Hey does anyone know if there is a budget full suspension 29 er out there that is good bang for buck much like the Calibre bossnut is as a budget FS 27.5 wheeled bike ?

The Cheapest I have found is the cube stereo 120s cheapest offering , is there any more out there ?

The marin rift zone 1 looks great, although a little more pricey than the calibre

I have the Rift Zone 3 fantastic bike that I had no intention of buying when I did a demo ride for work with Marin. I fell for it hard and bought one a week later.

I’d 2nd a Rift zone having bought a 3. Definitely a frame worth upgrading as funds allow. I’ve upped the forks to 140mm with the new debonair shafts and it rides even better now. A few people on instagram (marin staff and sponsored riders) have gone further with mods to these as they definitely are worth it. But it’s a Marin, so no cool points on here 🙂

The Cheapest I have found is the cube stereo 120s cheapest offering

Quickly had a look..

Yes – the frame sizes 17″ 19″ 21″ 23″ are 29er it seems.

Sells for around 1.4 k right now?

https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/cube-stereo-120-black-n-blue-654412?currency=3&delivery_country=190

(above link: only one size left. And that’s 27.5 ?)

Above mentioned Marin rift zone: yes. Neat. But above 2 k – or?

Another vote for the Rift Zone 3 here.  Very rapid along and down hill.  Pretty much the same geometry as a 2017 Transition Smuggler – just that you’re getting a whole bike (which weighs less) for the price of a Transition frame!

Was easy to set up the wheels tubeless with some tape and Stans.  The stock 130mm Revs are a bit wooden, so like kula72 I also have the Debonair 140mm upgrade planned.

Above mentioned Marin rift zone: yes. Neat. But above 2 k – or?

They can be had for a bit less in the sales, and the spec is probably closer to the Triple B so it’s only ~£300 more), and has a pedal switch on the shock and beefed up forks.

1250 for a Rift Zone 1 online. Although we are coming into winter and I’d budget for some better tyres. Chunkey Monkey / Smorg are only £15 at the min and I got through winter on those last year. Frame will take big tyres, I’m on 2.5 wide trail minion DHF’s F&R now.

I’ve got a feeling that calibre may just reveal a 29er in the next few weeks.

https://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s154p8723/MARIN-RIFT-ZONE-1-29-2018

Better than £1250…. £999 if a 19″ fits ya.  great geometry as well.

Sonder also have a FS 29er in the pipeline, which will doubtless be good and somewhere between 1500-1600 going by the current evol pricing.

I was also wondering when a cheap but good 29er FS would be made…

If you are able, or willing, to wait (for how long, god only knows) I believe Calibre are currently prototyping a 29er.

If its as good as my V1 Bossnut and at a similar price they may well sell out pretty quick again if and when it comes out!

If you are able, or willing, to wait (for how long, god only knows) I believe Calibre are currently prototyping a 29er.

Neat!

Although like my Bossnut V2 more and more…bit “high maintenance” – but keeps on going.

I had a quick pedal round a field on the Sonder 29er prototype and based on that I’ll be getting a demo when they come in to Alpkit in Hathersage with a view to buying.

I can’t vouch for these, but spotted that decathlon have started doing a couple of 29er full-suss bikes for 1k and 1.2k:-

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-am-100s-full-suspension-mountain-bike-29er-id_8407470.html

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/100-s-xc-mountain-bike-29-id_8405424.html

Manitou forks

Hi I have a brand new Marin Rift Zone XC 9 for sale in the classifieds Full XO drive, Fox fork / shock, carbon rims, post and bars.

£1200

Be careful around Cube bikes. They tend to be short, steep and decked out in some quite ‘out there’ kit including rear derailleurs that fit ‘around’ the hanger and don’t seem compatible with anything else.

My brother in law got a Cube hardtail a couple of years ago because he liked the look of the frame and Cube bikes in general. He has since decided he hates it and I am helping him to build up a new bike, but a good few bits are compatibility nightmares. He developed this dislike of the Cube of his own accord (I didn’t say anything), but I sat on it and rode up and down a few kerbs and bits and it is an absolute dog!

Hi I have a brand new Marin Rift Zone XC 9 for sale in the classifieds Full XO drive, Fox fork / shock, carbon rims, post and bars.

£1200

I’m interested, but what year is that one? I cant seem to find any info about it on the Marin website? cheers

Kula72-where was your photo taken?  (look epic!).

That Rockrider AM100s is an interesting bike actually, spec is kind of Bossnutey Evo Equivalent, but with Manitou Forks and Shock, NX 1×11 Drive, Tektro discs (180/160mm) and a Dropper (of some sort)…

Geometry doesn’t look terrible (IMO)

£1200, but there’s bound to be a sale eventually…

The only real difference with the £1K version is a change of fork/shock and the lack of a dropper which seems to sharpen up the HA by a degree or so, drive, brakes, wheels, tyres and frame are all the same…

Not sure how Manitou shocks shape up these days but at this sort of price point It’s far less of a financial gamble…

Be careful around Cube bikes. They tend to be short, steep and decked out in some quite ‘out there’ kit including rear derailleurs that fit ‘around’ the hanger and don’t seem compatible with anything else.

Hmm. My small/16″ 2016 Stereo 140 is longer (in the front) than my Switchback and everything I needed from that to build the Cube up – apart from the BB and headset because the frame came with those fitted – swapped straight over, boggo Shimano Zee rear mech included. It’s not as slack as the Switchback but it doesn’t need to be, what with it being FS and all.

I’m not a Cube fangrrrrrrrl or anything, but one person’s poor experience of something vaguely related to the OP (few year old hardtail vs new FS?) doesn’t mean that they all do that, sir, in much the same way that my positive experience with a recent Cube FS doesn’t mean they’re all ace 😉 It is pretty good though, and there’s room for a bottle in the front triangle 😀

@strike Campsite descent Hayfield looking over Kinder direction.

@jonnieboy

its this one https://www.vitalmtb.com/product/guide/Bikes,3/Marin/Rift-Zone-29er-XC9,14096

@NCB thanks, just read that. geometry is too similar to my scalpel unfortunately.

£1200, but there’s bound to be a sale eventually…

I think that is the sale price, only size medium available..

decked out in some quite ‘out there’ kit including rear derailleurs that fit ‘around’ the hanger

That is/was the new standard, if you look at an aftermarket shimano mech there’s now an extra link at the top which attaches to the mech hanger. On bolt through bikes you dispense with the link and it makes it easier to mount the mech and still leave space around the dropout to get the axle in and out.

@kayla1

Hmm. My small/16″ 2016 Stereo 140 is longer (in the front) than my Switchback and everything I needed from that to build the Cube up – apart from the BB and headset because the frame came with those fitted – swapped straight over, boggo Shimano Zee rear mech included. It’s not as slack as the Switchback but it doesn’t need to be, what with it being FS and all.

I’m not a Cube fangrrrrrrrl or anything, but one person’s poor experience of something vaguely related to the OP (few year old hardtail vs new FS?) doesn’t mean that they all do that, sir, in much the same way that my positive experience with a recent Cube FS doesn’t mean they’re all ace
It is pretty good though, and there’s room for a bottle in the front triangle

100% agree.

Have some very nice mtb’s in the shack. One of them a Cube 150/150 27.5+ with 2.6 inch rubber. Bought the frame for little money and had no issue with any “special parts”. And the bike is a blast! Fantastic.

No idea about the 120 mm 29er FS so.

That Rockrider AM100s is an interesting bike actually, spec is kind of Bossnutey Evo Equivalent, but with Manitou Forks and Shock, NX 1×11 Drive, Tektro discs (180/160mm) and a Dropper (of some sort)…

This is another interesting thing about those bikes, they advertise them as being compatible with 29, 27.5+ and 27.5 – buy an extra set of wheels with it for £250 and mix it up a bit!

The SWITCH & RIDE system is easy: a mountain bike frame compatible with 3 wheel sizes.
1/ You choose your Switch and Ride compatible mountain bike in 27.5″, 27.5″ Plus, or 29″.
2/ You add a 2nd or 3rd pair of wheels.
3/ Enjoy all terrains!

I know i’d like to enjoy all terrains…

From the subject line I was going to suggest rift zone too.. I have a 2018 b17.1.. rrp is 1800 but I paid 1299

its the exact same frame as the rift zone but in 27.5+ guise. Advantage is it came with a dropper. can swap 29er wheels straight on, which I will be trying down the line.

i was originally planning to get the new hawk hill (i tried one and a bossnut which I didn’t like) but the deal on the b17 tempted me.