Dear STW Brain Trust.

For the first time in 4-5 years I’ll be getting a new, new bike soon(ish).

I’ve been riding big trail bikes since way before it was fashionable – 2006 Enduro all the way till 2011 with a Spicy, till it got nicked, then another Spicy, until I bought a SH Cove G-Spot frame about 18 months ago, it’s great, but it’s a heavy hard-core beast that’s great at BPW, the Alps and if/when you’re really get shifting on any trail really, it’s just a bit of a lump when you’re not so I fancy a change.

I had my heart set on a Capra, I like the look, I like the ride, a few friends have them and I really like the price!

But…

PInkBike Linky

I read this and it makes a lot of sense to me and kind of explains why SC make the Nomad and the Bronson when, on paper, they’re so similar. I know the Capra is much lighter, it will no doubt climb better than my G-Spot, but it’s still going to be an agro bike.

So I’m back to the drawing board and open to suggestions, and everyone loves a ‘what bike’ thread: Some must haves

It needs to be a ‘big trail bike’ around 150-160mm travel, I don’t subscribe to the N+1 mantra as I don’t have the room, nor money for more than one bike. Also whilst I’m absolutely sure there are a good number of 19-year-old lads with 26″ waists and 3% body fat who can nail Alpine Black Runs on HT with short forks and whatever, I’m old, fat and held together with bits of metal – I need 6″ of talent compensator.

Complete bike.

Some nice to haves:

650B
Carbon Frame.
Good enough spec (don’t care about fancy kit with £200+ cassettes, but needs a dropper, 1x gearing and decent fork/shock).
Ideally YT type pricing.

One of the most obvious answers is of course a Bronson, but they VERY expensive – like that, but cheaper. £2750ish.

Canyon Spectral CF looks like a good bike for most UK riding

Zesty 527 might fit the bill too!

This was what I went for

http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bikes/mountain/enduro/enduro-elite-650b

Zero complaints so far. For the money, the spec is excellent. Nothing at all on it I’d change. The only possible question mark is the Command Post but this has the infinitely adjustable version rather than the old 3 position one. Jury is still out on longevity.

It’s not carbon but it’s a confirmed 29.5lbs out the box so light enough for a 160mm alu bike.

Other than Capras or Strives, I couldn’t see anything else that came close (for me)

The new Nukeproof Mega looks nice. Personally if it’s on a nice to have I would ditch the carbon frame and open up your world. Whyte G-160? Orbea Rallon? Kona Process? There’s the new designed in the north/made in the far east brand that had a long thread on here a few weeks ago….bah, name escapes me. Looks like a trek.

Personally I don’t understand the fascination with carbon when on a ‘budget’ and the frames are stiff enough and light enough in alu.

Meta looks good if you can live with alu.

I would of said a SB5c but that would blow the budget, so really your stuck with a Capra, Strive, Spectral or something like the bronson very second hand.

There is the mega 275 which looks spot on but it’s only in alu.

I get the impression he doesn’t want a 160mm shred sled though?

+1 for a zesty am 527, I’m looking to demo one at the moment, on paper it’s still nice and long but a slightly steeper head angle and less travel should make it more fun on anything other than a dh track than a 160mm+ enduro rig

At your price point I’d go alu.
You can save the weight from the CF frame in better components.
You’ll end up with a light bike, with nice components and better support.
The Alu frames are plenty stiff enough. A whole load of options will open up by going Alu (already a good list above).

Airdrop is the brand I was trying to think of.

Bird Aeris can be 150mm in the rear as well.

Excuse multiple posts, it all seemed to crash and go wonky when I tried to edit my previous one.

I was going to suggest the Airdrop Edit too. Not carbon, but ticks most of the other boxes.

Commencal meta am4 would be on my list. But then I would buy the capra.

I’ve got a Capra and ride it all over South Wales and I keep thinking about getting a shorter travel bike to sit alongside it but in all honestly I don’t have any complaints about how it climbs at all. It doesn’t feel like a 170mm bike at all until pushed hard, it actually climbs and goes along the flat better than my old Mojo HD which had a steeper HA and older fashioned ‘XC’ geo. It isn’t the lightest but could get it for 28lb ish

That said if I can get the money together I would be getting a 5010 with a decent rear shock like a Bos Kirk, CCDB etc and a 150mm fork. From what I’ve read they handle like a longer travel bike and without going for less than 160mm travel all the bikes you are looking out are going to feel agro.

HTH

chakaping – Member

I get the impression he doesn’t want a 160mm shred sled though?

Sort of, what I don’t want is an Enduro race bike, more than the travel it’s the whole length, head angle thing – hence the Nomad v Bronson thing, they’re both give-or-take the same travel, but unlike a few years ago when you could know a lot about how a bike would be by how much travel it had – the whole Enduro race thing has changed that – I’ve ridden a few and like my G-Spot when you’re FLYING they’re awesome fun, but whilst they do climb they’re a bit ‘meh’ on anything but fast stuff.

What I’m after is a long-trail bike that’s fun to ride in the woods and trail centres, but still happy bombing about bike parks and Alpine stuff – a couple of years ago I used to have a trail bike I rode most of the time (the Enduro) and a DH bike for the Alps, uplift days and stuff.

Carbon is only a ‘nice to have’ perhaps something with adjustable geometry – I seem to remember the Intense T275 Alu has that?

Orange Alpine 160 but it can get pricey to make it go up as well as it goes down. Can be done a bit at a time though like I did from the base model or the RS.

I have the 26 inch 2014 RS version and it now comes in at 13.5kg with Mary/DHR2 tyres and flat pedals. My main upgrades are Renthal Carbon DH bar, Superstar Carbon rims + Next SL cranks. Saved over 1kg. Now it’s an all day bike and perfect skills compensator when I take muppet lines.

I believe Dirt 100 are quoting the 2016 Factory version to come in at 13.6kg but that’s still lighter than a Bronson C v2 that costs the same, you have to go another grand to get the Bronson CC version to be lighter.

The pricing on the YT is unbeatable though. I like my LBS service though and happy to pay a tad extra for the speedy turn arounds they do.

The Whyte T-130 seems to be the bike of the moment though. Even the alloy RS version reviews really well. I’d seriously be looking at that if I was in the market. Very good pricing on it.

As it is with a buggered knee (PFPS) I’m out of action for a few weeks looking at eBikes instead 😉

You should definitely have a go on the Rallon. Having gone GSpot -> Rallon myself, it’s an amazing bike. I don’t miss the carbon at all.

I’ve been doing this, and my list is

Orange 160, maybe the new Five…dunno yet
Transition Patrol
Bronson
Aeris

Plenty of second hand Bronsons in your price bracket on pinkbike. I’m very happy with mine. A Zesty or spicey would also hit the mark.

I have a Zesty as well from 2010. I like the Bronson VPP suspension better. If you get what the Bronson is best at – fast and hard then it makes perfect sense. Trail users looking for plush ride should look else where.

Weight Bronson, mines 26.55 lbs with pedals 😀 that’s an all day weight. HR2 tyres, dropper sram XO and SRAM wheels

Transition Patrol
Whyte T130 RS
Bird Aeris
The new Mega
The Rallon looks good if you can try it
The Rose Uncle Jimbo or slightly more tame Granite Chief tick a lot of boxes
Giant Trance

A second hand Bronson? I bought a second hand frame then built one up with mostly new parts for within your budget.
Pike rct3, xtr 11 speed, Thomson dropper, xt brakes, hope wheels – so not a high end build but exactly what i wanted.

Whyte T-130 for definite.

As fast as most 150-160mm bikes when the going gets rough, much faster (and more fun) on everything else. Great spec for the money, huge fun to ride, “only” 130mm of travel but makes very good use of it and… Well they’re selling like hot cakes, buy one before they’ve all gone simply put!

Banshee Rune?

The Capra is still a really fun bike. It’s not a super long and slack bike. I’ve ridden one on big, steep and fast stuff as well as smaller terrain and it’s great on both (I don’t own one, but bro-in-law and wife have them).

Have you considered an Orange 5 or even a 4? The Bronson and Solo are also fun bikes. Also the new Specialized Stump Jumpers are supposed to be fun as well

Tom KP

Take a look at Rose Bikes. Either the Granite Chief or Uncle Jimbo. Great spec and decent prices. Delivery is faster than Canyon too.

I love my one of these.

Big, bouncy, fast, carbon. 2 left.

it is your size?

do you like green?

Banshee Spitfire would be a great frame only option – I don’t know if any UK shops can do a good deal on a full build but it’s incredibly similar in geometry to the 2016 Bronson with arguably better suspension. Pedals and pumps like 140 but goes through the rough like a bigger bike. Rune is borderline freeride bike in its enduroness! 😉

You can definitely get a great build on a Bird Aeris, with the money being spent on the parts that really matter and choosing things that suit you rather than getting what you’re given. Both Bird and Banshee have great customer service too!

If u can be arsed importing one, u can get Bronson cc x01 full build for about £2800 plus fees from competitivecyclist.com that’s 39% off !
Almost worth a riding holiday in the us and bring one back used and tax free.

Vitus Escarpe is good value and gets good reviews.

Bikescene were selling of Stumpjumper Evo carbon frames off at £1250 which would leave you quite a bit from your budget to build up an awsome bike.

Devinci Troy, not sure what they cost over there but I paid $3400 CAD for my carbon 2014 model.

Firstly after owning three 1st gen bronsons & currently selling a very well spec’d one on PD I think they are ace, only selling as I was lucky enough to be able to get a new very pink one.

They just do everything well, not the best at everything just a great bike.
I rode a mates Capra CF pro & though it was good it suffered from a very low bb continual pedal strikes and had been set up well, the bike was stolen & replaced with a Scott genius LT 2016 & that’s a great bike but very pricey.

I’m in no way trying to flog you my bike as I have some one coming to see it but try & scrounge a ride on one & think about it.
Oh last word, importing from the USA all sounds good but believe me you get stung in the end very little gets past the customs & excise nowadays.

Aeris for value for money and is an excellent bike to ride. The revised Bronson v2 geometry is almost identical to the Aeris was well.

riklegge – Member
Vitus Escarpe is good value and gets good reviews.

I’ll second that. I’ve got the 160mm Sommet and it climbs and descends as well as any other big bike I’ve ridden. Superb value for money

[url=https://flic.kr/p/E7DjM1]IMG_20160213_120043[/url] by Mike Smith, on Flickr
I like the new VPP….

I wouldn’t be bothering with a ‘big trail bike’ as you put it, sounds like a crap compromise between a shorter travel, fun bike, or something longer travel & more aggressive.

I’d probably buy a 5010. But even at trade they are silly money. Scout, but it would be heavier than my 160mm travel bike, so seems a little silly. Maybe a carbon Scout if & when it ever comes out.

Not so leftfield these days but i’d have a serious look at the carbon Spectral EX.

Unless you are going to be racing ‘ndooro, I wouldn’t be fussed with a 160mm bike.

I’d snap up a white 130 or transition scout.

I demo’d a 5010 last month and, having owned a 160mm monster, can say you’ll have more fun on the shorter travel bike. They are incredibly capable even with ‘less’ travel, the geo is spot on for just about any kind of riding.

The way i see it, you’ll be a little slower on the descents when they are a bit gnarly, but on the flip side, you’ll be descending for longer 🙂

I rode the nomad in the pic above back to back with my blur ltc. The pedalling seemed better on the nomad, it climbed well for the size and descended like a beast…

So, in the great tradition of the internet I took everyone’s great advice (thanks again) and my own set of perimeters and ignored them all and bought this:

|http://thumbsnap.com/tRmbrlsz [/img]

Not carbon of course, but VERY well priced, bought it from Afan Shed which made me happy to support because I know the threaten centre closure etc can’t have been easy.

Anyway, it’s very fast in 140mm travel, haven’t tried 160mm yet, the lack of dropper is like stepping back into the stone age and I’d forgotten to climb with a granny and felt like I was going to fall off the back.

I’ll swap over my Float X, my 2 week old XT 1×11 and XT brakes – despite the fact the blacked out Deores on it are beautifully bleed and sharp without even a hint of that inconsistent bite point from XTs, but bling is bling…

Give me a month and it’ll be wearing a set of Pikes and a stealth reberb and I’ll still be under budget.