As per title ... Pics are more than welcome if avail.
Peas out!
Specialized Epic Elite. Wanted something that peddled like a hardtail but was forgiving on the rough stuff.
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Edit: photo bucket isn't working for me at the moment
Heckler.
SC Blur XC.
Light, fast(er than I'll ever be), strong.
Santa Cruz Tallboy Carbon for much the same reasons as Druid and his Blur
Ellsworth Truth. fast, light and the suspension doesnt pogo.
Turner Flux (older TNT model)
It's fast, fun, direct. I wanted one for ages then had an opportunity to buy one. Never regretted it!
I ride an older Stumpy FSR elite with the 120 mm brain shock.
Slightly heavier than most but can take my extra padding nicely!
but druidh rides only fat bikes!
95 DBR Axis TT.
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Swapped a Cannodale Scalpel for it. hasn't broken like my first Scalpel.
Canyon Nerve XC7. Great all rounder !
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Scott Spark 29 Elite.
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Fast which suits me, even if i'm not the fastest rider! Comfy for all day, and handled everything its been asked of it easily. Also before it was launched I knew it was the bike for me-I like when I am right!
This:
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Or this (another Canyon nerve XC):
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Latter lets me forget about the bike and just get on with riding about. Quality bit of gear imo. Not too pretty tbf. Mech hanger is cheese though - on my 3rd.
#Edit - Thats 3 in 5 months. And at £10 postage each time - I've leaned a lesson early on.
Patriot - why? Becuase it crosses more country than most bikes I've tried.......
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Canyon Nerve XC (3 in one thread, oh dear) because I just sit all day spin the pedals and it goes up whatever I point it at 🙂
Nukeproof Mega, because I'm worth it....
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Giant Anthem X. Fantastic bike, encourages you to go quicker every where, climbs better than any hardtail I've ridden and better DH than the 130mm FS bike it replaced. Cheap and just as good if not better than some of the more exotic stuff above.
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04 Marin Mount Vision. Was my first full suss, and even today I'm still struck how fast it is. A really all round, all day bike. Admittedly only the wheels, swing arm, rear shock, cranks and handle bars are original but its still going strong!
20 posts and not an Orange in sight?
Trek Top Fuel. It's light, fun and fast.
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[/img]What njee said, handles a dream and can take a pounding.
I ride a nice light weight Rocky mountain Vertex 2008 with rebas hope brakes blah. hope pro2's on mavic 717rims. what a fantastic bike fantastic for riding over local mountain trails. Considering the fact that I'm a lazy bastard and don't ride that much these days in a perfect part of the world for the bike I have constructed specifically for riding here. It's a waste. But when I ride it I loves it! Dark side soz:(
Kona King Supreme:
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Cannondale Rush carbon. Light, simple sorted single pivot.
2002 Red [s]filing cabinet[/s] Orange Sub 5.
I have a Yeti AS-R for XC riding. It replaced a Titus Motolite and I much prefer it as it is not so steep at the front and therefore compensates nicely for my
Lack of downhill prowess. Climbs really well also!
Canyon Nerve AM .... not strictly XC but I can out do all of my mates up a hill and then blast down the other side knowing that the lil old canyon will take whatever I throw at it. !
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This thing:
[url= http://farm1.staticflickr.com/176/365056383_8e2cfe3162_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/cycleologist/365056383/ ]Rohloff/SUB demo bike[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/cycleologist/ ]Ben Cooper[/url], on Flickr
Why? It's supposed to be the shop Rohloff demonstrator, but really I just like the frame, and the forks were demo ones until USE stopped making them. It just feels right for me.
Crikey you don't see many of those, most snapped?
Turner Flux which replaced an aluminium Revolver (not as nice as the titanium one above though!).
PS my revolver didn't snap despite seven years of riding in the lakes - although it does look a bit rough now 🙂
Crikey you don't see many of those, most snapped?
Cheers for that 🙂
It's made by Lightspeed - I've heard they're a reputable company, so if it ever does snap I'm sure they'll sort it out...
😆
Very Custom trance x. With adjustable 120-150 blackbox revs and the reverb it's great fun going up or down
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Confused.com.
been thinking about trying an epic out for a while so probably do that soon, but there's toooo many others to try and to choose from! never owned a fullsus bike so blank sheet etc... also - any opinions on whyte or lapierre xc offerings?
Another Spesh's Epic here; 2008 Comp. As Taff says it pedals like a HT but is more forgiving. It has more than enough travel for what I want.
Funkydunc, is that pic from the Ridgeway above Cardiff??
'Dale Rush Carbon. Climbs really well and its more than capable generally. Don't see too many around either.
posing
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using
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Funkydunc, is that pic from the Ridgeway above Cardiff??
Looks like Shipley Glen
OK OK someone's got to be the first with an Orange 5 pic 😀
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Funkydunc, is that pic from the Ridgeway above Cardiff??
Looks like Shipley Glen
Probably is Shipley Glen.
For me - C'dale Rush. Does everything I want and super reliable.
Blur TRc, light, fast and climbs like a billy goat
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[url= http://db.tt/81s3ncOZ ]my new toy, bang tidy[/url]
[url= http://db.tt/A775Bzti ]still a good alldayer[/url]
On one 456c and NRS 1
Used to be my trusted SC super light
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But I have decided to jump ship and just recently built this up an Anthem advanced SL0 🙂
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First ride.. very impressed!!
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Yes its Shipley Glen.
I went for the Anthem over a Superlight which had been my dream bike for years. In what way do you find it better Stu?
Nicolai AC,for the last 2 years,excellent bike
Spesh Stumpjumper FSR. Overbiked for most XC stuff but it is a compromise as I also wanted a fun full suss for non race riding. I prefer longer style marathon races to short course XC.
Put spds on and some fast tyres for races.
I'd love a dedicated 100mm race bike but I can't justify it as I'm still never going to get podiums in bigger races.
Sorry for my first post to beon the cliche band wagon but I'm afraid it's an Orange Five for me.
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Slowly getting used to this.
accidental double. whoops.
Scott Spark LTD - light and fast...
[url= http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4110/5058205071_736e1b3a44.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/5058205071/ ]My bike[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/brf/ ]brf[/url], on Flickr
It's made by [s]Lightspeed[/s] [b]Litespeed[/b] - I've heard they're a reputable company, so if it ever does snap I'm sure they'll sort it out...
Got my fingers and toes firmly crossed for you, hoping you don't need to use their "legendary" warranty! 😕
Here's my Maverick. Bit less full on XC than many on here, but it's still an XC bike. Been beefed up a bit of late, it's about 29lb kitted out as in the pic, but was 27lb when first built. They easily go sub 25lb though, and the longish wheelbase and bit of extra travel makes them perfect for long distance XC.
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I went for the Anthem over a Superlight which had been my dream bike for years. In what way do you find it better Stu?
Don't get me wrong loved every min on the superlight... stiff, lively, fun to ride... Recently added a HT to the collection which was carbon and discovered the beauty of it to ride on....incredible... I had been wishing for years that SC would do a carbon superlight
As for the anthem.... all of the above and more... lighter, stiff, faster and just seems to eat the trails up with so little effort!!
Anthem X as well but with 120mm forks.
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Scott Spark LTD - light and fast...
That's an RC, not a limited Shirley...? Splitting hairs, but still.
Niner Air 9 Carbon, fully rigid. Brilliant bike, descends like a demon, ascends like a billy goat, carves singletrack. Enjoy long endurance events as well as short circuit XC racing and epic days out in the saddle.
A 2000 mount vision. Bought the frame to build a full sus commuter bike due to a knee injury.
Discovered it was better than my good bike. So bits swapped over. Its heavy but rides light and I love single pivot simplicity.
Never used to ride my giant nrs in the mud. Replacing all those bearings scared the life out of me.
It is shod with panaracer smoke/darts and I guess I must nearly be a retro biker.
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A Mojo was Unobtainium until my Marin Attack Trail frame broke and this Ibis frame came along second hand....
On behalf of Orangina,
Turning that lot
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Into this
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Trek Fuel Ex 9.
Top Fuel 9
How it looked when i built it 3 years ago
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How it looks now
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Cat approved changes.
Lucked out with this bike, didn't know what i was doing when i bought the frame off ebay (first full suss after not riding for years), and now still love the ride, still tweaking it (recently put in angle headset and offset shock bush, helped calm the steering a bit but still lively). haven't really found anything i prefer..
Another Epic here, although mine is one of the first ones:
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I got it because I wanted an FS that was also good uphill.
I've a fierce hankering for an Epic Evo... Seems just my bag. Anthem X and Fuel are superb but a bit [i]common[/i] 
You asked for some Lapierres. Here's my son's that I [s]steal[/s] borrow occasionally to check it is still all in good mechanical order. Very nice it is too and much under rated alongside its Zesty and Spicy cousins.
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Scott Spark LTD - light and fast...That's an RC, not a limited Shirley...? Splitting hairs, but still.
You're right, I get the two confused, I have a Scale LTD and a Spark RC.....
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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7198/6934859588_8914b725f0_b.jp g" rel="nofollow" >ventana el saltamontes
for much the same reasons as DrRS**** on page 1
Old school Anthem, built for marathons, very light & fast especially up 😀
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2009 anthem x1 (the orange one) because one came up at a decent price.
Very very quick bike. Quick up and only within seconds of my nomad on descents.
I really want a anthem 29er to replace it. Though the full builds seem to be very pricey for low quality kit. Ideally I'll pick up a frame and fork deal in the near future.
Demo-ed quite a few bikes recently, mainly around Surrey Hills (Peaslake etc). XCs and Trail/AM bikes. Among the former the Anthem 29er and the Epic Carbon 29er stood out for easy of climbing (esp the incredible Epic), speed of descent and ease of riding. The Camber 29er also was great fun to ride as a half-way house between the XC and the trad Stumpies of Fuel EC etc.
£1.7k difference between the Anthem and the carbon epic though - which is a shame. Epic flew up better but both similar on downs and singletrack. Not sure I would spend the extra on the Epic even though it felt awesome.
Here's my Maverick. Bit less full on XC than many on here, but it's still an XC bike. Been beefed up a bit of late, it's about 29lb kitted out as in the pic, but was 27lb when first built. They easily go sub 25lb though, and the longish wheelbase and bit of extra travel makes them perfect for long distance XC.
Is that a Durance or a 7.5? I'm still running my old ML-7 and it's still ace in a 'pedals like a hardtail' way. Monolink was bloody good when it first appeared and still is, but because Maverick don't churn out a new model every year, they tend to operate under the radar. Mine now weighs just over 23lb in race ('falling apart in the Peak') spec', can't think of anything of that sort of ilk I'd swap it for either.
And they are beautiful, in the way that Gerard Depardieu is beautiful. Or Jean Reno is beautiful. Or Miss Piggy is beautiful. And don't go saying that Miss Piggy is NOT beautiful...
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cube ams 100 race.
Another Canyon Nerve XC:
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It was by far the best value bike for the money. Still wish I'd got the AM though.
that cube looks like a real nice design .... whats the history of cube as a bike company? i hadnt really heard of them much prior to joining stw.
Nicolai Helius CC. Cos it goes like pooh off a shovel (considering its got me on it)
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Pronghorn XC-SW Carbon.
It's mine because
a) it's a bit (a lot) different from the usual fare,
b) it looks awesome (granted, this is a singularly unique opinion)
c) it's damn light for an almost off-the-shelf bike,
d) it climbs like no other bike I've ever ridden,
but mainly because
e) my bike shop-owning friend ordered one in my size and gave me a deal on it.
I'll save myself the ignominy of posting a pic. People get all "stabby" when they see one.
Giant Anthem X1 for me, although I've built it from scratch as a frame came up cheaply near me and I though I'd give my first FS a go.
I've put Revelation 100-130 forks on it, but I run them pretty soft so actually get 90-120mm. The back end is ultra capable and matches the forks well. I run a standard 3*9, hope hoops and thompson finishing kit.
I love it. Rides exactly how I think I bike should. I can attack out the saddle any climbs, it loves single track and I wuss out on the descents before it gets out of it's depth. I really wouldn't change it.
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'09 Yeti AS-R simply because it rode better than all the others I tested.