What in your opinion is the most fun FS bike or frame on sale today?

I would like to replace my Stumpjumper and the primary need is for the bike to be fun. It will be used for all sorts of riding from cheeky at Cannock all the way through to the double black at Antur Stiniog.

The stumpy is fun but its getting old and the rear tyre clearance is rubbish. Being ok to climb on would be handy and I wouldn’t want a boat anchor but fun is the important bit.

Oh and I don’t want a 29er, I already have a 29er HT.

Any suggestions will be taken on board but some might be ignored if they are ugly.

Liteville 601? I’m using mine for everything from XC to DH. Built up 1 x 10 with Lyriks and fairly bulky tyres comes in at 31lb.
It’ll take dual crown forks too so even better for your AS trips 🙂

Orange Five or Transition Scout. The scouts a lovely bike!

I really like my Banshee Prime and prefer the way the suspension works to the blingy santa cruz bikes (new bronson and 5010) that I had a test ride on before getting it. Frame is good to look at, seems well made, built like the proverbial brick house and the KS link pedals well too. Oh and it’s fun too. So on that limited basis I would suggest one of the 650B Banshee bikes to fit in with your wheel size requirement.

Salsa Bucksaw Carbon. Fat and sus all in one.

Any chance you could be a little more vague?

Fun is different things to different people etc. What’s my cup of tea isn’t necessarily yours and all that.

But given you’ve asked for recommendations, my Evil The Following is the most insane grin inducing bike I’ve ever ridden. But then the one thing you’ve been specific about (for no apparent reason) is “no 29ers”, so I guess you’ve ruled it out already!

Kona process 153 (my bike obvs)

so much fun, confidence inspiring and some great deals on 2015 models at the moment

Nomad

+1 Orange Five. Just read the first two magazine reviews on Orange’s website by scrolling down here https://www.orangebikes.co.uk/bikes/five-pro. My Five is defo the most fun (as well as the most versatile) bike I’ve owned in 20+ years.

Any chance you could be a little more vague?

Fun is different things to different people etc. What’s my cup of tea isn’t necessarily yours and all that.

Fair point.

I enjoy DHs and am not a very good climber, my lungs and back dont like it. Twisty stuff with the odd jump is good, I like getting a bit of air but am too scared to try anything big, I like properly techy sections with roots and rocks littering them. I don’t want a monster truck to make things too easy but I want a reasonable amount cushioning to look after me, plus I have a bad ankle so I can’t go crazy on my HT like I used to.

I just don’t fancy a 29er, I feel (rightly or wrongly) that smaller wheels are better suited for what and how I ride. My 29er is fun but it feels more at home on smoother flowing trails than twisty DH sections. FWIW I don’t really want 650b, I would prefer to keep my collection of 26″ wheels and tyres but I guess there is little choice these days.

From bikes I have ridden in the past I think I like short chainstays and head angles that arnt too slack. My Stumpjumper is much more fun than my old Enduro Evo, not sure why although it could be because its steeper and shorter travel. And my old 09 Pitch with 36s was way too slack to be fun on more mundane trails.

How tall are you I Ache?

Scout/5010.

6ft Why?

I have a mate who works for one of the mags and he says it’s the Transition Scout- they rode it against the Yeti SB and it was slower but more enjoyable. Everyone in the office would buy one if they could apparently. His boss says the Evil Insurgent is head and shoulders above everything else though.

How spendy? 5010? SB5C? The new knolly warden carbon looks nice (many would disagree with this!) Trance?

Everyone just post what they’ve got yeah?

Whyte T-129

I just don’t fancy a 29er, I feel (rightly or wrongly) that smaller wheels are better suited for what and how I ride. My 29er is fun but it feels more at home on smoother flowing trails than twisty DH sections. FWIW I don’t really want 650b, I would prefer to keep my collection of 26″ wheels and tyres but I guess there is little choice these days.

Everyone just post what they’ve got yeah?

bandit 26 then.

6ft Why?

I won’t try to sell you the very fun 26in bike I’m just about to offload then. It’d be too small.

🙂

Actually the new Whyte T130C looks like a great bike. Decent value too (relatively)

If you’re staying 26in, you’ll have a good choice of cheap frames and kit.

Could you get a burly enduro/freemince rig and a mid-travel trail bike?

Mine

No, mine.

The Transition Scout is definitely one that I like the look of. I am a tad wary of only having 140/125mm travel but the geo looks good and it is a very good price.

The SB5C looks really rather good but is a bit on the expensive side, if only they made one out of aluminium.

If you’re staying 26in, you’ll have a good choice of cheap frames and kit.

Could you get a burly enduro/freemince rig and a mid-travel trail bike?

If I was to do that I think I would get something similar to my Stumpy but with say 140mm forks rather than the 160mm lyriks and also get a cheap S/H DH bike.

A Scout and a DH bike would be a nice combo but probably a bit too spendy for me.

I bought my Scout after I found the Covert too much of a magic carpet for general use.

Yes I notice the shorter travel on occasion, it just keeps me busier and my teeth more gritted on the bike through the rough stuff.

140mm up front and 125mm out back is not short travel. That’s still a 5″ frame in old money.

I do recommend that you test a Giant Trance. I was very surprised how good it is! (I don’t own a trance, but I would!)

I went through a similar process about 6 months ago. Wanted a fun do it all bike with the emphasis on DH, and wanted to stay 26″. Considered Yeti SB66, Santa Cruz Blur TR and Ibis Mojo HD. Also looked at the Transition suppressor which is 26 but the sizing didn’t look ideal for me (not a fan of super long top tubes). Ended up with an Evil Uprising which is superb, although I am of course expecting it to catch fire any minute and Evil to scoop up my ashes and use the carbon as filler in a new insurgent frame.
I really like the look of the new Turner RFX though, my last bike was an earlier incarnation of the RFX and was faultless.

140mm up front and 125mm out back is not short travel. That’s still a 5″ frame in old money.

Yea your right, I still have it in my head that it sounds short. I can ride my BFe with 140mm pikes down most things so the Scout will most likely be fine.

My Whyte T-130 Works does it for me

Look, this is STW. We’re supposed to be guiding the OP away from what they want.

Scout can run a 150mm fork I think. If you find a large demo bike locally (I think you’re Peak District ish?) do post up 😀

My Scout runs 150mm forks. It’s definitely jolly good fun. I’ve got slackening bushing in the back end too. Climbs well enough, corners brilliantly and is just generally great. Test rode it before I got it and really missed it until I bought one.

Fair point.

I enjoy DHs and am not a very good climber, my lungs and back dont like it. Twisty stuff with the odd jump is good, I like getting a bit of air but am too scared to try anything big, I like properly techy sections with roots and rocks littering them. I don’t want a monster truck to make things too easy but I want a reasonable amount cushioning to look after me, plus I have a bad ankle so I can’t go crazy on my HT like I used to.

You’ve basically just described my Evil… But…

I just don’t fancy a 29er, I feel (rightly or wrongly) that smaller wheels are better suited for what and how I ride. My 29er is fun but it feels more at home on smoother flowing trails than twisty DH sections. FWIW I don’t really want 650b, I would prefer to keep my collection of 26″ wheels and tyres but I guess there is little choice these days.

There’s good, bad and indifferent 29er’s. Mine is way more fun than it has any right to be, for a similar kind of riding that you describe… But… Seeing as you seem to have your mind set. Depending on your budget, 2 650b bikes I’ve ridden this year that were a load of fun and really impressed me were the Whyte T-130 SCR (now replaced by the RS) and the Yeti SB5C. The Evil Insurgent also looks like it will be incredible, though have not yet ridden one.

FOXY, Stumpjumper, T130, Trance, Scout, Vitus Escape, Rose Ground Control ETC
It just depends which colour you find more fun

Orange Alpine Five, never ridden something to made me grin so much. It’s ridiculous, comfy, fast, simple and fun.

Whatever I am riding at the moment, in this case a Pivot Mach6, short chainstays, very playful but maybe not too slack enough for those steep DH rides?

Can anybody with a Scout let me know what the rear tyre clearance is like. Ideally I would like to put Rock Razors on it.

Joking aside OP…

If you’re after a decent 26″ bike, my mate has his Yeti SB66 up for sale right now. It’s mint too, all the right spec on it (Fox 36’s, Hope/Stans wheels, 1×11 XT, Reverb, Raceface bar/stem/cranks etc.) and it’s a large…

My little Nukproof Mega Tr. 130 travel on the rear 150-160 fork on the front. Pops off everything like a hardtail, soaks up rock gardens like a Dh bike. Its a great climber and a bit of a hooligan.
Frame deals here.
Complete bikes here.

I am using HR II’s in 2.3″ on my Scout. Tyre clearance at the back won’t allow for anything bigger than that I don’t think.