O.K. guys New Year will mean a new bike so here's my current thoughts

5" Travel or 4" that just happens to feel more like 5"
Light
Budget circa £2500
Do-it-all machine which will see me over enduros such as the Dyfi
Flattering handling! Great on climbs and descents – the holy grail

Looking at (in no particular order!):

Orange ST4
Lappiere Spicey 514
Commencal Meta 5.5
Giant Anthem
Giant Trance
Santa Cruz blur lt

Any direct experience of any of the above or something similar then I'm all ears

cheers
TS

Go test as many as you can. Only way to tell if you like one better than the other. All that'll happen is folk telling your their bike is best, no mine! NO MINE!! etc.

Cheers coogan – I guessed that bit, but was simply looking for ideas?

Throw a Trek Fuel in, really like my EX9 and it saw me over the Dyfi.

Cheers Tracker – did the Dyfi on my Cotic Soul with a bad back 😥 Although its a terrific enduro bike just not the Dyfi I guess

a trance (4.2" one) with 130mm forks on 😀

trance X (5") with pikes (5.5") would be nice, but heavier and more expensive.

lapierres are very pretty.

New 2010 Mount Vision. Very, very lovely!

Tested the LT recently, recommended.

Looking at the other bikes and the travel I think you mean a Zesty not a Spicey, no? Anyway, I lubs my Zesty 🙂

The Anthem X rides well, it felt like my XTC but with some comfort.

timmys – Member

Looking at the other bikes and the travel I think you mean a Zesty not a Spicey, no? Anyway, I lubs my Zesty

Me bad! Always getting the too mixed up!!

Titus FTM?

Stuartie – that looks pretty good tbh!

TS – it's the latest incarnation of the Motolite which is a brilliant bike. I've had mine for 3 1/2 years now and still love it. Lusting after an FTM though…

Titus FTM? Head angle is too steep on that one. I had a Motolite and just felt sketchy on anything steep.

I had a Motolite and just felt sketchy on anything steep.

Really?? I had a play on one and thought it flew up hills!

cant believe the 5 lovers have not given you the benefit of their collective love for the orange single pivot wonder bike!! so let me, have had mine just over a year now, ridden in the uk a lot, the alps, rockies, various bits of Oz and it is simply the best bike i have ridden! and that is quite a few over years! good going up, down and the bits in between.
you will of course need to try one, once you have you will want one…IMO

I had a Motolite and just felt sketchy on anything steep.

Can't say I've ever noticed that, up or down.

Everyone has their own preferences on how they like a bike to feel though, so the best recommendation is to get some demo bikes sorted out and see what feels best for you TS.

You missed off the Cannondale Rush, which is better than any of the ones in your list 😛

Perhaps it was the way I built my Titus up but I found that it wasn't a good climber (front end wandered) and wasn't good on steep descents, IMO. In fact, the heavier 6inch travel bike I have now climbs better than my Motolite.

Glenh – thought the Cannondale Rush was on the 'porky' side!?

Anyone any other experiences of the Titus brand or even Yeti FTM?

i have a meta 5.5 but i'd strike it off your list. orange 5 may be a better option.

I rode a friends Titus Motolite in NZ on a recent visit and quite liked it. However at the time I had a Chumba XCL which is very similar. I personally felt the bikes where very similar, but the XCL was noticeably stiffer and somehow felt more stable going down.

The stability descending might also be due to me having a longer fork.

How about a Pace 405? Get a frame for about £1100 which leaves £1400 for shiny bits. Some careful shopping with a beady eye on the sales and you could build a spanking bike.

£2500 would buy you one like this 🙂

The Chumba XCL is a very stiff and versatile bike, can be built sub 30Lb or used with 6" forks for trips to the Alps.

I've been trying to make a similar decision.

Meta 5 – Had one, good fun, but I got bugger all for it when I sold it on, I won't do Commencal again.

ST4 – Seems like an interesting bike. Not as much of a mile muncher but more craic downhill. The spec isn't great for the money. Looks a bit funny.

Zesty – Everyone loves them, spec is alright apart from Formula brakes (first thing to break on my Meta). They have put their prices up – £2800 is list price for a 514 in 2010.

Trek EX, Stumpjumper, Trance – I'm sure they are all very good bikes but I am finding it hard to get excited about spending big money on them.

I'll probably buy the Zesty 514 or just start looking for good deals on frames to build the way I want.

That Rush does look nice but like Tankslapper I thought they were a bit lardy. I haven't been able to find any weights for them though.

Mintman – mate has a Pace 405 and its a great bike but I didn't like it as it felt a bit 'lardy arsed' could have been me / could have been the build but tbh as bikes go it didn't 'bite' Another mate tried it and came up with a similar view.

tomthumb – I think the earlier 5.5's got a better press Orange 5 defo on the list

kamina – chumba – will check it out cheers

new 2010 cove hustler…

the chumba is nice… as is the titus

there is a new mondraker (sp?) that rides well. not sure on the loks tho

I like this , no idea if its any good though

Get a Prophet before they all go and save some cash.

Trek Fuel EX 9 is a superb bike!
– travel feels truly bottomless: never bottomed out despite being an XL rider!

The Titus Motolite I never really got to grips with but I guess mostly because it has I'm a weird in between size for them. Always felt nervous when it pointed steep down.

Anthem X I pretty much went out to buy but again didn't like it on the downs (brilliant otherwise). Some people seem to like them with 120mm forks. It would be worth a try (well I'd like a try…)

I really like the look of the Lapierre Zesty (a mate just got a 914 Spicy and I'm very impressed!). Seems to have garnered some decent write ups of late too.

This looks nice, decent spec too.

Cannondale Rise shandy?

RZ 120. They are doing 120s and 140s.

how is it that it's down to ME of all people to recommend a Cotic Hemlock?

light, 4-bar, climbs well, descends better.

(or, sshhh! – buy a speccy fsr-xc for about £1200, and then spend £1300 on riding trips, and something nice for your mum)

My new Rush (2009 model) is a shade over 24lbs following its post-purchase diet. Though they are a bit lardy off the peg…