Went to the llandegla day yesterday, got my heart set on a heckler but Santa Cruz weren’t there so I thought I’d check out the competition. Took out a nukeproof mega am, ghost asx 7500, yeti sb95c dream build, yeti sb75.
1. The carbon yeti sb75c felt like by far the fastest, easyest climbing bike I’ve ever come across, but it was 6k, and the 29in wheels did seem to limit the chuckability factor.
2. The nukeproof was an unwieldy beast on the climbs, but I loved it. It needed a granny ring tho.
3. Avid elixir 9 trail brakes are lovely. Always stuck to Shimano in the past, but I think these will find there way onto my next build.
4. Same with SRAM x9 shifeters/mech
5. The fastest strava times both climbing and descending was the alloy yeti sb75, which felt too big for me when I first got on it (m = approx 19in frame)
6. The ghosts are staggeringly good value – 2k for fox and full xt.
5. Pikes are lovely forks. I was thinking xfusion sweeps on the heckler, now I’m not sure.
6. I get the 650b thing, best of both worlds, but for a short arse like me, 29 wheels are too big.
7. The new yeti 575 looks lovely. Couldn’t ride it as it was a prototype, but I reckon I need to ride it and the heckler back to back before I make any decisions.

The carbon yeti sb75c felt like by far the fastest, easyest climbing bike I’ve ever come across, but it was 6k, and the 29in wheels did seem to limit the chuckability factor.

Interesting as the SB75 has 650B wheels…

Sorry, the carbon one was a 95c

Annoyed that I already had stuff organised, so couldn’t get to try the Ghost kit… (As my local dealer & I, aren’t on great terms), lookin forward to the Cannock demo though

Yer I’m thinking about the Cannock one, 2.5 hours for me tho, bit of a mission

See llandegla’s 2hrs for me.. & I was cooking last night, so would have struggled. Not sure the 30min test round the FtD will be a great test of the bikes, but I want to compare frame sizes/travel as much as their abilities

How tall are you? Im 5ft 7 and finding im quicker on all terrain on my new Whyte 29er. Including on my local techy trails of Bringewood dh area.

I pondered over getting a 29 er for ages, and now very glad I did. Maybe its a geometry thing with the whyte. Try more 29ers 🙂

In terms of setting fast times, I’m sure the 29ers are better, but I feel they suck the fun out of things, just not as nimble as 26/650b.

faster is more fun 🙂

Getting more air and flicking through tight switchbacks and nailing berms is fun…not sure 29ers beat 26ers in that dept. 650b therefore must be the answer to life’s greatest question 😉

Big fan of the SRAM X9 shifters and mechs, always thought they have a better feel than the Shimano equivalent.

I rode with ad on Saturday and tried the nukeproof mega tr, Ghost ASX 7500 and Ghost Cagua.

The mega tr felt a bit barge like on the climbs and quite unrefined but it did handle the downhill section well. But I always felt that I was sitting on the bike rather than ‘in’ the bike if you know what I mean.

The Ghost ASX was only available in a medium and it was obviously too small but I took it out for a spin and it was buttery smooth on the climbs but I couldn’t push it on the downhill due to the size.

I then tried the Cagua which was a totally uninspiring ride.

By this time I had decided I needed to ride a large ASX and luckily the one Graham from Hotlines (top bloke) had ordered for the demo day but was delayed arrived via TNT. He quickly built it up for me to take out on its first ride and it didn’t disappoint. The climb was as good as before and I even managed to keep close to ad on the downhill section who was then riding the Yeti SB75, but the stock Rocket Rons were deadly in the wet and I had to back off after a big wash out.

A quick chat in the shop and they were doing 10% discount on the demo day bikes so I pulled the trigger on the ASX for £1,800.

For an old fart like me who doesn’t like air and likes to ride within himself this could be the perfect bike

Cracking deal on that ghost, perfect bike for you. Productive day all round.

and this is why trying bikes is important!