Can you offer any advice? I’m moving to the Spanish Andalucia area soon and want to take a new bike out with me. Having previously ridden an Orange P7 Pro for a week and loved it, it made sense to start looking there. The 2011 Pro is out of my price range and my local bike shop have recommended I look at a Crush rather than the Orange Pure which they dismissed at much inferior. I delight in XC but am no technical monkey. Any thoughts? I want to get a balance between money spent and something which will endure the dusty conditions. The Pure can’t be that bad?!

I delight in XC but am no technical monkey.

That’s probably the nicest sentence I have read on STW.

Anyways….does it have to be Orange?

Laughing! No, absolutely does not have to be Orange, that’s just where I’ve naturally started to look after the previously good ‘Orange’ experience.

Does it have to be all new? If not, I’d go for a lightly used Cotic Soul for that money. There was a mint medium with trick wheels and fox talas forks on here a couple of weeks ago for that money (belonging to a friend of mine). Not sure if it’s still for sale though.

Bol, not against buying second hand, but I wouldn’t have the confidence to know whether I was getting a bargain or a dud. I’m also running out of time as I have a month to sort the bike..as well as work…and pack…and rent my house out. Easier to walk into a shop! At a vertically challenged 5′ 4′, I need a small frame.

You could build up a nice MMMbop or blue pig for that cash

You should also consider a full sus as it tends to be a bit rockier out there. Look in the various sales.

Ian…that did cross my mind. Your comment has helped me make my mind up. More research required and more trips to different bike shops required (never a chore!). More confused than ever…perhaps I’ll just take up knitting!!

Thanks all!

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=44311
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop/Bikes/Mountain+Bikes/Cove+Bikes/Cove+Handjob+Custom+Bike_2068.htm

Food for thought. Like the Cove from Merlin.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record – Genesis Core 50, great bike! 🙂

If I was going for a full suss at that price for where you’re headed, I think I’d spend my money on this:

Giant Trance x3 @ Paul’s Cycles

Excellent frame and forks, all the rest of the kit works fine, but could be upgraded over time if you fancied it. They’ve got it in your size and it looks the business in white.

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b7s1p1557
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b4s1p2833
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b65s1p3117

There are loads of online deals if you look around

On-One 456, Summer Season or Carbon 456. XT 456 for £1200 seems like much better value than an Orange. Unless you’re worried about folks that are a bit sniffy about bikes made out of gas pipes 🙂

great minds ianv

Zesty would be ideal…..

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/lapierre/zesty-214-2010-mountain-bike-ec020990?query=zesty 214

not a very technical comment to post but I went to Evans today and those Lapierre Zestys look incredibly well built.
Specialized camber also look nice and seem quite good value….
(awaits being shot down in flames for opinion based purely on aesthetics)

😳

Oh yeah – the new Camber does look like a great bike. If I hadn’t got my new Stumpy last year, I probably would have gone for the Camber over the Stumpjumper.