Apologies for adding another what bike thread but I’m struggling to choose between a shortlist of frames to replace my now sadly departed 2005 Yeti 575.

In order to minimise the arguments I am only looking at 650B bikes and the 146mm that the 575 had as a minimum without going the way of a full DH rig. Also looking to keep weight to a minimum.
I live in Peebles, so Glentress/Innerleithen and the surrounding natural trails are the norm. Am signed up for the King/Queeen of the Hill enduro in August and will likely be looking to make up the numbers in the Tweedlove EWS next year.
Possibly most importantly, I am a lanky 6’4″, from comparing geometry with my current it seems that I’ll be looking at L/XL to roughly match what I currently have although seat tubes seem to have gotten shorter.?!
My 575 is L and the seat tube length is the same as the XL Mach6 and Rune, I already have quite a lot of seat post showing so that’s a worry.

So without further ado, my current shortlist :

Pivot Mach6 (had my heart set on this since it was announced but hadn’t planned on dropping the cash quite this early in the year so the £2500 is a touch hard to swallow)

Banshee Rune (read lots of good things about this but have slight concerns about the weight, CCDB shock is a definite plus and I like that it’s designed by a Scot for riding in Canada rather than dusty California)

Banshee Spitfire (Considering as a possible weight saving against the Rune but the rear travel is slightly shorter than I’d prefer)

Have looked at a few others but think I have a preference for DW link alike rear ends in order to minimise the pain of pedalling a long travel bike up to the top of Minch Moor.! 🙂

So, thoughts and opinions are invited please, actual experience of those mentioned would be appreciated.

Transition do an XL in Bandit & Covert 27.5 although they have sold out of Covert XL.

Rode a Rune (650b) yesterday as well as a Phantom, Prime and Spitfire (650b).
(this particular Rune)
[video]http://vimeo.com/93239741[/video]

It was heavyish – X01/MRP forks/Carbon rims/Renthal came in at 31lb according to the owner, but it also felt really solid.

They all felt like good bikes though. Only downside was that the Spitfire didn’t have a dropper post (or a Q/R) so I never really felt right on that one – but it’s not difficult to imagine how it would ride from comparing the others.

They work out a fair bit cheaper than the carbon offerings and the raw finishes look superb.

Definitely high on my shortlist.
Still to ride an SB66c, a Bronson and a Knolly Warden.

Id go for a Spitfire out of that lot, It can take a bigger fork up front so would compensate somewhat for less in the rear and as you say will be a bit lighter.
Id also look at the GT Sanction, standover and top tube length is supposed to be roomy, and Dan Atherton is tall so the large should fit well, but its not out for a few months…

I Had my Spitfire on it’s first outing at BPW on Saturday. CCDBAirCS, and Pike RCTS3’s. Wonderful bike, a revelation in fact in how good suspension can be. I went from A Gspot (6″ travel) to this, and the suspension design meant that it very easily coped. Don’t get bogged down on inches, some designs utilise the available travel much more efficiently, especially when paired with a good shock!

A very nice, balanced stable bike.

Spitfire all the way..

Love Biggles

I went from a medium 575/ASR5c to a Large Liteville 301. Think they go upto XXL so you should be able to find something to fit. Initial impressions were how capable the bike was, but not as fun as the yeti’s. I’ve got more into the bike now and it’s fantastic.

Have you considered the Liteville 301?
XL is a nice fit for me at 6’3″
An XXL is also available.

[edit] 40 seconds too slow 😳 [/edit]

Another Spitfire owner here and I was originally looking at the Rune. I dropped Keith at Banshee an email to ask a couple of questions about the Rune and he pointed me to the Spitfire and I’m so impressed with it. Climbs well, descends even better and it’s so stable thanks to the design of the frame and the suspension.

I do agree that you shouldn’t get hung up on the amount of travel, the Spitfire has the same amount of rear travel as my old Meta 55 yet feels like it has so much more travel than Meta ever did thanks to the CCDB rear shock.

Saying that my short list also had the Knolly and the Transition on it but also the Evil Uprising although I had issues around rear tyre clearance on the Evil.

I think there’s a place in Edinburgh sell Banshee so you may be able to get a test ride on a Spitfire or Rune.

Thanks for all the info, very helpful. I’m a bit surprised that no-one has a thought about the Pivot.?! If you believe the press then it’s just short of the 2nd coming..!! 🙂

Trying to be as objective as I can about something so subjective I’m leaning more towards the Spitfire if I decide against the Pivot. I can’t help but feel that the Rune is a bit too much bike for 90% of the time I spend riding. Reminds me very much of the SC Bullit I had many years ago which was much more DH than anything else and was just depressing to ride all day with other folks that had a more balanced bike. I realise that’s probably not a fair comparison but it’s the one stuck in my head and I wouldn’t want to be 2nd guessing my choice every time I am struggling up a long drag.

I took a good look at the Liteville but from what I can tell it’s 650B ‘compatible’ rather than designed for and I came across a few comments indicating that it rides a little high on the bigger wheels. Not to mention I don’t particularly like the more ‘saggy’ tendencies of the 4 bar design. Nice to get some different options though.

So, having come around to the idea of a possible 140mm bike that brings a Turner Burner into the equation. Any thoughts.?

There is a Banshee dealer in Edinburgh, I have already spoke to them and they don’t have anything for a test ride in a Large so I’m pretty much going to have to wing it.. they do have a medium that I can have a look at so that’s a start. As far as I can tell I’m outta luck if I want to see a Pivot as no-one within 200 miles of me has one.

Handily the Banshee dealer in Edinburgh also does Transition so I’ll be having a chat with them about those too. It looks to me like a fairly standard Horst 4 bar..? Am I missing something.?

The transition? It’s a faux-bar – single pivot with link actuated shock.
Transition make them quite poppy and fun.

Ahh right.. just had a look, was quoting from memory. So a faux bar linkage driven isn’t going to feel that different from the 575 I’ve been riding.. Bit more travel and all the modern mod-cons but aside from that pretty similar.

If you’re tall the Pivot will be odd, i tried what on paper should have fitted me being a large, and it felt smaller than my wife’s bike, I was all over the front of it. Even the XL felt short.

Then I looked a bit closer at the numbers, the XL was shorter than most current L’s. I know it’s personal, but I really don’t like short bikes.

H1ghland3r – Member

Ahh right.. just had a look, was quoting from memory. So a faux bar linkage driven isn’t going to feel that different from the 575 I’ve been riding.. Bit more travel and all the modern mod-cons but aside from that pretty similar.
Not necessarily – I rode a 575 years ago and it was nothing like the last 2 faux-bars I’ve ridden. The linkage part can be designed quite differently for different ride qualities.

Not really a fan of short bikes either.. and I have read a lot of comments the same as yours saying that the Pivot is short.. but then according to the numbers the reach on the L is the same as my 575 and the XL is 2cm longer.
Having said that, I’ve also read that Pivot do something weird to extend the reach on the bigger sizes, rather than lengthen the top tube they slacken the seat angle.

Has to be said I am very nervous about the Pivot now that it’s time to pony up the cash as it’s a big chunk of change and I can’t seem to get a test ride in anything approaching the right size..

I totally take what is said about the faux bars.. Wasn’t trying to put them down as I really liked the 575. Going to study the numbers on the Transition later tonight to see if the sizes measure up..

Being tall, and maybe wanting to race a bit, well, i’d want to be very very sure i didn’t want to rule out a 29er these days! The latest ones are pretty dam good

Ok, so without wanting to rule anything potentially awesome out.. what 140mm+ 29ers are there out there.?

Edit: Ok, so had a look and there are a few.. my gut tells me that I don’t fancy 29er. Everything I’ve read about how they ride goes against how I like to ride.. Don’t like the idea of something that just steamrollers over everything. The fact that I haven’t seen more than 1 or 2 29ers where I live makes me think they aren’t really suited to the more technical riding.?!
I’m willing to be argued out of that viewpoint though.

Slackening the ST does of course increase the virtual TT, when seated, but that’s it, it’s the reach that was the issue for me, there just isn’t enough bike in front when you are stood up.

Definitely worth a demo to be sure, with the sizing a bit funky.

There are plenty of 29ers that will work too, worth looking at the Enduro at least, an XL would suit your size well. It doesn’t ride like your average 29er. Maybe even the Nicolai Ion15, or the 16 if you wanted a 650b bike?

The Banshee’s don’t really do it for me, so can’t really comment on them.