So - after much saving I am looking for a 130-140 travel 29er. Would love a Tallboy LT but too rich for me so any other bright ideas. Inevitable ones are Remedy 9 or Fuel Ex 9 from last year. Spec Stumpy evo or look at Canyon Spectral. Also looked at BMC Speedfox but no experience and can't get demo. Have around £2.5k for complete bike. Thoughts, suggestions and any opinions of how they ride.............
On one codeine looks great vfm. Not used one so can't give an objective opinion but they review well and I'm a fan of their hardtails, so I think they know how to put a decent bike together
[url= http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOOCODX01/on-one-codeine-29-sram-x01-mountain-bike ]http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOOCODX01/on-one-codeine-29-sram-x01-mountain-bike[/url]
That Evil Following would work it's way into my thoughts - always iffy on Evil's quality though, hard to put their past record aside.
Remedy 29 140mm get's raved about.
I tested the 650b version of that Enduro up there. Was very good, bar a few niggles. Well worth a look.
The UK Spec Camber is lovely, but a little over budget!
You should consider the hammerhead thumper.
You'd have to build it yourself, but that's a good thing and you'd get an awesome bike for that budget.
They are as good as any name brand bike I have tried. Very quick too.
superstu - Member
On one codeine looks great
Saw one on the trails for the first time at the weekend - blue one, CCDBA, Pikes - thought it looked fantastic. Long and slack, purposeful.
Stumpjumper comp carbon with pikes fitted here and love it, best all around bike I've had.
I loved the Remedy, brilliant bike, but pretty expensive for what you get... Only reason I don't own one.
BMC Trailfox from Evans? I haven't ridden one (yet) but they look good value, good angles...
Got the 2014 enduro comp for £2000 , and i can reccomend it,you'll have change for a dropper post too
Banshee Prime (longer travel) or Phantom (shorter travel but similar downhill attitude)?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321707828155?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Speak to this chap and offer him £2200
Really liking my Mondraker Crafty, can recommend. Long wheelbase which is ideal for rocky fast terrain, not so good if you ride lots of tight switchbacks.
140mm or 150 front, 130 rear
I'm liking my Rocky Mountain Altitude.(650 tho)
Mondraker and Whyte were considered.
Lbs has a stock of the new Saracens in. Look very nice....
I would get a Codeine, but to get the most out of it you need to run it a bit stiff if that makes any sense so it is not like riding on a sofa. Wouldn't get the El-Guapo 29 I have the 26 and despite it being a stiff design for its time when I'm riding it hard in the Peaks I can really feel it flex.
I am selling a 6 month old banshee prime 130mm frame with 150mm pikes. £1100 for the pair and loads of money left for your build. Size large if you are interested. Very solid agressive bike
I have a 2014 Spectral 7.9 and love it. Highly recommended although if I were to chose again I'd spend a bit more money (your budget) and get one with a Pike. The Spectral 9.9 has this and other ace parts, is more or less bang on your budget and (most importantly) in stock and ready to ship!!
Rocky Mountain Instinct?
Cheers for all the ideas - had a look at the Codeine and looks like lots of bike for the money - specially as on offer at the moment, interested in the crafty as well - interesting geo and as most of my stuff is Dartmoor based sounds like it might suit.
I am selling a 6 month old banshee prime 130mm frame with 150mm pikes. £1100 for the pair and loads of money left for your build. Size large if you are interested. Very solid agressive bike
Buy this!
Love my RM Instinct, I bought the BC edition 130 rear 140 Pikes up front. Expensive but there are cheaper models in the range.
http://www.specializedconceptstore.co.uk/enduro-comp/27724/14enduro
Just bought an E29. Really impressive, doesn't feel like a big bike, handles great, real flickable but so capable too.
What chiefgrooveguru said
The Prime is an absolute beast of a bike, yet still pedals very well.
If you want a monster-truck kind of bike.
Allow an extra £1300 for a reverb/XT build kit and you're sorted for £2400!
If you don't, then I would suggest you test ride some shorter travel 29ers that have aggressive geometry like the:
Kona Process
Transition Smuggler
Evil The Following
My Meta AM29 was an absolute animal and destroyed everything in it's path. Cracking bike on the downhills. Only downside was it was pretty darn heavy... along with being passive overkill for 90%+ of my riding... Hence why I now have a Spearfish.
I love my Orange 5 29 (Alpine 5). I'd demo one before ruling it out. Drakes in Leeds have some discounted that come in budget.
I'd agree with what chakaping has said.
I built up a Switchback Unveil 9 (used to be called Hammerhead Thumper) at the end of last year and enjoying it greatly. UK agent is Blue Flow Bikes.
130mm rear travel with a 150mm RS Pike on the front.
The whole build wasn't much over £1400 (I already had the brakes and dropper).
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[url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/56716928@N07/15213414433 ]Switchback Unveil9 by Mark, on Flickr[/url]
That should have said £1600 not £1400.
I love my Orange 5 29 (Alpine 5). I'd demo one before ruling it out. Drakes in Leeds have some discounted that come in budget.
Looking around the web there seem to be quite a few deals on the Five29/Alpine Five at the moment. I wonder if the rumours about Orange dropping this model are true. It doesn't look as though it is shifting, which is interesting as everybody who has ridden one seems to love it.
Another vote for the HH Thumper / Switchback Unveil 9 - cracking frame for the money and easy to build up within a reasonable budget....
Five 29 is the best Orange I've ever ridden... Oranges always get better the bigger they are I reckon, the quirks suit a big hammer of a bike. Really excellent bit of work. And therefore probably no bugger'll buy it. Also in my "buy it if it's cheap" list 😆
What's the difference between a Thumper and an Unveil?
[img] http://fcdn.mtbr.com/attachments/custom-builders-other-manufacturers/971657d1426019678-post-your-hammerhead-switchback-switchback-3.jp g" target="_blank">http://fcdn.mtbr.com/attachments/custom-builders-other-manufacturers/971657d1426019678-post-your-hammerhead-switchback-switchback-3.jp g"/> [/img]
What's the difference between a Thumper and an Unveil?
Decals & paint to the best of my knowledge.
Switchback Unviel 9 here too. Love it.
Black ano with Factory Fox shock for £629 delivered. Quality is first rate.
Mated it up with a 2015 RockShox Revelation 140mm fork from Alltricks for £227.
Five 29 is the best Orange I've ever ridden... Oranges always get better the bigger they are I reckon, the quirks suit a big hammer of a bike. Really excellent bit of work. And therefore probably no bugger'll buy it.
A big, long, 140mm 29er that weighs north of 32lb with 455mm chainstays just doesn't appeal to many people I guess. In fact, if it wasn't for you banging on about it I'd have dismissed it ages ago 🙂 As it is, these price reductions are making my buy finger very twitchy.
The thing is I'm not really a mountain biker. I have very limited skills and not much inclination to develop any either for that matter. I have no interest in scaring myself. Basically I'm just somebody who uses a bike to take advantage of Scotland's fantastic access laws. Mechanised rambling somebody called it. It's also something I do on my own for fitness and to enjoy the sense of solitude and wilderness. But that does mean that I often find myself at the top of big rocky mountains in the middle of nowhere. So, funnily enough, a big bruiser of a bike that can steamroller anything has its appeal.
What's the difference between a Thumper and an Unveil?
Nothing at all, apart from the colour/decals. I've got a Thumper and at the time, it was their white frame. Don't care for the names as they aren't known brands anyway, but graphics look a little more subtle on the Thumper. Not sure if there's any left now though, as they've probably moved onto the latest Unveils by now.
I completely agree with all others above on this frame. It's basically a Kona Satori with a Horst link. It's bang up to date (bar internal cable routing) and its geometry is very much "evo": long, low and slack (for a 29er).
A rear maxle and high-end shock are included in the price. If you opt for the Fox CTD shock, buy yourself some volume spacers as you'll be blowing through its linear travel and having to overcompensate with air otherwise (unless you're very ickle).
It's a barnstormer of a ride, but you have to get it up to speed for it to really shine. But then that's the whole point of buying a LT 29er right? To thrash the tits off it!
Might be worth hunting down a 2014 Stumpjumper Evo?
It's by far and away the most competent bike I've ridden, it gets on with the job with no fuss whatsoever.
That said, that Hammerhead/Switchback looks fantastic.
You should check out the Radon Slide (in 27.5 and 29er versions). I'm loving my Slide 9.0 29er. Really good spec for the price. It is a German direct marketing company (like Canyon but without the long waiting list) and with the euro dropping you get a very favourable exchange rate.
These are the 29er versions.
http://www.bike-discount.de/en/mtb-full-supension-29er
The downside is that you can't try them so be careful about sizing.
Another vote for the Switchback Unveil 9 (HH Thumper)
Fantastic value for the money, and good support from Stuart at Blueflow Bikes http://www.blueflowbikes.com/ and or Scott back in the States. http://www.switchbackbikes.com/
I've done around 700km on mine to date mostly local to me FOD and Wye Valley and a couple of trail centre rides.
Initial impression was so good that I decided to sell on my Trek Remedy 26" wheel bike as no longer being required. No regrets on that at all as there is nothing I wouldn't do on the Unveil that I did on the Remedy.
The Unveil just seems to cover the ground more efficiently, steep downs are great just like my Canfield Yelli Screamy, helped by the slack head angle and short chain-stays, having rear suspension then adds to confidence so more enjoyable to ride for long days out. The suspension soaks up everything I am happy to ride and it never feels lacking.
My bike comes in at 31lb on calibrated scales (LBS) that's with 10speed XT build kit, Hope Brakes, carbon bars, Crank Brothers Iodine wheelset (tubeless), titanium rail saddle and light magnesium flat pedals.
Just found these - any one had any dealings??
http://www.trekdemosale.co.uk/category/mountain-bikes/
All the ones the mags have tried to trash sold on for cheaper!
Found the Thumper/unveil but looking like my size is out of stock - though everyone who has one raves.
Stumpy evo sounds good as well - great reviews, but wanted to investigate anything else - you know how it is!!!
Found the Thumper/unveil but looking like my size is out of stock - though everyone who has one raves.
Hey Crashrash. Stuart here from Blue Flow Bikes. We will have 3 colour choices of large frame available within the next week or so. A white 130X, black Ano Unveil9 and a custom painted metallic blue Unveil9. I got my own frame painted at the same time......
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Just checked out the Radon Slide 9 - How cheap!?! Cannot believe it - 130mm travel Kashima factory FIT Fox, both ends and full XT double ring build, DT swiss 1501 - all for under £1900............. Not sure how they do it but it makes even Canyon look pricey! Might just buy one of these and if its a bit shit to ride get an Unveil 9 and swap the bits over!
I test rode a Mondraker Crafty, super bike but the build kit was not my taste on the cheaper models. Whtye t129scx was great but wanted a bit more travel. Was going to get a Specteral but was put of by some of the reviews.
Ended up going for a Carbon stumpy evo, managed to get a 2014 secondhand, put new chain and cable on it, service fork and shock and grease everything for your budget.
Amazing bike and could not recommend enough. Not sure the frame is that much lighter than the alu but the build kit makes a big difference to the ride I think.
Cheers for all the advice guys. Think we have it narrowed down. Stumpy evo seems great but struggling to find anything with the kit I want for the money. Radon slide seems too good to be true! Can't believe you can get that kit for the money though would prefer to ride first or have a few opinions! Thumper/unveil 9 looks really good - every owner seems to love it and it does mean I can try for the dream build. So thinking Unveil 9, Pikes, reverb or thomson dropper, Full XT groupset with 180 rotors front and back and a set of AC wide lightenings (blowing the budget a bit there!). Short stem and fatbar. Dream is getting closer!
I think I upset some folks last time i posted this... But, Hammerhead claim they have permission from Kona to use the Satori's front triangle in the Thumper, but Kona flatly deny it. I don't know who's right and who's wrong but it made me feel pretty dubious about the whole deal.
Nice choice crashrash. I have a similar build. I managed to scrape enough together for a set of blue flow carbon wheels aswell. Excellent value for money. Awesome bike. Bulletproof. Been to Alp D'huez down the mega course, taken it down Mnt Tidy in Tenneriffe and I'm currently in Cyprus doing a bit there. No probs so far.
Northwind - Member
I think I upset some folks last time i posted this... But, Hammerhead claim they have permission from Kona to use the Satori's front triangle in the Thumper, but Kona flatly deny it. I don't know who's right and who's wrong but it made me feel pretty dubious about the whole deal.
Dubious indeed. Where's that from?
Cube Stereo....great bike, light as well.
Did they sort out the lack of tyre clearance on the 29er El Guapo?
I fit a specialized purgatory in the rear of the el guapo 29 and it fits bit I wouldn't get a taller tyre in there (that's on a 23mm inner diameter rim).
Has anyone tried putting longer Pikes 160mm on there's if so what does it do to the handling.
honourablegeorge - MemberDubious indeed. Where's that from?
I thought it sounded weird so I just asked Kona.
Hi Northwind.
The deal with Kona is genuine.
I'm not sure who at Kona you spoke to but it makes perfect sense to me that the vast majority of Kona employees would not be aware of the agreement reached between Kona / Stefan Stark / Caribou / Switchback.
Both Switchback and ourselves have been advertising and selling the frames for a good while now and Kona are completely happy with this.