Afternoon guys,

I’ve just sold my Commencal Meta AM29 simply due to it not being used as it’s too burly for what I really need. The number of times I go to BPW etc it’s just not worth having an expensive bike lying round.

But I’m now left with a bit of a dilemma of N-1

I’ve got a nice spec Charge Cooker, XT, Hope Pro2’s/Crests, Formula RX’s, REBA’s etc. It’s an excellent HT and rides really well. But I’m wondering if I should now pick up a lightish XC orientated 29er or if that’s just a bit pointless ?

The Charge is worth more than the sum of it’s parts, plus with it being winter I like the simplicity of it. But as we all know, HTs are slightly harder on the back/bum than the FS, even short travel FS’s.

My list is mostly 100mm travel bikes but I’m also considering some other alternatives.

List:
Cannondale Rush 29 £1100
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s154p5418/CANNONDALE-RUSH-29-1-2014

Giant Anthem X29er 4 £1000
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s154p4844/GIANT-ANTHEM-X-29ER-4-2013

Used Lapierrie Zesty trail 429 £1200
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131416963731?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Spearfish Frame £500 then build with spares/new.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/mbf/Summary?MyEbay&gbh=1
For this I’d need brakes, bars, stem, grips, headset, BB, cranks, ideally forks. So cost would be about the same as the bikes above.

But the big question is… I’ve got a Cooker, it rides well, is nicely spec’d and I have no issues with it..

So do I really NEED a 29er XC.

Also… if not one of the above bikes… what SHOULD I go for instead.

I’ve debated a Solaris, I love the look of the Cotic, but not sure it would give me anything over the Cooker, I’d have to sell the Cooker as REALLY pointless having 2 29er HT’s…. and I don’t really want to sell the cooker.

I know it’s a First world problem kind of debate.. but sod it… if you’re happy to discuss then I am.

Whyte m109 2014 in cycle surgery sale

http://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/mountain-bikes-c1/full-suspension-c16/giant-anthem-x-29er-2-mountain-bike-2014-p3813/s9840?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=giant-anthem-x-29er-2-mountain-bike-2014-size-large-40132026&utm_campaign=product%2Blisting%2Bads&gclid=CjwKEAiAjNemBRCgp_vymcvVym0SJACRp_UZBzGTIyItep52mRUHwQ4wWJ4WOqB51UkwZMONvJr8PRoCrazw_wcB

Add the Anthem X29 – 2 at Triton at £999.

http://www.cyclesurgery.com/whyte-m-109-2014/whyte-mtb-full-suspension-bikes/bikes-components-bikewear/fcp-product/52472?listing=true

It’s adding a bit on the budget really Rich… £1299 instead of £999 for the now list topping Giant…

I think you’re coming at it back to front. What are your plans for the next 6 months, 1 month, week etc as far as your riding goes? And can the Charge cope?
I’m not so sure ending up with two lower-middle ranged bikes is worth it. Keep the £1000 in the bank and see how your cycling goes.
You might suddenly decide you want a BMX 😀

If it was me, I’d sell the Charge and put whatever it made into the f/s budget 🙂

Whilst your plan isn’t bad, even in it’s current spec the Charge is a £600 bike used. Which is WAY too much of a bike for the money along with being not enough money to make a difference in purchase price of a ‘better’ bike than say the Giant Anthem X29. To get into the next ball-park of light/fast, I rekon I’d be looking at £2500 instead of a grand. Which in my world simply isn’t an option right now.

As for the next 6 months… Yeah the Charge can cope, admirably too with 99% of the rides, it’s only the odd Llandegla ride or maybe the odd Afan where it would be preferable to have the FS option in all honesty.

Keeping the £1000 in the bank simply isn’t happening, you’ve met me enough to know the £1000 is going to be invested in the next 24 hours… it’s just a question of where and when.

Option 2 is a bike for trackday at Portimao in April, a little 600 trackbike maybe lol.

The 2nd anthem you linked is Overdrive 2……

granny_ring – Member

The 2nd anthem you linked is Overdrive 2……

Only read a little on that, but surely only an issue if you’re planning on changing out the forks etc ?

You don’t race so why do you care about the next ballpark of light/fast?

£1600 must open a few more options doesn’t it??

What about a £1300 frame to whack the Charge bits on? (£1k plus money for Charge frame)

Or throw £1000 of wheels/group set at the Charge??

I still don’t think buying another slightly different bike for a grand makes any sense 🙂

Only read a little on that, but surely only an issue if you’re planning on changing out the forks etc ?

If I was to buy one I’d get a lower spec one with normal overdrive as I would like to try 120mm forks and selling the 100mm tapered forks on would be easier I guess?

You don’t race so why do you care about the next ballpark of light/fast?

£1600 must open a few more options doesn’t it??

What about a £1300 frame to whack the Charge bits on? (£1k plus money for Charge frame)

Or throw £1000 of wheels/group set at the Charge??

I still don’t think buying another slightly different bike for a grand makes any sense

Don’t think a £1300 frame would give me anything, the Charge frame itself ain’t that bad/heavy that another frame would be massively better

Again, a groupset/wheel combo wouldn’t give me anything at all really. I could only get fractionally lighter/better than the Hope/Crests and a Crankset would be marginal.

Even £1600 doesn’t bring anything to the table that’s an improvement over the Giant or the Spearfish that’s just come up on Ebay.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131423381901?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I guess what makes the most sense really would be a HT that’s a bit more Gnarcore 😉 that the Charge and sell the charge… but that would upset me a bit as I like the Charge and I’ve put effort into it.

But for example there’s a nice spec Solaris on here for £900, which would give me a nice XC/gnar bike I think once I’d changed the brakes over and sold the Charge… but then I’ve put £400 into the bike for example and then only got 1 bike, so no backup bike (which I like having)

I was looking at the Parkwood from On-one but seems to have gone up in price as it used to be £999 with the dropper I thought ?