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Hi all
Maybe thinkin of a new bike. I have a fuel ex8 at the mo but thinking of something a bit bigger.
Been lookin at the Canyon strive or Spesh enduro? Really like the look of both but the Canyon is very good value for money.
Do lots of riding round south pennines/calderdale etc with trips to Inners/gisburn/llandegla etc. Is this type of bike too much you think? My mate has an Orange alpine 160 and loves it and says the travel helps his riding no end.
Also what kind of price realistically could i expect for a 2009 fuel ex 8, usual trail scars but in lovely working order with some nice bits on, i.e Hope floating rotors, hope headset/BB, conti tyres etc
Thanks all
Try, then buy. The best bike is the one you like to ride the most, not the one with the best specs on paper.
My 2p - FWIW: I think your buddy running 160mm is HUGELY overbiked unless he is hitting the all orange sections.
His riding might be helped by the extra travel but in a years time he won't be enjoying those trails as they will be 'flattened' by the travel. He'll have picked up bad habits & won't be the rider that you are as you stuck to the lighter, faster more fun 130mm ride.
The difference is that when you rent a bigger bike for the Mega or a trip to Spain you will rinse him 😉
I can say this as I have a 160 travel bike for park days, Alps, spain etc & an EX9 for trail centers & all day epics in the north downs etc etc. I can truthfully say the bigger bike takes away alot of the joy of getting a little out of shape every now and again.
in a years time he won't be enjoying those trails as they will be 'flattened' by the travel.
What? Since when do bumps make a trail good?
I'm not referring just to bumps, but all the natural unsettlers: steps, rises & features that make the descents exciting places to be.
If the excitement of descending with pace isn't your bag & occasionally going alittle too fast & getting the blood pounding then you won't get what I'm talking about.
I'm not a downhiller & I'm not an XC rider looking for flow. I do enjoy going fast & once and awhile pushing my luck to get a bit more pace.
crotchrocket
Good points there mate. cheers for the input, i really like my bike so maybe your right
Too many people get too hung up on whether a bike is "too much". I have one mtb. 150 mm travel and I ride it everywhere. If you want a 160 mm bike, get one. The Canyons do look good value but of those two I'd go for the enduro ( I have an 08 sl and love it). Also worth considering the Santa Cruz Butcher, Trek Remedy and the Transition Covert too!
but all the natural unsettlers: steps, rises & features that make the descents exciting places to be
They are all still there with 160mm of travel.
I do like to push it on the descents, and I sometimes use a bike with 7" of travel. It actually makes it more fun than my shorter travel bikes because I can go a lot faster. Big travel bikes also come with big tyres, big brakes, wide bars, short stems, slack angles, stiff forks etc etc.
An Alpine 160 would be a fine bike for anyone who likes to hammer downhills, and doesn't care as much about going up 🙂
Ultimately though, if you really like your bike then keep it. It's cheaper!
160mm Spec Enduros are fantastic, much underated. I would nt bother if you are not doing uplift days or gravity enduro races though.
nedoverendsmole - Member160mm Spec Enduros are fantastic, [b]much underated[/b]
I thought it was generally regarded as the best of its kind and only ignorant/snobish people thought otherwise?