Have written 2 lengthy responses already, only for my browser to crash!!! 🤦🏻
Anyway…
My thoughts on the suggestions so far…
Canyon Neuron… Looks OK, travel’s a bit long, reviews say it’s basically just a long travel XC bike and it doesn’t have the attitude to back up its pretensions. Also, it’s direct sales only (I’d rather support a brand that sells through shops here in the UK for my own reasons). Not for me.
Banshee Phantom V3 looks interesting. A bit overkill perhaps (just like the original!) in terms of weight, but a lot more versatile (bottle mount inside frame etc.). Sadly Banshee no longer sell through Ison in the UK, and they’ve gone direct sales only.
Whyte T-129 would be ideal. They haven’t made them for almost 4 years though sadly! Though if anybody knows of a 2017 model in medium size in new or nearly new condition for a good price, let me know, I’d be interested… Not interested in the earlier, non-boost models, I have spare Boost wheels but also the earlier models had bugger all tyre clearance, the 2017 model they finally got it right.
Intense Sniper Trail… Well it’s a Carbon Intense, that (sadly) is enough to set alarm bells ringing (coming from an Evil owner, you may find that funny, but Intense DO NOT have a good rep for carbon!). Also they sell direct only now, and I’m not a fan of VPP per se. Probably rides OK, but it’s not for me.
Orbea Oiz TR is high on the list now. Really like the look of this bike, even if it’s unashamedly just a beefed up XC race bike. The alloy H20 model @ £2499 looks stonking value, and I hear good things about it in general. I just worry if it’s a bit too sober/sombre for me, that’s all.
YT Izzo… Too long travel, direct sales only, carbon frame only… Looks good I’ll admit, but unless they do a shorter travel version, with an alloy frame, I’m really not likely to look past the direct sales model either I’m afraid.
Marin Rift Zone… Like the idea of it, it is perhaps a bit hefty (so I hear), and I’m not sure why you’d want 425mm stays on a bike like that… Also it does come across like its trying to be a mini Enduro bike. Dunno. I’d love a go on one, but I don’t think it’s what I’m looking for.
Scott Spark… The carbon one looks lovely, the alloy one looks… Well… Unfinished is I think the fairest thing I can say. Then there’s the HUGE gap in sizing between the medium and large that Scott are guilty of (which I fall right inbetween). I have a friend who’s 6ft and he has a large and loves it, another friend is 5ft10 (same as me) and has a medium and loves it, but his is setup with a 70mm long negative rise stem and flat bars as he uses it as an XC race bike. I need the mythical M/L size inbetween the two, that doesn’t exist!
Ibis Ripley… Loadsa money, carbon… If I was going that route, I’d just get a yeti SB100 which is the bike in this category I’d buy if money was no object.
Cannondale Habit… Too much travel. Looks good otherwise, but I’m sticking to my guns here.
Cotic Flaremax… A short travel Enduro bike. Loooooooong, low and slack, but with limited travel, and not exactly light or sprightly either. No thanks, not for me.
Trek Top Fuel… I’m sure it’s a great bike, but I’m not about to find out! Can’t stand Trek, for reasons I CBA to go into right now, so I won’t be buying one.
Norco Fluid… Keen price, looks ok, but Evans direct brand and they weigh a tonne apparently. It’s not lighting my fire, put it that way.
Sonder Cortex… The bike that should be the obvious answer, possibly? I’m just not a fan of the dull (almost Boardman circa 2008-esque) looks, the long chainstays, or the low main pivot that screams “liberal use of the lockout lever whilst climbing” to me as it obviously has less than 100% anti-squat even in bottom gear at full travel. I think if the chainstays were 10mm shorter and the main pivot was higher and a little further forward so that on a 32T ring it had more than 100% anti-squat, I may look past the fact it looks a little dull. I can forgive the direct sales only cos they’re a UK brand anyway at least (like Cotic, Bird etc.)
The mythical Bird “Aether 9″… Been looking for more info on this myself. Doesn’t look like it’ll happen any time soon I don’t think, or if it does, it may just be too late anyway. 🤷🏻♂️
The Kingdom Ti FS bikes… I’m sorry, but Kingdom just don’t do it for me at all. They look so agricultural! If I was spending that much on a Ti frame, I’d want impeccable welds etc. (even if they were done by a Chinese robot). Also I just don’t understand their geometry, and how/why they think it’s fine for a 29er Full sus to have a near 360mm static BB height… OK so some people (that haven’t learnt when and where to pedal) like to pedal through boulder fields… I’m not one of those, and like my BB’s down looooooow in the weeds.
Swarf Contour does appeal, not gonna lie. Stays a little longer than I’d like again, but I know it’s been designed with a decent amount of anti squat and a good degree of progression into the linkage too. Also I know Adrian’s a real perfectionist, and makes some really rather lovely bikes. However… It’s over £2k, I’d probably want to customise the geometry (which he would charge a lot extra for), and it is a steel full sus frame at the end of the day so it’s giving away 2lb to alloy equivalents and probably 3lb to carbon! A thing of beauty no doubt, I just think if I was spending over £2k on a frame it would need to be perfect, and not full of compromises, even if they are my own self imposed ones. What did you do with yours incidentally dumbbot? You say you “had” one…
I have just been down this route I found the following useful as they were by the same person
I bought a Neuron as it sounded more me and in terms of the terrain it was mostly to be used on.
I keep reading reviews on the Trance 29, and I think for exactly the opposite reasons that you went for the Neuron, the Trance is just screaming out to me that it’s the one! it just looks like a right giggle, yet it can be serious (enough for me) when required. All the talk of needing to manhandle the front for grip and it liking being leant over… That’s me to a T! 😁 I don’t want plush, I don’t want sensible, I want skids and wheelies and massive grins, but can still do a 100km Marathon when fitted with XC wheels and fast rolling tyres if required (albeit not that quickly with me on it). My only real concern is that little 165mm shock with my fat 90kg arse on it! Looks like it’ll take 300psi max so should be ok (I’m at 245psi in my 185×55 Float X2 on my Offering, which has a 250psi limit!).
Have found a 2019 Trance 29 2 @ £1699 in a shop, which seems a steal to me. Yeah I only really want the frame and fork, but I reckon I’d probably get £4-500 back for the wheels/tyres/brakes/groupset/dropper etc if I needed to, so not all bad. 🤔
