I need your help.
Following a commuting accident, I lost a bike but I have £1800 coming my way for a new bike.
As I already have an old commuting bike, a lightweight full carbon road bike and a hardtail MTB, I thought why not buying a short travel full suspension bike.
I ride mainly XC, a few 24hrs events.
I am not the lightest rider, weighing around 105kg (about 17st).
I have been looking at the following:
Trek Fuel EX8,
Scott Spark 30, 35 and 40,
Lapierre X-Control 310
Lapierre Zesty 314,
The Lapierre frameset look really well finished.
The Fuel EX, everybody has one (Just like the Specialized FSR a few years ago...)
I like the Spark but I am not sure about the carbon frameset. Has anybody had any problem with stones flying at the downtube?
Any other bike I should be looking at?
I would welcome any help, personal experience... to help me decide.
Thank you
Seb
The Spark has a 110kg weight limit, with kit I imagine you're well up there, so I'm not sure I'd recommend it.
That's not to say I'd discount carbon all together, stones flying up just isn't the issue some people seem to think it is!
Fuel Exs are excellent, although the new Top Fuel may be worth a look too, the aluminium bikes are finally starting to trickle through. Only 4" travel, but they pedal better, more XC, less trail. I think it'd be rude not to have a Stumpjumper on the short list, they may be common, but there's a reason for that.
If you can get a test ride, try a Rocky Mountain Element. It's a pretty basic design but somehow despite that, I've found that it handles brilliantly and the suspension actually works well. I only really got mine because it was silly cheap on the classifieds but I've since fallen in love with it.
I weigh just a bit less than you and it's managed with me so far...
Tried a Lapierre Zesty last week at Dalby (Purple Mountain have one to hire/demo) and it's a flyer.
I am kinda in the same boat as you. Looking in the next couple of months to get a new bike - although I don't have any insurance money coming my way to fund it.
Anyway....my list is:
Spesh Stumpjumper FSR Elite
Trek Fuel EX8
LaPierre Zesty 314
Commencal Meta 5.5.2
Orange 5
Marin Mount Vision 5.8
My thoughts so far are:
Stumpy - seems to get great reviews & excellent spec on the Elite. Might be able to get one at cost so that might be an influencing point. Been pleased with mine so far.
EX8 - really keen on, until I read in the last 'long-term test' in MBR that the EX8 is quite XC when pointing downhill - something I am trying to get away from.
Zesty 314 - probably at the top of my list, just wondering about availability & future spares/support
Meta5.5.2 - perhaps a bit overkill for my riding style (wheels on ground) and I keep reading comments about thin paint & cracked frames.
Orange 5 - don't really wanna spend more than £2k max & the only 5 that comes below £2k is quite a poverty spec.
Mount Vision 5.8 - again quite a bit over £2k but better kit than Orange 5. The lower spec 5.7 seems to take quite a component hit.
I will probably be indecisive and then the 2010 bikes will come out & the whole process will start again!
I have just got a Gaint Anthem X0 and i love it 🙂
The only downfall is it may be a bit front loaded, but the new ones come with shorter stem and riser bars. so it will be perfect 😀
i'm ordering new bars and stem next payday.
Thank you guys, I guess it will come down to Trek, Specialized or Lapierre.
I will keep you posted.
I recently bought a Fuel EX8.
Test rode it against a Spesh, Zesty 314, Commencal.
What struck me with the Fuel was that it felt 'just right' off the bat.
It rides amazingly, and can handle far more abuse than I can commit to!
Can't believe I'm saying this as I don't like the brand, but Giant Anthem X2
I've ridden an X1 and it was frighteningly good! The X2 is only a touch heavier but a lot cheaper...
(I rode a riser/sensible stem equipped one btw)
I've been been riding my 09 fuel ex8 since september last year and rate it highly. Tested it against a giant trance x1 and a stuntjumper.
It is fairly XC focussed but a shorter stem and whack the seat right back on the rails and its not too bad, thinking of sticking some larger forks on to slacken the head angle a bit as it's pretty twitchy DH. Saying that, I do cwmcarn DH uplift days on it reguarly and it copes with that fine.
Test rode a zesty @ afan (premier bike demo day) a few weeks ago and wasn't impressed to be honest. I did bring the bike back covered in blood though having stacked it getting granny air so prob not a fair review 🙂
So you bought a XC-biased bike to do DH on, and you're surprised it doesn't ride as well as something designed to do it!?
I worry about some people.
On the next 'which road bike' thread are you going to recommend a Giant Glory? Just stick some slicks on, pump the forks up hard and you're right away!
What about Merida 96 thingy, pretty good spec for prices and they are mostly xc though i think they will take up to a 120 front fork too. Meant to be very fast and the £1600 one I looked at the other day was well light too.
I changed recently from a Stupy FSR to a Lapierre zesty 314. The zesty is a beautifully made piece of engineering, it looks stunning even in the entry level model. The stumpy is marginally better on the climbs (and I mean marginal) but for me the Zesty is 1000 times better on the downhills, its imporved my downhilling immeasurably. If you want a bike for fun, get the Lapierre, if its for racing and nailing all the climbs then....well...get a 22lb hardtail 🙂 Good luck finding stock of the Lapierre though, they have proven to be so popular that they are like rocking horse plop.
"So you bought a XC-biased bike to do DH on, and you're surprised it doesn't ride as well as something designed to do it!?"
No, I bought a bike that I can ride pretty much anywhere. If I was going to by a bike "to do DH on" then it wouldnt be an EX8, but its coped with everything from all day enduros to uplift days so far. I'm simply saying it doesn't particularly excel at going DH. Jeeez....