As the title suggests I am about to push the button on a Nomad-C and was wanting to ask if the "problem" of the DHX air blowing through its travel is still a problem with the new nomad and should I go for the coil even if I plan on riding trail centres and the odd trip to the alps each year.

At one stage the Manitou ISX-6 was the best shock for a nomad is this still the case even on the new frame?

And most importantly Black or white frame? I am leaning toward black as its always faster and a bit stealthy

is it just me who think putting the Monarch shock on a 2.5K frame is a nasty cheap option?
Is the monarch really any good?

coil with ti spring…..

The monarch got a lot of good reviews on the nomad 1 but not sure if its still the same. The coil with Ti spring is great but would it not be overkill if i dont plan on riding DH + it will add further weight.

Neither Mojo nor TFT have many good words to say about the DHX air

I bought my Nomad with a Monarch and it's fine. It gives me a lightweight option. I'm going to invest in a coil shock for the Alps.

Fwiw I run a monarch on my Blur LTc and it has been tremendous!

Run a alu mk 2 with a dhx air and agree that it's not the best.Would love a ccdb with ti spring but captain cash says no :cry:.Have a look in the santa cruz section on the mtbr forum.There's a few threads in there with people recomending diffrent shocks.

I also run a monarch 4.2 on my LTc – it feels great but started loosing air within 3 months.
My girlfriend has a monarch 3.3 on her LT2 – I sent it back to stif on Tuesday as it started to loose air within 8 months.

I never had this issue with rp23's.

You know there's a lot of stuff said about a lot of shocks but ultimately, you really should buy what you feel is right for you. I would never let the idea that other people might think a coil damper was overkill for trail riding stop me from running one.

The two guys that are running Pedal & Spoke in Peaslake (top chaps both of them and they can seriously ride) both run Nomads with Cane Creeks. I run a Cane Creek also, but not on a Nomad. I know a few other people that run them and they are absolutely every bit as good as eveyone says.

If I were going to run an air damper, then I'd not go for a DHX but rather a Boost Valve RP23. The one I tried was excellent. The DHX I had on my Spesh for 2 years was also fine at the time, but having tried the alternatives, I think there are better dampers out there.

If you want a coil then get a coil; if money is an issue then the Fox Van R, tuned at source for your bike and you, will be excellent in terms of performance and value.

If you're spending that much on a Carbon Nomad, then you owe it to the bike to put a decent damper on there as well. Given how much weight you'll be saving, you could even just go for a Cane Creek with steel spring; it'll still be lighter than almost every other 160mm bike out there.

GT You are right and I am more than happy to spend the money and get the right shock as the bike has to be right. Yesterday I returned an alu nomad after 2 days and 60 miles of riding. It had a monarch shock and a lyric 2step air fork and must say it did not blow me out the water.

I fiddled with the setup and could just not get it to feel like my giant which has a fox rp23 and talas 36 forks.

On that basis I have been put off the bike even if every bone in my body wants me to buy it my mind says for £2500 + shock it needs to blow me away.

Should I ask the shop to put my talas on and change the shock to give that a go or walk away and find something else.

I am disappointed as I so wanted this bike to be as good as it looks.

Warrenpfo I can empathise with what you experienced. Sometimes the lure of the bike is more powerful than the ride. Funny because I felt the same way about the Helius AM. I lusted after it but first time I tried one I was not impressed enough to make the change when the bike I already had was already brilliant. When I broke my current bike I tested the AM several times more and made sure I had the bike set up as best as could be and it made a world of difference. Plus I now 'needed' a new frame!

I think the set up is crucial to whether the bike will blow you away or not. If you're going to spend that much on the bike then the bike shop will or should be doing a lot to make sure you're happy. Swapping out a fork is an easy job, as is the damper assuming they have one they can substitute. FWIW I've been told by TF that they don't sellt the Monarch because it has such a tiny range of damping adjustment available. They said that it was impossible to get a decent set up for anyone over about 90kgs.

Who are you doing the testing through BTW? I was talking to the guys at Pedal & Spoke last night (Peaslake) and they both said they hated the Lyrik Airs on their Nomads and will be swapping them out asap. They are also both running Cane Creek dampers (as am I), and that really will blow you away!

even if I plan on riding trail centres and the odd trip to the alps each year

and

The coil with Ti spring is great but would it not be overkill

Make your mind up…it's too much bike just for trail centres anyway so why would adding a coil with ti spring be a concern???

It's your money so spend it how you want…personally that sounds madness to be spending that amount of cash on something that will be doing trail centres for the majority of it's life – if you really want the Nomad I'd go for the alloy version and save the cash…but that is just me…it's an awful looking machine but apparently rides well…

Enjoy it…

…it's too much bike just for trail centres

Dick, in a non-confrontational, non 'I'm right you're wrong', way, what exactly do you mean by that statement?

To me, it reads as though you're saying having too much suspension travel slows you down? If this were a heavy bike because of the weight, I might agree, but the Nomad C is going to build into something around 27lbs, which is how much my Cotic Soul weighs.

I’m testing the bike through Mountaintrax who have always been very good to me and I would like to stay loyal to them if I can. I will do a search for other Santa Cruz stockists in the area (Berkshire) and see who else I can ride a bike from.

Pedal&Spoke might just be doable for me will check. Its a shitty feeling when you put a bike on a pedestal before you have even rode it and then it does not blow you away….you feel so dejected.

I have also been told that the suspension design i.e. duel link is the same as giant but I tell you that Maestro system takes allot of beating.

Yeah, the system is the same in so far as they are both based on counter rotating links, but therein the comparisons end. Just because they look similar doesn’t mean they are and more often than not the differences you can’t see make two bikes worlds apart. I’ve tried a Nomad and an Intense Uzzi and the VPP system can feel a little quirky at first. I also think, as you’ve already identified, that this system is very sensitive to having the right set up.

I think if your LBS has been good to you then you should stay loyal although the buys at P&S are new in the game and also extremely helpful so if you get any resistance from your local, you may find Howard is especially willing to help.

FWIW given your budget, what else have you considered. Nicolai's are well within your budget and while not as light as a Nomad C, they are fabulously created, ride like laser guided missiles and are also very versatile as most of them can be adjusted in how much travel they offer.

The nomad is the only bike I have looked at and was hoping it would end there. I am now looking to see what else is out there that takes my fancy and call me strange but the bike has to appeal to me visually before I even think about a test ride.

I will drop P&S a call when they open later and have a chat but as it stands i am pushing the button on some CK wheels to lighten up the giant and going to keep riding it for the mean time or until I ride another bike I like.

Will let you know how i get on with P&S, if I drop you name in conversation will it get me 10% discount…:)

Geetee – absolutely no idea…but I'm figuring the OP is still a bit uncertain on the bike spec – so in a rather unfunny way, I'm try to stir it up to make him think about the bike to make sure he is sure that is the one he wants – it's a lot of cash…been a couple of posts up here from folk who have spent a load on 'dream' bikes only for them to be nightmares…so I'm trying to play devil's advocate and get him thinking if this is the right bike for him (in a rather poor way).

Too much travel CAN slow you down – if all you are riding is perfectly flat terrain and standing on the pedals (makes it bob around a lot and rob you of forward-moving power)…I'm pretty sure there have been a fair few studies that show full bounce can help improve speed over varied terrain…I don't think I was saying it would slow you down (why would it slow you down? Might be slower on the climbs but generally would be faster on the downs)…

Like I said, it's his money so if that is what he is after then great…enjoy it…but after reading the first few posts of him and me posting up my response, I then read more of the thread and see he isn't sure of the bike…so really my first post wasn't required.

I guess my comment is aimed at those that come on here and post up about all those riding 5"+ travel bikes at trail centres when they get on just fine on their rigid machines…to many people there will be loads of bikes out there that will be overkill for any given route – but you could end up riding a whole world of routes on that bike…I don't ride trail centres much (mainly due to lack of riding time) so have no idea what people are riding round them…I'm merely jumping on the standard STW bandwagon to attempt to stir things up…

…it's too much bike just for trail centres

Dick, in a non-confrontational, non 'I'm right you're wrong', way, what exactly do you mean by that statement?

Trail centres are usually smooth, mellow, flowing trails with a few rough sections dotted about and a few jumps/humps here and there.

Why you'd want to be wallowing about in 6 inches of travel to ride this sort of terrain is beyond me. Get a hardtail instead.

Will let you know how i get on with P&S, if I drop you name in conversation will it get me 10% discount…:)

I don't think you'd need to drop my name to get a discount if you're ordering a £2500 frame! I've only been acquainted with them recently and haven't really shopped there (yet) but everything I've seen of them is that they are thoroughly nice guys, very keen to help, very customer focused. They may not be the 'Alan Sugars of the bike shop world' unlike some other operators, and while that might draw scorn from said AMS traders, I think you're experience as a customer with them would be second to none.

Oh and **** me can they ride. I was out with Howard last week and he's soooo quick, up and down. I had to ride out of my skin to even keep within two bike lengths of him and even then I needed another 10% to be on equal terms. And by his own admission, his partner is even quicker.

A few years ago I bought an S-Works Enduro for the same reasons you list, and just never got on with it. tbh I think it was just too much bike for me and my riding. In the end it became the donor bike for my HT…

Oh no, I must sell my Heckler cos Gillian's brother says so 🙄

Oh no, I must sell my Heckler cos Gillian's brother says so

Give you a tenner for it?

If not….them ahm oot!