First post here after weeks of reading! Anyway, some scrote has nicked my Orange G2 (which I had upgraded a little so the overall cost was around £900), and I'm in the market for a replacement.

I live in Manchester City Centre and commute to work, so whatever I get needs to be able to be used for my commute (11 mile round trip, purely on road) but I would also like to get up to Lee Quarry for something a bit more exciting.

My budget will be around £1,000 to £1,200 (absolute max, the missus will KILL me) and I can only fit one bike in my flat (not leaving it to be robbed again) so I need one bike that can do all these things. Do I get something racier with my commute and some longer rides in mind, or do I get a more long travel bike that can take whatever I throw at it?

I'd love an Orange Crush/On-One 456 or something of that ilk, but will it be comfortable (or practical) for my commute everyday and any longer road/xc rides I may wish to go on?

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-p7-pro-17inch-2009 ?

Whyte 901? Sanderson Breath?

That P7 looks like a bargain, but unfortunately I think I will be waiting a little while yet on my insurance payout!

I suppose second hand could be a good way to go once I have the cash in hand, but still the question remains, pure xc bike or a long travel steel frame beast? Anyone else tackled long rides (5 hours say) on a steel bike with 140mm travel forks?

Anyone else tackled long rides (5 hours say) on a steel bike with 140mm travel forks?

Yep. Really helps if you have a fork such as a pike that you can wind down and lock out.
Don't get a frame with a very short TT as they don't like climbing.

I'm 5'11 and ride a 16.2" frame with a long post for the ups. I also commuted on it with no problems.

Anyone else tackled long rides (5 hours say) on a steel bike with 140mm travel forks?

Yep. All the time. Inbred with Vanillas on it, actually. We did a 55 mile overnight ride the other week, and it's the perfect bike for that IMO 🙂

Anyone else tackled long rides (5 hours say) on a steel bike with 140mm travel forks?

I've done 13hrs on a fairly stiff HT with 130mm forks, the main thing's getting the hours in – if the longest you've ever ridden is an hour, 5 hours would kill you…

How about a HT with some spare wheels? I'd have thought that a decent set of road slicks would make much more of a difference than any amount of fork travel. (Within reason, of course!)

Fantastic feedback guys, thanks. Next question then is, which bikes (full builds, I'm nowhere near building my own yet) come with forks with adjustable travel. You mentioned the Pikes bumhands, what about the likes of the Fox on the Crush, or the RS that comes with say a Genesis Altitude?

Its all subjective really on what my insurance company come back with, Im going to stamp my feet and insist on cash, in which case I think I'd like an on-one, just love the look of those bikes, especially the brown!

Quick update on this, my insurance co have said they will send a cheque to the supplier of my choice. So I need to decide fast really.

I did like my Orange (even though it was only the G2) and Im tempted by a crush – if I can find a 2010, but I've heard great things about the 456.

What is the difference in weight from my G2, and even the Crush, to something like the 456 trail full build, and does it really matter anyway so what I'm going to be using it for?

Get the 456 mate, so much more bike for your money. Ring On One and ask to speak to Stevo, he'll sort you out.

Alex

Cove Handjob or Stiffee Built by Merlin? Just of the M6 so relatively speaking not too far away.