Ok I’m well out of touch with full suspension bikes these days but I’m quite keen on getting one again. It’s like there’s too much to choose from and so many great reviews.

Budget: Keen on buying a frame new or second hand for around £1500 to £2000 and building it up.

Usage: Mostly 4 or 5 hour rides on natural rough, rocky, rooty trails in Scotland but would need to be comfortable for longer all day rides too.

Spec: Preferably carbon frame. Big wheels so 29 or 27.5. I have a 29er hardtail but maybe the 27.5 wheels will be better on tight stuff and take more of a beating not sure??? I’m 6ft 2. I need quite a long top tube (XL frame) but love a bike with shortish chainstays for the handling characteristics.

It must have character and be loads of fun going down but ok on cross country trails too. It will have enough travel to take some big hits. I had a 2009 Trance which was efficient but neither that fun or able to take bigger hits but it seems they’ve come a long way since then?

It will need to have a good bearing and suspension design to cope with all the muck. It will need to sit high under power to avoid pedal strikes in the numerous rock gardens here. My old Trance was bad for this as it was low and the suspension didn’t firm up under power enough. I don’t want a bike so low it can’t cope with rocks.

I was looking at single pivot designs but the tales of flex in the rear swing arm have put me off somewhat.

Bikes I like the look of so far:

Santa Cruz 5010 (fun handling but enough travel?)
Santa Cruz Nomad (too slack for long distance rides, lack of fun in handling?)
Santa Cruz Heckler (Is flex in the back end an issue? Seem to be a popular bike and I like the simple design)
Orange 5 29er (great reviews but a flex issue?)
Giant Trance (great reviews and seem to be a better bike now but how much character and do they stiffen up enough under power?)

Whyte 29er?

Any other suggestions…..?

Ta

Bronson, 150mm travel, good bb hight, light do it all up and down and along

Bronson +1

5010, although it only has 125/130 depending on model year, it feels like it has more. I was convinced it had 140mm when I demoed it, and it still feels ace 20 months on.

Also have a nomad, which is also good enough to do long days out, just is a bit more pointed towards gravity riding, and in no way short of fun

Bronson is a compromise on both the above, but imo is a jack of all trades, master of none. Though I haven’t ridden the v2

Thanks folks I’d overlooked the Bronson. What are folks thoughts on the Heckler these days?

Any other suggestions would be appreciated too like your thoughts on 29er all mountain designs.

Heckler=single pivot bronson though no carbon option I don’t think?

There is an awesome custom carbon stumpjumper fsr 29er in the sales section that would tick all your boxes 😀

Transition Patrol?

You can have 140mm 5010 fork, back end remains the same. Like everything it depends on what how you ride. Best to get some demos. We’re all different riders, capabilities etc. Lots of good bikes out there. I’m certain for me I need a 150mm. Coming from a 2010 Zesty, which I still have and ride, I found the Pikes and stronger frame to be a great change. Medium Zesty was same as Large Bronson. Did demos and went for medium Bronson. So try before you buy, it’s a good investment.

Heckler a great single pivot option imo

Didn’t realise they’re not doing a carbon Heckler. Maybe it’s not very popular anymore. Everyone used to want one of those.

Thanks Warns it looks nice.

The 5 29 is ace and flex is not an issue in the slightest. Much preferred it to the carbon Santa Cruz Tallboy LT I demo’d. Try one before buying anything else.

Why do you think the nomads too slack for all day rides? I did some huge days/weekends on a reign that was slacker and never once thought about it!

There is a new carbon Transition Patrol on its way for the end of the year that looks very very tasty.

If you’re naming all these, look at the Pivot Mach 6. Awesome bike. My opinion has nothing do with me having one and thinking it’s an awesome… But it’s an awesome bike.

I do love a good ‘insert name of whatever mountain bike I happen to own’ is the best thread.

Mine is the best though.

Long front, short back, do-it-all? You want an Enduro Expert 29 Carbon, you do..

Long travel 29ers are a bit like Ant and Dec.

That is a bit wrong and largely pointless.

I do love a good ‘insert name of whatever mountain bike I happen to own’ is the best thread.

In that case he definitely needs a Banshee Spitfire. 🙂
I managed to demo a Bronson (admittedly not carbon) and a Spitfire, and happened to prefer the Spitfire. For what it’s worth I’m just under 6′ 2″ and ride a large in both.

Thanks for the suggestions. That’s a few more for me to check out.

glasgowdan – Member
Why do you think the nomads too slack for all day rides? I did some huge days/weekends on a reign that was slacker and never once thought about it!

Well not too slack it’s just the handling might be a bit more enjoyable with steeper angles. I’ve had slack bikes before and found them a bit lifeless on anything but downhill. From the reviews the Nomad sounds great and I’m quite tempted by a frame I’ve seen.

5010!

Nothing pointless about long travel 29ers. They’re only as pointless as any other long travel bike with any other wheel size.

I’ve got a Heckler, great bike and needs very little maintenance, but as has been said it doesn’t come in carbon. I’ve demoed the Nomad and the Bronson, the Bronson was good but not massively better than the Heckler, nice and light and chuckable, but not enough so to convince me to change. The Nomad was brilliant, a little better than the Heckler uphill despite the slackness (probably due to carbon vs alloy and VPP vs SP) and way better downhill. When I was chatting to the guy in the shop though, he said he’d gone from a Bronson to a 5010 and it was ideal for pretty much everything in the UK, so may be worth looking at if you’re fancying something a bit nippier!

Thanks ebennet that’s useful feedback. I’ll need to try out some of these bikes. I can’t find anywhere that demo’s XL unfortunately. I suppose I could try some large’s for size.

The Heckler ticks almost all of my boxes but I hear it’s quite heavy. Do you think it would be ok for all day epics with a lighter weight build? What’s it like pedalling over rough stuff and up hills?

Edit: That’s interesting. Just had a look on the Santa Cruz website and the Heckler frame isn’t much heavier than some of their other bikes that are carbon.

Trance here, great bike…can take a 140mm fork and be an excellent trail bike or fit a 160mm fork and go Enduro racing!….the DW/Maestro link suspension feels bottomless even on big hits and then really shows its magic by stiffening up nicely under power when pedalling….very light too even in metal although there is a plastic one available if thats your thing.

I used to have a Butcher, basically a tweaked Heckler, built up with xt-level kit, it came in at 30lb inc dropper and a hefty pair of Lyriks so reckon you could easily get a Heckler under that

Banshee Spitfire.

GiantJaunt – Member

Orange 5 29er (great reviews but a flex issue?)

Wouldn’t say that. Yep it’s flexy at the back because of that enormous box section swingarm but is that an issue? Some folks might hate it but stiff isn’t necessarily better. Testride would be a good idea first but it’s a brilliant bike.

Random other option- BMC Trailfox. Not the cheap one, you’ll end up replacing half of it to make it live up to the frame. But the carbon and half carbon ones are well priced. I got into mine purely because I couldn’t find a remedy or five 29 at a price I liked, but it’s worked out really well. Brilliant at the hard stuff but surprisingly good for easier XC too- I expected it to suck all the fun out of that but had a lovely time at ae and kirroughtree on it.

andylc – Member
Long travel 29ers are a bit like Ant and Dec.
That is a bit wrong and largely pointless.

Unless you want to, frexample, win the Enduro World Series, then it becomes very right and pointy

Liteville 301. Ticks all your boxes and has plenty of character. You could get an XL and then run it with 29 front and 27.5 rear and have the best of both worlds 🙂

Liteville 301

That looks very interesting thanks!