I've narrowed down my search for a new bike to this and the EX9. I really like the posistion of the remedy, but wonder if it would be hard work for day long rides, where there is a fair bit of climbing involved.
I generally ride the local trails, with the odd trip away.
The EX9 is a nice looking and feeling bike, but I'm really drawn to the remedy. Which one is going to keep me with the group on the climbs and leading down the hills on the long summer days?
The Remedy climbs fantastically, certainly hasn't held me back when I've borrowed our demo bike.
I have a Remedy 7 and a EX8. The remedy is a very light pedalable bike and truly handles like a [i]proper[/i] dh bike, however if you don't ride rocky trails the EX is probably a better bet. I prefer to use my EX at places like afan where the only rocks are very small, it's a very much more capable bike than it might otherwise look on paper.
Proper rocky/steep descents = Remedy
Small rocks, roots, sandy and undulating trails = EX
Both jump and handle drops well.
what about steep climbs and steep decents? In terms of how well the remedy rode, it did feel good on both up and down on the short ride I had. I just wondered if it was a bit much for long distance riding, and whether the slacker angles and extra weight would be an issue towards the latter stages of a long ride.
I don't think there is a huge difference between them in terms of efficiency if you are running the same tyres, however if your descents don't demand the extra travel of the remedy you might find it sanitises them too much. The suspension action of the remedy is alot better on very rough terrain than the ex, much more so than 1" difference should rightfully make.
Remedy it is. Final question on the matter is. Is it worth spending the extra £400 for the Remedy 9?
I have a Remedy 9 that I ride everything on, from DH tracks to all day trail rides and I love it. I didn't mind paying the extra £400 because it has such a fantastic spec which I think makes it a bit lighter than the Remedy 8
