Hi I have a 2008 Yeti 575 and am looking to change it for a DW spot. Has anyone got anything good or bad to say about the spot?

Bit overated and bloody ugly ! 😯

Has anyone got any other frames they would look at?

timpol – take a look at the Nicolai Helius AC.
this frame is a masterpiece, and what I'm currently considering px'ing my Helius AM for and will run Fox Float 150mm RLC BT's on it.
Loads of frame options , loads of colours, legendary stiffness and build quality.
I have had Turner and they're brilliant bikes, but Nicolai are on another level in both construction and ride quality imo :

the_lecht_rocks – looks like a nice bike is that your AM? who stocks them? Am just looking for something that feels more sturdy on the big stuff than the Yeti, but has the same ride qualities as the yeti on a long ridE, think this is possible with a AC

I'd also say the AC, I've got a Helius CC and it's great but very similar to the Yeti in terms of how it feels on the trail.

Check out http://www.nicolai-uk.com there's a list of dealers on there and they have some frames at reduced/offer prices at the mo.

Tim, have you taken the stabilizers of your yeti yet? 😀

MY list was
Blur LT2…the one i liked the most good balance of climbing and all round ness
Knolly Endo..looks great on paper and reviews but no test ride
Maverick ML8..ridden several maverick ml7 and 7.5 like the suspension but always felt long so the ML8 seemed a great option
Turner DW…owned turners like HL but not so sur eon the DW
Orange…if you like single pivot
Nicolai owned CC and as above great bikes but i did not get on with the sizing fell between l and m
Titus el guapo….really really liked this one but can be a bit weighty 31/32 lbs.
Yeti asr sl owned and sold did not like the suspension.
Enjoy

Nicolai owned CC and as above great bikes but i did not get on with the sizing fell between l and m

so why not get your nicolai tailored to suit ???

fair point but economics……………..
also add
Chumba xcl, ;look very nice

chumba vf2 : on very cheap offer currently from http://www.gravity-sports.co.uk

Robbo69 lets now even start there!!!! i will only Embarrass you!! come back when you can keep up!

the_lecht_rocks – is the AC £1700 for the frame and then add all the other bits like rear sus colour etc on top?

Timpol – do a search on here on the DW Spot – I and others have posted a fair bit in terms of comparison to other suspension designs. Imho the DW is the best design out there in terms of plushness but still being snappy under acceleration, not wallowy in any way, and supporting the rear of the bike under power when climbing (negates the need for travel adjust forks). I've ridden 4-bar bikes extensively, as well as the odd VPP (albeit not the 2nd generation), and the occaisional single-pivot, and think the DW is the best all-round design.

Do any of you chaps know anywhere near Hampshire that i can trial either the Spot DW or the Nicolai AC???

Go test ride the DW 5 Spot, bloody amazing bike 🙂

Looks like a nice bike, think the DW spot will need a test ride

Took my spot out for its first jaunt since being built up.

Have ridden all 5spot incarnations and a huge number of different bikes over the last 5 years and this is the best by a mile.

thats some accolade

my horst link 5 spot was fantastic i had it 3 years and only sold it because i fancied trying VPP so got an intense 5.5 which was good

but i find myself craving a 5 spot again

can't afford a DW at the mo so i may go ironhorse to try the DW or just get an old 5 spot i know i'll like it

I have an old HL 5 Spot up for sale soon…

what size?

i need small

Medium I'm afraid. But I'm only 5' 6", fits bang on.

aagghhh too big my last one was small

Ah well, it'll be a pretty cheap price too just to rub it in! 😀

timpol – Member
Do any of you chaps know anywhere near Hampshire that i can trial either the Spot DW or the Nicolai AC???

Mountain Trax nr Bracknel and Nirvana nr Dorking both have medium demo 5-Spots. I'm nr Guildford and have a large you are welcome to try….

Speak to Head for the Hills in Dorking re: Helius – I know they are about to build up a Helius demo but not sure which one.

freeform5spot – Member
Took my spot out for its first jaunt since being built up.

Have ridden all 5spot incarnations and a huge number of different bikes over the last 5 years and this is the best by a mile.

And here they are….

I still have the orange HL 5-Spot (although now resprayed yellow), and the TNT belongs to my mate. Would agree with Freeform – the DW is the better bike by a decent margin.

heihei – cheers for the information and the offer. Think i would take a medium. Do you know anywhere that are doing deals on them at the moment? can only find them for 1895 but understand they are demand at the mo hence not being reduced.

christ thats some collection lol ive ridden the hl and have the tnt i think when i need a new one it will be the new 5spot as the others are fantastic and if this is better then happy days 😉

I think Bromley Bikes have some frames at £1495, a few other places too.
All the bikes you've mentioned are great and you won't go wrong with any of them.

Think you'll struggle to find an offer, although most LBS will do a 10% discount when you spend that amount. There may be one or two 09 frames around which may get sold off a bit cheaper. Whilst there is no change to the frames, the RP23 shock has changed with the new boost valve added (worth getting I reckon on the DW). I guess you may see one or two surface 2nd hand too.

Re: sizing, for some reason the medium DW feels a bit smaller than previous mediums, even though the effective top-tube is the same on all 3 @ 23". My HL and my mate's TNT are both mediums, but I went for the large DW, as will my mate when he likely upgrades next year. Turner closed the gap size-wise between med and large, with the large @ 23.6" rather than 24" on previous models.

heihei – cheers for the sizing info, will make sure i ride both the m and L to get a good idea! Might have to start finding a buyer for the 575 with all these good reviews on the 5 spot. Ive got 140 float RLC on the Yeti, do these seem about right for the DW?

Mate if mine just put a set of 140mm Foxs on his 5 spot, they'll be fine.

Your fork will be fine for the Spot. DT has beefed up the headtube for people who want to run forks up to 160mm (which he will warranty). How tall are you? I'm 5'11 and got a large, best fitting bike I've owned, I was one of those people that was always between medium and large.

Float 140's will be fine….to begin with! One of the great things about the DW version is how well it rides with longer travel forks. I've put a set of 36 Floats on mine, and had originally intended to reduce them to 150mm. It rides so well set at 160mm however, I've just not bothered! The DW design loads the rear when climbing, meaning the bike doesn't sag backwards. As a result, even with longer forks, it's still pretty sharp up front.
The only thing I would say vs the 575 is it will likely weigh a bit more with the same components on it. You probably won't notice when riding though, as the cliche goes – it rides light!
Would be happy to go out on the Spot with the 575 so you could ride them back to back if you wanted.

heihei – very kind of you , would really like to compare them on a ride. Im off to a more sandy environment soon but will be back before christmas if the offer is still there. Think it will be the best way to see the differences.

Just to add my bit…. I always thought one of the major mags would do an article covering the Turner (Turners). It would a great chance to ride 3 bikes back to back all from the same manufacturer using 3 different suspension designs but at least using the same pivot bearing design. It would be good to ride the bikes to see what the difference in feel is between HL, TNT, DW.
Personally I owned a HL 5 spot and replaced it with an Ellsworth Epiphany. I like both and I would be inclined to think the Ellsworth climbs better and would be a little faster overall. That said, I think I loved the Turner more. It felt a bit stiffer a bit heavier but generally unbreakable! I would love to try the new DW version!

timpol – regarding the Helius AC, be advised that the Nicolai offers adjustable rear travel options without affecting the seat angle or bottom bracket height [120 / 133 / 146mm].

as i said in a previous post, the options list is mahooosive and you can if needed get custom geometry.
the Nicolai is also more laterally stiff than the Turner DWL spot, which offers beter feedback in big hit situations…..

they're both great bikes……depends on what your priority is 😀

The hexham bike shop has their demo frame up for £1,300 I think. Nice condition. I looked at it on Saturday.