eurgh i hate that label! unfortunately, i think its the kind of bike i need. ive tried to avoid the trend over the past few years by beefing up lighter bikes or hauling bigger bikes around, but ive come to the conclusion that the painfully on-trend 160mm, 66-67 deg head angle, 30-32lb bike is the one for me. but which one? from what i hear the nomad, alpine 160 and zesty are the pick of the crop but are there any others worth having a go on?
cheers all 😳
sounds to me like you should buy this months dirt mag they have a section on the best current trail bikes,should help you make a decision. i wouldnt discount bikes from last and cube as well as the usual suspects orange and lapierre.
'all mountain' in its truest sense, it'd have to be a bionicon, as it'll steepen up sufficiently to climb stupid ups, and then be able to slacken it back toward 'on trend' angles?
Nicolai AM
Hand made in Germany
5 year warranty
Rides amazingly well.....
ive had bikes from the 'trail' genre before and whilst great bikes they dont have sufficient skill compensation for the kind of riding i like to do.
bionicon? aesthetics aside, i dont want a bike that changes shape, be that with travel adjust forks, magic buttons or owt else. im sure some folks would love it but i like my bike to stay the same shape on all terrain,i feel moree 'in tune' that way. (gawd, another cliche!)
The new transition covert could go in as well, new enduro evo (2011), alpine 160, spicy, new santa cruz butcher. Loads of very good bikes out there at the minute both in the 140mm and 160mm market.
Which one is right for you depends on your requirements and preference, test ride as many as you can.
trek remedy or specialized enduro if they have "enough" travel. Higher end models were certainly light enough to ride all day as long as you weren't in a hurry.
Well I've just bought a Titus El Guapo for exactly the reasons you mentioned. Rode it today properly well leith hill atleast and it handles and rides as good as it looks, using FSR suspension. see my other threads for pics and let me know what you think. If you want a test ride and are local to Oxfordshire you are more than welcome. My main reason for buying btw is to try my hand at this gravity enduro shenanigans and maybe the mega next year
Cheers Mat
Is it the travel you really need or just something that is strong enough? The great thing is that there are a number of bikes around at the moment with 140-150mm of travel that also have the geometry you're looking for.
I'm personally riding a Nicolai Helius AM and I love it to bits; it's the bike I would choose again (ok maybe a Carbon Nomad) but I don't think it's the best for anyone other than me. The best is a very personal thing.
Devinci Hectic is a great bike and great value for money (Freeborn doing amazing deals on frames and forks at the moment).
Cube Fritzz?? Ive had mine blundering down the Alps, in my 'Blunderbuss' style...and also up and down the Yorkshire Dales. Its light enough for all day rides, but tough enough for anything that can be thrown at it (ive broken 3 bikes over the years..). I also have a Felt Virtue and a Scott Spark in the shed, and the Cube is the only one that has seen daylight for the last 6 months.
Spicy, Covert, Morewood Mbuzi, Yeti ASR-7? The monster's right though - our most popular demo bike is a Cube Fritzz.
Whack a set of Fox 36's on an Orange 5 (AM model). Problem solved.
About 30lb with a sensible build and capable of handling the Alps.
I build Rowan Sorrell's bikes, and he's just returned from a photo shoot in the Alps on his 2010 frame, before I swapped his components onto a 2011 frame.
He said he thought he should have taken his Alpine 160 on reflection, but his 5 coped so well, it didn't make that much difference apart from the 140mm fork.( he got these rebuilt with a tapered steer tube for the new frame when he got back)
He'd have prferred to be on a 160mm fork for that particular shoot.
The bike was in very good shape considering he'd thrashed it for 4 days, he'd only broken 1 spoke. The rest of the kit went straight on the new frame.
And let's face it, we're not going to give our bikes the same kind of beating ever!
It's all the bike I'll ever need, and I ride a bit of social DH, as wel a a bit of FR and trail/XC on mine.
It's never given me any cause for concern in any trail situation.
I guess you just need to get on with the single pivot design to make it work for you.
depends how you ride. for me a hardtail jumpbike is the best all round.
GTR - social DH? 😆
There's a bucket load out there to try. Go do that. Try as many as you can. Turner, Trek, Titus, Spesh, Marin, Orange, Ellsworth, Commencal, Lapierre, Giant, Canondale, Santa Cruz etc etc. I'll say a 5 Spot as I just love 'em, am on my second one and it's the easily the best bike I've owned. Just to add more confusion. 8)
There's a new Intense Tracer out for 2011 too.
It's certainly worth considering ..
Yep, I ride Rheola regularly with friends, I got nuthin to prove.
I wouldn't want to race a 5 on a dh track, I'd get a 224 for that.
I raced for 20 yrs from BMX & MX to DH. I'm gettin a bit old to go out breakin bones for fun now, it takes too long to heal buddy. 😉
There's also a new Alpine 160 out soon. It's going to be lighter and more responsive I've heard, 😉 😉
"depends how you ride. for me a hardtail jumpbike is the best all round."
Yup, ht jumpbikes are brilliant,even for mucking about town, makes just nipping to get a pint of milk into an adventure.
sorry GTR ,I was laughing at the "new niche" rather than what you ride. same here BTW!
It's all good mate. 
We're all just mountainbikers in my book. 😉
I get your thinkin on Jump style HT too. I've been riding a 4X HT for 10yrs, doin trials, trails, street and commuting on it. But it's just not as fast on the rough stuff we got round these parts. That's where the 5 kicks in.
I love speed me!
My classic Mini 1300 is ****in fast. I'd like a scooby, but it won't keep up with the mini round here, it's too tight and twisty. Catch my drift? 8)
Nomad and the Intense Tracer are my two fav's...although as above the Nicolai AM is pretty good.....be building one of these three again early next year. 🙂
Skyline - just going to take issue with your comment about Rowan giving his bikes more of a beating than the rest of us.
Sorry mate but I've seen him ride and there's no way he gives his bikes a harder time.
Apart from weighing the square root of **** all, he's soooooo smooth. I doubt very much that he comes up short on jumps, crashes clumsily through rocks, stacks it on wet roots or just plain falls off and chucks his bike down the side of the track, which is pretty much what the majority of us do 😆
I'd back your point up though in all seriousness; it's well made as is the Orange Five.
any hardtail that fits you properly, you don't really need to sit on a mobile sofa
any hardtail that fits you properly, you don't really need to sit on a mobile sofa
+1
+1 for the Cube Fritzz. I built one up for a friend recently (taking it for a few test-rides first, obviously 😀 ) and they're lovely. Like the other's have said, it's light enough for all day but will gladly be pushed hard.
Well maybe you should stop believing the hype and the crap spouted on mags. You don't need 16mm travel. 120 to 140 will be plenty enough depending on your weight and riding style. Plus do you really need a AM bike? If you're not in scotland/northen england you could just use a HT or a XC FS bike? And maybe you should ask a professional his/her opinion. LBS are a very good and very valuable source of knowledge/advice.
But if you want my opinion:
if you like going down: commencal meta 5
if you like going up a lot scott genius
if you like bit of both Orange 5, Kona cadrabra 2011 (2010 is to steep from the head or you need 160 mm fork but that's a bit overkill)
A hardtail would be fine.
"All mountain" is a made up cycling discipline created to sell expensive, long travel bikes to people who think they need them but actually dont.
If you dont ride World Cup downhill tracks on a regular basis then why would you need 170mm of travel?
Oh god here we go. Every one pull up a soap box and start to tell the OP what he really needs because of course he can't possibly make up his own mind!
If you dont ride World Cup downhill tracks on a regular basis then why would you need 170mm of travel?
to ride non WC DH tracks. 😛
There's only one WC track in the UK (rode it yesterday as it happens) but it's by no means the gnarliest track I ride.
[i]eurgh i hate that label! unfortunately, i think its the kind of bike i need. ive tried to avoid the trend over the past few years by beefing up lighter bikes or hauling bigger bikes around, but ive come to the conclusion that the painfully on-trend 160mm, 66-67 deg head angle, 30-32lb bike is the one for me. but which one? from what i hear the nomad, alpine 160 and zesty are the pick of the crop but are there any others worth having a go on?[/i]
I thought the same a few years ago, and bought a F0x 36'd Enduro S-Works. I was wrong. Now far happier on a 140mm Ti HT.
[i]he can't possibly make up his own mind[/i]
isn't this why the OP started the thread though?
He's asking for our opinion on an AM bike, not for us to proselytise about what sort of bike he should be riding.
I'm going to test ride the new Cannondale Jekyll when they land on our shores, if it's as good as the initial reviews suggest then it should be ideal for next years UK enduro series and the mega avalanche.
It's not all-mountain though it's [b]over-mountain (ffs)[/b] so it will be no good for the all mountain type of bike your looking for!
lol juan, i wondered how long it would be before someone told me i didnt need 160mm of travel! the reason i chose this level of travel is that forks and frames are suitably stiff for the kind of riding i do which is basically dh but riding back to the top (apart from the occasional forum peaks ride which are a bit more gentle).
i dont want a full on dh bike because they are too specific to one purpose and cost a fortune.
i dont want a trail bike because, as mentioned above, i dont have the skillz to pilot one down a dh track without breaking it or dying.
Ive been to my lbs (already!) and had a go on a nomad, alpine 160, scratch, spicy and a couple of others. it really is between the nomad (carbon, obviously), alpine 160 or the spicy.
my heart is saying nomad, though the alpine 160 would be good for me as ive had a 5 and a patriot 66 before and loved them both.
however, ive just pushed the button on a spicy 316 at a silly cheap sale price plus a load of bits and bobs to make it 'mine'. i went for this over the 516 cos i dont need a travel adjust fork and for the price difference ive gone 1x10, upgraded the wheels and the cockpit too. cant wait! (its quite pretty, ive never had such a colour coordinated bike before!)
hmmm i think 'skyline' comment just about sums it up !
my son is is about to test 3 bikes out soon..this week the 2011 orange five pro, then the Alpine 160 , then the five AM..so will get some feedback hopefully soon.
Skyline-GTR : any suggestions choosing from the 'five AM' and the 'Alpine 160'.....
would the 'Alpine 160 be suiltable for the likes of lee/cragg quarry and the whole of the 'calderdale valley' or would the 'five Am' be better suited.....aby preferences : cheers in advance 😉
+1 geetee1972
Been trying to word that myself without sounding arsey!
the reason i chose this level of travel is that forks and frames are suitably stiff for the kind of riding i do
Um.. think you'll actually find shorter travel forks and a hardtail frame are both stiffer than DH frames/forks never mind "all-mincer" ones.
My Intense 6.6 works well for pretty much everything. I imagine the Tracer is just as good if not better. I rode a Heckler and was very impressed, I think it could handle everything you could throw at it. I've never ridden one, but from what I have been told the Nicolai Helius is a great all-rounder.
The only thing I would say, is that in my opinion an 'all mountain' bike is still a compromise. They can be very good at going up and/or down but not their not going to be the best at either.
Out of interest, how many people have actually ridden the bikes they're recommending rather than regurgitating magazine reviews? (This is not a Troll.)
I tested the Spicy but opted for the Alpine. I couldn't say whether it's the best in its class, but I'm very happy with it. I had a Patriot built up as a freeride/DH-lite with Boxers, and the Alpine was bought for similar duties plus capacity to happily cycle back up again. You won't be going race speed to the top of the hill but I spin up in a decent gear and only tend to be passed by XC featherweights. Importantly, the bike doesn't feel like a drag.
The Alpine felt stronger than the Spicy and given that I do a fair amount of riding abroad, I didn't want to be held back nor have to shell out for repairs. Of course 160 is overkill for most stuff in the UK but if you like a variety of riding, are not looking for race time ascents and regularly ride proper trails, why not have a bit sus' and gnarl in reserve? It'll come good on the descent 😉
I had an old Specialized Supercross, that was quite good for all mountain riding but it was maybe a touch to smalle for me.
David, I have the long one, it's pretty useless for riding up hill TBH as the seat angle is DH slack, great little mini DH bike tho.
my son is is about to test 3 bikes out soon..this week the 2011 orange five pro, then the Alpine 160 , then the five AM..so will get some feedback hopefully soon.
That's really throwing the net far and wide...
^^^^^
I tested loads of bikes and the Orange was the best...
I tested loads of bikes too and went for a Remedy.
I had a Fuel for a weekend and it was great, but too similar to my hardtail.
Jumped on the Remedy and I was immediately riding harder and hitting jumps I would have never tried before.
Done DH days on it, now commuting to work 4 miles on the flat...if you can't afford lots of bikes, these type of bikes are probably the most versatile I reckon 🙂 So have fun on your spicy slowrider 🙂
I like the Mojo HD, demoed one and I think I'm gonna have one in my shed soon. At the end of the day try and test them, if it puts a smile on your face buy it, most people are are in this game for fun. I have ridden various bikes - Nomad, 5, 5 Spot, Tracer, Meta 5, Mojo and probably others, there isn't a bad bike among them to be honest.
Um.. think you'll actually find shorter travel forks and a hardtail frame are both stiffer than DH frames/forks never mind "all-mincer" ones.
lol really? i think you might generalising a little there!
there is no way my mates float 32's with qr15's are as stiff as my current lyriks, nor his on-one as stiff as my supreme. im sure there are plenty of stiff hardtails out there but thats not what im after. out of interest, what was the last 'all-mincer' you rode? the ones of ridden in anger (1/2 dozen different brands) exhibited verly little flex, though a five AM and a commy 66 were slightly more flexible than the others.
cheers all for your comments, helpful or otherwise! like i said the bike is now chosen so feel free to tell me how wrong i am
I've ripped the piss out of Orange and their never changing 5 in the past, then I rode one at Glentress (a brand spanker 2011 with RP23) and it was awesome. Had ridden for 3 days prior, including 'The 'Tress' on my Inbred with High Rollers on and I definitely enjoyed the 5 much more.
Buy one, they're ace
Now you have decided I am safe to post this...
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Good choice Slowrider. Got a spicy 316 myself, great bike.
Sounds like you got a great deal, as a happy Zesty owner the Spicy would haver been top of my list.
Show us some pics when it's finished.
horst link turner 5spot, best bike ive owned easy, climbs well, geometrys sorted, rear end tracks perfect (maybe too perfect come to think of it) and the bushes make it last forever........ with a little grease.
Nomad owner here.
Brought it to Afan and did skyline and the rest on 1x9 setup (without pushing). Ride uplift in southern sweden with it all summer. LOTS of roots and fairly rocky. Super versatile. Have thought of buying a full on dh bike but coudnt bring that to wales and similar places. Tried it with a coil this weekend doing lifts and I think thats the way ahead for me. Ride it with a 36 talas and vind it down going up hills though. Does help alot. Ohh and brought it down to switchbacks winter dh in malaga last year and it coped well amongst the trek 88s, demo 9s and so on. With some limitations obviously.
Hope it was helpfull..
Note: Read the end of the thread even though its long..
lol [b]really?[/b] i think you might generalising a little there!
Yes, shorten the travel on any fork and it instantly becomes stiffer.
lol indeed 🙄
ive had bikes from the 'trail' genre before and whilst great bikes they dont have sufficient skill compensation for the kind of riding i like to do.
Great riders are fast no matter what they ride.
Maybe you should have stuck with one of the bikes you used to own and just get better at riding them, rather than thinking a different bike will make you better/ride faster.
(not having a go at you or anybody else, or being petty or saying you are a bad rider, before somebody comes in with the usual STW comments)
Rik, slowriders a pretty nippy rider though. I think hes one of those that loves to ride but also wants to ride everything 😉
So a reba is stiffer than a pike?
****.
Blur LT
lol hora, takes one to know one!
whilst i have flogged a couple of bikes just i wanted a new one ive also had a couple nicked, not to mention a forced change of the kind of riding i do following breaking my spine a few years back. i now cant really do long days in the saddle without a lot of pain for some time afterwards so i try to ride for 2-3 hours and cram in as much fun as possible rather than distance.
and by the way rik, im no great rider! almost blind in one eye and clumsy as you like, so ill take all the skill compensation i can get, ta! im not really after a new bike to make me better or faster either, its because my current bike is a 37lb mini dh bike so im looking for something more all-round really. if speed or skill comes as a by-product of being less shattered then lucky me.
Yes, shorten the travel on any fork and it instantly becomes stiffer.lol indeed
im no engineer or owt but wouldnt manufactures ahve thought of this and increased the strength of longer travel forks to take in to account the extra forces they are subject to? or do you mean buy some forks and run them wound down to increase the overlap? im not lolling anymore, im genuinely baffled!
Blur LT2? I'd love one of those. Natural progression from a Blur4x- too expensive though
Slowrider - have we met before? Just what you said there about having broken your spine and the fact that Hora knows you makes me think we met once quite a few years back on a ride in the Peak District with Julian, Jane and MartynS. I'm pretty sure that I met Hora on that ride also? Would have been around 2005 and we rode over Peep O Day, New Mills allotments etc. I was the chap who killed the bunny if you remember that!
I remember the broken-legged bunny. You bunny murderer 😀 . One lad said 'we have to take it to a vets' and nbt said 'its a wild animal'.
I looked to you, then made a nodding motion towards a big rock (half-jokingly actually), you nodded, walked away from the trail a metre or so and rung its neck (all I saw was a its little legs kick away) and I said 'I was only joking!!!!' 😆
Not too long ago on Rivi on the road climb back up and round to the ice cream run I came across a dazed duck with a deep graze on its head wandering around the road, flagged down a car and asked the bloke to 'despatch it' with his car.
'No ****ing way'.
What shall we do?
dunno.
A couple more cars turn up and (all blokes) stood there wondering what to do with the Duck who was stood there looking back at us. In the end one picked it up and placed it in the undergrowth.
None of us had the guts to ring its neck (or run it over)
Hora it was one of those 'moments' really that sort of go down in folk lore 😆 I distinctly remember the rest of you being unable to make eye contact with me for quite a while after!
BTW, NBT and I have kept in touch and we're planning a ride with Mrs NBT in the Peak on October 9th if you're around. Would be really good to see you again and I promise I won't kill any more bunnies!
Blur ltc?
I like mine, I had a 2009 (slacker) 5am with Talas 36's & a 2010 Mojo SL with 'big' forks. The blur is in a different league. For 'bigger' days I put on a coil shock and flat pedals, feels like a mini-DH bike 😀
I used to have a "trail" bike and now I have an "all mountain" bike apparently. I don't know how, it's the same ****ing bike!
The manufacturer decided to reclassify it to make way for a new "cross country" bike. Just shows what a load of crap the classifications are IMO.
Should be ok for that/in the diary.
I know you have chosen a bike but i have another suggestion= scott Genius? I loved my demo, but it made me feel sad because i know i can't have one 🙁 Geetee1972, that ride may well be invitation only, and fair enough, but it could also turn into a non-Pook Peak Pootle? Just a suggestion 🙂
geetee, nope i dont think so. ive only been on a couple of peaks rides where i met hora and the gang.
sambob, i looked at them but was a bit put off by a shock that i didnt think i could srvice myself. bit fussy aint i?
Sambob - I will check with the others. I'm very happy for it to become that. It would be easy pace up and we all wait at the bottom etc.
That's what a pootle is anyway, and usually a wait at the top aswell 🙂
backhander - Member
So a reba is stiffer than a pike?
****.
No, of course not but I'll use your stupidity as an example to help slowrider understand what I meant.
a 100mm Reba would nowhere near as stiff if the same chassis was used but stanchions and spring/damping rods were lengthened to give 140mm, Just as a Pike is a stiffer fork wound down to 95mm than wound right out to 140mm.
After reading the dirt article mentioned at the beginning of the thread i'm struggling with my next/dream/ideal bike frame. all the other parts are chosen but do I go all the way with a last or join the masses with a 5/zesty! Worried that a last would take over some of the duties of my spesh demo 7 - making it almost obsolete...
So what you're saying GW is that short ones are stiffer?
I'll have to remember that excuse next time I'm on the pull..
geetee1972 - Member
I promise I won't kill any more bunnies!
Never make a promise you can't keep.
Will start a new thread to set up the ride
I'll use your stupidity
Irony in motion.
Its too early to argue. If you insist I shall visit the forum with my borrowed sledgehammer 😯
borrowed sledgehammer ?....we all need a permanent sledgehammer on ere 😉
[url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/stw-northern-peaks-chapter-pootle-marple-sat-9th-oct?replies=1#post-1804161 ]New thread started[/url]. Anyone playing out?
wheels came today. other bits come tomorrow then the bike arrives thursday. hoping i can get it built up quick cos after thursday my next day off is tuesday!
Never been a fan of Specialized but this seems pretty spot-on for the money. Was gonna get a new 2011 5 Spot when it comes out but for £2900 think i'm gonna give one of these a go
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[url= http://www.specialized.com/gb/en/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=52818&scid=1000&scname=Mountain ]Specialized[/url]