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Anyone got or ridden one? fancy something with a bit less travel and before i try and find a test opinions would be good!
Fast as you like, low BB = pedal strikes are common
I've read/got several ST4 reviews in various magazines; Dirt reviewed it - but then Dirt reviewers are like young puppies in that everything put in front of them is new, exciting and the best ever. Last years had a bit of a flexy back end, but newer ones are stiffer. Am sure that ST have reviewed it too.
Love mine. BB is quite low but it's a fab trade off for brilliant trail manners. It's not particularly light for a 4in bike. but the suspension feels bottomless, it is ace fun in the twisties, the back end is a little flexy but it sort of suits the bike.
I'm probably making it out to sound rubbish, but you need to try one. Straight away I knew I was going to have to buy one. Climbs well, descends very well, fun everywhere I've ridden it so far including the FoD downhill courses last weekend (albeit not that quickly!).
Bike
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Riding.
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It replaced my Cove Hummer which I really thought I was going to miss, but so far I haven't. I run mine (Med 18, I'm 5ft11, stumpy legs) with an in a 70mm stem and wide bars. Seems to suit it really well.
Really best to think of it as a 5" bike not a 4" bike. Low and very fast. The thinking man's singletrack bike...
2010 is noticeably stiffer but more importantly doesn't chain suck.
Echo.
It's not an XC whippet born to climb / be efficient in covering miles, but it climbs and pedals well. So though you could do one of the more tedious Meridas happily on it, its not designed with that as it's raison d'etre. Equally its not a 5" sofa ride skill compensater.
What it seems to be is a full engaging low slung speed merchant that responds to being pushed hard and railed into the turns hard, like really hard.
Wide bars, short stem, maxled 120 forks fast grippy tyres with good side knobage seem to bring out the best in it IMHO.
Well worth seeking out a test ride somewhere with hoon potential, Afan, Brechfa, Gisburn.
Read the reviews, just looking for some further info!
Hows the trance? considering that as well.
Very different bike to the Trance, much more involving + fun IMHO, but it depends what you want.
don't say that mal-ec
I've been trying to convince myself that my trance is a decent cheaper option than the st4!
bought an 07 complete in spring 09, sold the parts and put my own bits on that I already had. frame price of about £300 in the end rather the £1200 ...
I'd personally go for the ST4 if i had the money. does seem a more fun bike than the trance.
Just been round Mabie yesterday on my ST4 and a mates Trance....
Love my ST4 - it is slightly lighter, slightly nippier, slightly more responsive than my old Sub5. It only has 110mm / 120mm up front, but feels like a lot more when you most need it, and still is a short travel(ish) bike for climbing. Definately a bike to ride with some passion, not watch bumps roll under your wheels. An involving and fun ride.
The Trance is nice, and more stable uphil, but felt heavier and less responsive. First time I have ridden one. Not sure the suspension was quite set up as well as my bike.
FWIW, i was leaving my mate for dead on Mabie's red route. The ST4 feels like a bike that the bigger and gnarlier it gets and the more you put in the more it 'comes to life'.
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If i was to get rid of my blue pig and had the money this is what i would buy.
i quickly feel lost on my trance going down "involving" routes. ie. downhill courses.
Hi
I had one of these on demo the other weekend and went to Dalby with it.
Absolutely loved it and agree with the comments above (I also have a Trance and whilst I think its a really good bike the ST4 is much more involving).
I Have ridden lots of bike at Dalby and the ST4 is joint favourite (with a DW Turner 5 Spot). It just makes you want to ride flat out all of the time.
I didnt feel the spec on the demo bike was as good as it could have been and thought it might be a bit of a weak link but I have to say that the frame shone through.
I didnt feel it was flexy but I had a 2010 model. Also no chainsuck and only the odd pedal strike-but less than on a Trance.
I had a large (I am 6foot)with a 90mm stem but would probably put a 70mm on if I bought one.
I came away convinced that I would buy one but the only fly in the ointment is the Turners on CRC-the only other frame that I fancy was a Flux but I was put off by the price. However 1400 for an 09 Turner is tempting.
Sorry to hijack but anyone else ridden both?
Cheers
Steve
What is the tyre clearance like? plenty room for mud.
low BB = pedal strikes are common
If you're striking pedals, you need something with a higher BB to compensate for your lack of skill.
What is the tyre clearance like? plenty room for mud.
Plenty with a 2.1-2.2, a 2.3 would be pushing your luck.
I've got a 2.25 Nobbly Nic in the back and it's fine. As Gary says much more than a 2.3 might get a bit tight. Depends how much mud there is. Amusingly there is far less clearance between the fork brace and the NN on the Reba 120 I have in there.
I'm full of chest infection and I'm still going riding. I'll be taking it to the peaks next month and I hope it's not as good as my Pace 405, because otherwise I'll struggle to justify keeping that.
I have Ardent 2.25's on, and wouldn't want to go bigger, but there is room for mud stil.
See [url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forums/forum-search/?cx=016817152599703708915%3A6tudfkkai_w&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=orange+st4&x=0&y=0#1075 ][b]here[/b][/url] for numerous reviews but fat git summed it well up with "It just makes you want to ride flat out all of the time". They do! 🙂
Ahhh, just back on mine after another warm, spring pedal - whooop!
looks like a meta to me...
Juan you are the No1 Commie fan boy these days!
I personally dont think the commencal likeness is a bad thing,
if my brother hadn't broken two 2009 5.5's and had terrible
warranty backup i would probably be considering a meta as apart
from breaking they tick all the other boxes!
Juan you are the No1 Commie fan boy these days!
Although I just don't like bloke itself, the fanattitude comes with owning a meta 5.5 😉
As for warranty, I have yet to see one breaking. Plus we are lucky enough to deal with the brand directly.
How about ST4 v. Trek Fuel EX? Anyone got any comparison notes on those two?
(apologies for hijack!).
Trek EXs are great all round bikes, I rode on a lift week in Morzine and it was really nice, feel really capable bikes. Saying that the st4 is similarly capable beyond what its travel would suggest.
Best of both worlds, XC efficiency coupled with proper trail attitude.
A true singletrackrocket.
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Ardent 2.25's here too, 'bout right.
I really love mine. It really does encourage you to pin it everywhere. I'm still running mine with 100mm rebas up front as I can't be bothered to remove the spacer and it feels great. Interested to know how it would feel with 120mm and a properly set up rear shock ( no shock pump or knowledge on the rp23 yet ). I reckon it is the perfect do-it-all UK bike. Currently running conti mountain king protections 2.2 black chili and they are great but am looking forward to trying a pair of rubber queens on there soon if they fit.
Oh and seeing as we're doing photos of our loved ones
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opinions?
rad
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Test riding an ST4 on Sunday morning... just to see if there's any reason not to buy one!
Oh well ordered it St4 Black Pro with all the upgrades 😀
cant wait.
Nice one - You won't regret it.
whoooop!
Yay!
Rubber queens might be a bit of a squeeze. They used the big measuring stick for them buggers.
Nina seems to have fitted them in OK, which is good news 🙂
2.25 Advantages on the one i looked at before ordering had
decent clearance.Should get mine in a week and starting to
get rather impatient!
I'll find out Sunday week (28th March), as my LBS (Buck Bikes) has an Orange demo day organised in Wendover Woods.
20" booked out already for the first session 😉
Had a test ride on an 18" ST4-S last sunday. Great suspension feeling, good position. Lots of trail feedback so you know whats going on. Good climber, decent downhill too. The Rockshox fork felt a bit overwhelmed by the rest of the bike, probably worth an upgrade. 4 or 5 pedal strikes in a short ride though (rooty woodland mostly), not sure if I could teach myself to keep the pedals level! The Five I rode afterwards seemed more capable, a bit slower, but did have massive tyres fitted!
You know that the Fox RL 15's make sense...
Not ridden an ST4, but to get back to trances, I do like mine. And in contrast to the above I feel I can properly cane it, even on DH courses. Took it on an uplift day at inners as it was paid for already but my socom was waiting on a new front end, kept up with everyone fine*. Only issues were occasionally getting a bit out of depth on big holes out of steep corners where more than 100mm up front would've helped.
*however it's fair to say you get a high "mince quotient" on the average inners uplift, and I do know the trails well, plus it's not that rough there, but still. It's a bike you can rag.