I’ve decided I ‘need’ a new full suss MTB for more agressive riding / satisfy mid-life crisis. Currently own a trek top fuel 9. Great for long XC rides and copes with trail centres ok, although new bearings required within 1-year of buying. Live in chilterns, ride all year round, mostly 2-3hr xcountry rides along with a few long rides each year e.g. ridgeway end to end and Kielder 100. However love weekend trips to Afan and Cwmcarn. Perhaps next year the Alps. Like the idea of a long travel bike like trek remedy or cotic rocket, although I never ride anything really extreme. Media hype getting me interested in a 29er. LBS has an Orange Gyro and it looks sweet. For same price spesh offer carbon stumpjumper. What to do ? Please advise.

er…test ride?

I’d agree with the above, you want to test ride them really.

That’s a rationale approach though and will undermine my ‘need’. I might find my current bikes are just fine for the riding I do. I’ll be content for about 5 mins and will then start salivating over a new bike again. Trust me, my bike addiction has been going strong for 15+ years. For this reason I don’t want anything too similar to the top fuel i.e. 100mm x-country race bike.

Pop down to Mountaintrax in Barkham – not too far from you – and test ride the 29er full sussers they have at Swinley Forest. Only way to find what works for you.

Andy has point. And if youre going to have a midlife crises why do things by halves? They have a santa cruz tallboy ltc you can demo then buy.

Yeah, if you’re going for that approach then you need the carbon one with the most expensive components!

Went through this last weekend. Test rode the Gyro and Specialized Epic&Camber. The Orange which was my favourite just didn’t fit me well and it would mean new wheels to go tubeless with a decent set up. The Epic didn’t do it for me either and the Camber carbon comp suited me best. Got a cracking deal on a 2012 including a slightly longer stem and Specialized dropper post.

Rode it 51miles the next day and loved every
minute.

Mountaintrax boys are very good, go down there; very helpful. I came out with a Tallboy, perfect for round here, RIdgeway, Chilterms etc and was great at the Dyfi Enduro. Mind you I have no skill on a mountain bike what so ever….

Test rides do seem to be the preferred option. But since you don’t want to do that anyway, let me present a counter argument.

What will you really gain from a test ride? You can change the feel of a bike quite a bit with simple changes (bars, stem, etc) and lets face it all the bikes you mention are decent bikes. Unless you can really take them away, change all the contact points to suit you and ride them around lots of routes that you know really well, you’ll probably just be choosing an expensive bike based on the way it’s set up.

I reckon that there is a lot to be said for just buying a bike that speaks to you in some way, that you like the look of or from a company you like and just riding the crap out of it. Get to know its strengths and weaknesses and how to get the best out of it.

So, get the Rocket.

Cheers

Andy

Roverpig, I like your thinking. This will gnaw away at me for the next few days. Eventually I wont be able to take it any longer and I’ll make an irrational purchase. It’s singletrack’s fault for putting the Rocket and Gyro in the same issue.

Love the idea of a Brit bike but suspect that the big brand bikes (Spec / Trek / Giant) probably offer a superior ride and better value due to the amount they can spend on R&D and the value they offer due to their higher sales volume. Do you think a 120mm full suss 29 will really be that differnt to my 100mm topfuel ?

I know, there should be a law against articles like that. They did seem to imply that the Gyro wasn’t as much fun as a Five though (although a better mile muncher than they expected). So just get the Rocket.

Cheers

Andy

Media hype getting me interested in a 29er

You are a marketing executive’s wet dream.

Giant Amthem or Trance 29er.

Not a Gyro cos it doesn’t work with a double (apparently). Not a Spesh – just because.

If you’re new to 29ers try a HT too. Sounds to me like you are going to end up well overbiked for the Chilterns which is 95% of your riding. There’s lots of nice Ti and steel to drop wonga on if you’re scared of not spending enough.

I live in the sarf too, no rocks here, and I’m half thinking not to bother with my own FS in the future and just rent one when I need one. Eg 50 quid a day at CYB vs two and a half grand or more plus maintenance and wear and tear and obsolescence for your own.

Niner SIR9 the new one will be in excess of 900 quid for the frame so satisfies your midlife crisis needs. I test rode an MCR9 (Magic Carpet Ride) which is near identical. It’s well named, a true mile-eater. You’d have finished the Ridgeway by lunchtime. No bearings to change!

I tried to walk the Ridgeway once but gave up at Goring. That was the day I decided I was a cyclist. Still mean to go back and do it on a bike.

It’s a big purchase, go with what you really want. None of those are bad bikes, and will all be very different to your Trek Top Fuel, purely due to being 29ers.

As someone said above, a Santa Cruz Tallboy would also suit your needs perfectly, and the new Whyte 29ers look very good and also British.

I have a SIR9. Love it to bits. Ride is fantastic.
Rode a Trek Rumblefish at the NEC yesyerday, straight after riding the 9.8.
Reminded me why I stopped riding 26″ FS.
Loved the Rumblefish. Just loved it. Thought my days on FS were over, but really wishing I had £3k tucked away for a Rumblefish.