Right lads...
Lets not be insulting any of the bikes/prices too much as they may be forum members... But...
I've been struggling to buy a short term replacement for the bionicon for the upcoming trip to Morzine. The long and short of it is that i didn't gel with the Bionicon and maybe looking back in Hindsight i should have kept it for this trip, used it and then sold it when i got back here... However, i didn't... so lets move right on past that...
so.. what to buy ? Time is short, money is OK and distance... well, i've got a life so i'm not driving to Scotland.
So feel free to comment/advise on what i've found as options and feel free to offer new and interesting ideas...
Feel free to also tell me to just use my XTC29er and pocket the money.
Ideally, the bike needs to have about the same residual value on it's return (assuming here i don't love the thing and keep it) so bear in mind it's likely to be a short term answer.
Currently on my list is a SC Heckler..over on Br forum
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40089&t=12860385
A Giant Reign 1, he'll let go for £700
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110897463048?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_758wt_1396
An FSR Expert in London
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280903754534?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_500wt_1413
A Giant Reign 3 in Midhurst
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180906695522?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_500wt_1413
And that's about it really...
The Heckler, by a country mile.
All would fit the bill - a Giant Trance maybe a better bet over a Reign.
Which is the closest.
Based on the age and spec of them I'd 2nd the Heckler. As it's so much newer it's likely to be more reliable and it's got a good fork on it.
in distance, the Reign 1 is about 25-30 mins from me, bloke will sell at £700.
Bloke with the Heckler will come down in price.. but it's still top end of what i ideally wanna pay... but does come with nice things like the High Rollers meaning i don't need to worry, just buy it and go.
2x SX trail frames in the classifieds or the 06 Enduro frame (also ---->) would be my choice. Sell for the same money when you get back.
i need more than a frame Hora... i've got spares in case of issues but i don't have forks/wheels for 26's.
A 'wanted' ad might widen your choices
there's a bottlerocket on ebay...
a wanted ad is up in wanted section already 🙂
For Morzine you really want something with a bit more travel... a Reign X or Nomad would be better choices.
Anythign Santa Cruz, Turner hold values well... although if you're only buying/selling within a month you should get most or all of your money back.
The the HEckler
Reign 3 has attitude problems, Reign 1 scratched stanchion could make re-sale difficult and FSR has cheapness but not a lot else going for it
Didn't we do this exact question 4 days ago?
IIRC you decided to ride the 29er.
heckler
I've owned both a Heckler(Slightly older one) and a Reign. I got rid of the Heckler as personally I found it a little flexy when wanged into hard corners and just a bit....meh.
The Reign was brilliant in virtually every way except the head angle was a tad steep perhaps and you had to take the cranks out to change the shock from air to coil which I do fairly often.
I took the Reign to Morzine for two years and abused it in every way on UK uplifts etc as well as xc rides.
I sold the Reign and got a Mega.... Kind of wish I hadn't really.
Get the Reign 🙂
Didn't we do this exact question 4 days ago?
IIRC you decided to ride the 29er.
sort of yes... .but then i'm sitting there thinking "is that really a good idea"
I have too much time on my hands/head and too much money in my pocket lol
Got to be the Santa Cruz!! If only for its green-ness 😀
I must admit i like the Greenness of the SC... But, i don't mind the looks of the Giant either 🙂
Maybe i should shoot over, have a sit on the Giant and decide from there.
the only full bouncer i've got on with is my old Meta, even the Zesty i rode of my mates felt a bit 'disjointed' to me... like the front end feeling vague or seperate to the rest of the bike... Does that make sense to anyone else ? The Meta didn't have that... i should have kept it in hindsight, but it was just a cracked frame waiting to happen and the timing was right to flog it on... (i guess).
http://jockthestore.pinkbike.com/album/Orange-5-for-sale/
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1106075/
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1116715/
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1116638/
If you can't find something suitable from that lot, it doesn't exist.
When I was after a frame for an Alps build, everybody said Heckler. I got one, and LOVE it. It's coming to morzine with me tomorrow!!!!! They are a little shorter than some bikes, but that just makes it playful!!
Don't know what your budget is as ebay's blocked here so can't see the prices of the bikes you listed, but I bought this for my 1st trip to Morzine last year
http://paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b4s1p2817
I absolutely love it. Granted I stuck a set of Lyriks on it and sold the 'zocchis
Love my Regin X0 coming with me to PDS and a week of thrasing 😀
Heckler
I've done the PPdS twice on my Reign - those bikes would work. However, the Heckler I think is a bit more special, it's newer and will be easy to re-sell afterwards IMO. I'm looking at the ad and thinking ... maybe ... !
LOL i knew someone would be gazumping me on one or more... but hey ho.. it's all good fun.
This has just come up on the classifieds...
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-intense-spider-2969er-frame
Intense Spider frame..
I'm fairly sure my Fox F29's are just standard forks, nothing fangled due to the tapered headset ?
I could therefore whip all my bits off the Giant/spares, fit everything to the Spider, use that and make decisions... that way i still get to play on a 29er and i've been considering a 29er FS for a while now
P.S....
He'll take £950-1000 for the Heckler with some texting. lol
I've always felt you need 160mm+ travel to enjoy the trails out there. Years ago I used Heckler with 140mm forks for 2 days in morzine and felt like my arms were dropping off. Went back to the rental shop and got a spicy with 160mm, made such a difference.
That enduro in the last post is a good one. But if thats over budget go for an older SX trial, bombproof and perfect for the alps.
Were you riding some DH stuff though Dan ?
I can't see us doing that... we're over 40, fat and incompetent 🙂
The ebay giants look tired, as does the FSR. The Heckler has sektors too which aren't exactly All Mountain IME.
The pinkbike Enduro and Remedy look more promising to me. Both running Lyriks. Orange has a potential claim too (just can't get over their looks though...)
I can get this Camber Comp for £700
I was tempted to say Heckler, but that enduro does look v-tempting....
Camber needs better forks and kit. Otherwise fine.
That's RIGHT at the top of budget i must admit... well, the budget i WANT to spend anyway lol
I'd put an offer on the Enduro.
@weeksy - Yes mostly DH trials, nothing crazy, normally red graded. Its the braking bumps that get you...
Did a few XC loops when there last and the Heckler was perfect. As I live in Wales I ride up hills every day, when I'm in the alps I like you use the lifts 😉
I'm off out there in 2 weeks myself, looking forward to see what new trails have been added since 2008. I'm taking my Orange alpine, thats covers most types of trails and riding.
I like the remedy. They ride brilliantly and that one have loads of upgrades; Formula brakes, renthal finishing kit, Crossmax SX wheels.
Nice Lyriks on there. BOSH. I think you'd get the money back easily on that one, maybe even make a couple of quid if split AND he'll take an offer.
Have this offer from a mate.
Medium Orange Patriot.
I paid 1,600 for it brand new in 2008. And then had the forks uprated from a shit pair of Nixons to the Fox Talas - they were 750 quid I believe - but a deal was cut.
I also changes the brakes from Hayes to the hopes
The whole drive chain has been replaced recently - it runs 3X9
Thomson seat post
spoon saddle
Pretty much immaculate.
Great frames (Patriot) but nowhere near hold their money like the Five does so have a look at similar Patriots on pinkbike etc first and price accordingly. I don't want to offend but I'd pay £750 max for that.
I'd say the Spesh Camber is a great UK trail centre bike, but a bit out of its depth in the Alps.
Heckler, Remedy, Enduro, Orange5/Patriot all great options.
Heckler, Remedy, Enduro, Orange5/Patriot all great options.
He's gone and bought a 29er 4" XC bike.
Why bother asking for advice if you're going to ignore all of it?
.lol
He's gone and bought a 29er 4" XC bike.
Why bother asking for advice if you're going to ignore all of it?
the answer to that is that i've been wanting to try a 29er FS for ages now. So when the oppertunity came up, it would be rude not to take it. I'm not a DH King and neither are my mates. This is the right frame at the right money and gives me the ability to go back to the XTC should i choose with ease.
It makes the most sense for me.
PS. Thanks to all for the words, links and looking.
Have you ridden a 29'er around your favourite trails?
I own a 29er. The one thing i don't own is a 29er FS. So, no i've not ridden a 29er FS around them.
Why not hire something out there and decide when you get back?
Why not hire something out there and decide when you get back?
It's 225Euros to hire for 3 days and TBH, if you look back i've been debating a swap to a 29er FS for a while anyway. Getting a frame at good money makes the possibly transition easy. That way i know all the drivetrain, components, brakes, stem, bars, mechs etc are 100% as they're coming off my Giant, i also have tyres, spares, brake pads etc as obviously i've got all of them too already.
If i love the Intense frame i can sell the Giant frame... if not... i can put it all back on the Giant and flog the Intense frame.
I certainly won't lose £200 (hire cost) on the frame if i sell it.
Good point. I was toying with something similar, I ride a hard tail and a group of us are off to pds next week, was considering a cheap dh bike and selling when I get back. In the end couldn't be arsed so hired a nuke proof mega out there 😀
If your doing the PDS - lots of people do it on a variety of bikes (old clunkers ridden by French/families etc). So you'll be fine whatever you choose. Your obviously not a pyjama wearing DH'er so wont feel missed out etc. Enjoy yourself and take plenty of brake pads.
I've got 4 pairs of Sintered and 2 pairs of Kevlars along with brand new ones fitted last week to the Formulas.
I rekon i should be OK on them.
We've only got 3 days of riding (2 driving)
Plenty of tubes (especially for you). I imagine 29'er innertubes there will be extortionate.
sadly they don't do any DH tubes... so i'll be relying on brand new Schwalbe Hans Dampf rubber and praying 🙂
do people not repair tubes now ?
multiple pinch flats etc etc? What if you go out out for a nice long days out and find theres a tear etc in your innertube?
Well i was going to carry 2 spares per ride... As per a normal trail center ride. I've got 1 maybe 2 others at home to take in the car/chalet.
If i find there's more than that... then i get to sit in a bar at the top of a mountain. Will also answer the questions that we've often asked
"can you shoehorn a 26 tube into a 29er"
The answer is 'probably'
When I went off solo exploring I always took Parktool puncture squares, tubes and my driving licence/insurance details on a piece of paper incase someone needed to ID me for insurance purposes in the hospital!
Yup, i've got 4 packs of the Topeak ones from CRC to take... 20 patches i think lol.
I won't be going solo unless i miss a turn and they go another way 🙂
What was the use carrying spares Hora, when could could not even change a tyre without the help of the local bike shop?
hora - MemberWhen I went off solo exploring I always took [s]Parktool puncture squares, tubes[/s] a gimp mask, anal intruder sex toy, my leather chaps and my driving licence/insurance details on a piece of paper incase someone needed to ID me, after I'd overdone the auto-asphyxiation, for insurance purposes in the hospital!
I almost had the same with a tubeless Maxis on a DT EX500 rim this weekend 😆
Shirley thats [i]sexploring[/i] binners?
Well i was going to carry 2 spares per ride... As per a normal trail center ride
Yeah, cos a day in the alps is exactly the same as a Uk trail centre. That's why you bought a new bike and are driving for 12 hours, for more of the same 🙄
At least take the patch kit with you on the trail?! Why accept a day or half day in a bar when youre going to this much effort for 3 days riding? I ended up carrying loads of spares after breaking various things during multiple trips to the PdeS and probably overdid it, but I'd rather have half a pound of extra kit in my pack and ride for 3 days out of 3.
Better to have and not need, than to need and not have.
Why accept a day or half day in a bar when youre going to this much effort for 3 days riding?
Half a day in a Morzine bar would cost you more than a new bike
At least take the patch kit with you on the trail?! Why accept a day or half day in a bar when youre going to this much effort for 3 days riding?
We'll have both Topeak quick patches and a repair kit with full on tyre rip repair kit don't worry.
Out of interest, how much is a beer in Morzine ?
Out of interest, how much is a beer in Morzine ?
Bar Robinson charges extortionate prices for beer.
Their red wine is 1,50euros a glass though.
Put it this way: make sure that before you get to the Alps you stop at a supermarche and bung a couple of crates of beer in the boot. Because once you get to Morzine, a pint in one of the bars will cost the same as a case of Kronenburg 50km's earlier.
I'm not joking either
Half a day in a Morzine bar would cost you more than a new bike
Not really. Mutzig at bar robinson wasn't much more than a couple of quid for a pint. £3-ish
I wen't last year expecting Monte Carlo-esque prices only to discover it's not expensive at all. Supermarkets are dirt cheap, bars and restaurants were reasonable & the bike shops weren't any more expensive than here i.e.
http://www.toricomorzine.com/our-services/workshop/
Mutzig at bar robinson wasn't much more than a couple of quid for a pint
Sure?
binners, you do realise that there is a great supermarket down below Bar Robinson don't you??!
LOL here's a waste of MORE time... You buy a frame, drive 40 mins to collect it, spend an hour stripping down the Giant... Spend another 35 mins sorting the rear triangle which has semi-siezed pivot/mount bolts and then fit the back wheel, clean the frame, tidy the frame and then find that the headset is NOT actually the type it was described as and does NOT fit your forks.... then you have to ring the bloke, explain the issue, then drive back to his house, get your money back and THEN... come home and rebuild the Giant.... To say i've lost the will to touch a MTB is an understatement LOL.
On the plus side, the Giant is all back together... The bloke didn't argue with me about the refund, give him credit, he accepted the issue without argument and was instant and easy for the refund....
On the final downside... the Indian Take-away was rubbish LOL.
Sorry to waste your time weeksy but I never said it had a tapered headtube and I can't see anywhere that mentions a tapered headtube here: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/frames/mountain/product/review-intense-cycles-spider-29er-08-21302
You didn't like the Gurkha Chef?!? it's been great every time I've been there.
He's got a point. Doesn't mention a tapered HT anywhere I can see.
You know what you do when you ASSUME don't you?
If I was nearer payday I'd have that fame off you.
Wasn't your fault mate, was a mis-understanding in communication. I thought i asked you on the phone when we spoke before i came over. Honestly, genuine mistake on both sides, hope you get the other guy to buy easily and quickly.
Couldn't go there as the menu didn't suit Mrs Weeksy, she's fussy with her India. So went to the more Indian place 2 doors away.
You know what you do when you ASSUME don't you?
I'm not going to argue... i don't have the strength tonight.
Ah i was only poking anyway. No harm done really though. I still recommend that remedy 😀
the Remedy is too far to realistically ensure i can get it for the trip, i've got a motorbike trackday at Snetterton tomorrow then have to take my mum to supermarket on Fri/Sat. That only leave me Sunday and i really should spend that with Mrs Weeksy as i'm going away the week after, Driving to Wigan wouldn't help my marriage at all.
The SC Heckler is still a lovely machine, but a pain in the arse drive unless i did it Sunday...
The first Giant Reign just went for £620 on ebay, not making reserve, i rekon based upon that i could get it for a non-budget-busting £650 but in all honesty, i've had a couple of days of searching, messing about (not blaming anyone, it's as much my fault as anyones) and then stripping/building. I bought pads for the Yeti, i bought tyres for the Yeti, both of which i've got to send back for refund... so... i dunno, i can see the Giant going to Morzine.
I've still got the Patriot as a wildcard, but think i'd hate it...
The Giant i think i'd enjoy and the Heckler... but... i'm done for now...
Well, time is running out, my full suspension plans have fallen apart and the trip to the Alps is almost upon us.
Today i fitted the new WTB wheels, nice, lovely and smooth.
Also fitted the Schwalbe Hans Dampf tyres
Lastly, a 180 brake adaptor and a new pair of rotors.
I think the big boy will be the bike i take with me.... it's looking fairly likely now.
GUTTED !!!!
Decided to bite the bullet and buy myself a dropper seatpost. Barely used KS900i with 125mm travel/drop came up at the right money in a 30.9 seatpost size so i jumped on it.
Fitted it all up, tested it, lovely... works like a dream...
Well, apart from 1 issue...
My standard seatpost length means from frame to rail is 28.9cm. With the KS900i installed at the 'minimum insertion' point, it's 27.1cm
Sadly, the 28.9cm is about right and possibly even slightly on the low side, so 27.1cm is really really too low.
Unless a mate has it... a lovely lovely condition KS900i with remote will soon be up for sale.
Right lads... i'm guessing i already know the answer to this one....
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1113387/
@ £700
or
@ £600
or finally
@ £700
Well.... i bought one of them 3 above....
Hopefully it's the right bike and plan 🙂
I'll find out this afternoon when i sit on it.
Top one is my guess.
Hopefully you bought the Heckler
IS the correct answer.
Finishing work early and making a bit more of a drive than i ideally wanted. But the bike seems right and the money is right for me to sell after Alps... So i rekon it's the right deal 🙂
With a bit of luck i may even get out for a hour tonight to test it when i get home.




