Best trail fs, like, ever!?

I’m looking to buy a 2nd bike to complement my spicy. The spice is quite a chunky beast weighing in at 34.5 lbs with coil shocks etc, and while I’m happy to take it out for a day long ride there are definitely times when I’m over biked.

So, my criteria is a bike that is lightish, fun to ride and slackish, nothing too extreme but 68.5 ha or thereabouts. What would you recommend?

I should add that I’m not gentle with my bikes so no racing snake bikes, also looking in the 2-3k region

Ta!

ST4? Where were you today? Great ride 😀

Epic evo???

Yeah would have loved to come, working though. An st4 looks good, how much do they weigh?

Wookster I get confused by the spesh range, what’s the epic eve like?

There’s a few experts here on teh best bike ever.

Epic evo would be very good. Not sure tbh, no info on weight on the orange site.

Cannondale RZ 120?

Stumpy evo would be a better trail bike imo or maybe a five or a zesty to compliment your spicy.

AnthemX

‘Dale RZ120

There’s a few experts here on teh best bike ever.

Do you ever give it a rest? 🙂

A hardtail is the answer, what was the question?

5 Spot, Heckler, Epiphany? take your pick

epiphany is awesome but the head angle is wee bit too steep for the OP

I love the look of the new Specialized Camber. I’m very fond of my Horst link bikes.

Loving my Nicolai Helius CC – not weighed it but guessing around 27-28lbs – adjustable rear travel from 89-130mm.

According to the importer it’s 67 deg with a 140 fork. I’m running a Talas 100-140 which suits the bike perfectly.

Built to last from Easton tubing with a 5 year frame warranty which includes racing.

Nicolai UK had the CC frames on sale for £1150

Nicolai’s are stunning as are Mythic Spitfires. Both tough, trail shredding machines and reasonable weights but you will struggle to find either 2nd hand!

Get a Zesty and then sell the Spicy when you don’t use it anymore 🙂

Hardtail and learn some skills 8)

Similar bikes for me – Nicolai Helius AM with coil shock is the current love of my life and = 34lbs.

For local stuff and the odd longer epic I have a Whyte 19 Steel, but any similar 120mm-140mm hardtail would do – I would probably go a little beefier if I was to buy again.

Whatever you happen to be riding is always the best

Epic evo

Link above mate I love my epic rides like a HT with enough sus the keep you out of trouble! An extra 20mm upfront will make the a right laugh of a bike!!!

Did someone say ST4? Just got mine and loving it 🙂

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I do love my Hemlock, such a versatile frame, right now it has a 2 degree head angle reducer, a set of Lyriks and downhill tyres in it, tomorrow it might have my Revs and Roval Traversees and be back down to 27lbs, seems equally happy being either a big burly thing or a confident allrounder.

Some good ideas there folks ta very much. Hadn’t even looked at nicolai for pricing reasons but sounds like it’s a possibity at that price. I was thinking around 120mm travel but maybe a lightish 140mm would be a good idea. I quite like the blur xc carbon but it’s quite pricey and possibly a bit too xc?

As far as hardtails are concerned I’ve really enjoyed having a burly heavy play bike ht but don’t want one as an all day trail bike.

scott genius

160mm bike, but light as a 120/140.

ride it hard, race it or just savour the riding experience.

awesome and uber versatile!

EX8 – all round spot on

I think I need to do some test rides….

Sounds to me like you need a CONTRAST to the spicy. A lot of the above are similar.

You need a light full suss 140 travel frame. Trek or specialized should offer one of these. Quick question- andrey on here is selling a pivot what are they like?

Keeping your Lappy Spicy all coiled up as a play bike, Sounds like a 100 or 120 rear and 120 front travel bike would be spot on for the second bike… run it with shortish stem and wide bars to keep it playful. That’s basically my setup. Currently riding a SC Superlight, paired with a SC Bullit – which I’m currently swapping for a cannondale prophet (with 160mm forks – all coiled).

As recommended above + my own:
Trek Fuel EX (had one, liked it a lot)
Orange ST4 (looks just the job, old version a bit flexi for me, not ridden the new one)
Santa Cruz Superlight with 120mm forks (currently got one, love it…. could build up something really nice with that budget)

🙄 Most people only ever says what they own.

Oh, and it’s an Ibis Mojo btw. 😉

Oh and meant to include the cannondale RZ-120 in that last too. Seems to be very well liked. Not ridden one yet, but desperate for a test ride.

Canyon nerve. For that sort of money you can buy unbelievable spec
http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/series/nerve-xc.html

For cheapness cannondale single pivot frame. Underated in the secondhand market but loved by journos? Light as well?

The I was thinking around 120mm travel but maybe a lightish 140mm would be a good idea.

The CC gives you both options as it’s adjustable travel. Run it with fork and rear travel the same to maintain the stock angles – 120mm front and rear works really well

I wouldn’t say that people always think that their bike is the best in the world. It just happens that my bike IS the best in the world 🙂

Whyte E-120 btw, although the 147 does look to be a contender 🙂

FBK……with that bendy rear end…..not for me sunshine.

Santa Cruz Blur LT2 all the way!!!!

Blur 4X. Oh, hang on….

Lol jfeb, been there. Nice bike but not what Im after. I was put off whytes by my first full susser, a 46. Bloody awful!

I do like the nicolai, looks quite heavy though. I wish the current st had tested more than 3 140mm bikes!

At the moment my fave is a zesty 714 in all it’s carbon loveliness. Bit pricey though! The spesh tested in st looks nice but I’m a big fan of bolt thru forks and think I’m the kind of rider who gets the benefits. I really need to find time for some test rides….