I have had my Maverick ML8 for a couple of years now and before that an ML7/5 and Klein Palomino. I still love it to bits and it never fails to impress me almost regardless of what I throw at it, however, you know what it's like when you just fancy a change...
It's a 165mm frame that weighs 7lbs, and is suitably slack with the Talas 36 160s on it (67 degree head angle to my measurements). I had the rear shock tuned so the rebound is now very controlled and it still climbs very well.
When it was my only bike, it was great. Light enough (30lbs ish) to ride XC and burly enough for the Alps, but now I have an Epic for XC, I quite fancy something slightly more gravity focused but that can still do a lap at FOD if I fancy it!
2 of my cycling group have Nomad's - one guy has a coil sprung Mk2 and another has a Mk1 and a Carbon. Not ridden the carbon yet but the air sprung Mk1 feels very similar to the ML8 and looking at the specs is almost identical weight and angles so that makes sense.
Quite like the look of the Yeti SB-66 and also the Genius LT, but a Carbon Nomad with Talas 180s could be fun. Also can't really ignore the Nukeproof Mega at the price - slightly less travel than the ML8 but probably a bit burlier and slacker (and will I notice the difference between 165mm and 150mm?).
Any other options I should look at? Could just save a load of cash and get my ML8 resprayed in a 2012 colour scheme and buy some new bits for it, but unsure that would scratch the itch properly!
Ideas welcomed!
the air sprung Mk1 feels very similar to the ML8 and looking at the specs is almost identical weight and angles so that makes sense.
Does it make sense? What I mean is, if they're so close - why bother with it? Just keep what you've got.
If you're a big fella this is an absolute steal:
http://www.bikescene.co.uk/Specialized-Enduro-Expert-Frame-4476-92-0.html
No it doesn't make sense at all, but if everything in life made sense it would be a dull place at times!!!
I wouldn't change it for an alloy Nomad as it feels too similar, but a Carbon Nomad frame is 1lb lighter and would be slacker with Talas 180s on for the Alps.
I'd be after a large rather than XL so that's no good despite being a bargain!
Bump for the evening crew.
No other opinions?!
Intense slopestyle 🙂
A slope style might be a little bit too gravity focused but quite like the look of the Carbine!
HJT
I've got a Nomad C that i'm thinking of selling. I bought a Tallboy recently and that seems to be getting the most use at the moment.
I had an alloy Nomad before the carbon and the difference is chalk and cheese - much stiffer, noticably lighter, more plush!
If you are in the market for one let me know. Basic spec of mine is as follows:
Large Nomad C in white
Rockshox Lyriks - coil, u-turn, mission control, high and low speed compression.
Fox RP23 kashima rear shock
Mavic 721EN on Hope Pro II hubs with Minions
Specialized Command Post seat post
Thomson 70mm stem with Easton carbon DH bar
SLX groupset
Avid Elixer CR Carbon brakes
Thanks Paul. Yours sounds lovely but I'm an xtr and talas whore so probably not worth it for me. Have you tried many other similar travel bikes? Do like the look of the new Tallboy LT I have to say.
As above, doesnt sound like youd be gaining all that mucg by changing, unless you reeeeally want 180mm forks?
More gravity orientated?
What headtube size has the maverick got?
Chances are there'll be a works components headset to slacken it at least a bit?
What rear hub axle type have you got? What will the frame take? If its standard 10mm QR only, then you might still be able to go 10mm thru-bolt or 10mm nutted axle of some sort if you havent already. Might make it feel a little more 'burly'
Wider bars, shorter stem (you have got oversize/31.8mm ones havent you)?
Wider rimmed wheels, unless you're already on Flows/EX500/EX5.1D etc
Intense Carbine
Mojo HD160 with 180mm forks?
Around about a year ago I happened to be in the right place at the right time & had a couple of consecutive weekends where I was demoing bikes.
I wasn't looking to buy a new bike & in all I took out about 10 bikes, some hardtail, some full suspension.
At the end of it all I decided I really liked the bikes I already had, but made a couple of part changes (wider bars, shorter stem)
So I'd get out & demo some bikes - you'll know the answer to your question once you have.
The Maverick has an integrated headset can't be slackened off sadly. It's already been burlied up a little for the Alps last year with 715mm bars, a 65mm stem. The back end axle can't be changed either but the design means it's very stiff anyway.
The wheels are Bonty Rhythm Pro so quite wide but light, and tyres vary from Purgatorys for day to day use and Minion DHs for downhill.
I think some test rides are the best bet - Mountain Trax have an SB-66 and I think Cyclecare are Ibis dealers so may have a Mojo I can try.
Suspect when faced with a spend of £2k+ for relatively little gain I may come to the same conclusion as you cycl1ngjb but could be fun investigating!
All I'll say on the matter is that I know several ex-Maverick owners, and with the exception of one guy (who bought a frame 2nd hand that really was ready for the skip it was so abused!), everyone else regrets selling their Maverick...
I know you change your specs quite a bit, like I've done on my Durance in the past, but what I realised is that the bike just rides so well that whatever I do I'm not going to change it significantly. I was lucky enough to score a bargain VGC Speedball for mine last week (but I think you've got a Reverb anyway?) which has come in handy already, and the 762mm wide Sunline flats really added a degree of control I didn't think they would, so much so the bike feels instantly more stable and more fun to ride.
The other thing is you have to spend a LOT of cash these days to get something with similar kind of travel and weight as the ML8, and how much better will it be in return? It depends what you want to do of course, but I'm still of the opinion you can't have one true "all rounder" bike no matter how much money you throw at it, and I'd rather have 2 much more modestly specced bikes for the same money, but both to do a different job. Instead of trying to make your ML8 more of a gravity sled, maybe just sell some of the expensive bits off and buy a cheap 2nd hand DH bike and do some uplift days on that? I've seen Iron Horse Sunday's go for circa £1k, and that's a World Cup winning bike not long ago!
I see your dilemma because you've got the Epic for XC, but that might not be the right bike to compliment the ML8 in itself. The ML8, in a lighter state of tune, will do pretty much everything the Epic can, pretty much as quickly, but with a whole lot in reserve... That said, I've got a nice light hardtail set up with 120mm Reba's and 1x10 XT, I ride both my Mav and the hardtail on the same trails, just pick whichever I want to ride that day. But then I've not been on an uplift day, nor do I have much intention of doing so, and won't be trotting off to the Alps any time soon either unless someone else is paying!
Hi Mboy,
Thanks for your input. I have been contacted my some ex-maverick owners asking if I wanted to sell so I think you have a good point. I guess maybe it just shows how far ahead of it's time the ML8 was at launch 7 or 8 years ago!
I used to have a hardtail but found that once the honeymoon period had worn off, it was just quite hard work (Whyte 19 with 120m Rebas) and the Epic can be setup to be almost hardtail like anyway with the brain shock just taking the edge off the nasty bumps.
When I just had the ML8 it was built to a light spec (27lbs ish) but once I had tried it in Alps mode with the big bars, Fox 36s and big tyres, I didn't want to change it back hence the Epic purchase.
Don't think a cheap DH rig would see enough use as even though I do a few uplift days and go to the Alps, I like to mix up the DH stuff with some singletrack so the 160mm bikes make the most sense for me.
I guess what I am after really is another ML8 but a brand new shiny one with new bits on it!! Maybe time to revisit that powder coating option I looked at and treat myself to some shiny XTR 10spd bits!
I'll take the Mav..... 😉
Trek Slash? Though I think the Nomad C with 180mm 36 would be sicko!
I have a brand new Carbine frame but am after a Maverick - interested?? Email me at cynic280@hotmail.com