hi been riding my 2009 wolf ridge for the past 2 years and have loved it, now im looking for something new that climbs as good or better and descends the same. looking to build up so after just frame suggestions. got about £3k to spend on full build.

You had a look at the Pivot Mach 5 or 5.7? Really, really superb bikes.
Easily doable under £3k if you’re swapping kit over. You can get complete bikes for just over.

If you have the cash a 5-spot might be worth considering.

In my mind it does everything extremely well. The DW link suspension is made of magic fairy dust, no pedal bob going up but silky smooth going down.

Not sure if the pivot has DW as well ( i know some do) but if so then also worth a shout 🙂

Ibis Mojo, sprinkled with the same DW link fairy dust.

Buy a SC Blur TRc frame and just move all your components across.
You may need to change the BB and rear hub to support 9mm QR, not 100% sure, guess I will get corrected very soon though.

Some less obvious ones?

Rose Uncle Jimbo
Transition Covert

Cotic Rocket obviously. Its STW, cant believe no one has said it yet.

do you want to be at the XC end or the AM end weight wise?

SC heckler or Mega for price loads on the build
SC Blur LT less on build
Nicolai Helius AM?

Mojo or 5 Spot (or the new Turner Burner)

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=66814

Did you have a fork in mind?

Best to start there really.

Commencal AM?

If you are heading ‘am’, look at the Nukeproof Mega as an option , Twelve50 bikes in Frodsham have them with 300 quid off!

Great AM bike for descending, climbs well (steep seat angle helps) and works as a good trail bike with a 150mm fork. Can be build to about 30lbs – mine is 31.5 with Reverb/Lyriks/SLX and Flow rims. Hard to beat for the money if that’s what you are after.

YT Wicked 150, use the rest of the money to take yourself and the bike to the Alps for a couple of weeks.

Was looking at a pivot which through where i work i can get the full xt build for an absolute steal, more xc end weight wise but would it cope with being hammered on the downhills?
Also specced up a meta on crc, they are definitely burlier but have one in at work at the moment where the guy has only had it 3 months, ridden it several times in the wet at cwm carn and fod and has knackered the frame bearings and shock bushes. Love the mojo but a full xt build in my price range?

The Pivot certainly does cope with being hammered downhill. I’m not in any way blessed with the vision to pick out nice, smooth lines, and so the Mach 5.7 I tried was a revelation battering down Dumyat. 150mm Rockshox on it. It was tough find anything it felt dodgier on than my 36 Float-equipped Pronghorn, and that was a random demo bike setup vs how plush my own bike is set.

Pivot is DW link as well. Certainly climbs a hell of a lot better than the Zesty I tried. I think the “too XC, is it man enough?” worry about them is down to how nicely they pedal.

When the Pronghorn eventually dies, it’ll be a carbon Mach 5.7 that my kit gets transferred onto.

Get a nukeproof mega. I did my build for about £2800 all in.
Nukeproof mega frame £950
Rockshox Lyrik 170mm RC2DH £750 from CRC
Shimano saint shifter and mech. 1×9 with E13 SRS guide all in about £350 and slx cranks for £90 and slx brakes which stop really well for £150 in total!
Wheel are Nukeproof hubs which are awesome and smooth rolling laced to mavic rims. About £400 for both.
And general finishing kit for rest of the money
Its a great bike and decends well. I would recommend a shock upgarde which I am planning soon. Been running tht stock one for a year with no problems. Just want a bit better adjustment and something which wont struggle with bigger hits. Does job tho so i will be keeping as the one i run when my replacment needs serviced.

The nukeproof is way too much bike for what i would be doing. I live in hereford so go to coed y brenin, afan and cwm carn regularly but that would be overkill on those trails

that yt is lush, any ideas if they have a uk distributor or are they direct order?

just had a look at the yt’s, either the wicked 150 ltd or 160 ltd, they both look mint and specced really well for the price, i can get a full xt build 5.7 for 3250, what would you do?

+1 Ibis Mojo HD

ok guys, crunch time, do i go for the canyon strive 9, nukeproof mega or something else?

Strive

on offer to

http://www.canyon.com/_uk/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=2572

great deal, but I have never rode one. However at that price Im tempted.

You seem a bit confused by what you want, first the Mega is too much bike, now it’s not. Also your name is “dhrider”, why would you not want a Mega lol?

If you want a better peddly bike but one that descends as well as the Marin, aka something lighter then I think you will have to pay big money and go for an Ibis Mojo HD. The Mega descends better than the Marin and arguably the Mojo HD but in a comparable 30lb build it will probably climb no better. How heavy is your Marin?

Personally I would have thought the Mega would be good fun and perfect for Afan and Cwmcarn. (I have yet to ride mine there)

@dhrider – Nukeproof are offing the Mega for around £700 to clear stock ahead of next years model. Seems rather a lot of bike for what you want. With regard to Transition you have Covert indeed the Bandit, my LBS has a new 29er Bandit build which is £3200 with Fox Kashima forks, the guys have been jumping it and say its a pretty tough and capable bike, so you add a 26er Bandit to the list too I’d say

Jones

marin is around the 30lb mark, now going to keep that for more xc stuff so looking for a bike focused more on am, hence why im looking at the strive or the mega now.

A YT industries obviously!

You can build Megas to 30lB so it could replace your Marin TBH.

Go for the Mega.