a lot of bike

I’ve ridden a Labyrinth Agile with 160mm Bos Devilles (and a slackset to reduce HA to 66 deg) up and over the Firmounth (in Glen Tanar outside Aboyne) which has a proper 1.5 hour grannie gear climb for a kick off and other than a tendancy towards wheel flop at the very steep it was actually really, really good.

Also taken a Cotic Rocket at 150mm forks up it which was no problem either (well other than my legs, lungs, heart, etc…).

Both were non (or un) propedalled, fully open rear shocks too.

But then I hate propedal as rule.

So I’d say, with the right bike, yes 160mm is okay.

160 bikes are perfect all rounders, don’t listen to all the “too much bike” hardmen. they only dislike them because their spindly office boy arms aren’t strong enough to lift the extra kilo or so onto the audi’s roof rack.

I have an Alpine 160, it’s what has been referred to in the past as a “winch and plummet” bike.

As long as you don’t expect to be able to climb hills like a mountain goat with chilli oil on its bollocks you’ll be fine. It’s just a case of sitting there and grinding the climbs into submission.

Naturally the fun starts once you point the nose downhill…

Thanks for the replies.

Has anyone put a shorter, lighter fork on a Mega frame?

Quite the bargain that Nukeproof.

Here is my 33lbs, 160mm travel bike at the top of a Munro… correct tool for the job if the descent is demanding enough (and your the kind of rider willing to winch the climbs to enjoy the descents… IMHO etc).

I know people say bikes like this are too much for a trail centre etc but who cares… if you’ve got the legs to get it to the top you can enjoy the downs. I’d rather take a bike like this and hammer it than take an XC bike and be forced to mince the fun bits.

I got an alpine 160 wieghing 32lb which climbs pretty well, much like what Johnellison says. just doesnt thave the trail zip of a carbon 120-140mm trial bike.

I’ve tried a lapierre spicy and nomad also at 160mm and found the spicy very quick up, and down. Didnt like the Nomad climbing so much, more the pedalling platfrom, but still a very nice bike.

160mm bikes climb fine. Go for it.