At present I have a Giant Trance X which I really like and suits my needs perfectly. I've beefed it up a bit with longer adjustable travel forks and stuff to make it more fun downhill. Anyway. If in the future I can afford it I might like a bike with slightly slacker angles, more travel and higher BB. I suppose the Reign would be an obvious choice as it goes uphill well too but what other bikes are good for this and not too pricey? Thanks.

The TranceX does have a low BB – it's a double edged sword – funtastic mostly, but a pain to pedal on trails with lots of boulders. Got a pic of yours?

ReignX from paulscycles?

Got a pic of yours?

I'll try and get one sorted and stick it on that other thread. It's the X5 so there's lots of scope for upgrading it and saving weight. I changed the Recons for Pikes and replaced the large chainring with a bashguard which has made it miles more capable. I hear what you say about the BB it really does handle very well. I find the low BB a bit of a pain sometimes on some of the techy ascents but I have no problem with walking a few bits anyway!

I've ridden an Orange 5 for the last 2 and a half years & it seems to do everything well. Totally recommended. I've not felt the need for more travel, but if you think you need more you could go for the AM version.

The steering on the Reign feels quite slow, & it climbs OK but not as well as the Five.

http://knollybikes.com/bikes/endorphin

PM for further details if you like.