I am glad to have found this site, and I will be going to my city centre tomorrow to try and find a copy of the mag.

Just from reading past posts etc it is very clear that there are some very knowledgeable people on this site who have been around for a long time, I am after some advice from people who know more than I do, If its trek/spesh/kona in my eyes its great!

I have been riding for only a couple of months on a gt hardtail, and to say the least I have caught tje mtb bug big time!

Anyway.. I am after a full suss bike my budget is 1500, the type of riding I am into is just mainly trail centre red routes etc, and quite fancy entering some mtb events such as enduros etc. I am 5ft 11 31″ inside leg and weigh 11.5 stone.

So if anybody can make any suggestions to which is the best 1500 full susser out there for my type of riding I would appreciate it!

Only you can answer that question – we’re in mid-demo season at the moment so get along to some of the organised events, ride as many different bikes in your budget as you can and with any luck ‘the one’ will be pretty obvious from that.

cheers for that mate, would you say that there is maybe a top few at that price?

Try some bikes out. To be honest, a 4-5″ travel full susser from Trek/Specialized/Kona/Giant etc etc would be fine. The big manufacturers are pretty much the ones to go for at that price range as they have the most buying power and the bikes tend to be better value for money. You can start customising it or going niche when you’ve got a few years of riding under your belt 🙂

Edit: and money to burn.

OK I am NOT saying this is the best bike to buy and it may be more bike than you need/want right now. But it is a bargain – the Spesh Pitch Pro, Freeborn are selling the 2008 model, brand new for £1175, the whole thing!

If it’s not the right bike, it’s likely because it’s a little too heavy, certainly a whole order of magnitude more capable than your current bike etc.

But two things are sure – one you’ll never get to be too good for the bike, i.e. it’s never going to be the limiting factor in your riding and two, man that thing is a **** bargain! Retail is usually £1400 and that was cheap.

yes I have looked at the giant trance x 3, trek fuel ex 6.5 (im sure i read that the rear suspension system on this bike wernt uo to scratch tho??) also spesh fcr xc pro

The last MBR was actually testing the type of bikes you’re after – 2 of them got 10 out of 10. The Cannondale Prophet (check Evans) and something else, probably a Spesh.
Worth a look, despite the MBR haters on here 🙂

see if you can pick up one of last years bikes, an 18 Orange five would be perfect for you, don’t worry too much about the kit on it as you’ll have plenty of chances to upgrade bits on the classifieds here!

geetee1972 – its funny you should recommend the pitch pro as I wanted a pitch pro 09 but they are sold out nation wide, I havent even thought about or seen an 08 version mate, i know the 09 got fantastic reviews.. is the 08 as good? is there many diffrences from the 08 to the 09?

looks like freeborn have sold out anyway!

no difference between 08-09.

almost got a stupidly good deal on one form rutland cycles before the MBR review came out , would have taken it if it want for my feking landlord being a cu*t

ohhh, and get demo rides, i test rode an enduro and hated it, rode a giant reign, trance and anthem and loved them!

Would a Pitch be an ok Enduro bike? Too heavy/DH oriented I reckon.

I really want a pitch! So gutted they are all sold out nationwide.. I know they are on ebay but I need to purchase my bike through the cyclescheme 😥

Would something like a Pitch not be a bit too much if the guy is going to be entering enduros?
I have not ridden one, but from the way they are marketed/portrayed they are more of a trail bike that likes to be pointed down hills…..are they not? And as such perhaps a bit ‘bouncy’/heavy for enduro events?

I know that late last yr MBR tested the new Spesh FSR XC and said it was going to be the bike to beat in it’s travel/price range. I think they shed about 3 lbs from the 08 version.

As already said, ride as many bikes as you can and go for what feels right for you.

thanks stumpy mate.. the 09 fsr xc pro is very nice mate… sat on one yesterday in lbs and the guy said it may be too light/weak for me and was trying to persuade me to buy a stumpjumper.. the fsr did feel very light, but im sure im not going to snap one doing red routes etc am i?

“one you’ll never get to be too good for the bike”

Unless the enduro bug bites and he finds himself doing 100km Meridas, 24 racing etc. It’s quite a chunky machine, although I agree it is very good value. Of course it can be used for things like that, but he might find it holding him back if he gets fit and fast.

I’d have thought he’d be better off with Trek Fuel, Giant Trance, Stumpjumper FSR, that sort of thing, a mid-weight 4 or 5 inch travel xc bike.

is there many diffrences from the 08 to the 09?

No they are identical. Spesh couldn’t sell all the 08 ones, and the 09 ones were just old stock. Then they gave some out for reviews, which all rated the bike very highly and the remaining stock (Which was all on sale!) sold out in about 3 weeks.

Would something like a Pitch not be a bit too much if the guy is going to be entering enduros?

Yes. Too much bike for that IMO. It’s fun bike, an all-mountain bike, but I wouldn’t want to do an enduro on mine.
They are well specced for the dosh, too. All I’ve done is fit lock-on grips and a 36t/bashring setup. Nothing else needs changing really.

You really need to get yourself some test rides. The bikes will feel quite different and there will be one or two you prefer which is down to your style. As gingerflash says, the Pitch is quite a chunky machine. I find it long and low and quite a steam roller and doesn’t suit my riding style. I would certainly hate carting it around trail centre red routes. But others will love how stable it feels. Most bikes nowadays are pretty good and so you’ll struggle to go wrong, just go with what you prefer riding.

Have a look at Pauls Cycles they regularly sell of last years models at super cheap prices. Giants are nice, I have a Giant Reign 2 (which is more expensive) and may be a bit heavy but the Trance’s etc are nice bikes.

North I dont own one but Singletrackworld gave the Specialized Pitch a very good review and there are a few (happy) owners on here including PeterPoddy.
Some people complain about Specialized bearings but if thats their only downside then fine. BTW I dont work/ride a/or affiliated to specialized in anyway. Just think its a great allrounder.

thanks stumpy mate.. the 09 fsr xc pro is very nice mate… sat on one yesterday in lbs and the guy said it may be too light/weak for me and was trying to persuade me to buy a stumpjumper.. the fsr did feel very light, but im sure im not going to snap one doing red routes etc am i?

North, I would go to a different bike shop if they’re telling you that. Sounds like just trying to sell the more expensive bike to me.

I was in your position a few years back, and my best advice would be not to rush into anything. The 1500 quid price point is a tricky one – you’re going to get a really good bike for that budget but you should be aware that it’s going to have some compromises.

I looked at Spesh, Orange, Scott etc and tested a few, none of which felt ‘perfect’ and all had obvious shortcomings in terms of components that would need addressing in the future.

I’m glad I didn’t buy any of those because I found a mint Santa Cruz Blur with Fox TALAS, XT, Hope, Easton, Mavic etc within my budget. The difference between something like that and a stock bike like those I tested was just phenomenal. I still ride it every week and love it to bits, despite adding several other bikes to my collection including an Ellsworth Moment in particularly blingy attire that was also procured from these forums for similar money.

Having said that, I was in Merlin looking at some of their Commencal deals and I really don’t know how they were doing them for the money.

Can I just suggest full suss is overcomplicated and unnecessary ?

Where do you live North?

Have a wander round a few shops in your area, try out as many bikes as you can (it’s probably worth trying hardtail and full suss), see what you like and what suits. By all means read reviews in magazines, on the net etc but don’t get too hung up on them.
The “best” bike at £1500 is the one that best suits YOU for YOUR style of riding.
Now it’s coming up to spring there’s a few more MTB races starting up: the Gorrick Series is already underway, there’s lots of other local races up and down the country. Try going along to a few of those, see what people are riding, ask if you can try out a bike or two, ask their opinions. Look out for Demo Days in your area: local bike shops in conjunction with a supplier/sponsor often put on days where you can test ride a bike or two and some shops have a demo fleet that you can take out for a proper ride. Take your time, try a few out and spend your money wisely.

Also, welcome to the wonderful world of MTBing and STW! 😉

£1500 will buy you a luverly hardtail. 😀
ask yourself the kind of riding you do and terrain you ride.
this will dictate the most suitable kind of bike for you.

and demo some.

Stumpy FSR is a lovely bike. I have a 2008 comp, Not too keen on the X7 shifters as I like rapidfire. You should get a higher spec model for that money in the sales.

Loads of good bikes out there

Giant are generally good value.

Have a sit on a few and see what fits best.

Conks

If they chap wants a full sus he wants a full sus. Stop being MBR and telling him he doesn’t know what he wants.

I doubt you will break an FSR XC on red or black routes – unless you progress quickly to jumping huge drop-offs.

My 01 Stumpjumper FSR has survived loads of trail centres/crashes/slides down rocky hillsides without so much as a dent.

Let us know how you get on.

“Can I just suggest full suss is overcomplicated and unnecessary ?”

You could, but no one would care, seeing as the OP asked about FS bikes.

North84, the Pitch is a lovely bike and stupidly cheap, but I doubt you’ll find one now. It’s a baby Enduro so you might consider the basic Enduro, both make great fun bikes. If you lean more towards the ‘event’ side of things you might find a Stumpjumper/FSR XC better. If you have a local Speccy test centre you can try ’em both and work it out for yourself. None are bad bikes, but make sure someone sets it up properly for you as it’s critical to the thing working properly and easy to get wrong.

Agree with SFB and others who’ve suggested you may be better off looking at hardtails. If you’ve only been riding for a couple of months a hardtail or (gasp) even a fully rigid bike will teach you to be a much better rider so that you can use that FS to its potential once you get it. Save a few hundred quid, buy a nice hardtail, ride the hell out of it for the next year or so, then you’ll have a much better idea of what type of FS bike will work best for you, and you’ll be better equipped to ride it.

You could, but no one would care, seeing as the OP asked about FS bikes.

with respect, I was taking into account the OP’s relative newness to the sport. It’s easy to assume that a full suss bike is the best option – I thought so myself for a decade, but latterly I’ve found that I have at least as much fun on a hardtail, with less maintenance required, and more excitement on the rocky downhills, so I thought it worth pointing this out. I have no axe to grind, I don’t care what people ride, but you can save a lot of money this way…

Commencal Meta is a great bike http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=product&productId=1103&categoryId=129

is within budget or for a little more…

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=product&productId=1110&categoryId=129

Only real advice I can give is try out as many bikes as you can before plumping for a model, I was certain I would want a Stumpy FSR but didn’t like it at all really but loved the Orange, good job I test rode them or that could have been very expensive.

I have gone back to a hardtail after 5 years of riding an Orange 5 and am loving it.

a hardtail or (gasp) even a fully rigid bike will teach you to be a much better rider so that you can use that FS to its potential once you get it.

Rubbish. Best way to put someone off mountain biking – stick them on some archaic, obsolete piece of junk and watch them get thoroughly p*ssed off after 1 ride. 🙄

Rubbish. Best way to put someone off mountain biking – stick them on some archaic, obsolete piece of junk and watch them get thoroughly p*ssed off after 1 ride.

I guess that explains why there are so few people riding mountain bikes who’ve been at it for more than 10 years…

Was in Freeborn this afternoon. They have two mediums one large and one small Pitch.

My mate wants one of the mediums so that leaves one each of each size.

As for it being too heavy for Enduros, I think that is probably right, it’s a 32lb bike I think, but it could be made a lot lighter if you spent some money on it (but then it wouldn’t be a bargain would it?) It’s a fun bike and probably a bike for some one who has already learnt their craft.

But **** me at £1175 it’s a lot of bike for the money.

Freeborn in Horsham is on 01403 251 252.

Think of finding the right bike as being the same as finding the right woman. Ride as many as you can and see which one gives you the most satisfaction….

North84 you got the subject wrong mate. This is STW!

Very Opinionated People