First off – Im not asking anyone to pick a bike for me to buy – im just after some friendly opinions and advice, maybe from people who own or have ridden the bikes below??

Ultimately I WILL test before I buy – But just wanted to gauge some opinions – wonder if there are any horror storys out there on these bikes? (like the old commencal cracks or the pre 2010 yeti 575 carbon rear flex and cracks etc).

I will be in the market for a 150/160 bike in Jan 2012 – so have been doing ALOT of reading/researching etc and have a wee shortlist:

Transition Covert
Orange Alpine 160
Mondraker Dune RR

I ride all sorts and want a bit of a do it all bike – I ride a bit of everything DH, Singletrack, bit of this bit of that. I am also booked for the alps in July 2012 so am baring this in mind as it WILL become a regular addition to my riding from 2012.

So any thoughts or opinions out there guys.

I have a great price on The 2012 Dune RR Framset with RP23 Kashima shock and 2012 Fox 36 Float RLC 160mm – For £2K

Alpine for around £2300 for frame and same fork.

Please dont hate on the responses – this is for sharing “opinions” yours is as valid as the next one!

Have you considered a Nomad? Any way great Fork choice!

Please dont hate on the responses – this is for sharing “opinions” yours is as valid as the next one!

Well you’re no fun at all are you?You know this is STW don’t you…..not mumsnet 😉

I ended up with a specialized enduro but looked at the mondrakers on the way. The sizing of them is very odd, top tube lengths in particular do strange things. Check this very carefully before you buy.

E.g. Top tube length on 18″ alpine and medium dune are 600mm vs 580mm which is a big change.

Have you considered a Nomad? Any way great Fork choice!

Yes! I LOVE the nomad but £1800 for a frame and another 800 for fork is a bit ouch! haha

AND i’d want a carbon one!!! lol

Great bike though!

I ended up with a specialized enduro but looked at the mondrakers on the way. The sizing of them is very odd, top tube lengths in particular do strange things. Check this very carefully before you buy.

E.g. Top tube length on 18″ alpine and medium dune are 600mm vs 580mm which is a big change.

Yeah i have heard great things on both – I have owned a Stumpy 06 and A Mondraker Foxy 2010 – Both great bikes IMO. Thats the main reason for me condisdering the dune – i prefer the look of the dune and in green and black too which is pretty nice – But thats all cosmetic and ultimately i will buy whichever feels and rides best for me!

Again like the Nomad i’ll not be content with an Enduro unless i go Carbon coz im a tart lol

plus i cant see the Enduro as frame only anywhere? Can u get them as frameset only? – I want frame only as I want to build to my spec etc, stopped buying full bikes 4/5 years ago as prefer building myself and doing the bargain hunting! Got a brand new set of Fox 36 Floats 2 years ago for £400 in Cycle Surgery – love those kinda deals!

Covert by a country mile from that list (or any other that you want to put together) Beautifully built, got fantastic reviews from everyone, including the MBUK long-term (year long) test and rides far too well for a bike with that much ability when gravity calls.

Yes I am biased, I nearly bought one but settled for it’s little brother the Bandit instead. (I felt I didn’t need all that travel and the Bandit is proving me right)

Oh, and it’s significantly more exclusive than the others 😉

Alpine 160

Why? Because its simple, effective, well made etc

I have a covert and am very very pleased with it. I have ditched my hardtail and this is now my do everything bike. I know nothing about the other bikes so cannot comment.

It climbs really well, and descends brilliantly.

I have fox van 160’s from 2009 on there and they are still brilliant.

Hmmm,

As a bit of negative feedback – I didn’t like my Alpine 160. The BB was too low, it felt too cramped and it just didn’t inspire confidence.

So I sold it.

It’s not as pedally as a 5, nor as thrashable as a Patriot (even my ancient 5″ travel one!). And the compromise they’ve reached between the two doesn’t work – in my humble, lovin’ opinion.

They are simple and well made though.

Don’t discount the enduro, I’ve a pitch and once the OEM stuff was relegated to the spares bin (wheels will probably get taken on holliday and ruined there in the dry where sealing doesnt matter, BB/cranks were a bit poo, headsets are cheep enough) it still works out good value for the frame/forks/brakes/drivetrain/tyres and finishing kit.

So far mines had upgraded

Personal preferance:
Bars
Stem
Grips
Saddle
Reverb Seatpost

Worn out far too quickly
BB
Wheels (fixed under warenty but relagated to spares bin)
Headset

Changed for the sake of it;
9speed to 10 speed

My tuppence worth: Spesh FSR’s ride quite discreetly, it doesnt make a fuss of anything, Orange’s and the transition covert make everything really playfull, but also harder work, giants maestro fit somewhere inbetween. VPP had a multiple personality dissorder, which one you were going to get was decided at random mid way through the corner, hated it. Not tried much else.

I agree with the good Doctor above.

I sold my Alpine as it was not the bike I was hoping for. “Too long for Dick and too short for Richard” as my Grandad used to say.

I have a covert and am very very pleased with it. I have ditched my hardtail and this is now my do everything bike. I know nothing about the other bikes so cannot comment.

It climbs really well, and descends brilliantly.

I have fox van 160’s from 2009 on there and they are still brilliant.

Now thats a good looking bike! And I have never seen one at the trails! I like the exclusivity!

beauty is the covert is the cheapest frame too!

Now thats a good looking bike!

Thanks. tbh I didn’t do anything like the detailed consideration that you are doing. I just got the hots for the covert and had to have it…. Turns out it rides as good as it looks which is uncommon in my experience.. Fnaarr .

I will be buying an Alpine once the Five has sold.

Not that that really helps you… 😉

Yes! I LOVE the nomad but £1800 for a frame and another 800 for fork is a bit ouch! haha

Have you spoken to a SC dealer? IIRC they can get special prices on forks if purchased with the frame. You might find you can get a Nomad with Fox 36 for not much more than the Alpine

Intitial MBUK review

As I said, worth digging out back copies for Ric’s various postings on it or dropping him an email. He certainly seemed to like it.

In the same vein as Capt Mainwarings post you can get a good deal on coverts with forks.

I have a nomad carbon but test rode the alu version prior to getting this and It was a bit of an old dog shop demo but it was still AMAZING!

I didn’t feel no hardship getting it up hill compared to my Orange 5 I had at the time and on the down’s it was super, the suspension platform was sorted.

I only got the carbon as I got a bonus from work and as soon as I got it I never looked back.

Mates with Alpines all have another “lighter, more all purpose” bike for anything that requires much pedalling.

Wow – Choices!!!!

In the finest traditions of the internet, I’ll recommend you what I have 😉 Cotic Hemlock + Works Components head angle reducer. Pedals well with an RP23 in it, competent but not brilliant climber, works way better for XC than it ought to… But good enough and tough enough when pointed downwards that I had no worries about doing the fort william endurance dh race on it either, despite me being a bit crap it got me down the hill more often than a lot of DH bikes and their pilots. If I could only have one bike it’d be something exactly like this.

Yes OK it did snap in half one time, but any that you find still in stock should have the revised swingarm, which fixes that issue completely. And if buying used, easy enough to find one with the improved arm.

Mates with Alpines all have another “lighter, more all purpose” bike for anything that requires much pedalling.

My Pitch is knocking on for 35lb and manages dys out fairly comfortably, lighter would be nice,but not essential. Decide if you want/nead a bigger bike then either get one or get something lighter. If you throw money at it you can make a big bike light, or you could save yourself several grand and get something lightly less gnarr, that climbs better and still capable on the downs.

Any of those covert colours would ring my bells… Tough decision.

still capable on the downs.

Many people could pass me on a unicycle going up or down, but the covert inspires confidence going down, its beyond capable. I guess its a case of defining what you want. For me its about going down, and the covert is awesome at that, and really quite good at going up..

Could be worth considering a 5 am with the ccdb upgrade. Very good bike and a bit tasty at everything. Ive had 3 orange bikes now and I really like them although I do realise they can be a bit hit or miss. Theres also the DeVincis as well. Think the 150mm travel bike is a dexter. Very well made canadian bikes. Gotta be worth a look! Ialso agree about the Pitch – pick up an 08 comp for 600quid and upgrade it with Lyriks/36s,and a decent coil shock. Great all rounder!

Over the last few weeks I’ve been looking for a bike with pretty much the same skill set you note. Having not been in the saddle for a few years (until recently) I was out of the picture and needed to get an idea of what I wanted. I tested the following;

Yeti ASR-5
Ibis Mojo SL
Specialized Epic 29’r
Orange Five
Transition Covert

Of the lot the Covert was the stand out champ for hooning downhill and made a pretty good job of everything else as well. The Yeti was the unbelievably quick (IMO) but I settled on the Orange Five. It was almost as good downhill as the Covert, just that little bit more composed on single-track and a bit better uphill.

Of what you list I can deffinatly say the Covert is a winner. But I love my new toy. Bought frame with RP23 and built up to best spec I could afford. Includes Fox 32 float 140RLC as well. Collected it’s last Friday – it pretty bloody good 🙂

Some of the YT Industries bikes look awesome for the money – I’ve just ordered a Wicked 150, but if you want something burlier they’re doing a 160mm version next year. Also, the Noton is 170mm travel and got a very good write up in Dirt recently.

How about the new Titus El-Guapo. Looks really good value at £799.

Ive had the following full sussers over last couple of years rode in spain/alps etc:

Five Am with 160’s (apologies for length of stem, hadn’t fully realised benefits of short stem)

Mojo with 150’s

LTc with 150’s (switched between air and coil shock)

Really wanted an Alpine due to simplicity/robustness/length/geometry and my HT’s were being ridden more etc etc so sold the LTc and haven’t looked back.

Weighs 32lbs – Raw, XTR 1×10, tubeless wheels, reverb, coil shock etc etc

I now ride this more than my HT even on local routes. Performed flawlessly in Alps and is great for local techy trails. Feels like a mini DH bike due to the confidence it inspires. I’m 5 11″ and the 18″ feels great with a 50mm stem.

I would go for the Five over the Alpine. The Alpine is way to much bike for most of the riding you are likely to do in this country.

Riding something with that much travel makes normally enjoyable trails boring because they just plough through everything.

Unless it has propedal and awesomely designed linkage because the covert is top fun anywhere.. I imagine the others are too.

The Covert is winning this for me! Need to test!! Anyone know anywhere I can test? I’m in Hampshire.

Forest Leisure Cycles in Bournemouth had one.

I didn’t really feel inspired by the Covert I rode in the Alps after spending a fair bit of time on it too.

Wasn’t overly impressed with the finish, or the quality of the frame either. Plus it was a big old lump at nearly 8lbs for the frame.

That’s not to say it’s bad though, as we’re all different & want different things 🙂

flow – Member

Riding something with that much travel makes normally enjoyable trails boring because they just plough through everything.

Some do, but not all by any means. First time I took mine up north, we were on the fort william world cup route one day and then munching miles on teh west highland way the next, finishing with a trip to Laggan, bike felt absolutely at home for all 3. And I’m not daft enough to think it’s just my bike being outrageously good, there’s others that’ll achieve the same.

Yeah suppose you are right NW, my brothers Heckler doesn’t ride like it has 150mm travel, but then it is pretty light.

Goober, call Ant at Tamed Earth on 07894 199370. He’s based just south of Haslemere so probably not too far from you. He will provide you with a Covert and take you for a test ride up/down his local hill, plenty fun to get used to the bike.

TamedEarth

If you do let me know and I’ll join you for the ride. I’m ten minutes up the road.

I have a covert and love it. I think the Alpine isn’t a comparable bike, the 5 is closer.

Anyway, it’s stiff as, climbs ace, descends better, loves to jump and pop off anything with an air shock, simple suspension design so durable for our winters and you don’t see many of them about.

I got mine for about 1200 from york cycle works who were ace, tried it out at a dalby demo day which gave me a discount too.

Had the same dilemma as you and have also chosen the covert after getting loads of views and some opinions from other owners, enjoy, I’m Goo.g for stealthy black.