bloke I know is looking for a nice full sus 29er.
just something for plain old normal xc type mixed terrain riding.
not a endure sled, not a dh bike, not a 1 x bike, just a plain old normal full sus 29er for plain old normal riding.

bloke is a tad over 20 stone?

any idea’s greatly appreciated.

Budget? A good option (amongst many others) might be the new Tallboy Alloy R just reviewed on this very site:
http://singletrackworld.com/2017/10/first-look-santa-cruz-tallboy-alloy-r/

You probably want to get some sturdy wheels though. 20 stone is pretty robust weight for lightweight kit!

What size is he after?

My mate is a big unit and has a Specialized Camber. Just the job I reckon.

I (a gentleman of similar proportions) ride a Canyon Nerve.

I think they call it the Neuron now.

29er, short travel and it’s comfy for long days out.

Any Norcos that fit in that range? Usually loads about in the sale, all fairly hefty looking.

I have a camber which is probably the best 29er fs for us fatties… Really low leverage ratio rear shock means getting it set up is really easy.

The only real downside ive found so far is the standard wheels are a bit flimsy as well as the rear hub not being very good.