Hi all. First of many posts on here I hope.

I have around a thousand pound to spend on a FS bike and have the following in mind, but I just can’t decide on what is going to be best. I do mostly riding around Cannock Chase but am going to be doing a lot more riding this year with trips to Afan Forest etc planned. Need something that is going to handle some black routes but not be too much a slog on the climbs. I’ve narrowed it down to the below but if anyone has any real world experience/advice with these bikes then please let me know:

Mongoose Teocali Elite (2009)
Boardman Team FS (2012)
Voodoo Canzo (2012)
Specialized Pitch Comp (2011)
Giant Trance X4 (2011)
Canyon Nerve XC 6.0 (2012)

Thanks in advance!

Canyon and Boardman are VFM
s/h gets you *much* more bike for your money – so the special offers identified above are good. Avice is to ride them, but it’s usually impractical to test them all – a ar park is no use, and you’ll spend half the price of a bike trying those ones. Use you head to cull the list, then your heart to choose the one you like best, then just ride it

try and get out on them or at least a car park spin.

Had 2 hecklers from e-bay for the £1k mark good builds just people needed to sell so keep an eye there too

Thanks for the advice guys. Unfortunately test riding them isn’t going to be a viable option really due to most of the bikes being mail order and me not having a car to get to any shops stocking them. I am very tempted by the Spesh Pitch, Boardman and the Mongoose to be honest. Is there going to be much benefit of the rock shox forks over the bombers?

Does anybody have any of the above three bikes that can swing it one way or the other?

I had a Teocali a few years ago and it was very good. A bit heavy (frame), but still climbed ok and was ace going down. The suspension was very plush and at 140mm I don’t think it has quite the kick of acceleration that the shorter travel models you mention would have.

Mine was the basic model with a coil shock. I then upgraded a few bits.

Some of the Mongoose deals on Paulscycles.co.uk look fantastic and if I was looking for something in that price bracket again, I wouldn’t hesitate.

Funnily enough, I then went to a Trance (the original 4″ model) cos I wanted something a bit more xc. The frame was a bit heavy for that travel but it was more sprightly and the expense of downhill ability. Took it to Southern Spain just fine, with 120mm forks.

Both these bikes were also when I lived near Cannock. The Trance was more suited to Cannock but the Teocali was better on bigger trips to Scotland 7 Stanes etc. The Trance was probably more versatile.

By getting new you avoid potentially worn gears, worn brake pads, badly bled brakes, suspension pivot wear etc etc. In my mind its always worth paying the extra for new (especially on a deal), unless its just frame only.

I’d compare the Teocali with the Pitch. The Boardman or Nerve are more xc orientated, and the Trance X probably sits somewhere between them.

I’ve actually just bought a Mongoose Khyber, the longer travel version of the Teocali, on a cheap deal for going to the Alps with.

From your list I’d be looking at the Boardman, Trance or Nerve XC.

If I couldn’t try before I got them I’d be looking to get the trance I reckon. Not sure there’s any logic as to why that may be, except perhaps they always seem to get great reviews.

Thanks for the great reply mtbtomo!
Your right, the deals on Pauls Cycles do look really tempting. I really like the look of the Teocali Elite, and reading reviews, the rear shock does seem to be of higher quality with pro pedal etc. I’m just a bit concerned about the extra weight and am leaning more towards Rock Shox forks as opposed to Bombers…

The reason I was looking at the Trance is because the frame set is exactly the same as the top model X1 but just with lower spec components. Those can obviously be upgraded but I’m just a bit worried that I’ll find 120mm travel too little when I’m doing the black run’s etc. This leads nicely to the Boardman with the sligtly longer 130mm travel rock shox’s…

Thanks for the advice too stumpy01! The Alivio gearset on the Trance is what is swinging it more in the Boardman’s favour though I think!

Dear god…this is hard work!

Evening,

I just got a specialized pitch comp and its a lot of fun. There are some about new for £1000.

HEard some bad things about the rear shock but it climbs ok in the saddle and I lock it out up hill.

I’ve been hitting jumps and singletrack on it so far and it flys down.

I have replaced the brakes for SLX as well as a shorter stem.

I went for a new full sus rather than second hand because of potential bearing problems and also it was really cheap in the sale.

I thought 150mm travel might be too much after going form a charge blender which really pings around singletrack. you do loose some feeling on tight sections but you can thrown it down some big stuff while still getting a lot of power though the pedals.

The Trance,Nerve and Boardman will all be capable trail bikes and will take blackruns in their.
Myself I’d be looking at the trance because the maestro system feels a lot more travel than it is!

Jay

I’d go for the pitch without hesitation.

So the Pitch is getting some shouts too!
Thanks for the input guys…

Just checked and the Pitch is only in stock in a small! Doh!
I’m 5″11, is a small going to be too…..small?

Unless anyone can point me to a Pitch Comp 2011 for £1k?

I think you’ll struggle to find a Pitch at £1000 new even reduced in the sales….

And thinking about it, the Boardman is BB30 press-fit bottom bracket. There have been issues reported on the BB30 on Boardman frames but regardless, I wouldn’t touch a press-fit bb frame unless they were the only thing available. They’re a shockingly bad idea for home maintenance or any kind of kit swapping.

So that leaves the Trance, Teocali or Nerve.

Any of those will manage the black runs fine, ability dependant of course!!

Looking at the spec of the team fs Boardman, it says it uses an FSA Mega Exo bottom bracket. I think the dearer Pro FS uses the BB30 bb. Is the mega Exo much different or better?

For the Pitch, I’m 5ft 11′ and ride a large.

I also have a Canyon Nerve Xc in a large, so am able to compare the two. TBH I really rate both bikes, but they ride very differently. The Canyon has racing geometry, so great going up hill, great on down/flat singletrack – not so good in the air and when it gets steep / rough.

For the Pitch, I run mostly with the 140mm Pikes it came with and use it whenever I go to places like Afan as I don’t mind a bit of harder work going up and definately enjoy a faster going down. I’ve also put some 160mm forks and bigger brakes on the Pitch and taken accross the channel and used in the Alps for some proper downhill stuff and it performed exceptionally well.

If I had to choose one, it would be the Pitch

Guy’s long time lurker, first time poster.

GET THE CANYON! They really are ACE bikes, as you can tell i’m a new convert ! lol

I have just got my Canyon Nerve AM 6.0 – 2011 courtesy of E-Bay, for the bargain price of £1100.00

Having read all of the great write ups and studying the website I was convinced, I’d just never ridden one, nor knew anyone who owned one.. and just as I was about to order a brand new Nerve AM one turned up on ebay with 3x 10 sram X9 groupest, Talas Fit 15 32’s and RP23 shock!

All I can say is WOW This is my first venture into a All mountain bike, and this thing is AMAZING!! climbs like a goat, decend’s like er … a goat.

TS AMAZING THE REVIEWS ARE RIGHT, and pretty light too, at 13kg.

I’m 5’9″ and weigh 90kg, I chose a SMALL as I like a nice tight cockpit, with a high saddle, and it fits me perfectly…a joy to ride.

The attention to detail on the frame and finish is second to none, internally routed cables, little canyon embossed cable rub covers, heli-tape everywhere, Schweet anodizing, its brilliant.

Oh, just for comparison, before I bought the Canyon I test rode a Trek Fuel and Specialized camber .. the Canyon EASILY outclasses, on spec, price and ride performance both of them.

Get a Canyon AM its only got a 0.5 degree difference in head angle over the XC, and slightly longer chain stays (Compare the Geo’ on the website – i did) but it works, and it’s genuinly ALL THE BIKE YOU’LL EVER NEED, you won’t be dissapoined! if you are I’ll buy it from you! lol

From your list I’d be looking at the Boardman, Trance or Nerve XC.

Ditto. Tough call between them.

Forget all of the above…. 🙂

I recently bought a Whyte E120s from Winstanleys – reduced from £2699 to £1399! Absolutely brilliant VFM and a superb bike….