Here are the basics. I’m nearly 50 and not an amazingly brave/technical rider. I like swoopy and bermy, mildly jumpy, not particularly droppy, (and those really techy rides in the recent rash of videos make me jealous) but I can hold my own on the rocky flowy stuff you find in Wales and Scotland. My big nemesis is climbing, where I’m slow and laborious thanks to a knackered hip and dubious fitness levels. I currently ride a 120 Soul and a 150mm build using a frame I got secondhand off the classifieds, a Canyon Nerve AM.

Now, I like the Soul, that’s staying, as it’s perfect for what I enjoy riding, especially the local (Kirklees/Calderdale) bridlecore stuff, but every so often my hip starts playing up and I resort to the susser. The comfy all-day allure of the sofa riding appeals to me, and I tend to find my confidence levels boosted by the “battering-my-way-down” compensation afforded by the setup. It runs 150 Revs, XT 2×10, and a wheelset with Flows and 2,4 nics, so is reasonably light at a smidge under 13kg.

My lad has taken a real shine to the Canyon, and I have a bit of spare cash. I’ve said he can have the Canyon frame for his birthday and there’ll be all sorts of complicated selling of his Soul frame and some bits in order to square the deal.

I’ve been looking at various frames, such as Yeti 575, Blur Lt, Norco Sight, Orange 5, DeVinci, Fivespot….. all choices based around the 150 fork I have ( I can spacer it to 140 if need be), so what would you recommend as an all-day style trail bike? It’ll be used for trail centres, and organic day rides. Budget is for a used frame up to a grand. I could do with keeping the majority of the stuff I already have, and the fork is tapered steerer.

organic day rides

I’m not going to take the pee over this.

What do you/don’t you like about the Canyon frame?

Nothing. It’s awesome, but you know how it is when you fancy a change…. and it’s less complicated to give it to my lad and get my own frame that to try and find him one that suits within a tighter budget. Plus that way I get to build at least two bikes. 😀

“organic day rides
I’m not going to take the pee over this.”

Perhaps I should call them “epic bridleway jaunts”, but bridleways round here aren’t necessarily the manicured horsey-highways some perceive them to be! There are often bumps and stuff……

I quite like “organic” as an alternative to “natural riding”, now I think about it.

After all, bridleways are man-made, just not bike-specific.

Plus it’s better for you than riding trail centres, just like organic food vs normal.

😉

Man-made? This is South Pennines. The locals would have you believe it was all hewn at the dawn of time by Elves or Trolls or some such. 😀

Think you can still get bandit frames for about a grand…but orange and yellow only. Nearly bought a new one off pinkbike a couple of weeks ago, but the yellow would instantly give the game away to my missus.

Cant get a black frame for love nor money.

Loving my Blur (LTc). I don’t feel I’m wasting energy by bouncing around when I’m climbing, makes me braver on steep tetchy stuff.

Having loads of fun and way more than I did on my Enduro or 456ti.

Are you large?

http://www.bikescene.co.uk/Orange-Five-Frame-6278-107-0.html

Sadly not, I ride a med Soul.

How about one of these?
cheap zesty frame

And budget for a shock too, of course.

You wont go fare wrong with a Stumpjumper from here

http://www.bikescene.co.uk/Specialized-Stumpjumper-FSR-Comp-26-Frame-6003-92-0.html

http://www.bikescene.co.uk/Specialized-Stumpjumper-FSR-Comp-Carbon-26-Frame-6000-92-0.html

I would recommend a Yeti 575.

I am probably going to change from mine next Spring, BUT, I am a riding bigger stuff now and want to go to the Alps next Summer. It’s often criticised for blowing through it’s travel, but the kind of riding you are doing will suit its plushness. It really is a very comfortable, plush ride and still lots of fun.

matther01 – Member
Think you can still get bandit frames for about a grand…but orange and yellow only. Nearly bought a new one off pinkbike a couple of weeks ago, but the yellow would instantly give the game away to my missus.

Where?

I can only recommend what I have owned and had enough time on to form an opinion. I guess in the range you are looking at that would be a Cove Hustler and a 5Spot.

Cove was OK but I never found I fully bonded with it, I can;t say it was the best climber and definitely needed the propedal to make it better in this respect.

I can honestly say these the 5Spot is a joy. I have a 2009 with a 1.5 degree slackset on it (picked this up for £450 with hardly a scratch on it). It’s built with 150mm revs, reverb, AM wheels, SLX and decent finishing kit, come in at around 30lbs. I’ve not had to touch the pro-pedal on the shock (Turner recommend only using using it on the lightlest setting, if at all), it climbs really well, no real bob but great traction. On the downs and singletrack it tracks and corners great as it sits nicely into its travel. Took a couple of rides to get the shock set up as I wanted, but once done has been impeccable). Good build quality, good customer service (even for secondhand owners), and easily maintained pivots. Not sure about tapered head tube though, not on mine but maybe on later models. For me it’s a keeper for sure, at least until the 650b Turner Burner becomes affordable on the second hand market.

Cotic rocket – can always go 160mm later on.

Thanks for all the replies. Well, I had a test ride on a Blur LT B with Pike U Turns. The guy who owns it is 6’2″ or so with long legs, the frame was large with a high stack and highish narrow bars, so the overall impression was one of being a bit too high at the front. However, it was very solid on a nearby rocky descent, and agile enough on some rutted moorland pedally singletrack. It certainly gave me the impression that it was a contender…. but then I rode the Canyon back to back on the same route.. Of course I’m used to it and of course it’s built light-ish (just under 13kg) so perhaps I need a fairer test.

Other considerations have been a Yeti 575. The question is therefore, will that build up light with my build kit? Will it flatter me on descents? Make the trail come alive? Make it all make sense when you point it downhill?

Oh, and I’ve been offered an IBIS Mojo. It’s a large so would fit me, it’s just that I don’t know what it would be worth.Any ideas? Currently set at 140 rear with the RP23 kash, if I could afford it would my 150 Revs suit it? If not, which fork? I don’t want necessarily to go for a burly build, I want to be on the XC side of All Mountain…. light and nimble, given that I don’t do huge jumps or drops.

Anyone selling a used Rocket frame? I’d cheerfully go for one of those if only so I can pretend to be able to ride like Rocketman.