Doing a bit of research for a mate, he has just sold his bike and is in a conundrum about what to buy. He is after a bike that will be his main one. He is after something he can use as an all day ride, xc, still take some hits and jumps. Take to places such as cwm carn, afan, uk bike park, brechfa etc. He really does need it to go up and down most stuff, Now he is currently looking at the new remedy, the Zesty 514 and an Intense 5.5.. oh and a Nomad. I know he has a slight favourite but they all seem to fit the bill. So comments pls on each one and any cons? Would the 5.5 be too fragile to throw around once in a while? Basically he would be looking at remedy and lapierre new the intense or nomad 2nd hand. Comments pls

Zesty 514 I’d say.

To be honest the Nomad is too much for all dayers/XC IMHO.

They do an AM build on the Intense with FOx 36’s up front and XT AM wheels, and that’s buult for Yankee AM style, not lobbing it off hillocks in wales 😆

Judging by the other two, wouldn’t you be better off with the Spicy rather than the Zesty?

no I wouldnt 🙂 its for a mate, I am as we speak uilding a 5.5 which is enough for me, he is a bit more of a jumper, but wants a happy medium so he can ride all day but do a few jumps as well. steve, are you sayingthe 5.5 wont handle it?

That’s odd because the Spicy is comparable to the Nomad, whereas the Zesty is more of an xc bike. Not sure if the Zesty is built for jumping, but the Spicy could handle it.

I’m biased, but a Five…

Just to throw a spanner in the works – Has he looked at Rocky Mountain Slayer SXCs? I am really, really impressed with mine. Much along the same lines as the bikes listed.

right, he likes the remedy but its expensive, very expensive. A friend has the zesty and its nice plus the reviews all say its a perfect do anything bike, I think he wants to keep his options to those 4, the lapierre and new trek he cannot get 2nd hand so will be spending a lot, the 5.5, nomad he can get 2nd hand for a lot less (about £1200 less) I did point out he could get a nomad or 5.5 and have cash left for a 2nd hand DH bike. I think he knows the remedy will do most jobs well but there is a huge cost so wants to know if the 5.5, lapierre or nomad will do as good a job or if they fail in any areas enough to avoid them?

I rode all of them except the Intense a few weeks back at a demo day. I know someone who had a 5.5 and found the rear end a bit flexy, but never having tried one I can’t say how true that is. The Nomad is a fantastic bike and will ride pretty much anything. It also jumps fairly well. It was the 2009 one that I rode and I’ve seen one or two on EBay for around £1200, but by the time you built it up you’re probably cheaper with a Remedy 7. The Remedy was fantastic fun, very light, very quick and nearly as capable as the Nomad. If it was my money, that’s what I’d get. I didn’t really like the LaPierre, found it a bit nervous, but enough other folk liked it that I suspect it’s just me. If he’s going to the World Cup at Fort William he can demo the Trek and the Nomad there.

well lets just say he has found nomads and intense full builds for around £1200-1400…. very cheap compared to a new remedy or lapierre, but on the trek you need to go up the models to get fox forks or you get the rock shox (not great reviews)! plus they have tapered steer tube so not easy to replace the forks with fox and sell the rock shox on!!

Spank,

Nah I’m saying it’ll handle the UK easily if it’ll handle yanks chucking it off proper sized mountains.

ah…. good news as mine will be built this weekend…. hoping it is done in time so he can have a go before shelling out on anything.. just hope crc are on form!

Depends on what he is after but personally a Nomad felt too “big” for me on regular rides…but then I wasn’t doing anything that used it’s potential regularly.

Another spanner – Spesh Enduro.

or what about the Ibis Mojo flashing in the ad next to this, stif selling em cheap at £1300 down from £1800, 5 1/2 inch of carbon light loveliness for the price of a USED Nomad.

And isnt a Blur LT closed to the other bikes than the Nomad?

I’ve got the RS Lyriks on my Meta and they’re really good. S’up to your mate. I really, really wanted to like the Nomad more than the Remedy because I’m a snob, but for a new bike as capable as the Remedy is it’s a total steal.

Mojos are Cheap at Stif at the moment…well according to the banner up there ^^

I have never ridden any of the above but have a 5.5 and i had a 06 enduro before. I loved the enduro but the 5.5 is in another world of its own amazing up and down.

the nomad is more bike than the rest (the remedy rides better in an xc/uphill way)

all will put up with plenty jumping and abuse. i would expect an xc bike to put up with jumping, i regularly jump/drop a carbon xc bike…

I haven’t ridden any of the others but I do own a Nomad. I won’t be “upgrading” any time soon.

Stiff selling 07/08 frames as new this years bikes, in limited sizes without this years rp23 (09 model for mojo different). Also no lopes link which is standard on 09 model . Not such a bargin ,pirates!

Having ridden my mates Remedy and seen him jump serious gaps (20foot plus) and ride DH at FOD etc i’d say its more than capable of being a dh bike when it needs to be yet seems to be light enough and pedal-able enough to go uphill will relative ease.