Have you ever just 'not got on' with a bike?

Commencal Supreme DH. Hated it with a fiery passion. Didn’t pedal well, didn’t dh well, cornering i kept grounding the pedals… just couldn’t get on with it at all.

At least in part I think it was moving from the Demo to the supreme that did it. The Demo was a totally different feeling bike.

In the end, I sold the thing and was pleased to see it go.

Orange Clockwork reissue from a few years back. It looked brilliant but was stupidly heavy, unwieldy

I rented one of the original ones a long time ago – much the same feeling. Guy I was riding with had a trek that was half the price and felt like half the weight

There’s a disarming number of comments about Brant keepin-it-real Richards’ various offerings here on this thread..

My old Scandal 29er was one of my favourite frames I’ve ever had. Tragically the new one just didn’t ever really gel with me, no idea why it felt different. The idea of it being an XC race frame… so we’ll put half a pound of dropouts on it!

The old one is lighter than my M5 S-Works Stumpy frame I’ve got now.

Cove Hustler. Actually a lovely bike, but too short for me. I had hints of its greatness only occasionally; I then switched to a Five that fitted and had those same feelings of greatness, but nearly all the time.

Mk2 Cove Handjob. Got it after missing my mk1, but it was a totally different bike. Again, hints of its brilliance, but never really shone.

Curtis hardtail. Looked beautiful, rode like a brick. Solid is an understatement, and the angles were a little odd. Probably the best looking bike I’ve ever owned though in a naked steel finish with visible brazed joins.

Only a few bikes I didn’t get on with well.

Marin east peak FS from 2000. even in large size it was on the short side. 300 psi in the shock and it still wallowed and felt difficult to maneuver.

Cannondale Rush. Kinda like the prophet, but very much not the prophet. just didn’t feel comfy at all.

On One Inbred. Great for most folk, not for me. felt sluggish and handled slow even with 100mm forks.

probably the one i remember most though was the Dekerf Elysium. I so wanted to get on with it, but the bikes geometry and me didn’t get on at all. It was so pretty, but it had to go.

Only one really, a Lemond Reno roadie. Despite being the ‘right’ size for me, and a nice frame, it never felt right with its massive high front end. About a year after buying it and messing about with stems and ride position I replaced the frame with a brand-x cheapie, which felt 100x better.

Uzzi VPX – felt OK at first but was just too short and steep. Probably great for hucking off ladder drops, but I really didn’t get on with it. Replaced it with a longer, lower, slacker Socom and much happier!

Orange 224. Gash – wallowed like a pig trying to get any sort of speed out of it.

Scott Genius mc 40 – very light and nimble machine, just far too short top tube
On One 456 evo – straight up hated it
And I’m coming to the conclusion my nomad is not quite right for me either 🙁

a Raleigh road bike had those weird oval rings – never seemed to go in a straight line and I put down not being to ride it no hands to getting older – wasn’t until I replaced it that realised it had almost certainly been crashed – bought from a reputable shop as a bargain nearly new/exchanged for wrong size

ST4 for me was the biggest disappointment. Heavy and wallowy suspension. Loved the old 1998 Riftzone, my first full sus and a revelation.

I had hints of its greatness

Interestingly I feel this way about my Bandit which I’ve not quite got totally to grips with yet. It’s turned out better at some things than I expected (e.g. climbing) but I’ve started thinking the bike might be to blame for (too many) recent crashes EDIT – since I obviously can’t blame myself 😉

I’ve not been without several “wow” moments – usually when I put a bit more effort in – but for most along and down riding I’m finding the front end a bit too planted. I’m wondering whether I don’t really ride it fast enough for it to work at its best. It’s probably (I hope) just a confidence thing as a result of the crashes.

While I loved my inbred I hated my 456 also Orange P7. Got rid of the P7 frame after a couple of rides. Also Trek Session I didn’t like.

Yep. Specialized Rockhopper, think it was just too big for me at 19″. Went back to my trailstar and was much happier. Also my first sunday bmx felt awful, newer trail scout feels way better 🙂

Titus El Guapo – loved the way it rode, but my back didn’t like the TT length.

My fault really, I’m too tall!

scaredypants – Member

Orange Clockwork reissue from a few years back. It looked brilliant but was stupidly heavy, unwieldy
I rented one of the original ones a long time ago – much the same feeling. Guy I was riding with had a trek that was half the price and felt like half the weight

Strange that as the original Clockworks were some of the lightest frames for the price. An aquired taste to ride though, I loved ’em.

Can’t say my 2007 Clockwork seems any heavier then my mates steel hardtails. Horses for courses I guess.

My most hated was a GT XCR4000 I bought in 1999 to get me back in to bikes. A god awful thing that actually put me off for another 5 years!

Trek Fuel EX – great bike by all accounts and I ride a trek HT, but couldn’t get on with this at all. Felt like I was riding a wheelbarrow and I kept crashing and hated cornering. Underwhelmed slightly on a stumpy too (but love epic expert carbon – if only it wasnt 4k!!).

captainsideburns – Member
Giant trance 29er… kept wanting to fold in half around the headtube.

First demo on T29, it did the same thing on me! Loved it otherwise, until Giant admitted that Trances dont work in 29 version!!! 😉

Intense tracer (mk1) – mine was even made straight, but despite timing the shock, replacing it with Ti coil and much fettling it never lived up to the 5.5 that went before it.

Santa cruz bullit: Never fell off a bike so much.

Yeti asr: Great to ride but wore out its bushings like crazy.

GT Zaskar 96: dull.

Specialized allez road bike: So hard, it beat the crap out of me on every ride.

Cotic Solaris: Just not feeling the love. going on the bay very soon.

for blance: I loved my niner air9 scandium, shame it broke ( as did my girlfriends).

and in defence of brant: I had a scandal which was great, and an inbred 29er that was fab as a single speed but only ok geared, strange.

a spesh fsr xc.

the most altered/upgraded bike ive ever had the misfortune to buy and it ate bearings/bushings!
taught me a lot about what i do and dont like in a bike tho.

Yes. Kona Jake the Snake. It fit me. It worked well. It was comfortable. It handled fine. It was pleasant to ride. I just didn’t like it.

Hate to jump on a band waggon but my 456 left me cold. I knew it was cheap and heavy but I thought it would be fine for a second bike but I was wrong. I honestly can’t say there was one particular thing that made the difference but it just didn’t do it for me. I know plenty of people love them but not me. I bought a soul and I do love that.

Pipedream Ti – fitted perfectly, nicely kitted out, stiff, fast, handled pretty well… never once enjoyed riding it. Only bike I’ve ever got rid of for that reason.

Ellsworth ID. Persevered for a couple of years, but it was never right. Hugely high BB. When I got a 5 I had no excuses, though ….

cove handjob- dull as dishwater and soft feeling

cotic soul- geometry and sizing were spot on, back end felt like rock

cotic soda (mk1)- again fit and size perfect but holy crap that was a flexy pos

meta4- how could a 4 inch “xc” frame weigh more than it’s 5.5 inch brother?

2008 heckler- large to short in the top tube /xl too tall and ungainly

2011 five- 18 to short in the top tube / 20 to tall and gate like

it never lived up to the 5.5 that went before it.

I had one of these and my mate still rides it. Still better than the recent FSRs I’ve ridden.

Ibis Mojo….great bike my mate who tried it loved it but I just didn’t click! Last bike Ill ever buy without a test ride!

Cannondale F600 with the headshock, circa 2003. Never felt right at the front, until I changed the forks for some rebas which made a big improvement. Had it for years, then I got my full suss, and suddenly enjoyed riding a while lot more.

As others have said.FSR XC Pro..Hated the thing as it was far to nervous.
Point it anywhere near a slope and it sh*t itself.
Apart from that i think iv’e been lucky as have really got on with everything since.(bought wisely)

Two spring to mind
Scott genius mc20 light full xtr etc but just could not get comfrey on it
Spesh 2008 sworks stumpjumper fitted fine just did not seem fun to ride

Revolution Triad – rebadged Merida frame apparently, utter poo

456summerseason as well, started at 100mm, then 140mm, then 160mm and it never felt right with any length fork, replaced with a Chromag Stylus which is much the same geometry wise but so much better.

Also had one ride on an borrowed mmmbop, hated it a lot, worst ride on any bike ever.

Marin “Mount Vision”… bloody awful bike down hill,

I’ve had a couple. Tried a Summer Season. Worth a punt for £100 but rode shite. Sold after 3 or 4 rides.

And my old 5 Spot. Had it for a couple of years but just couldn’t fall in love with it like all the fanboi’s seem to, no matter how much I tweaked the cockpit, forks, shock etc, etc. Moved it on and now have a Zesty which I love. Obviously the Turner was too niche for me.

Yes my Evil Sovereign, always wanted one got one and now like riding my fs much much more.

I bought a Roberts Genesis many years go – felt like a road bike, proportioned like a road bike. The paint finish was a brittle as f***
And the bottom bracket didn’t fit

It was rubbish – but a great commuter / hack bike.
In todays money , that was 1,500 GBP up the spout …

After that my Trek Y5 seemed brilliant!

Evil Sov, came off a perfect Ragley Bluepig onto the Sov, never gelled with it and never feels like a keeper when I fist start riding it although I’m far faster on this than the ‘Pig.

Specialized FSR Comp from about 2003 – bouncy shite. Put me off Full suspension for life.

In short, no. Some bikes took a bit longer to suss out though and i’m not that fussy. I’ve a critically acclaimed 😆 456 Summer Season that i didn’t get on with at first. I changed the front tyre to one made of rubber which made such a difference. Then i swapped the forks from tall, flexy, springy things to stout, beefy, sprung ones and it’s a real blast now.

My Titus Motolite. The geometry was all wrong: Too steep to be a good descender; too slack to be a good climber.

Inbred and BFe. Both were bad for me, for variety of reasons. Probably got what I deserved, having bought both from recommendations from mates, but Inbred felt dead, whereas BFe was more harsh than a solid alu bike, much more harsh than the Soul it replaced. Fair enough, if that’s your thing, but not for me.

As for just right, IH 6 Point, Orange Patriot, Soul, Blue Pig. All felt good from day 1.