Has anyone got any ideas on what bike would suit me for mtb in the peaks?currently ride a 2010 felt virtue 2 with 130 travel forks and fancy a change.I tend to do 20 -30 mile rides generally round hope and edale and would like to know what bikes others use for the peaks and tyre size.cheers

Any bike ever, I’ve seen full rigid fixed gear and 7″ am bikes cope perfectly well

The man has a point. I started riding the peaks with 18 gears, canti brakes and rigid steel frame and forks. I now ride it on a 140 ht and a 160 fs. the rides have changed a little, but not that much and the grins are just the same.

However, given current fashion, any 140 am bike you like the colour of and fits your budget would be spot on.

Sub 30lb 130-150mm travel full sus…

My Titus FTM Carbon with 150mm revelations is perfect (in my opinion!)

It’s as much about your riding style as the location. Built it tough for the rocky dh or light for the longish techy climbs. Or compromise…

As above, depends how you ride. I do it on fully rigid singlespeed, 140mm hardtail & lightweight 100mm xc race hardtail when trailquesting.

All depends on mood and what I fancy!

My do it all bike is a Nukeproof Mega – yeah it’s overkill for most of the Marple mincing that I do but on the 3 descents that I do 2-3 times a week it’s worth winching it to the top.

Jetski in this weather!

Another marple mincer here but on a covert. Just ride what ever bike puts a grin on your face/worth pedaling to the top, it’s not an xc race

But just make sure it’s got mounts for pontoons

I’m on a 120mm FS, works well for me. Would like a longish travel 29er though, I look like a giraffe when riding my 26″ Specialized.

Hardtail with a 120mm plus fork. Big volume tyres are a must.

I just love the Peaks – probably the best area for sheer quantity and quality of technical trails that I know (excepting true mountain areas).

I always found my Yeti 575 pretty much perfectly suited to the Dark Peak. Covered mileage effortlessly but also quite happy bouncing its way down Jacobs Ladder, Gores Plantation etc etc. Cotic Soul with 2.5″ rubber and big forks was pretty awesome too!

I was waiting for my wife to bounce her way down the Blackley bridleway on her Anthem when a guy on a SS CX bike came ploughing down,through the rocks, I gave chase to no avail 😳

Get down 18 bikes and take out some demo’s.

I was waiting for my wife to bounce her way down the Blackley bridleway on her Anthem when a guy on a SS CX bike came ploughing down,through the rocks, I gave chase to no avail

I mostly tend to use my geared CX in the Peak District. Think I’ve used the MTB about 5 times this year. 😳
CX will cope with most stuff although it’s obviously not as quick on the descents. Although I did beat Hora down the Rushup Edge descent once. 🙂

I’m not promoting myself as a shite rider, I put myself in the not bad category however this guy was a flippin ninja!

160mm suspension with 2.5s. it will get you fit !

thats what I keep telling myself anyway, in the end I find I am doing shorter loops as a result so you should probably ignore me

What is it about the felt that you don’t like?

Either a 6″ travel FS bike that pedals uphill OK, or a rigid singlespeed.

One will be the most fun, the other won’t need something fixing after every ride.

Anything in between is a compromise, although I imagine 5’s and hecklers are popular for good reason.

Blur LTc with 160mm Fox forks is my weapon of choice.

i have a ti 456 and an old prophet both with 130mm revs on both great. Occasionally go out on a ridged inbred which is also fun

double post

Based on the bikes I’ve ridden round the Peak (Cove Stiffee, Giant VT, Santa Cruz Heckler, Ragley MmmBop, Cove G-Spot and Cotic Hemlock – crikey, that’s quite a lot!) the ones I have by far the most fun on (and, coincidentally, still own) are the Ragley and the Cotic.

So – something reasonably light that’s not too horrendous up the climbs, and that’s “sprightly” enough that you can get properly involved on the downs (so not the G-Spot!) but sturdy enough (I have Lyriks and fat tyres on the Cotic, Pikes on the Ragley) and with solid componentry that won’t get ground away after a few miles of grit.

I’ve no plans to change my bikes at the moment, but if I were buying new it’d be a Cotic Soul and Rocket.

150 front 100 rear

2 wheels handlebars and a seat probably some sort of suspension however it probably won’t work in Wales or the lakes if you get too specific