Not about to pull trigger yet, but I’m certainly thinking about it – money allocated for holidays is now freed up, so maybe get a new bike?
Currently on an Aeris 145LT with coil everything. I’m on the short side at 5″7 although I do have a 31″ inside left so clearance not a huge problem. I like the look of stuff like the RAAW Madonna and Privateer 161, but the thought of that big 29er read buzzing my arse on the steeps fills me with dread, so I reckon mullet might be the answer.
The two bikes that have caught my attention are the Banshee Titan and the Starling Twist. Obviously pretty different, but they can both take the mixed wheelsize, they both have good geo and sensible standards like a threaded bottom bracket.
The Starling – never owned a steel bike and the looks of the starling grew on me a great deal when I saw a Murmur in the carpark last month. It’s also only got one bearing and no horrible crevices to gather much in. I do worry about brake jack on the rear and the space to mount a water bottle looks tight as on a medium.
The Titan – crappy seatpost insertion, but I should manage a 160mm. UK buying options rather limited. Adjustable dropouts, kinematics look good, bottle mount looks like it should be ok, frame is ruddy gorgeous. Worrying number of bearing to deal with.
What says the wisdom of the internet?