The new bike itch has got the better of me, I have Mrs Daz approval, the only thing holding me back is indecision. There’s just too many options.

Requirements:
– Full suspension
– Something for big days in big mountains on steep, techy terrain
– Must be light enough to pedal/push/carry up said mountains.
– Must be able to be ridden over largish distances > 50km

Bikes already considered:
SC Hightower/Tallboy/Nomad/Bronson (Hightower is currently the favourite)
Cotic Flare/Flare Max (probably too heavy, but I am a cotic fan)
Evil Reckoning/insurgent (scared off a bit by this, and expensive)
Niner RIP 9 (expensive)
Orange 4/5/segment (Not a big fan of ally, but everyone keeps telling me how great Orange bikes are)

Any obvious ones I’m missing? Someone just tell me what to buy. I’m fed up with studying specs/geometry and weighing up pros and cons 🙂

Lots to choose from. Have you considered gearing? Going through a similar decision process I’m finding that few accommodate 2x drivetrains. One that does is the Orbea Occam.

…Any obvious ones I’m missing?

nope, you’ve got a cotic on your list, so it’s all good.

Someone just tell me what to buy.

get the Cotic!

One of Cy’s Cotic minions is driving around the country in a van full of bikes, i’d be surprised if there wasn’t a demo-day near (enough) to you in the next few weeks.

Enduro 29r

Canyon Spectral CF
Scott Spark 700 Plus

Trek Slash or Spesh Enduro?

Jeffsy if you fit YT’s geo?

2017 Fuel EX 29?

Lots to choose from. Have you considered gearing?

I’m blessed with legs that can push a singlespeed up hills, so 1x gearing is a bit of a luxury 😉

get the Cotic!

Yes this would be the safe/simple option

Scott Spark 700 Plus

149 options? 😯 I’m not even going anywhere near that.

Orbea Occam or Salsa Horsetheif…

Salsa Horsetheif Frame

I have been riding it a lot set up with the 27.5×3″, makes a fantastic big mountain bike, equally nice with a set of 29er wheels in there :p

5.75lb carbon frame for £1699, not sure what the extra £1000 gets you on a Hightower except branding, this thing is damn fast.

4 people in our group have all bought Hightowers in the last few weeks and are all overjoyed with them.

It’s really annoying when people who weren’t as quick as you seem to find it easy to hang onto your back wheel!

It’s been enough for me to consider 29er for next bike tbh.

It’s really annoying when people who weren’t as quick as you seem to find it easy to hang onto your back wheel!

It’s been enough for me to consider 29er for next bike tbh.

I’m a firm advocate of 29ers for trail riding, but it’ll be a bittersweet moment when everyone’s cottoned on.

😉

Usual plug what you own but the Whyte T130 should be on the list, very, very capable bike, great fun to ride and toes the line between all day bike and trail thrasher very well, loving mine so far!

The FlareMAX looks to be right up your street. Get one of them.

Your list isn’t massively different from mine.

I’ve ridden a few short travel ‘aggro’ 29″ bikes recently and could actually see just making the switch over to one & possibly ditching my Patrol if it works out.

I wouldn’t consider the Evil – the sizing is odd, the seat angle is no fun if you are tall, and well, it’s an Evil. For the same reason I wouldn’t consider the Yeti SB4.5.

The Tallboy is almost ideal – little tweak on the head angle for me, it could be the one. Hightower is also an option but I would be concerned it would be too similar to my Patrol in the sense of being a big bike. I need to ride them both really.

Intense Primer is there, with the added benefit of travel adjust on the back.

Cotic – not a fan.

Orange Segment was fun to ride – but no bottle mounts.

Transition Smuggler – almost ideal, but it’s a bit of a tank. Not sure I can wait another year for the carbon one.

Process 111 – too much of a snob, bottle mounts are an issue.

Nicolai G13 – couldn’t buy a bike that ugly. No bottle mounts. Would be a bit of a tank.

Lots of choice is fun 🙂

Either Bird Aeris (120 or 140) would be worth a look. Weigh about the same as my FlareMax (I have both, the Aeris is the early one so new ones might be a bit lighter). Both used for the stuff in your OP.

The Occam TR is pretty much a carbon Smuggler (that said, I can’t wait for a carbon Smuggler..). Check the figures. Lifetime warranty, carbon full bikes from £3438 (by the time you have factory upgraded the forks to 34mm).

They still come at 120mm but I just popped a 130mm air shaft in. 0.5degree steeper HA than the Smuggler, but otherwise very similar.

I have owned or spent a lot of time on – TR Bandit 29, Banshee Prime, Banshee Phantom, Smuggler, Occam TR, Horsetheif/Pony Rustler.. so lots of fun 29ers.

Also a lot of last year on a carbon Patrol, which was also amazing despite being my only non 29er in years. All that travel was a hoot and I got the weight down to 28.5lbs.

The Occam TR is pretty much a carbon Smuggler

Isn’t the Occam a 27.5?

I would also look at the Kona Hei Hei range, though I might be biased.

I’ve been really impressed with my 2016 DL Trail

The latest Nukeproof is well reviewed and comes in 27.5 & 29’er varieties.
Rose Uncle Jimbo ticks a lot of boxes and can be demo’d
Giant Trance is another great all-rounder

You are quite literally spoilt for choice even if you restricted your budget to 2.5k

I’ve been really impressed by my Jeffsy CF Pro. Very light, very fast, astonishingly nimble. I had to buy it without a test ride so it was a bit nerve wracking, but I have absolutely no regrets.

Isn’t the Occam a 27.5?

it’s both. The TR is 29, the AM is 27.5.

And the RIP9 is reduced at Stif in medium/3star build

https://www.stif.co.uk/mtb/product/niner-rip-9-alloy–x1-3-star-build-bike-blue/13478

buy it before I do…

Mondraker Foxy/Dune?

One of the lads I ride with recently picked up a 2016 version Merida one-forty 7 900 (daft name) & just loves it. You’ll get some bargains as the shop’s sell off 2016 stock to make way for the 2017 stuff.

There’s a Cotic demo-day at Cannock chase this weekend, if that’s any help…

Ibis Mojo HD3. Terrific all rounder, poppy, fun, playful and can do gnarly. Also a great all day bike. I have an HD3 and a Nomad 3, and I keep reaching for the HD3 as its a more dynamic and playful ride.

I like the look of Foes- reduced at Balfa

Foes

Half price but still pricey!

Ibis Ripley 2, either original geometry or LS version. Have the former and it climbs like a hardtail and descends like it has 140mm+ in the rear :). Really fun as well, popping off lips, pumping corners etc doesn’t feel like a 29er at all. but in all fairness I don’t think you can get a really bad bike now a days, hence your problem – too much choice!

Someone just tell me what to buy

OK, RocketMAX.

Was in a similar position a few months back. Poured over the geo charts on my shortlist and eagerly awaited the 2017 releases. As you say there’s so much choice it’s a bit mind boggling. Rocket 29er didn’t exist at the time and so wasn’t on the list. Saw a pic here, liked the look of it (did a very quick comparison with the geo of others) and ordered one the next day. Not disappointed in the slightest. Very capable, very fun and very fast!

OK, RocketMAX.

Definitely too heavy for me I think. Ticks all the other boxes though, and I would dearly love to add to my existing cotic bikes. The Hightower is still the favourite. The geometry on the large would suit me better than the flare/rocket geometry I think and the lifetime warranty is an attractive bonus. I’d forgotten about the Horsethief/Pony Rustler even though I’ve ridden one, so that probably doesn’t bode well.

Don’t get hung up on the weight and get on a demo ride. I’m a cotic fan myself and have ridden the rocket twice, the rocket max twice and the flare max. I’ve discounted the flare Max, the rocket max is definitely fast. All of these bikes climb really well. Get on a demo. I bought a Solaris a while ago after a demo at 18bikes.

Liteville 301 and then choose 140/160mm travel and 27.5/29 wheels to suit your preference.