I will be making the move to a short travel 29er next, I have generally been considering a Smuggler or Process 111, however I keep coming back to the new Orbea Occam TR carbon, I think for majority of my riding this would be an ample bike and more than likely much quicker at covering ground than the other two which would be a bonus for me riding straight from home. The New Kona hei hei is also an intriguing bike, it looks like another great option for people who don’t want full on a XC riding position but still a fast and capable bike.

proper XC bike = short travel HT = fracking uncomfortable for us oldies!

Will be 43 years young this June, and easily the best “mountain bike” I’ve had so far, in many years of riding and many bikes.

Surprisingly comfortable for a hardtail, definitely some witch craft going on in the frame. And the full carbon Easton seat post adds some smoothness with all that extension, despite the large 30.9mm diameter

seems singletrack mag liked it much when they reviewed the previous year model (same frame):

http://singletrackworld.com/reviews/giant-xtc-advanced-29er-2/

Having recently done two contrasting local events, Gorrick (XC) enduro and QECP (Gravity) enduro, I’d say both XC and Enduro events are very popular- there were nearly 100 riders in the Gorrick 4 lap race! Interestingly I saw a lot more bling short travel 2015/16 bikes at Gorrick than equivalently priced Gnarpoons at QECP.

Horses for courses. I’m lucky to have both. My XC bike is a short travel 29 FS, similar geo to a Camber. It does the majority of my riding. However, as I have a big 160mm enduro bike as well, then a significant proportion of my riding is steeper, techier, etc. Some days I want to do one, some the other- I’d always like to ride more on the big bike though!

Trend wise, I thought the current trend is the 120-130mm trail bike anyway? (Whyte t130, Cannondale Habit, Devinci Django, etc?) Maybe XC bikes are the next big thing though, but I’m so ahead of the curve I’ve just bought a new Enduro bike… 😉 #nuDuro

I’d go back to the tyres thing as a starter – I soloed 24/12 on a mix of a Blur 4X with 2.25 Racing Ralphs front and rear and a Ragley Ti with similarly quick tyres. I was never going to trouble the podium, but they were happily top 20 paced. Unless your Bandit is built super heavy, I’d have thought it’d be just fine. Or stick something like a Rock Razor on the back with a grippier tyre up front.

Cross bikes are ace in their own way. Mine’s been over Cut Gate and various other Peak monstrosities – it’s not as quick as a full-on mountain bike, but it’s great for mixing up easy trails, back lanes, proper roads etc. I’ve done stuff like head over the tops on the Pennine Bridleway then back over Holme Moss on the road taking in stretches of bridleway and back lanes in between.

You won’t be as quick on technical stuff as you would on a full-on mtb, but unless you’re a Strava victim, who cares? Since when has riding bikes been just about being faster, different bikes are just, well, different. If you do get a crosser though, disc brakes are a good call.

I am of course, old and slow and fat and unfit…

Occam TR carbon would be an amazing all round bike, along with a Smuggler carbon if it exists. Been riding our demo Occam AM quite a bit, really fun bike.

bensales – Member
That’s similar to how I felt with my Five. Going down or along, it was awesome. But get out of the saddle and sprint up a hill? No chance, felt like riding in treacle.

Oranges are great when you arn’t pedalling or braking.

I recently posted a topic about hunting for a short travel, slack 29er, in an effort to consolidate two bike (Sherpa and Trance). After a bit of thinking and a spreadsheet with build weights, the 29er frames on the list (there was a budget constraint) were no lighter (Smuggler frame is heavier than the trance!) than the trance and had 20mm less travel. Was cheaper to build up the Trance frame I already have.

Come to the conclusion I can’t do with less than 4 bikes:
-29er hardtail (midweek xc training rides, mixed group included CX’ers)
-4x hardtail for pump track/bmx tracks
-Enduro gnarpoon (Steep, technical, fast riding – Bringewood, bucnell, revs)
-Trail bike (for everything in between the 29er and gnarpoon)

I have a XC bike and it is perfect for 99% of what I do but I keep looking at something with more travel for the odd away day. I keep telling myself that it would hardly get used and I am better off renting something when I need it.

Yet somehow my ebay watch list and internet history is full of longer travel bikes. I think I am about 2 pub trips away from buying something online when I get back 😀

I keep telling myself that it would hardly get used and I am better off renting something when I need it.

I’m similar, with 2-4 trips to wales a year.

This thread is interesting – I have a modified Anthem 29, so 100mm, AC Wheels 1×11 Carbon bars…

But cantr help thinking I should buy this for short course racing…

http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/Giant-XTC-Advanced-27.5-0-Ex-Team-Bike–Red-.html

…and put a 120mm fork on the Anthem/buy a play bike. I’d still want the anthem for 12/24’s though.

😐

Pivot Mach 4; probably the most versatile bike I’ve ever had.

23.5lbs, 120mm/115mm travel, takes internal dropper, seems durable enough. That’s the same weight as a few Sworks epics I’ve weighed, but it’s a load more capable than those though as it’s a bit more “trail” geometry than XC race.

For the Horsethief lovers out there, my medium Alu Split Pivot version is for sale with a CK headset and BB, and with or without Pikes too.

Any interest – drop me an email? Email address in profile.

I have a Scandal 29er and a 26″ soul, Scandal is built up sensibly, xt, rebas, 2×10, hopes on stans etc, soul has a dropper, 120mm reba, 2×9, hope hoops, big tyres, wide bars.

Most of my riding is xc, mortimer, bringewood, hopton, local woods, if I’m pedaling out to the trails I take the Scandal, driving, the Soul goes.

But I also do mtb marathom events, doing the 45k this year, and trips to FoD, NyA, CyB, plus others fairly regularly.

I’m considering going down to one bike to simplify things, possibly a Sherpa, thoughts?

I got an orbea occam late last year. 120mm front and rear 29er, 23.5lb ish. Over the last 20 years I’ve what lots of folks seem to have done and gone for more travel, but I have to say the occam is simply the best bike I have ever ridden. Fast uphill and pretty damn good downhill too. Did Dfyi on it and it was faultless. Smashed last years time by 45 minutes. Only issue is the price but it’s worth every penny.

OK I am sold, suggest to me some xc full sus no more than 4″ travel bikes that might be found second hand 26″ wheels are fine I can think of

Kona kikapu
giant NRS
Specialized stump jumper
Cannondale scalpel

The stumpy has around 6″ travel

Well if you go back far enough you will get to 4″ travel 2004 ish.

True, but why on earth would you want a 2004 stumpy?

Giant Anthem.

SC Superlight

Stumperjumper FSR is Specialized’s trail bike. The Stumperjumper hard tail, or Epic are their XC bikes.