What influenced your decisions on you current bike/bikes ?

I don’t think this forum necessarily represents the market.

But, my bikes are a steel hard tail and a titanium hard tail. They’re influenced by my budget and the type of riding I do and my desire for versatility.

Yeti SB6 30th - pretty colours
Orbea Rise - perceived good deal
On One Big Dog - perceived good deal

Bird Aether 9C. Price was amazing as they discounted it due to the paint being "too matt". Was able to build a top spec bike for a bargain price by hunting my own parts. British element, even if it's not a true British bike.

PlanetX RTsomething road bike. Price....

Basically, I buy based on the value I'm going to get out of it. Prior to getting the Bird, the battle was between a second hand 5010 or new Orbea M30 (I think). Both would be about 3k, but I would get a better spec on the Orbea and it would be new (warranty etc). I doubt i'd notice the ride difference unless I rode them back to back... But then Bird announced their less-than-perfect-paint sale.

My bikes:

Starting Murmur: I love the way it looks, the geometry is spot on and it rides great. Plus I like niche and the fact the front end is UK made.

Cotic Solaris max: Always liked Cotic's (had 6), it rides great and looks great.

Giant TCR: Geo works for me, it was good value and looks good.

Pinnacle Dolomite: It was cheap, had disc brakes and took proper guards. 8 years old and still going, with lots of maintenance replacements.

So racings got nothing to do with it, geo and looks are the big factors!

Cotic Solaris Max: simplicity, versatility, reliability, a little bit different from "Big" brands offerings, looks lovely.

Most of them: what came up for sale second hand in good condition and fitted...
Bought new ones: what I could get or deal at the time.
Eeb: what the local three shops sold was our selection.

I wanted a long travel FS, so went to a JE James open day and just rode as many as I could. Really had my eyes turned by the Orbea Rallon on paper but settled on the Spesh Enduro. I also rode a Transition, a Trek, a Whyte, the Rallon another Spesh, and a GT. Luckily for me my LBS was a Spesh dealer and they gave me a killer deal.

I also wanted a 'nice' HT and liked the look of the Yeti ARC, rode a friend's and it sealed the deal for me.

I don't think racing had an influence on my choices, but I think racing does influence how I perceive particular brands though.

Orange Stage Evo - Big fan of how Oranges ride, and I loved the Stage 4 I had before so this was an easy decision.

Bird Aeris 9 - Frame adaptability (mullet or 29, 160 or 180mm), good geometry, reasonably priced. Definitely a head over heart decision but it's proved itself very capable in the Alps recently.

Starling Murmur - Tried a friend's and the ride feel was instantly impressive, became a bit obsessed with chassis feel and wanted to try one out. Plus it's lovely to look at and beautifully made.

Ragley Trig - Was vaguely interested in changing my alu gravel bike frame to steel at some point, with the Trig a frontrunner. Then these came up nice and cheap on CRC. Had to do it really.

Current bike, very low maintenance . Suitable for my riding needs at this time of life.

In order of new-ness

Sonder Camino - gravel - good reviews, customisable spec, rode a mates & liked it, good value for money
Raleigh Militis - road - given to me by a mate
Carraro D'Ambiez - road - cheap sale bike & fancied seeing if I actually would use a 'road bike' so didn't want to spend a fortune. Been permananently attached to turbo trainer for ~ 6 years now.
On One Inbred - bought the frame to make use of the bits from my old (2001) Stumpjumper FSR, fancied a 'second bike' and a hardtail for taking on winter slop
2010 Stumpjumper FSR - test rode one & liked it. Good deal from LBS. Mates are anti-Specialized so good to know it winds them up 🙂

For the main ones

Jeff jones space frame- amazing bikes, i'm a nichewhore had just under 12 years and still a hoot to ride and it a blast in tight woodsy singletrack

Stooge motobastard ti- one off built for me as I love titanium, 29+ and singlespeeds

Stooge ti dirtbomb custom...erm, just sort of accidentally popped over to stooge towers for a coffee and catch up came away with a frame!

Stooge mk4 loves a bit of mental hooliganism and an 80mm offset fork with a 29x3.25 is great bit of silliness and the custom raw and brazed finish gives me a funny trouser tingle

rondo ruut gravelly thing- funky looking fast gravel machine for those big beard and spandex days

Lots of others as well, but basically it comes down to I like rigid singlespeeds, I like odd looking stuff, I'm never going to be one of the mainstream in life, so I'm buggered if I'm going to be with my choice of two wheeled fun machines

If only I could shop around based on such subtleties. I buy whatever's on offer and fits the bill.

My most recent bike was purchased because it was very heavily discounted on CRC and I didn't want to miss out.

Previous one was a road bike based on value for money, the fact it was in stock and having mudguard mounts.

Raleigh Road Ace 531c now Ribble 653 - first decent bike at 16, but it's on it's 3rd frame - two damaged in crashes. Most parts still original/period from early 90's - training bike, still in use

Columbus SLX/Dura Ace handbuilt race bike - top of the range everything, used for racing in the 90's. Still have it and ride it weekly.

Diamond Back Ascent MTB - bought early 90's for this new MTB malarky - one of the first rides we did was upo and down Snowdon on them - most of the club went out and bought one of these new MTB things ! Still in use as a daily commuter, running 90's Deore LX and XT.

Fixed Gear road bike - bought for the commute, sold about 10 years later.

Boardman FS Pro - bought after breaking my spine 8 years ago - rode this during recovery and for proper off road fun ever since. Great bike.

Colnago World Cup CX bike - bought used. Fancies a gravel/CX for off road, but not hard core stuff. CX bike suited as I have spare wheels, so it's not a climbing/off road bike with a quick wheel swap. Cracking fun.

2014 Kona Process 153 -
1. Geometry (at the time was quite innovative)
2. Sizing
3. Price vs. spec - got a great deal at the end of season.

On-One Big Dog
1. Geo
2. Price on frame only

G1

• The main reason was I demoed it and really really liked it. They must have got something right with the geometry as a few brands are converging on similar numbers now several years later.
• I wanted something tough, I'd broken a few frames before. I don't think this thing will ever break!
• They're local to me and their genuine interest in helping was good when I was looking to buy. But it's continued to be great afterwards. Even now, over 4 years on I could pick up the phone, drop them an email or call in and they'd be more than happy to help me out with suspension set-up advice or advice for experimenting with the mutators to change the geometry. I'd say this is worth a lot.

My missus telling me to stop buying new bikes because they're on sale or cheap or supposedly good value. Just go out and buy a bike that you know is bloody brilliant ( and sod the cost,).

I rented an alloy Occam on my guide training and loved it. So ordered a Carbon one for insane Covid money the week after.

2022 Orange Stage Evo - Previous experience, spec available (short travel bike with a big shock) hint of patriotism, unique aspects to the ride quality, geometry, available frame only. Ability to choose colour and shock a massive plus.

2023 Scott Scale - Wanted modern full on racy XC hardtail. New version of the Scott Scale is bang up to date, brand new model. Also very very impressed with the build quality, paint finish etc. Available locally on BTW - and of course available there and then, other options had months(years?) waiting.

2020-ish Sonder Camino - Value, like the brand, availability, value, good colours.

All bought frame only and custom built, as I have done for decades.

I'm a serial bike changer, just as with cars, and its rare I keep anyhting more than 18 months/2 years. Lots of research, theoretical speccing out, bargain hunting etc.

I suspect I enjoy the thrill of the chase, the buying and building just as much as the riding aspect.

I felt bikes were becomming bloated so wanted to go back to lightweight, fast, nimble things.

29+ Trek Stache (29lbs) > Titus El Viajero (22lbs)

Yeti SB95c (32lbs) > Transistion Spur (<24lbs)

It's worked for me.  The feel like they should, nimble, quick and great to climb on.

I don;t race, never have, probably never will. I want decent not stupid expensive bikes, that are comfy and fun to ride.

Nukeprrof Reactor 290 (alu) - Wanted a trail full suss. It was near brand new on ebay and a really good price.

Cotic Cascade - My gravel bike (PX London Road) got a crack in the seat tube weld, fancied steel/carbon rigid with plenty of tyre clearance. Got frame and forks on cycle to work scheme. Low maintenance and twitchy was what I was looking for, I kind of wanted the directness of a road bike but as a comfy gravel/xc type bike.

Planet X Pro Evo Carbon - Wanted a light carbon road bike, got it with carbon seat post and carbon bars for about £1300.

G1

The main reason was I demoed it and really really liked it. They must have got something right with the geometry as a few brands are converging on similar numbers now several years later.

If I'd had a bigger budget, the G1 would have been a real contender instead of my Bird (which is similar in geometry, as you suggest).

Having dealt with Mojo regarding EXT shocks, I must agree their customer service is the best in the biz.

Stumpjumper carbon. Replaced a 10yr old Liteville. I wanted 29er shortish FS. Spec and price were great.

Sonder Signal ti. I found my Solaris too steep and flexy with the qr rear wheel. I wanted something stiffer, slacker though not outrageous. Ti was the one material I’ve never owned and I had an itch to scratch. A second came up on their eBay outlet due to a finish issue around the disc mount. I always thought the Signal ti was bike that just looked right.

Orbea Avant carbon. My neck could no longer handle the low position of my Colnago C40 😢 The Orbea was a great spec (apart from the anchor wheels) and had the geometry I wanted. Being at the sportive ed of road bikes, it’s lovely and comfortable.

Fairlight Secan. Again I needed a better fit than my Planet X Full Monty. The tall geometry of the Secan is spot on. I do have a soft spot for the feel of steel. A fabulous thing that keeps make me look at the road Strael frames…..

Whyte Shoreditch hybrid. I needed a new commuter, it’s bright orange ( I don’t understand dark urban bikes)

Tern GSD E-cargo bike. @ahsat has wanted a cargo bike for years. The GSD is brilliant, it’s our second vehicle and it makes simple mundane jobs enjoyable.

Price! Got a Cannondale Trigger for half price from Paul's Cycles back in 2015.

Can't see me being able/willing to pay full price for a bike ever again.

Stooge Mk1; bought into Andy's vision and pre-ordered one from the first batch. 10 years old next year! SS and old school geometry so used as a pub/urban bike.
Stooge Speedbomb (incoming to replace a Dirtbomb); Continued Stooge love affair. Modern geometry and tyre clearance for my 29x3.25" Crux. The Dirtbomb was heavy and bumpy but made me feel good. Speedbomb is the same geo, just different design, so should be just as fun.
Cotic BFeMax; Wanted a LT HT for winter and this was on offer. Replaced a O-O Scandal '22 that was fine, but didn't make me feel good. This is a little special and rides incredibly well so not just for winter duties.
Kona Explosif 27.5 '13; Had this from new and fell in love with the frame finish and old school deccals. This came out when 27.5" was the next best thing, so wanted to try it too. Being converted to electric for the wife.
Vitus Escapade CRS '23; Got an enormous discount through work, plus additional discount code so made this a no brainer. Carbon and great spec when the competitors had AL frames and really poor components. It's been fantastic! It's not got the feel good factor.. so may need to frame swap..

In summary, I buy based on heart and emotions. Some purchases are driven by cost, but don't last long if I don't form a connection.

1. Geometron G1, got fed up of the previous bike and its poor quality/ride, wen't for a demo and bought one that day. Had it 3 years now and wouldn't change it for anything else. The shock goes off once a year and the frame bearings replaced as and when (it pretty much only lives on uplifts/chairlifts and has seen some abuse).

2. Kenevo SL, it repalced a Scott Ransom Eride which fell apart, also hated how heavy and unreponsive it was. KSL was bought as the service backup from Certini/Spesh is good (which I've used and can confirm)

3. Stumpy Sworks, replaced the smuggler, wanted something lighter and better for XC, also a good deal and in a very nice british racing green

4. Spesh Aethos, fancied having a go a road biking, the Tarmac would of annoyed me with the headset routing and the ride was stiff. Also £1500 off made it a decent deal for a pretty damn good spec.

I seem to have aquired a lot of specialized bikes, they are well made, good support and I have a great local dealer. I've become pretty fed up of the shithousery from many of the mtb manufacturers (Currently looking at you rockshox with creaky zeb CSU's)

Cannondale Beast of the East - Saved enough from Saturday job and it looked awesome

'93 Kona Kilauea - Cannondale got stolen, parents' house insurance paid out, Kona's looked awesome.

'98 Kona Hei Hei - Proceeds from first proper job, looked awesome.

Cove Stiffee - Deployed for months, money burning hole in pocket.

Stanton Slackline - Another deployment, had to modernise, looked awesome.

Bird Aether - Ready for FS at last, good price compared to the ridiculous amounts others were asking.

I only have one bike and the frame I bought was influenced by wanting a very light bike. Track frames are not typically light so finding a frame and forks that weighs 1450g is unusual but buying it has enabled me to build up a 5.8kg bike for around £1000 that gets used for road and gravel rides.

Geometron G1.
Bought as a replacement for a Geometron G16.
Geometry/ride quality/build quality/ lack of maintenance needed/service from Chris/Sam/Marcel/Jack and formerly Paul.
Always happy to help and really are in it for the love of riding. A top bunch of lads to deal with.

Geometron G13.
Same as above.
Shorter travel to try and remind myself that I ride on my own in the week and need to take things easier.

Spech Levo.
Rides pretty well with a few mods and awesome warranty backup from Rich at RaceCo Cycles.

Marino custom built steel hardtail.
Couldn't find anything with the geo I wanted off the shelf and was a very reasonable price for a custom frame.

If I’d had a bigger budget, the G1 would have been a real contender instead of my Bird (which is similar in geometry, as you suggest).

I didn't have a G1 budget so went used GeoMetron - saw that as a better option than a new Bird or Privateer, another similar(ish) in geometry.

Mine:

GeoMetron G15/16: geometry, aesthetic, design. Mainly geometry.

Nicolai Saturn 14: influenced by my Geometron...

BFe MAX: 'cos steel. Didn't need it but temptation of the classifieds and low self restraint. I've had a lot of Cotics over the years and never a bad one, that was another factor.

Cotic Cascade: needed a replacement for my cracked/unwarrantied Planet X ti frame. Cascade ticked every box once I got my head around the idea of dropbars.

3 years ago I had a pairing of Intense Carbine 29C and SC Tallboy 3. Got increasingly curious about LLS extremes after hearing/reading the likes of Paul Aston, etc. I'm 187cm so not a height outlier but I'm always happy to try new ideas and approaches if it makes things better for me. No budget for a G1 so bought a used G15. Loved it. Sold my Carbine immediately. One more ride on my Tallboy and I punted that too: G15 did everything better. Still wanted a shorter-travel bike but with GeoMetron leanings. Almost bought a mk4 FlareMAX but another STWer flagged up the Saturn 14 as an option. Bought a used-but-unridden frame, coincidentally from Paul Aston. After 12 months I swapped the G15 for a used G16 to try a smaller frame size with more travel. Closer to a G1 which I still can't justify the expense of! Another 12 months later and very, very happy.

Santa Megatower . Wanted the Brosnon   Jungle didnt bring one to the demo day ..  demo ride said it all .

Ragley Big Al was the second bike . ride and colour changed due to hardtail not being for my backside.

Tallboy  same as Mega just quicker across local ground , also same geo as mega, same parts for ease . the colour   ..is now the second bike .

Current bikes:

'97 Lava Dome - it was a cool bike when I bought my first brand new mountain bike. Steve Peat rode a Kona. Couldn't afford a decent full suss. Never saw a reason to sell it

PP Shan - had a YT Capra at the time and wanted a hardcore HT to throw some spare bits on. 26'er - no point trying to sell that now

Spesh Kenevo (Capra went not long after I got it) - wanted an ebike, always been a fan of Spesh. Seemed like the best one around at the time (2018). Went long travel, cos that's what I like on my full sussers. The Levo looked quite spindly/XC at the time too

I guess what you mean is who buys a Renault based on F1? (not being an F1 fan I'll be honest I don't even know if they've a team these days)

[I don't think] Racing at that level isn't really about marketing the brand of bike or car, it's about having a very arduous test environment and also a lot of expert, reliable and actionable feedback.
I'd suggest that teams want riders/drivers who can provide that feedback much more than they want ones that can provide trophies. That being said I suspect being able to do the former is a huge help in doing the later.

All that being said I bought my first proper bike as a combo of price bracket and race presence. I didn't know much but so knowing the brand can produce a bike that van be competitively ridden in a WC DH or XCO tells me that can at least build a decent bike and I'm not just paying for a sticker.
The bike I bought was absolutely not a DH bike mind and never would have been and I guess that's half the thing with enduro on TV, it's no better at advertising trek to the people who it's actually going to influence than the XC is.

Ever since that first bike I've had a much better idea what I'm looking for and much more likely to be swayed by spec sheets and geometry than the brand.

Oh, and no one buys a bike they think is ugly obviously, eg the new slash could demonstrably be the best bike in the world but I wouldn't buy it.

Second hand Pinnacle Arkose X - needed a commuter/gravel bike and this was cheap enough with the 1x + hydro brakes I wanted, would have loved a Cotic Escapade

Cotic Soul - always wanted one, I've not been disappointed - way better bike than the rider.

Neil Pryde Zepher. I wanted a mix of quick but also comfy and knew that Neil Pryde know their carbon fibre from my windsurfing days - and it was a bargain price. Shame they've pulled out of the bike market as they didn't get the recognition they deserved

I guess what you mean is who buys a Renault based on F1?

NOt really, because an F1 car bears no relation to a Clio... Whereas a Yeti you can buy in the shops could 100% go out and race EWS, the same with DH bikes, you can buy a bike that's VERY close to a podium DH bike just walking into your LBS.

NOt really, because an F1 car bears no relation to a Clio…
...you can buy a bike that’s VERY close to a podium DH bike just walking into your LBS.

Sure, but very few people want a DH race bike or buy one either. That's the thing, does a DH rainbow jersey for a comencal supreme make you buy a supreme? No. It might make you buy a meta though.

A c-lass isn't going to be winning at Spa but it's what's being sold by Mercedes racing at Spa.

I'm most influenced by a desire for the best bike for what I like to ride most of the time and an honest appraisal of my abilities.

Mostly ride Tweed Valley, Aberfoyle and Dunkeld, with the odd trip further afield (Lakes, Highlands, BPW, etc.). The fact that I'll never be fast-fast and the desire to have something that isn't a total pig-iron on longer days and/or mellower trails means that a full-on enduro bike would seem like overkill. Hence, I've tended to go for all-mountainy-flavoured bikes.

Previous bike (Whyte S-150) and current bike (Stumpy Evo) were chosen based on the same 4 things, specifically:

• Meeting the above requirements
• Availability of demo bikes (didn't demo my exact current bike, but near-enough)
• Positive reviews
• HhhHHhhhUUUuuuuUUUuuUUUUUUgggGGGGeeeEEe discount (no way in Hell I'd have bought my current bike at full-whack)

If money were no object, I'd be more bothered about having something less ubiquitous or more pretty. Racing doesn't influence me at all.

2014 5010 V1. Tried one on a demo day, declared it perfect, still pretty bloody brilliant.

2016 Specialized Sequoia, needed a commuter, liked the colour, got mega deal.

2018 Deviate Guide. Was intruiged by gearbox, did demo, bike was ace, gearbox was tollerable.

2021 Deviate Highlander, was pretty sure I wanted one off the back of the Guide. Didn’t like the colour, got it repainted.

2022 Rå .410 Hankering for steel hardtail. Went to Bespoked, was my favourite one there, checked the Geo when I got home, ordered.

Couldn’t care less about race results

I reckon Commencal have alright from having 'winning bikes'.

1) Geometron G1 - Bought this based on a ride with Chris P on his locals and having a shot of a couple of mates G1's. Really bought into the support, the build quality, geometry and the way it handled. Not many bikes out there that you can ride XC and race DH on.

2) Pipedream Sirius S5 - Have always liked hardtails and wanted something a bit more XC orientated (plus I thought it looked 'right' from the pics online. I ride this like I would a hardcore HT though...probably because the geometry allows you to.

3) Vitus ZX1 - Used to have a Planet X road bike but felt it was a bit small for me so went for this - was on sale and bought through C2W.

I want a bike for commuting now as I need to be in the office one day a week. Not sure whether to move the Vitus on and go for something more gravel orientated with a spare set of wheels for road stuff. Also quite like the idea of a Specialized Epic Evo....N+1 isnt it!

Hmmm:

Spesh Sirrus X - commuter bike. Threaded BB, decent chain line, robust 10spd drivetrain, disc brakes and all the mounts. Always had a bafang conversion in mind so those were the drivers, and LBS did a good price. delivered the week before lockdown 1.

Ribble CGR725 - 40th present to myself. Wanted a drop bar bike to cope with the local 'roads' and bridleways, didn't want SRAM anything on it.

Orange 4 - Trail bike. Wanted short ish travel, 650b wheels and frame only. Was pretty much the perfect trail bike for me for the 7 years i've owned it. now moving on to a mate.

Orbea Rise M20 - Eeb curious but didnt want to go full fat. Mate has an Occam which i tried for fit and geo, really liked it. The M20 came up at a price i was happy with from a local shop so went for it on an impulse.

Generally dictated by budget, followed by riding requirements:-

Trek Domane - stopped road racing and wanted a comfortable mile muncher. Got a very good discount that also helped.

Trek Emonda SLR - got bored of not racing so wanted a fast race bike. Got a very good discount.

Trek Remedy - used one a few times on trips and was so much better than my Trek Fuel Ex, even preferred going back to 27.5 wheels. Got a very good deal.

Orange Crush - had a 110mm hardtail and wanted something with more travel. Decent fun bike. But now it’s in the departure lounge as new gravel bike required.

Planet X Tempest - wanted a gravel bike and had never used Ekar. A PSA on here shown that it was massively reduced so one drunken night I purchased it. A rash decision as I should have went with a more racey gravel bike. Spent a fortune on upgrades so keeping this for a while.

Cotic rocketmax, bought as I wanted a UK made (mostly), decent travel full suss and I wanted something with geometry a bit more away from tradition. I also couldn't justify the cost of a BTR Pinner, which I wanted cos BTR and also just look at it!

I wasn't disappointed and it handles things a million times better than I ever could.

Next bike will have a gearbox, preferably UK made and steel but if that isn't an option then I'll be going to Nicolai/Geometron as I don't want carbon.

Genesis Equilibrium - Bought the frame second hand and built it up myself. I like steel, classic lines and something that would cope with the shit roads in huddersfield. Now lives on the turbo trainer

Orbea Alma XC bike - wanted something for quick rides after work. It never really filled that brief, and my back couldn't cope with the HT. Realised i'd tried to turn it into something else with the tyres and a 130mm fork. Currently living in the shed and going to reconfigure it for my GF to ride. Got it on sale price and cycle2work just before lockdown so paid less than half price

NS Define 150 AL - Wanted a 29er full-susser to replace my 26er devinci.  Bought for in hindsight a cracking deal on interest free without a test ride. Love it, only problem is the low BB makes pedal strikes on climbing a frustration. Would i buy it again? Probably not. Will i hold on to it and upgrade some bits? Absolutely

Rondo Bogan ST - Steel gravel/bikepacking bike with 2.1" tyres. So, niche within a niche within a niche. Real fun bike, I've added that PNW dropper with a bit of suspension built in and it's a hoot to ride. The suspension post protects my back. Will become my daily commuter too when i change jobs in November. Less than half price and interest free from CRC. Can see myself keeping this and upgrading bits over the years to come

Next bike? Probably an ebike commuter like the Orbea Vibe

I'm normally trying to fill two types of riding with one bike, plus I'm chronically indecisive, so versatility is quite near the top of my list. Like, the space for the biggest tyres I can imagine wanting even if not straight away; my Soma Wolverine gravel/road bike can clear 29" x 2.0", but it's only running 32mm at the moment. I also converted it to Rohloff recently, so I'm glad that I made sure to buy something with sliding droputs, even though I didn't use them for the first year or so.

I'm generally also after simplicity, mechanically and asthetically, so almost always go for steel frames with minimal logos or ones that are easily covered/removed. For the mtb, this means a hardtail with both rigid fork and single speed compatibility (currently a Pipedream Sirius).

All that said, I always try to go secondhand, so I'm stuck with what's about.

Pronghorn XC-SW Carbon - test ride confirmed it was the perfect step up from a Cube LTD hardtail and there was a hefty discount from the shop

Pronghorn PR6-LT - fancied something with more travel, liked the XC Pronghorn and there was a hefty discount from the shop. Currently wheel-less as I've used them to lower the ride height on my son's Bird Aeris until he grows a bit.

Look 566 - fancied a go at road riding, tested an Argon 18 Gallium but liked the look of the Look more and there was a hefty discount from the shop

Canfield Tilt - swapped over components from a Banshee Prime which was truly awesome but developed a crack. Had always been tempted by the Canfield Balance Formula suspension and very nearly bought a Riot/Toir a few years earlier. Knew my type of riding didn't warrant a 170mm steamroller of a bike but also knew the Tilt could take a beating if needed. Ended up swapping the 140mm Yari for a 160mm Lyrik and it's now my favourite bike so far, even more than the Banshee and a mate's Pivot 429c that I always used to beg a ride on.