Best trail fs, like...
 

[Closed] Best trail fs, like, ever!?

46 Posts
36 Users
0 Reactions
77 Views
Free Member
Topic starter
 

I'm looking to buy a 2nd bike to complement my spicy. The spice is quite a chunky beast weighing in at 34.5 lbs with coil shocks etc, and while I'm happy to take it out for a day long ride there are definitely times when I'm over biked.

So, my criteria is a bike that is lightish, fun to ride and slackish, nothing too extreme but 68.5 ha or thereabouts. What would you recommend?

I should add that I'm not gentle with my bikes so no racing snake bikes, also looking in the 2-3k region

Ta!

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 6:12 pm
Free Member
 

ST4? Where were you today? Great ride 😀

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 6:14 pm
Full Member
 

Epic evo???

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 6:18 pm
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Yeah would have loved to come, working though. An st4 looks good, how much do they weigh?

Wookster I get confused by the spesh range, what's the epic eve like?

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 6:24 pm
Free Member
 

There's a few experts here on teh best bike ever.

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 6:24 pm
Full Member
 

[img] [/img]

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 6:30 pm
Free Member
 

Epic evo would be very good. Not sure tbh, no info on weight on the orange site.

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 6:30 pm
Full Member
 

Cannondale RZ 120?

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 6:39 pm
Free Member
 

Stumpy evo would be a better trail bike imo or maybe a five or a zesty to compliment your spicy.

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 7:11 pm
Free Member
 

AnthemX

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 7:14 pm
Full Member
 

'Dale RZ120

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 7:16 pm
Free Member
 

There's a few experts here on teh best bike ever.

Do you ever give it a rest? 🙂

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 7:17 pm
 br
Free Member
 

A hardtail is the answer, what was the question?

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 7:19 pm
Full Member
 

5 Spot, Heckler, Epiphany? take your pick

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 7:25 pm
Full Member
 

epiphany is awesome but the head angle is wee bit too steep for the OP

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 7:28 pm
Free Member
 

I love the look of the new Specialized Camber. I'm very fond of my Horst link bikes.

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 7:33 pm
Free Member
 

Loving my Nicolai Helius CC - not weighed it but guessing around 27-28lbs - adjustable rear travel from 89-130mm.

According to the importer it's 67 deg with a 140 fork. I'm running a Talas 100-140 which suits the bike perfectly.

Built to last from Easton tubing with a 5 year frame warranty which includes racing.

Nicolai UK had the CC frames on sale for £1150

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 7:51 pm
 duir
Free Member
 

Nicolai's are stunning as are Mythic Spitfires. Both tough, trail shredding machines and reasonable weights but you will struggle to find either 2nd hand!

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 8:00 pm
Free Member
 

[img] [/img]

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 8:03 pm
Full Member
 

Get a Zesty and then sell the Spicy when you don't use it anymore 🙂

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 8:22 pm
Free Member
 

Hardtail and learn some skills 8)

Similar bikes for me - Nicolai Helius AM with coil shock is the current love of my life and = 34lbs.

For local stuff and the odd longer epic I have a Whyte 19 Steel, but any similar 120mm-140mm hardtail would do - I would probably go a little beefier if I was to buy again.

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 8:22 pm
Free Member
 

Whatever you happen to be riding is always the best

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 9:29 pm
Full Member
 

[url= http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=52783&scid=1000&scname=Mountain ]Epic evo[/url]

Link above mate I love my epic rides like a HT with enough sus the keep you out of trouble! An extra 20mm upfront will make the a right laugh of a bike!!!

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 9:58 pm
 Kit
Free Member
 

Did someone say ST4? Just got mine and loving it 🙂

[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5129/5373689116_8caf2d09cf.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5129/5373689116_8caf2d09cf.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/gingerfox/5373689116/ ]Frosty Golf Course[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/gingerfox/ ]Ginger F0x[/url], on Flickr

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 10:15 pm
Full Member
 

I do love my Hemlock, such a versatile frame, right now it has a 2 degree head angle reducer, a set of Lyriks and downhill tyres in it, tomorrow it might have my Revs and Roval Traversees and be back down to 27lbs, seems equally happy being either a big burly thing or a confident allrounder.

 
Posted : 22/01/2011 10:21 pm
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Some good ideas there folks ta very much. Hadn't even looked at nicolai for pricing reasons but sounds like it's a possibity at that price. I was thinking around 120mm travel but maybe a lightish 140mm would be a good idea. I quite like the blur xc carbon but it's quite pricey and possibly a bit too xc?

As far as hardtails are concerned I've really enjoyed having a burly heavy play bike ht but don't want one as an all day trail bike.

 
Posted : 23/01/2011 10:53 am
Free Member
 

scott genius

160mm bike, but light as a 120/140.

ride it hard, race it or just savour the riding experience.

awesome and uber versatile!

 
Posted : 23/01/2011 11:07 am
Free Member
 

EX8 - all round spot on

 
Posted : 23/01/2011 11:13 am
Free Member
Topic starter
 

I think I need to do some test rides....

 
Posted : 23/01/2011 11:24 am
 hora
Free Member
 

Sounds to me like you need a CONTRAST to the spicy. A lot of the above are similar.

You need a light full suss 140 travel frame. Trek or specialized should offer one of these. Quick question- andrey on here is selling a pivot what are they like?

 
Posted : 23/01/2011 11:25 am
Free Member
 

Keeping your Lappy Spicy all coiled up as a play bike, Sounds like a 100 or 120 rear and 120 front travel bike would be spot on for the second bike... run it with shortish stem and wide bars to keep it playful. That's basically my setup. Currently riding a SC Superlight, paired with a SC Bullit - which I'm currently swapping for a cannondale prophet (with 160mm forks - all coiled).

As recommended above + my own:
Trek Fuel EX (had one, liked it a lot)
Orange ST4 (looks just the job, old version a bit flexi for me, not ridden the new one)
Santa Cruz Superlight with 120mm forks (currently got one, love it.... could build up something really nice with that budget)

 
Posted : 23/01/2011 11:36 am
Free Member
 

🙄 Most people only ever says what they own.

Oh, and it's an Ibis Mojo btw. 😉

 
Posted : 23/01/2011 11:42 am
Free Member
 

Oh and meant to include the cannondale RZ-120 in that last too. Seems to be very well liked. Not ridden one yet, but desperate for a test ride.

 
Posted : 23/01/2011 11:58 am
Free Member
 

Canyon nerve. For that sort of money you can buy unbelievable spec
http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/series/nerve-xc.html

 
Posted : 23/01/2011 12:06 pm
 hora
Free Member
 

For cheapness cannondale single pivot frame. Underated in the secondhand market but loved by journos? Light as well?

 
Posted : 23/01/2011 2:23 pm
Free Member
 

The I was thinking around 120mm travel but maybe a lightish 140mm would be a good idea.

The CC gives you both options as it's adjustable travel. Run it with fork and rear travel the same to maintain the stock angles - 120mm front and rear works really well

 
Posted : 24/01/2011 5:14 pm
 fbk
Free Member
 

I wouldn't say that people always think that their bike is the best in the world. It just happens that my bike IS the best in the world 🙂

Whyte E-120 btw, although the 147 does look to be a contender 🙂

 
Posted : 24/01/2011 5:30 pm
Free Member
 

FBK......with that bendy rear end.....not for me sunshine.

Santa Cruz Blur LT2 all the way!!!!

 
Posted : 24/01/2011 5:35 pm
 jfeb
Free Member
 

Blur 4X. Oh, hang on....

 
Posted : 24/01/2011 5:51 pm
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Lol jfeb, been there. Nice bike but not what Im after. I was put off whytes by my first full susser, a 46. Bloody awful!

I do like the nicolai, looks quite heavy though. I wish the current st had tested more than 3 140mm bikes!

At the moment my fave is a zesty 714 in all it's carbon loveliness. Bit pricey though! The spesh tested in st looks nice but I'm a big fan of bolt thru forks and think I'm the kind of rider who gets the benefits. I really need to find time for some test rides....

 
Posted : 24/01/2011 8:53 pm
Free Member
 

Have i mentioned the Chumba VF2 yet? 😉

 
Posted : 24/01/2011 9:10 pm
 oink
Free Member
 

One of these...
[url= http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m6b4s26p2797 ]Trance X Advanced Bargin[/url]
can turn into something like this...
[img] [/img]
which weighs this...
[img] [/img]

 
Posted : 24/01/2011 9:24 pm
Free Member
 

Whyte T-120S. Just got ours in and was going to use them as demo bikes. However, they're selling out so quick that I probably can't get any more so I'll just have to sell them!

 
Posted : 24/01/2011 9:30 pm
Free Member
 

You've already mentioned the Blur XC and with 120mm forks and a shortish it isn't [i]too[/i] steep. However, for your money, I'd be looking at something like a Cube Stereo. they've slackened it a bit for 2011 and the spec is great for the money.

But do you really need a FS at all?

 
Posted : 25/01/2011 12:15 am
Free Member
 

Turner DW Flux going cheap at Merlin - Fully built under £2K.
The Ghost AMR 7000 series get good reviews & good specc's.

 
Posted : 25/01/2011 7:58 am
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Turner flux is steeper than I'm after, same with the ghost. Cube looks good, got a mate with a trance to try out. Possibly a chumba, hadn't seen those would need a look at the geo though...

I don't [i]need[/i] a full suss, I want one based on what I'm wanting to get out of it. I've nothing against ht's at all and a couple are on my favourite bikes of all time list. I'm after a fs though. (actually got a plan to pick up a nice ht on the cheap but one bike at a time eh?)

 
Posted : 25/01/2011 9:06 am
Free Member
 

[url= http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=2076 ]maybe this?[/url]

 
Posted : 25/01/2011 9:12 am

Free Ride Jersey worth £45

5 colours
With new annual print subscriptions