Do-it-all bikes for about £3.5k

Morning all.

I might have a bit of cash coming my way and was thinking of making a serious bike purchase. Currently ride a Rockhopper (with a few upgrades), do mostly XC stuff (trail centres and big Scottish mountain days), and am looking for something that will basically take whatever I throw at it.

Am going to try and demo a few bikes before I make any purchases so am just looking for suggestions as to what is out there. So far on my list are:

– Santa Cruz Blur LT
– Turner 5-spot
– Orange 5

Any other ideas?

Oooooh nice budget!
Ibis Mojo
Trek Remedy 9.8 (carbon)

Pace 405?

Yeti 575! There can be no other!! 😀

You've got the world to choose from with that budget.

Lappiere Zesty's seem to be getting good press at the moment as are the Treks, the Remedy 8 is a well specced bike. Both these come in well under 30lbs.

If want an alternative niche brand, consider the Nicolai Helius AC. You won't get as good a component spec out of your budget as for either the SC or Turner, but they are unique in the market and offer superbe egineering and construction with the opportunity to customise the frame to your needs.

I dont know what your capable of throwing at a bike, but a decent hardtail is perfect for trail centres or "big" mountain days. You could get some sort of cotic built up for about £1500, then you can spend the rest of the money on something fun (not bits of metal and plastic)

Cheers for the suggestions so far.

I should add that I'm irrationally adverse to carbon frames.

Nicolai Helius FR

Marin Attack Trail 6.9
Meta 5 carbon

2 bikes that are stupidly fun to ride.

I'd get 2 bikes for that, and no way would I go from a Rockhopper to a £3.5K bike without having ridden a few. Each to their own!

Buy a decent Ti hardtail and spec it with kit that wont break/wear out in a year. Hope, Mavic, Shimano, Thomson etc…

Then use the rest for a couple of weeks riding somewhere amazing!

Oh yeah, I tried about 10 bikes before deciding. I would get on every demo day you possibly can.
You could get a HT, but you have a HT, so a big light FS may help you progress your riding more. If that's what you want.

For that sort of money, don't get a 'do it all' bike, just get 2 cheaper bikes.

Buy a decent Ti hardtail and spec it with kit that wont break/wear out in a year. Hope, Mavic, Shimano, Thomson etc…

Will that not cost somewhere near £3.5k?

Ti hardtails seem pretty pointless, may aswell get your full sus instead

I'll not be getting a hardtail, nor will I be buying more than one bike.

Will endeavour to demo as many bikes as I can.

Keep those suggestions coming.

I'll not be getting a hardtail, nor will I be buying more than one bike.

OK, Just get one £2k bike and spend the rest going to great places to ride. I can recommned Moab, Utah. 🙂

£3.5k on a bike is a waste of money.

I personally think that the law of diminishing returns comes in heavily past about £2000-£2500

OK, Just get one £2k bike and spend the rest going to great places to ride.

This.

Pronghorn LT6 Trail. You'll get an XT-equipped one for less than £3500. Seeing as you're an Edinburgh fellow, it would be criminal not to head over to Flying Fox Bikes in Alva to have a demo.

Seriously, test ride one then forget the rest.

EDIT: That's not a plug for Flying Fox, by the way. They're just the only guys that sell them.

Also worth a look as do-it-all options…

Cotic Hemlock, Yeti 575, Pace RC405, Intense Tracer, Gary Fisher Roscoe ?

Got a good list so far, cheers.

And some free financial advice to boot.

"I dont know what your capable of throwing at a bike, but a decent hardtail is perfect for trail centres or "big" mountain days. You could get some sort of cotic built up for about £1500, then you can spend the rest of the money on something fun (not bits of metal and plastic)"

"no way would I go from a Rockhopper to a £3.5K bike without having ridden a few. Each to their own!"

"Just get one £2k bike and spend the rest going to great places to ride. I can recommned Moab, Utah."

"£3.5k on a bike is a waste of money."

"I personally think that the law of diminishing returns comes in heavily past about £2000-£2500"

'Nuff said. Wise words chaps. +1 to all y'all.

If I had that budget I'd spend less and go ti hardtail for sure, as suggested.

I found myself in a similar situation and went for an Alpine 160. It is a touch overkill for the UK but it serves the "do-it-all" role perfectly, particularly as I spend a month or two riding in France every year. Without wishing to gush, I love it. I tend to agree with others though – if your budget is going to curtail international or local riding opportunities then look around the £2000 mark.

I agree £2,500 is about the limit before diminishing returns get too steep to stomach, but I certainly wouldn't try to stop somebody spending £3.5k on a bike.

That's about the going rate for a boutique alu FS frame with top-end kit anyway, isn't it?

Do try a few before buying though – demo season is just getting going.

hmmm I don't think you're actually listening to him…

hmmm I don't think you're actually listening to him…

Thanks ooOOoo.

5spots frames are on sale just now with £500 off RRP, so that would leave way more than enough to build up a great trail bike.

Exactly what I've just done, new frame then some carefully selected parts mainly from the classifieds – (thanks to all)

Would still leave you a enough cash for a decent holiday!

I would echo some of the above, spend a bit less and you will still end up with a great bike, 2-2.5K would be a good point for a full susser.

Also, let me be the first to say a Chumba! Just about to offer a rolling chassis deal on the VF2 frames, £1950 gets you frame, Fox Float QR15 fork, Hope Hoops, Thomson stem and post, Chumba grips and saddle. Add a SLX group set and away you go!

Another STW regulars bike 🙂

no way would I go from a Rockhopper to a £3.5K bike without having ridden a few. Each to their own!

I don't get that al, are you saying if he currently had a more expensive bike that he wouldn't need to try before buying or are you suggesting that going from a rockhopper to a £3.5k bike might be too much to handle?

As for recommendations. If you're spending that type of money you should go for something special. I'd look at Yeti, Intense, Turner, Titus. Have to add that if I had that sort of budget again, I'd get myself a remedy and a 29er hardtail.

I'd happily blow it all on one bike, probably a Lapierre Zesty although I'd def demo some others (most of which are listed in the thread already), not sure if anyone mentioned the new Stumpy either – worth looking at.
Difference between a lot of bikes in the same range at £2.5k and £3.5k will be carbon vs aluminium frame. If you're happy with an alu frame on a £2.5k model I wouldn't spend more just to get XTR for example.

for £3.5k the bike would have to make me breakfast in the morning and iron my shirts!! 😀

for £3.5k the bike would have to make me breakfast in the morning and iron my shirts!!

I do believe you can get a Thai bike that will do all that for £3.5k and much more.

He did say he was going to demo the bikes, to be fair.

YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 YETI 575 😆

Stuff I've tried;

Mojo (or Mojo SL. Mojo HD could be worth a punt aswell)
575 (or ASR5 carbon. Not tried the ASR5 yet but want to)
Intense Spider 2 (or Tracer, if you prefer slacker)

For HT, get a really nice frame and bling the F%^k out if it;
De Kerf or Evil Sovereign would get my vote

I rekon you could build any one of them (less sure on the HD or the ASR5 Carbon) into a nice build for <2500 though, keep the extra grand for something else

Dont spend all your cash on a bike you really dont need too.
spend some on a bike and go on a biking hoilday with the rest 😛

Blur LT a good choice – I'm testing one this weekend (in the pissing rain, it seems). A Lapierre Zesty 514 would probably be perfect for you, and I know you said you don't want a carbon frame but you really should look at the Ibis Mojo and the Scott Genius. Some great deals to be had on 09 models: http://www.coventrycyclecentre.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b4s1p849&rs=gb

Doubt you'd do much better than that for £2,500. Full XT groupset, Fox 32 RLs, decent wheels and finishing kit, etc. 150mm travel, about 26lbs.

Spend the rest on a holiday.

For £3500? Buy 4 or 5 entry level bikes.

Think Gearie hardcore Hardtail
Rigid SS
Short travel DH/freeride AM whatever the designation is
Roadie
Fixie…

perfec'

zesty 514 gets my vote, however its got a carbon swingarm

scott genius has a terrible shock on it, stay away, stick to something serviceable and known

Only a few santa cruz fans here, don't know why that is. I think your initial thoughts of blur were good, I would prefer the heckler or even a bullit with as much ligthweight kit as I could afford..
Depends on where your bias is, I prefer going down so I like my bike set up for cornering, braking and jumping, after that I'll spend money on climbing..