I’m going to be buying a new bike over the next couple of months for enduro and trail centre stuff. I was wondering what you think I should go for…

£2500 is affordable and a hit but not back breaking if the bike gets nicked or similar catastrophe.

£3299 on the bronson is an interest free finance job and would be quite a hit on my finances paying of the extra £800 over quite sometime (12+ months).
I’m thinking Whyte G150 atm, a local company sell so I can buy “over the counter”, but is Heckler that much better? Or should I as an intermediate type of rider whose not going to get much more above where I am now ride level worry about shelling out the extra £800 for Bronson…I’m not very bike savvy either so would be good be able to bung it into a local dealer for repairs etc.

Kona process 153

Well thats another option on the list I guess…

Anybody got experience of using these bikes in 650B and/or understand much about the difference between them?

IMO, the bronson is the best bike on your list by some distance. Some more ideas for you;

There’s a butcher for good money here if you’re a medium

http://www.santacruzbikes.co.uk/demo_sale

Medium commie meta AM1 here

http://skylinecycles.tumblr.com/Sale%20Bikes

Lovely spec pre owned asr5 c here n large

http://www.bikescene.co.uk/Yeti-ASRC-Custom-6305-77-0.html

I’d be very tempted by that yeti.

personally id say go for the one you can afford, buying the more expensive bike and then not being able to afford trips away to ride it is pointless

of the 2 you listed the whyte has the much better spec but the (£6.5K, carbon) bronson has got some good reviews and has the ‘cool factor’

ignore the name on the downtube. Just buy the one with the best spec and good angles.

Probably a nukeproof, canyon, last years specialized/giant etc.

If its trail centre stuff then get a hardtail and a second hand full susser

Well I can hopefully afford 2.5k relatively realistically, it seems a lot more bike on +£800 for Bronson but with my ability I don’t think I’d really appreciate it/notice that much difference.

At the lower end u think the Whyte aye? Would be good to buy British as well I guess.

Ive been rolling trail centres on 120mm travel full susser, a hardtail at 40 years of age isnt for the weak + I’m thinking more travel the better now that im more competent rider after three years mtbing 🙂
Thanks alot for your thoughts gents keep em coming please 🙂

I’d go with another 120mm then. Long travel bikes really are boring on anything other than a downhill.

Transition Bandit?

No I’ve ridden higher travel bikes and much prefer it, more the better where my backs concerned it seems.

Plus the 650B full sussers seem to be generally higher travel bikes anyway?

Get a bike fit
Do some stretches
Do some core exercises

etc. etc.

Your back shouldnt hurt when riding your bike. And stand up over the real bumpy bits.

stumpy evo?

Cheers Kimbers and wrecker at this time it’ll probably be the Whyte G150, is it defo that much better than the heckler spec wise?

The whyte spec is a good bit higher than the heckler.
It’s no looker, but the spec and numbers look ok.

Well the looks department is a selling point re the Whyte the Santa Cruz are defo a little bit to attention gathering for my liking

Sounds like your minds made up!
Enjoy!

Wait a few months and get a Canyon Spectral

I think its going to be the G150 but I have 1-2 months before its in the local bike shop, hopefully more opinions will appear on them over the next few weeks.