what would you buy if you were buying a off the peg gravity assisted fun bike ❓

budget?

Spesh

2.5k

mark…………bit more precise maybe?

If it was my money then Mondraker Summum for proper gravity stuff, or Orange Alpine for UK stuff 😉

Edit: just read your other post, not sure if either can be had for that price…

Trek Scratch now £1999 at evans. Or how about a Scott Voltage?

http://dirt.mpora.com/zfeatured-box/dirt-100-2010-bikepark-specialized-sx-trail.html

…but does it have to be a DH bike?

2nd Mondraker Summum. Devastating, so much faster than my Stab. And ludicrously light – the sort of thing I’d seriously consider as an all-day machine for the Alps (though not for serious climbing, obviously)

A Summum as an all day bike?

Really?

.

2nd SX Trail or if you’re not bothered about jumping much a Big Hit – which would leave you about a grand for stickers 🙂

not specifically a dh bike……….just something pretty robust.

Spesh Big Hit, without a doubt, then use the £1000 change to take it somewhere worthwhile. 🙂

Well, I rode a Stab to do the PPdS this year which wasn’t too bad, just hugely heavy. With a bit of sorting on the gearing front (full cassette, smaller front) and a full-length seatpost, a Summum would be fine for a lot of gnarly** Alpine riding as well as pure DH. Bear in mind that it only weighs around 35lbs, so it’s eminently rideable. Obviously it’s a compromise, but I found it no more challenging to ride as a big all-day bike than, say, a Patriot.

**Sorry, no excuse for this

35lbs stab? That’s frame only, right? 😉

EDIT: you mean the mondraker. Silly me. I’ll leave the crap joke.

I’ve a socom about that weight, it’s not rideable XC, cos it’s the wrong shape for it. It’s nothing* to do with the weight.

*ok, weight matters, but it’s not top of the list by a long shot.

Feels like a 35lb frame, let me tell you……..fully 50lb built up.

I wouldn’t want to ride my Summum on anything other than a downward pointing trail, thats for sure.

The weight is largely irrelevant, its the 8″ of travel each end & the fact its very long, slack & low. It’s like pedalling a sofa, they are about as pure modern breed DH race bike as it gets.

Wrong shape, obviously, but rideable as other than just a pure DH bike. At least compared to my blunderbuss Kona, which is appalling even on the flat.

might not the mondraker be a bit too light for someone of tons errr magnitude? also very slack headangle maybe a bit much for uk stuff

new kona operator is supposedly a fair bit lighter and can be had for 2 grand on the cheaper version?

Yep. Another vote for the SX trail. Rode a mates 08 one at Style Cop a month or so ago and it was superb. Mildly pedalabble too. He did the Mega on it last year!!

Some seriously good s/h deals too if you find the right unabused one.

Sx Trail. You won’t break it, it can be pedaled, and the only limiting factor in terms of what the bike is capable of is probably just the pilot. It’s the most versatile and fun bike I’ve ever ridden.

A DH race bike is only fun when you get up to dh race speed. That’s when they come alive, at lower speed they tend to feel sluggish and cumbersome, and not much fun.

kimbers

might not the mondraker be a bit too light for someone of tons errr magnitude?

I reckon if Damien Spagnolo can ride away after going about 30ft passed his landing on the road gap at Val di sole, it can stand up to anything casual rider can throw at it regardless of their size. But it’s hardly just a play bike, as has already been stated.

i dont think a dh bike is what i was looking for.

Transition bottle rocket?

transition double
meta 4x

Long scott voltage is good value

Spesh Enduro?

Whyte 146 S – although £500 more than your £2.5k.

Whatever you get, make sure it has coils.

Giant Reign X is a superb alternative to the Specialized SX, Pauls Cycles also have some ridiculously bargainous deals on some of the older models right now too. Though thinking about it, the leverage ratio on the shock is almost 3:1, and iirc you’re a fairly hefty bloke, so may struggle finding a stiff enough spring for one possibly…

So to that ends, the Scott Voltage. Similar sort of bike, comes with a 2.75″ stroke shock as opposed to a 2.25 iirc, so lower leverage ratio and better chance of it working ok for a bigger guy.

charge blender – spend the change on sex, drugs and rock n roll.

easily pleased me.

No SX Trails coming to UK for 2011 I believe, so you might struggle to get a 2010 in yr size as you’re a big guy.

How about a Froggy?

http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDetails.asp?productID=21929

Spesh come up big so he shouldn’t struggle to find one as no one else wants large/XL?

Voltage FR looks mint, but isnt particulalry long, and DIRT found it better fitted with the ‘wrong’ air shock to make it long/slacker.

If you get a voltage, Dibs on it in a few months 🙂

I’d defo say that is its fun you are after then a shorter travel bike is the way forward.

I’ve got a Voltage (FR30) and it is AWESOME! Great bike for the money.

I’m 6ft and went for the Long. Feels great, really confidence inspiring and totally flexible in how it can be built up.

I’m working towards two builds:

1. DH/FR orientated running 180mm Forks and Coil shock

2. Trail riding build running 160mm Fork and air shock (Boo hiss some of you may say)

If the bike didn’t pedal so well, even with 180mm travel, I wouldn’t even consider the second build. But its designed for travel from 130mm up to 200mm so seems sensible.

Check out the thread on Pinkbike for more info…

http://www.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomments/?threadid=81521

Great bike! Miss checking it out at your peril!

Re: the “Wrong air shock”, Check out the Pinkbike thread and you’ll see their isn’t a “Wrong” air (or coil) shock for this bike.

ton – I know you’re big, I take it you’re still pretty heavy? if so first I’d forget any suggestions other than those of bikes with very low leverage ratios.
second get something that comes in a large size with geometry that suits your riding style, can’t imagine from your usual choice of bike (from what I’ve seen) that you’d get on well with full on low and slack DH race geometry for instance.

GW, what bikes come with low leveradges ratio?

Scott voltage 😉

what bikes come with low leveradges ratio?

FOES, but I’m assuming they’re probably out of budget

The Scott Voltage looks good in this respect, and the Spesh SX isn’t bad either as it too has a 2.75″ stroke shock.

One question that nobody has asked yet… Do you need something you can sit down and pedal on to get back up the hills, or do you simply want something to have fun on the way down on? Bikes like the Scott Voltage have VERY short (14.5″) seat tubes, there isn’t a seatpost on the planet long enough to get a decent saddle height if you wanted to pedal it, and it also is a single ring only affair. Just a thought if you were planning on riding it uphills too.

something to ride up on too.
looking at foes/nicolai/santa cruz/orange/knolly.
might up the budget a bit i suppose after looking all afternoon.

Scott comes with a long enough seat post Mboy. In fact I’m gonna have to cut it down!!

Get yerself a 5 AM with a coil shock – goes up as well as down. Here is my custom build but with air shock. CCDB possibly next……

Quick phone pic…

Only 29lbs BTW