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Enduro bike advice please. Inbred junior has been promised a new bike for doing reasonably well for his GCSE’s. He has been riding a 456 inbred for the last few years. We are combining this reward with his Xmas present because Wow they are expensive. He mainly rides Hamsterley and Chopwell with some homemade trails around Houghhall woods etc. He is 16 yrs old and 6ft 2 so maybe has a bit of growing still to do. He has seen a Vitus Sommet 1x10 with 160 manitou fork 20.5 inch frame for 1600ish from Wiggle. I know very little about current full sus bikes. Is this a decent bike and is there anything else out there that I have missed?
Budget about £1600ish.
Same height as me, 20.5 sounds a bit big, but tbh I haven't bought a bike sized in inches since my hardtail days!.
They are certainly very good bikes, well specced too.
You should be able to pick up a cracking 2nd hand bike for that though, if you don't mind used.
Join British Cycling for £30 then get the same bike from CRC with the 10% off code you get
Sommet is a great bike, might also be worth looking at the 29 version. Other options I'd suggest would be Nukeproof Mega, Airdrop Edit, Bird Aeris and YT Capra.
If you prefer buying from a LBS and don't mind to wait a little bit, there will probably be plenty of "old" (2018) bikes being sold off in advance of the new 2019 colours.
Giant trance from Paul's cycles. Always had good service from them.
Trance is probably more trail than enduro actually, Paul's is still worth a look, they have some good bargains now and again
+1 for 20.5 inches probably being a bit big. Try not to focus too much on the seat tube length, look more are reach and stack numbers, but as always, trying a few for size at a demo day is going to give yo/him a lot more info than a geometry chart.
For youy budget there aren’t many new Enduro bikes available. The Vitus is probably the best bet unless somewhere like Paul’s discount another brand low enough.
Not sure if a Nukeproof Mega will get that low and you won’t get a Bird Aeris for that money new either. Think the base level capra is just over £2k new too.
The Vitus Bikes always seem to get good reviews and a few people on here have them (maybe the escarpe rather than the Sommet) and have made positive comments.
For youy budget there aren’t many new Enduro bikes available. The Vitus is probably the best bet unless somewhere like Paul’s discount another brand low enough.
Yes.
And a 16 yrs old is able to be very hard on those bikes.
Think the cheapest RADON SWOOP 170 is around 2.4 k as well...
Other issue: those Enduro aluminium bikes are heavy. For an 16 yrs old maybe even "very heavy". And most Enduro bikes have now 1x drivetrains with - in my view - too big uphill gears. This might take the fun out for an 16 yrs old when going also lot uphill?
Interesting brand new bike (when available? end of the year?):
https://www.ghost-bikes.com/en/bikes/fully/bike/fr-amr-47-al/
Also around 2.4 k? Great 170 mm downhill fork (Durolux). 165 mm coil shock...great geo!
1x11 drivetrain with same issue as mentioned above...
If you can squeeze another £250 into your budget, I lot to ask I know, Canyon have a sale on the 2018 Strive at the moment. The Strive AL 5.0 has £350 off, down to £1849, that's a lot of bike for the money.
There’s a large Reign in the classifieds for 1600
At 6'2" at 16 I wouldn't worry about weight. He's a monster who'd whup my 44 year old 6'2" self.
I was going to say, if he’s 6’2 already, a bike around 32lbs isn’t probably going to be a huge drama!
We go second hand, it is better value. I effectively 'bank' the extra cash, as they do trash bits of them....
A friend just got his son a Whyte G170 in sales - proving a hard wearing thing (and he is tough on bikes...) - the issue being though he spent full budget, and then crashes have resulted in buying new brake lever, bent saddle, bent mech etc on top.
We got Radon Slide 150 / full XT / Pikes / two sets of wheels / amazing condition / just shop serviced and full TF Tuned (£300 of reciepts!) for £900. One of the wheels is proving brilliant, a set of Superstar Alpine, as he destroys wheels for fun it seemed on his old bike....
[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4564/38430016382_419412e676_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4564/38430016382_419412e676_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/21xVSZm ]Comrie Croft ride (again!)[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/ ]Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1864/43414815615_84daa30b33_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1864/43414815615_84daa30b33_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/299qh8H ]Abernethy Gravity Extra camp[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/ ]Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr
Just bought a Norco Sight, much cheaper at £600, needs a couple of bits sorting, but generally just fine.
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As your lad is 6' and 16, the weight of the bike is not really an issue, he will manage.
If you can squeeze another £250 into your budget, I lot to ask I know, Canyon have a sale on the 2018 Strive at the moment. The Strive AL 5.0 has £350 off, down to £1849, that’s a lot of bike for the money.
that's good news indeed. New Strive then in 2019?
Had a look:
https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/mtb/strive/2018/strive-al-5-0.html
(one issue: bike has the 1x11 GX drivetrain. Lot of hassle with 1x12 GX right now - no idea if 1x11 GX has similar problems.)
1.85 k for such an bike is great!
As your lad is 6′ and 16, the weight of the bike is not really an issue, he will manage.
Sounds right.
Another thought - instead of all the money in a bike, why not treat him to some coaching?
A week with Mr Cathro perhaps?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/albums/72157700710710825
https://www.abernethy.org.uk/about-us/individuals-families/scottish-gravity-camp/
Some great advice thanks. I was thinking about him growing in height rather than his weight. He is on my old 20” inbred and seems to manage fine size wise. If he goes for a large say 19” frame and puts a growth spurt on I’m worried he’ll grow out of it.
Think we might stretch to the Sommet VR. Another 200 pounds 1x11 slx, Yari fork better rims etc.
Having the Yari gives you the option at a later date do chenge the damper and have a Lyrik (what I’ve done with mine and it’s a good upgrade), so could be a good call. Although I thought the mattoc is meant to be an ok fork anyway.
Think we might stretch to the Sommet VR. Another 200 pounds 1×11 slx, Yari fork better rims etc.
Remember to get a BC discount though, soften the blow a bit
(one issue: bike has the 1×11 GX drivetrain. Lot of hassle with 1×12 GX right now – no idea if 1×11 GX has similar problems.)
That's not an issue, that's a positive, I've had GX on my last couple of bikes, have XT on the Bronson as that's what it came with, but I'd much rather have GX tbh.
Other, low cost option:
Triple B, 140/130 trail bike
http://calibrebicycles.com/bike/triple-b/
https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/calibre-triple-b-mountain-bike-p432765
Around 1.4 k
The Calibre Triple B is not really an Enduro - but a very capable trail bike.
Strive / Triple B
The Strive Al 5.0 is worth the 1.85 k and...
the Triple B is worth the 1.4 k.
If a budget of around 1.8 k is available I would go for the Strive. 170 mm Enduro bike. If Enduro races are the goal...
The Calibre Triple B doesn’t look hat comparable to a Sommet, I’d give that a swerve unless your lad wants something more trail orientated.
The Strive looks pretty good though. I prefer Sram stuff so would take gx 11 speed with the 11-42 cassette and run a 30t chainring. I also prefer Guides over 2 pot Shimano Brakes.
Canyon also a nicer colour imo. Although in value terms the Sommet VR probably is better.
Yes - the Sommet VR is for sure a pretty good bike.
This forum, threads about "Vitusbikes service": no idea how they are now. But remember some threads where owners were really angry - they couldn't get spares for current Vitus models...
Still an issue?
Maybe similar issues with Calibre/Gooutdoors or Canyon?
Not sure.
Small other issue: the Triple B and the Sommet VR - both use Formula hubs. Have them on my Bossnut V2 as well. That's an upgrade item! These hubs are crap.
The strive has a dt swiss wheelset which ough t to be better than formula.
The strive has a dt swiss wheelset which ough t to be better than formula.
Yes.
Sales for the current Strive: due to "new model" next year?
Think the current Strive still has the "ShapeShifter". Will be interesting if Canyon will stay with that also for the 2019 Strive?
ShapeShifter: this thing works. But in my view not really necessary - or? An all mountain bike and Enduro bike should allow to pedal uphill without those toys. And the Strive is not sooo slack that this ShapeShifter is really a logical pick for this bike.
On the other hand: a 16 yrs old might love to have such a "toy". One more "knob"...
My two pence with re sizing, I am also 6'2 and after years of riding "large" frames (19") stepping up to a XL is like night and day, so so much nicer to ride. I think as long as the top tube is dropped enough and you can get a reasonable length dropper post then go XL (20.5ish).
Took him to Evans in Durham to get him sized up as it were. XL definitely felt too big at the moment. He tried a Norco Range A3 Yari fork 1x11 Slx wtb rims novatec hubs. With a crappy old bike trade in down to £1.8k. Anybody ridden the range?
The range a3 doesn’t look a bad spec for the price you can get it for. I’ve not ridden it but the geometry looks pretty good - although the reach isn’t huge vs the seat tube height.
According to their guides the Xl should be the size for someone 6’2. Although I imagine it feels very different from the current bike. It also depends on your son’s dimensions - or is he long of leg or long of torso / arms etc.
Ultimately he has to be happy with it.
Can he test ride a large vs extra large - I think evans used to yet you ride them at least round the local area (albeit not on mud etc)?
One other thing - the brakes are an unknown quantity to me. Normally on a bike of that price you wouldn’t get tektros- however they’re listed as 4 pots so maybe they are top of the tektro brake range?
He test rode a large circa 19” but it had 29” wheels. It felt fine. You pay 50 quid they ship the bike to the store build it up then he can have a proper test ride. If it is fine he can take it. If not it goes back and money is refunded.