Hi,

I’m planning to get a full suspension bike, we have cycle to work scheme at work which I’m planning to use but ofc that’s only up to £1000 ‘great’ but the bikes I’m looking at are above that so I’m going to put some of my money. But I want to get something that’s worth the money, budget is £1600 all together.

Bikes i’m currently looking at or if you have any other recommendation please do add suggest them in your comment 🙂
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/vitus-sommet-mountain-bike-nx-1×11-2019/rp-prod179057
https://www.rutlandcycling.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/bergamont-2018-encore-expert-full-suspension-mountain-bike-orange_382983

Also waiting for the Calibre Beastnut from Go Outdoors seems to have good reviews.

Also found out that a friend is selling his 2014 Giant Trance (Medium) with fox suspensions I believe its the stock 140mm, XT drivetrain 1×11 and few upgrades for £600. The bike is in mint condition and been well looked after. Been services including fork except the rear suspension but seems to be okay.

So I either get this and use the cycle-to-work scheme for new parts if necessary, other accessories and etc?

Been riding HT voodoo Bizango, so would like some advice from others transitioning from HT to FS.
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With that budget, I’d go hardtail with plus tyres.

With that budget, I’d go hardtail with plus tyres.

Oh really? You saying no decent FS bikes at this price range? I’m still keeping my Bizango anyways, so it gives me that switch if want to use HT; yes probably not the best HT though.

The sommet is a great bike, although your mates old giant for £600 looks pretty decent and means you could get some nice upgrades / replace anything which wears out / save some cash.

I’d add a Sonder Evol to your list.

@riklegge

The sommet is a great bike, although your mates old giant for £600 looks pretty decent and means you could get some nice upgrades / replace anything which wears out / save some cash.

Yeah, the trance looks mint. But looking at the new trance in terms of geometry they all seems the same? The caveat on this trance is that its hard to find a stem due to its tube size its 1 1.4 instead of 1 1.8? Everything seems to be in good condition and no sign of wear outs ‘I think’ if you go this route, what upgrades would you do?

@danti

I’d add a Sonder Evol to your list.

Thanks, seems like similar spec as Canyon Neuron 6.0

I’d take the giant at that price if it fits.

@andyflaw
Yeah seems about my size its size Medium, but just not sure which trance it is as there’s quite a few I think. I’m 5’7 so pretty average, my bizango is size Small I believe but ofc sizing is different on other bikes.

Have a look under the headset top cap – some sus fork Giants run a sleeve on the steerer, so are still 1 1/8 at the top despite the oversize stem.

Do crc/rutland/go outdoors/your mate accept c2w vouchers as payment?

@l0key

Yeah 3 shops does accept c2w, well not my mate ofc as I have to present a receipt of the purchase.

How’s Giant sizing guide? I’m 5’7 does that count as either small and medium? Guessing sizing guide changes every year too? Can’t find a sizing guide for trance 2014.

What/where will you be riding. A couple of years ago i was looking at a new FS and test rode a sommet and the escarpe. I mainly ride trail centres and found the sommet a bit too much bike for me but loved the escarpe, nearly bought one but they did not have my size (got a bargain cube stereo instead).

@andy4d

What/where will you be riding. A couple of years ago i was looking at a new FS and test rode a sommet and the escarpe. I mainly ride trail centres and found the sommet a bit too much bike for me but loved the escarpe, nearly bought one but they did not have my size (got a bargain cube stereo instead).

Yeah will be riding tail centres as well mainly, I live near a woodland which have some small sections too.

Get the Trance!

Sonder Evol for the win!
Sonder Evol
Mine today 🙂
[url=https://flic.kr/p/24BG2yr]54525401_10157268963806474_3159899545240862720_n[/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr

I’d say go for a quality hardtail. Either a plus or a long travel hardtail, Ragley etc…

Or, like your mates bike go 2nd hand. Bikes drop like a stone these days and so bargains are out there.

John

Look at Marin. Sometimes some really good deals out there and doesnt feel like made of pig iron like a calibre.

The sommet is quite a big travel enduro bike isn’t it – is that what you’re after? I’d think the Vitus Escarpe is more equivalent to the trance (a Giant Reign is more like the Sommet).

The Evol mentioned above is more trail like the Trance too.

I’d be tempted to go for one of the new bikes mentioned rather than a 5 year old Giant personally.

You saying no decent FS bikes at this price range?

No, just that £1,600 will get you more hardtail bang for buck if new. I think new-gen “plus” HTs really are game changers for the average Joe trail riding in the UK.

Norco Fluid?

A decent amount of kit on it for the money.

Can’t comment on the Sommet, but have a Sentier VR+ HT from CRC and its excellent.

One thing to bear in mind is that CRC won’t let you top up, so you’d have to think of a way round about that.

Does anyone know which Giant Trance is that but I’m a bit unease about the size? Really considering it due to its price and spec seems to be okay.

I’m also 5’7″ and between sizes on the Giant size chart. I had a 2015 Anthem in a small, really should have gone for the medium. So I think size wise it should be fine for you.

If it’s a mate surely he’ll let you have a test ride of the Trance to see how it feels?

@joebristol, Yeah I tested it but just around the area really so didn’t have much chance to fully feel how it fits. But will try to properly test it maybe next weekend, see if I can ride it around the woods or near by trail park.

My Calibre Triple B has been brilliant and personally I can’t recommend it enough, although I did upgrade the forks and shock after several months, not because there was an issue, I just had them on another bike that I was selling. I also have the 2019 Norco Fluid HT2 with plus tyres and a few upgrades, great bike and I love it on local trails, but the BBB is a different beast and doesn’t need much except tyres and pedals. 🙂

So apparently 2014 and 2016 trance SX have pretty much the same geometry, size chart says I should be in small. Measured my inner leg and its 30″ and medium is 31″, is that a big difference? in terms of number it only an inch heh.

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/trance-27dot5-sx-2016

Marin B17 3. Best value you can get for £1599.

https://www.rutlandcycling.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/marin-b-17-3-2018-full-suspension-mountain-bike-silver_454584?currency=GBP&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI97XExeaM4QIVhRXTCh0Iyw0EEAkYASABEgKLMPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

That B17 is very good value!

That B17 is awesome value for that price – Pikes / Super Deluxe / GX Eagle etc

You picked some nice bikes.
Maybe check also the Orbea Occam. Possible that they have versions which sell for 1.6k

As trailbike I use the Bossnut V2. Lousy pre-assembly, lousy paint but great bike.
I’am constantly changing stuff – the Bossnut has now a 150 mm Fox fork and 30 mm i.d. rims with DT370 hubs. The fork is a bit of an overkill and had to add a 60 mm stem (and no spacers below stem) to bring the bike into balance again. Very happy with it. (got all upgrade stuff in “sales”. It’s now also a 1.5 k bike…)

Original RockShox Sektor 130 mm work was plush after first service. Before it felt like a piece of wood. But the Sektor is a simple fork which did the Job.
Where I quickly had issues with (after 10 months or so): the cup and cone formula hubs. If Calibre still uses them on the Bossnut plan for an upgrade there…
The original WTB rims are fine but I made some rough landings – means they weren’t in good shape either before wheel upgrade. But this was my fault. The Bossnut isn’t an Enduro bike. It’s still a trail bike!
Original tyres were fine. Used them roughly a year and swapped then to Schwalbe tyres.

Have a look at the Jamis Dakar (A1 or A2) in Evans. Lot of bike for the money.

I haven’t ridden a Beastnut, but the Bossnut is a proper bike at a silly price, really well thought out, if you wrote Santa Cruz on the side people’d pay twice as much for it. Similar sort of approach to my dune, they got the really important stuff right and cut the corners where it hurts least

since i dropped the marin thing and didnt mention it then. i’ve got a b-17.1

you can get a 29er wheelset down the line for a couple hundred quid secondhand (i did) plus cost of tyres and have a very versatile bike (and basically make it into a rift zone as they share the frame, just not wheelsize).

also bossnut i tried felt heavy as SHHHHHHH…. if you want 27.5 look at a marin hawk hill. some great deals out there too

Start fitness was selling Scott Spark 900rc comp for £1599!

Jesus, that Marin looks a bargain!

If it was my money, I’d find it hard to look past that.