Now admittedly they said they can do me a good deal on a 2017 model.. but you know what, that REALLY irritates me that does… if you don’t have something then have it taken off the sodding website !
66deg worries me again on the Mega290… I’m not saying i CAN’T get on with a 66 angle… But the bike i’ve known and liked have been closer or dead on 68deg. The Meta AM 29 was a trail demolisher and just awsome at ploughing through things better than me… That’s 68 deg
I just worry that going to a 66ish head angle i’m going to be where i was/am with the Kona.
Maybe this Meta would make sense… it’s looking good to me at the moment. OK, so it’s not new.. possibly a touch pricy considering it’s used… But.. it’s filling a lot of the criteria for sure.
i don’t like to sound rude, but i’m surprise a few degrees head angle here or there makes a bike un-usable? Different, yes, but unusable?
Tbh, i don’t think people give themselves long enough to get used to a new bike before they write it off these days.
My MTB collection ranges between 74deg on my XC race HT, and 65deg on my Dune, and yes, they are different, but not so i can’t ride one or the other. Having said that, for riding in Oxon/Berks around Compton and on the Ridgeway/twistygnarly etc, i ride the HT not the Dune…… 😉
Reading your post, I was in a similiar position. Long and slack is great for big downhills- but other times it was kinda boring. The troy better suits the type of riding I do the majority of the time.
Now admittedly they said they can do me a good deal on a 2017 model.. but you know what, that REALLY irritates me that does… if you don’t have something then have it taken off the sodding website !
Minor rant over.
Can’t add much to the bike debate I’m afraid, but I do agree on this point. Freeborn also have the stumpys on their site as fully available….am sure they will have them in stock, as why would a site allow you to order one online if not.
As an aside there is a nicely upgraded one on pink bike, but sadly way out of my budget.
Habit, looked at them yes, not feeling the lefty, nor really the canondales overall for some reason.
The Niner is awesome but expensive. Out of budget anyway. The SC, well part of me wants it, but part of me sees an older 26″ bike and can’t work out why it’s £4k+ new.
Where abouts do you ride? What’s the terrain typically like? Do you enjoy climbing/descending/messing about in the woods/jumping/long xc rides etc. etc.
You need to zone in on what you want.
A Process style bike is obviously pointless if you typically ride somewhere like Swinley Forest and prefer long xc rides.
Likewise, a short travel XC hardtail is probably not the best choice if every ride is a hike-a-bike up Scafell etc.
I know the Giant is great, but it’s so so Mondeo isn’t it. Just meh and blah. I can’t get excited by it, despite knowing it’s a great bike, plus ideal for my riding lol
I know the Giant is great, but it’s so so Mondeo isn’t it. Just meh and blah. I can’t get excited by it, despite knowing it’s a great bike, plus ideal for my riding lol
Yes, although if it’s the perfect tool for the job then I don’t think that should matter. It’s hard to get excited about a bike that rides poorly, even if it initially got you excited IYSWIM
i’d say 29inch wheels are worth 10 to 15mm of travel (maybe…) so you looking at a 140mm 650b or a 120/130mm 29er yeah? These days it shouldn’t be THAT hard to find a decent, long slack, but pedalable 130mm 29er no? Of course the pic two factor from COST,WEIGHT,SPEC always plays a part!
If you didn’t like the long top tube on the Kona, then a Mondraker is probably not for you tbh 😆
Well i can tell you’re all desperate to know what happend.
Met the guy and he bought the Kona, it’s amazing how much easier things are to sell when you’ve cleaned, touched up and sorted them. No quibbling, full asking price, job done.
On the way home i got a call from a mate and we struck a deal on my old Commencal Meta AM29. I guess they sometimes say “you should never go back”, but i’m VERY happy to do so, especially at the price i paid. Me and the Meta had some epic adventures, trips to BPW, my first day with Jedi training, Swinley jump gulley and a few epic 60miles days out. I still can’t fully recall how or why i actually sold it… but i’m happy to be getting it back.
In the year and a half it’s been away it’s had a slightly tough life, so will also be a couple of weeks project for me while i swap out wheel bearings, frame/linkage bearings and generally make sure it’s 100%.