I have decided to sell my 2007 Scale 20 (anyone want it?) and can therefore stretch to £2,500 for a new MTB.

I need something for xc racing as well as all day riding so it needs to be as suitable for speed and climbing as it is for playing around at a trail centre and on local trails all day. I fancy a nice light full susser.

After very limited research I have narrowed it down to a Lapierre X control 510, but is there anything else I should be considering?

Thanks!

Hargroves bike shop in Fareham have a lovely bike in stock atm. Kona kula frame, full xtr, fancy mavic wheels, fancy fox fork, £2,499.99 I think. Its a bargain.

But for that money I'd look at custom building from scratch.

Custom all the way! that way you don't end up with certain components that you will inevitably have to swap out!

few more hundred and buy the new orange 5 xD

bahumbug ya beat me to it chris ! 😉 yep another vote..get an orange five ..trust me, you'll be enjoying it immensly 8)

Thanks for the suggestions peeps.

I did consider going custom but I am guessing that I'll get a better deal if I buy off the shelf and I think if I look carefully then I shouldn't find a bike with dud components for this kind of money.

I think the 2011 Orange 5 is gonna be a little bit too pricey. With discount I can get the Lapierre for £2,300 (yeah, I know I said £2,500, maybe I should have said £2,300) and the Orange seems to be £500 more than that 🙁

Anthem X1? Is that under £2,500? I should totally know this, X2 is £2000 if I remember correctly…crap X1 is £2,750 by the looks of it.

X2 and some upgrades? 😉

Could you race a 5 though?

Stay on the Scott theme and get a Spark.. pretty much does everything.

The 5 gets my vote

The 5 gets my vote
3 weeks & counting!
Won't be racing it though. IE, not in 'organised' races anyway.

is that the m4 brakes

Yep M4 brakes 😉

Anthem IMO, an Orange 5 is a bit on the heavy side for XC racing (and fugly).

575

orange five on the heavy side ?????? … thats not wot they thort at Lee quarry classic weekender trials recently…. majority of the bikes were 'orange five' :wink:…

Trek EX9 if I was paying 😆

Orange 5 is an UGLY looking bike & they look like an old Marin. FACT!

Go for a Zesty or a Yeti.

Spark, a really good all rounder.

Orange 5 is an UGLY looking bike & they look like an old Marin. FACT!
I went out with a girl once who wasn't the prettiest, but what a ride she was!
Same for the 5. Are you gonna ride it or just look at it?

Chumba VF2! I offer a build kit deal, VF2 frame, Fox Float QR15 RLC fork, Hope wheels, Thomson stem and post, Chumba saddle and lock on grips all for £1950. Add a SLX group set (£350 ish) and away you go!

your choice, but I think if I was spending that money I would want a nice looking machine. Thats why I got a 575, looks good, climbs like a goat & goes down even better. 😉

If XC racing is one of the primary aims – An Orange 5 would seem like too much bike. I'd be thinking 100-120mm travel max. That is still enough for most non race stuff too despite what some folks think.

If there are any of the those 2009 Turner Flux frames still going cheap (CRC and Merlin) that would make a nice starting point for a custom build for this sort of use. SC have just announced the Superlight is coming down to £899 new – though you might want to pay the extra £130 for the shock upgrade.

Lovely though it is, I would have thought an Orange 5 would not be the ideal choice for XC racing, unless you are just having fun and not really competing.