bigad40 – Member
Are you selling the Sherpa?

Not until September at the very earliest. Have the Mega to race first.

Since posting this thread, I’ve been giving it some thought whether its really possible to consolidate the Trance and Sherpa into one bike. Current train of thought is to build the Trance up as an all day/trail bike (already have wheels/post/forks, just drive train and finishing kit). Then get something more racy than the Sherpa (Trek Procaliber, etc), as the midweek rides I do are with XC whippets and CX racers, on fairly flat trails for the most part.

Pole Evolink 130 is very slack and takes two bottles..

Bike will generally be used for rides of no longer than 2hours and a water bottle on the frame and a bag in my jersey pocket for tools/tube/crap.

For that you don’t really need a bottle, something like this would cover it:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Milestone-Collapsible-Drinking-Carabiner-Camping/dp/B00CLAMG0E

And would fit in a pocket.

Bike will generally be used for rides of no longer than 2hours and a water bottle on the frame and a bag in my jersey pocket for tools/tube/crap.

For that you don’t really need a bottle, something like this would cover it:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Milestone-Collapsible-Drinking-Carabiner-Camping/dp/B00CLAMG0E

And would fit in a pocket.

Its an alternative, but not for me. The bikes on the list which don’t have bottle cages, I wouldn’t consider for other reasons anyway.

Pivot 429?
My mate has one of these. Its a weapon. Light and fast. Its 26lb (max) with 130mm XFusion on the front. Strangely flexy side to side rear end – far more so than the old non boost version, but he says he doesnt notice it at all on the trail.
I’m convinced this bike (and his old one pre boost) is the reason why he wins most of the races he enters around these parts!

there’s a nice transition bandit 29er in the classifieds…………..

Probably selling an Orange Segment frame / Hope headset / Dropper in a week or so.

Segment

Am very happy with my Following – it ticks all the boxes except ‘cheap’. As someone else said, a rocket ship up along and down.

Pyga OneTen29, front works well with 120 or 130 travel

If you’re not bothered by brand snobbery the Camber Evo’s are excellent. Basic version needs a Pike on the front to really shine, but I prefer my Evo to my blinged up Tallboy LTc. I picked up a basic Alu Evo for £1600 and liked it so much I replaced it recently with a discounted carbon expert model.

Before getting the 2015 Carbon Evo, I tested a 2016 Camber (which is effectively a shorter chainstayed Evo), but preferred the additional stability of the slightly longer CS on the Evo for fast rough descents in the Peak.

Thinking about it don’t most 130ish mm bikes fall into this category?

Anything shorter tends to be aimed at a more xc group so ends up with steeper angles.

After a bit of thinking and a spreadsheet with build weights, the 29er frames on the list (there was a budget constraint) were no lighter (Smuggler frame is heavier than the trance!) than the trance and had 20mm less travel. Was cheaper to build up the Trance frame I already have.

Come to the conclusion I can’t do with less than 4 bikes:
-29er hardtail (midweek xc training rides, mixed group included CX’ers)
-4x hardtail for pump track/bmx tracks
-Enduro gnarpoon (Steep, technical, fast riding – Bringewood, bucnell, revs)
-Trail bike (for everything in between the 29er and gnarpoon)

-Enduro gnarpoon (Steep, technical, fast riding – Bringewood, bucnell, revs)
-Trail bike (for everything in between the 29er and gnarpoon)

I have a Banshee Spitfire to cover both those bases – 140mm on the back like your Trance but 160mm on the front and slack. If the Trance’s BB height is low enough and seat angle steep enough you could stick a 160m fork on that for gnarlier fun.

There’s that new Norco Optic? £250 off if you trade in a knackered old bike when you buy it from Evans.

£250 off if you trade in a knackered old bike when you buy it from Evans

[sarcasm]Wow, £250 off if I trade my old bike in, crikey that’s a steal![/sarcasm] 🙄

You not been round these parts for very long? Doubt that a USP like this is going to appeal in any way shape or form to your average STW forum member quite frankly…

Come to the conclusion I can’t do with less than 4 bikes:

Came to a similar conclusion recently, but bikes are expensive (even if you own a shop), so I’m making do with fast tyres on my 160mm Enduro bike for normal “trail” riding right now. That and my 29er HT is a bit slacker and more agressive than most so it’s very nearly as quick and capable as a 120mm travel FS trail bike would be anyway. Besides I’ve got a road bike and a CX bike too anyway!

It’s 250 quid off if you trade in “any” old bike. 10% off for buying a wreck for fiver sounds OK to me. Or have I misinterpreted your tags?

Camber Evo 29

Brilliant bike!

Whyte T129. I absolutely love mine. Does everything I want and more.
Only way to improve it would be carbon and more mud clearance outback.
That would be my bike for life.

Get yourself a test ride on the bikes mentioned in this thread. It’s the only way to truly know. Lots of different geometries and suspension platforms. One riders perfect is another riders nightmare.

Only way to improve it would be carbon and more mud clearance outback.

😆

You see what you want is one of these…

😉

You see what you want is one of these…

I did tell him, back when he was looking at the Whyte. I even offered him a go on mine.

Conversely a Following really didn’t do it for me. The XL felt too low at the front and too short in reach amongst other things; I was very surprised how much I disliked it when I rode it. All personal preference ain’t it.

Orbea looks good and reasonably priced. Smuggler looks pretty much ideal (probably what I will end up with) or the new Tallboy3.

Evil, not a cat in hell’s chance.

Conversely a Following really didn’t do it for me. The XL felt too low at the front and too short in reach amongst other things; I was very surprised how much I disliked it when I rode it. All personal preference ain’t it.

Yes of course.

It certainly took me a while to get the fit right, and I’m a MOR medium. You’re right the headtube is short, I have risers and more spacers than usual. I find the ride fine tho, I guess it’s a good thing to have the option of putting the bars lower for some people. Also the seattube is pretty slack and chainstays don’t lengthen with frame size so I can see how in an XL there could be a lot of body weight over the rear axle.

I was surprised how low the front end on my following was, but again a couple of spacers and a set of riser bars sorted it. Again I’d prefer this to feeling it was too high, which is what I’d expected on an XL frame, and wishing it was lower.
XL length works well for me @ 6’2, I won’t be buying shorter again, but were all different sizes and shapes.

How about a YT Jeffsy, ticks all your boxes apart from it has 10mm more travel at 140mm

Im in a similar position myself and finding it hard to look past Evil The Following

How about a YT Jeffsy, ticks all your boxes apart from it has 10mm more travel at 140mm

Im in a similar position myself and finding it hard to look past Evil The Following

140mm 29″ is a bit of a nothing bike, if you already have a proper all out 160mm 650b ‘Enduro’ bike.

It’s got some odd sizing too. Bit like the Following. Not really designed for tall people who like long bikes, kinda ironic, given the wheel size & that 🙂