[Closed] Hypothetical "worth spending £700 more and getting a Tracer over a Heckler?" ???

I can vouch for the tracer being superb. Although I appear to be alone in thinking that the series 1 slopestyle is better. It just IS!

£700 better than the Heckler, mmm, not sure. If you can afford it I don't think you would be disappointed though.

Sorry not much help at all.

hmmm. I've not yet ridden the tracer but tried a mates heckler and was impressed by how light it felt.

Has anyone ridden both at all?

Yes, if you get a straight one.

hmmm. I've not yet ridden the tracer but tried a mates heckler and was impressed by how light it felt.

Has anyone ridden both at all?

Anyone else?

ta

gosh, twice as much as my whole bike for a slightly different bike ? No way!

do it.. just for the exclusivity value..

twice as much as my whole bike for a slightly different bike

i bet your bike was twice as much as someone else's though, so why did you bother?

Is it worth spending £120 more on a heckler over a hemlock?
Hemlock is a four bar, posted, seat QR + RP23 Boost Valve for that (I believe a heckler has a float R as standard). HA is about 1deg slacker though, if that would put you off?

A pace RC405 is £1250 I think, VPP, same HA as heckler, although a touch less rear travel

Totally different and a vast price difference. Im no Intense fan and the Heckler is ever-green. Different head angles as well?

With a 140mm (fox) fork the HAs for Tracers and Hecklers are both 69 degrees

I stand corrected 🙂

i bet your bike was twice as much as someone else's though, so why did you bother?

its well bling innit ?

Hmmm

It's all "hypothetical" at the moment anyway, or at least that's what I'm telling the Mrs..

Tbh I don't much fancy the Hemlock or Pace..

I want something 6'' ish, lighter than my current Foes and a bit longer (the foes is waaaay too short).

However, unlike most "all mountain" bikes this one really does need to be able to do XC all day rides as well as DH days...

The Heckler does look good for the money and my mate was always impressed with his..

I realise that VPP and single-pivot ride very differently but I'm not sure that the VPP " magic-carpet" feel is worth so much more wongas..

Has anyone ever ridden both?

Orange Alpine might be worth a look?

They're quite long, slack (so good for DH days), light-ish and seem to climb well.

I've ridden the Intense and found the geometry very free-ridey. Very slack. But it was set up at the longer travel settings for me so I don't know how much difference that could make

I've not ridden a heckler but Iirc the angles are steeper than the Tracer so it's a bit apples and oranges.

but it's so personal, depends what kind of bike you're after.

I *much* preferred the feel of the Spider 2. A proper midtravel (120) but stand on the pedals and it sprints like a XC FS bike. Angles are steepish but not bonkers. Will be my next bike if I can sneek it past the missus 😀

If I was going to be spending Tracer money I'd head for a 5-spot instead. More likely to be straight from the factory, not crack, and warranty/customer service is top notch (if you go direct to Turner).

£700 difference between one frame and another can only be justified by you test riding both bikes and see which you prefer. If the more expensive one sets your heart on fire, then it's the right answer. If not, it isn't...

I will say about intense, Extra in the uk are excellent for customer service.

The advantages of an intense over a turner would be the stickers won't fall off, and I'd say the intense won't crack. 😉

Well I rode a Blur which is £500 more than my Heckler I did not think it was worth the extra, saying that the Nomad is, if you have the money and you much prefer how the Tracer rides over & above the Heckler then you pays your money & make your choice. Having never ridden an Intense I cant comment but hope my example helps.

Hmm the Turner 5 spot is an idea but perhaps a bit more on the trail side of "everything"?

I can't really imagine it with Fox 36's at an uplift day, for example..

There will be a big difference - £700 worth? Dunno. But you should be comparing the Tracer with the Blur LT which is very similar as SC and Intense share suspension development. Then again, if you are looking at VPP vs single pivot and want 160mm you should be looking at a Nomad

how about the Chumba XCL? Tough, very tough but still builds light, will run 160mm forks, optional swing links to drop the BB and make it even slacker (only available in medium and large sizes) only 5" travel though....

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Yeah I know it's a slightly odd comparison!

The deal is this:

I can probably sell my current frame and only need to put 4-500 squids to the wonga to afford the Heckler.

Alternatively, if the Tracer really is as fabtastic as it looks I'd have to sell the existing bike, ride the hardtail for a good few months and save up the extra £700 or so..

tbh the Blur LT2 is again a bit too on the XC side of " everything" for me, and the Nomad just doesn't float my boat for some reason.. although I've not ridden either the Nomad or Tracer yet!!

mmm the Chumba does look nice but I really feel like I need the full 6 inches!

(that sounds wrong... :-S )

The chumba frames have a very linear suspension curve, makes all the travel useable and works well with the RP23 making it feel like it has more travel than it actually has.

If yer anywhere near lancs, cheshire, etc, etc, your more than welcome to have a play on my Heckler, and see how you get on with it?

Its a Large, and set up as a pretty bombproof all dayer..

I've tried both an to be honest didn't really like either (ducks for cover). I'm not really a VVP fan, just not for me. But I would chose the Tracer as it suited me more. I went for one of these in the end. IMO the FSR/horst link pedals much better than VVP and looks alot better than the DW-link.

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i have rode a Tracer (but it was built light and pedaled well) I own a Heckler (08) with Pikes and a Van R Coil and it just feels so much better than the Tracer -

Get the Heckler mate you will love it - pedals as well as the Tracer but come into its own pointing down!

RRR, the Blur LT is absolutely not an XC bike. If you read the reviews they will tell you its built very tough and as well as being a great climber will take 3-4ft drop offs all day. I don't do anything quite that big, but I do give it a good hammering on big rocky descents which is my playground of choice living in the Scottish Highlands

[i]If yer anywhere near lancs, cheshire, etc, etc, your more than welcome to have a play on my Heckler, and see how you get on with it?[/i]

Very kind of you but I'm in Sheffield and don't drive 🙁

The Titus el guapo did catch my eye but isn't a huge amount lighter than my current Foes.

Interesting stuff guys but it seems opinons are somewhat mixed!

My mate has the Blur LT and I know it's a very capable bike... think I should scab a proper ride on it perhaps..

Does anyone happen to know where you can test-ride Intense's near Sheffield?!

New bike Dan ? the Foes is hardly ridden, your getting worse than me 🙂

Also look at, Remedy, V light. Roscoe, Yeti 7" ? Alpine is like a mini 224 (apparently)

There is a run down on 6" bikes in MBR this month, Alpine takes the "this mag is paid for by advertising" win above the other 3 on test.

EDIT: AND look right at that CRC link - Iron Horse 6" bikes going V low price on CRC

If its anyhelp, tracer frame weighs 3400g with shock.

I changed from an '06 Heckler with DHX Air to a Foes FXR air. Both with 36 Floats. The Heckler was a bit slacker, great downhill, difficult up. Blew thru the travel easily (but I am just over 15st). The Foes is great everywhere except flat and small repetitive bumps where it feels too hardtail like. But when you hit stuff fast its brilliant. Much more solid than the Heckler. Only just over a pound difference in weight between them (both size L).

si - not definite but the foes really feels too short for me.

I dont know what to do tbh - i love the foes suspension and it really foes feel much better than anything i've tried, in the rough stuff. . . Yet its really a bit too heavy for all day riding and too short . .

eeek, too short. Bugger. Well defo try b4 you buy on next frame if you can Dan. What about Lapierre also ? Lex's has those for Demo.

indeed Si, tis the perils of buying secondhand 🙁

would like to try a spicey actually..

you still got the alpine Si?

what about the transition covert.

yup... surprisingly have now owned a frame for more than 12 months ! Can't see me doing much swapping anymore, happy with both...

What's the frame weight like on the Alpine, Si?

Hello, why not get a larger size fxr? i ride a med fxr for rough days in peaks, france and other really bumpy places and i got a large xct for long days in the local hills or long days out, lets face it your not going to find anything any where as solid in the rear end as a foes, and if your a big bloke your going to wear out the bearings on any vpp every 2 mnths. Also you could change the shocks over from fxr to xct, so you get your 6 inches, ive done it and it works, hecklers are a great bike tho, but not built like a foes, thats my 2 pennys worth.

hi, well that's the thing - I already have a Large fxr . . i dont really understand why it feels so short as in theory the top tube is the same as many other bikes!

I really do love the feel of the fxr and would be sad to see it go but it's really pretty damn heavy!

Have you got layback post and 90mm stem? I use inline post n 90mm stem on xct and layback and 70mm stem on fxr, xct weighs 30.03 lb and fxr 34.14 with joplin and heavy tyres, 32lb with normal post and bonty mudx.
Good luck with whatever you go for.

i've got an inline post but with saddle right back in rails. Using an 80mm stem. .

Weight wise it seems to be about 34.5 pounds with single-ply high rollers on but pretty light kit everywhere else - really is knackering on all day xc rides!

Yeah i must admit it is too heavy for big days out, but i tried other bikes, and as nice as they are they just dont cut the mustard, they always feel too floppy in the rear! Thats why i got the xct, for long days out with the fit lads.

Alpine is 3400g + shock, so + 220g for RP23

see that's about the same as my Foes Si (about 8lb) yet I don't know why mine is so much heavier?>!

Spend the money I'm a intense lover Do it