‘ello all
Right. Been accumalating parts for my once in a lifetime dream build (inherited some money due to family death, otherwise I’m a university student who’s run out of options and wants to be a teacher 😆 so this is a pretty important decision). I had settled on a frame a year ago, a nicolai argon AM, but nicolai pissed me off with the switch to 650B and not offering 26″ without the horrific custom charge despite being a custom builder.. anyyyway – after much research and phone calls I’d settled on a very special frame, similiar to the new switchback released by Stanton bikes (looks incredible!) but in Ti 😈 However after 7 months of nothing but setbacks and the builder unable to give me a rough finish date I dont want to start next year without a bike and all the parts just left gathering dust/using up their warrantys.

SO – I already have wheels, which are 275. Otherwise the ball park is open: I could get a similiar hardtail in steel, but then it’s not really a dream build :s (for me, as thats what I’d be riding anyway!) And to buy and equivalent ti frame to what the builder was offering me would cost 1600 easy, wayyy more that I was going to pay. Thus I’m thinking full suspension…

I’ve ridden rigid 26″ and ss for the last 4 years, recently getting gears/100mm forks as my riding progressed really fast. My limit on the bike was snowdon and antur stiniong/peaks/wharny gnar. I cycled all without walking once, but it was getting to the point of discomfort/not fun.

I’m thinking about full suspension but am worried it will make the trails too easy? I am doing harder riding now, including some amateur dh and enduro races but still.. I know I enjoy that ‘on the edge feeling from being alive due to skill’ rather than flat out speed.

I’ve narrowed it down to three frames:

Canfield Balance +ccdb air cs +boutique +colours +the one got 100% review
Transition Covert -paint job +float x
Saracen 15x +carbon rear end/light +150mm each end -set of bushings

Any thoughts on sticking with a hardtail to switching to full suspension. Or any thoughts on the frame choices/any other options? Climbing is as important as going down! My monies are £1860 and I need a frame and forks. The frames/forks all go a little over but the canfield goes a fair bit over but seems to be the best by a fair margin.. as close as possible is the aim. I’m heavy at 95kg and my riding style on my rigid is: finesse down anything big and vertical, otherwise go as fast as possible absorbing what I can and wrestling with the bike to keep it tracking – fun, but too tiring and wearing day in day out!

If you read all of that.. thanks, it really helps to have any sort of outside opinion! Stw karma to you all

I’m thinking about full suspension but am worried it will make the trails too easy? I am doing harder riding now, including some amateur dh and enduro races but still.. I know I enjoy that ‘on the edge feeling from being alive due to skill’ rather than flat out speed.

Have you tried one? Have you tried any of the frames on your list?

If you answered no to either or both then get on some demo’s before anything else.

How tall are you? If you’d fit a small, get a Kinesis Sync I’m 650b flavour from Winstanley’s and a set of revelations. If you’re bigger, dunno. I’d go for a ti or steel hardtail for a ‘lifetime build’ over full suss any day. I’d just keep a look out in the classifieds or a few weeks for the right thing to turn up.

You’re annoyed at Nicolai for moving to 650b but you already have 650b wheels?

but am worried it will make the trails too easy

I went to Spain with a friend. I was on a hardtail, he was on a FS (Giant Anthem, which is a very nice bike btw). He did not complain once about the trails being “too easy” but it did mean he could go quite a bit faster than me.

Although that did have one small disadvantage when he went OTB and broke his wrist.

You lost me at ‘once in a lifetime dream build’ but you’re still a student

And again at being annoyed at Nicolai for moving to 650b while you have 275 wheels (I presume you mean 27.5)

However, that aside – why not demo a Nicolai and something in 29″ as well. Big wheels and full sus don’t mean trails become easier…you just ride them differently. Or faster. Either way, a bike is a bike and a trail is a trail but if you’re too cool to race an enduro on anything other than a rigid SS, maybe you should consider cyclocross?

tmb467 – Member
You lost me at ‘once in a lifetime dream build’ but you’re still a student

Made me smile too, the bike I will keep forever is the next one…

Just get the Nicolai.

Okay, let me rephrase that – I expect this built to last me for the next four years and beyond as I cannot foresee a moment when I can build such a nice bike again until perhaps early 30’s. Considering theres a chance I could also be dead by then I consider that lifetime 😆

The nicolai thing – I didnt have any parts for the build then and it hacked me off too much. Custom builders, ditching 26″ yet only offering it with a huge surcharge despite changing in the month I was going to buy the frame – P*ss off. Otherwise think they’re a nice brand!

Thanks for any opinions offered so far – What I’d really like to know is the rationale behind them! 🙂

As for ‘too easy’ everyone I ride with is on a full sus and they have fun, the short go’s I’ve had have been fun, just different. I suppose I’ve always felt that getting thrown around is part of mtb-ing.. of course it could be to do with finding new limits/riding style on a big big-bouncer?

Okay, let me rephrase that – I expect this built to last me for the next four years and beyond as

Right then stop asking strangers and get out and ride a lot of bikes, there are some great demo days out there and it will tell you a lot.

Lots of opinions on STW – some good and some irrelevant

Nicolai / Turner as quoted in another post have very good customer service and warranties. Always good to have

Depends then what else you need – find a bike that fits and if you have enough time / patience / money you’ll find something you love and will ride for years. Btw – good hubs can fit any rim. Wheelsize isn’t important. Forks and frames however you can’t really do anything about

Right then stop asking strangers and get out and ride a lot of bikes, there are some great demo days out there and it will tell you a lot.

Wot he said.

Just because you have a FS bike doesn’t mean you have to set it up to ride like a duvet and swallow everything the trail can throw at you. In fact, the faster you get, the more you end up with a “hardtail” at low speeds…… 😉

Dude at 95kgs you may be tall. I have a 456 ti 20″ frame going that’s 6 weeks old if you’re interested. It is fantastic for all but the very gnarliest terrain, where I would say a full-sus is what you need.

It really depends what type of riding you’re planning doing. If it’s more the type of terrain that is technical but not too steep and without too much that will ping you off the bike, then a HT is the way to go as they climb better than most full-sus bikes until you get to the very expensive end of the market. Otherwise get any one of the great new full-sus 27.5 frames coming out now.

Personally I would get a 5010 but they of course also cost dream like figures..

Climbing is as important as going down!

When the ups get loose and technical full sussers are in many ways better climbers than a hard tail. However an XC hard tail will climb better than an enduro full susser. Like everyone above says, try some. Try lots