OK, I’m starting to think about a new bike.
I’m looking for a 150-160mm bike that’s burly enough for some DH-lite action but light enough for all day epics in the mountains.

My riding stylee is something like xc-all-free-down-mountain-lite.

Shortlist is:
– Yeti SB66
– Intense Tracer 2
– Transition Covert
– Lapierre Spicy
– Trek Slash

Please help me decide!
Extra marks will be awarded if you have actually ridden any of those bikes.

Raleigh Shopper.

Or maybe an Activator in Orange. Or one of those M-Trax’s with a titanium front triangle or one of those fancy Saracen Killi sometings.

Is this joke funny yet?

Raleigh TomahawK?

Is thwre a right answer?

Nurse!

There’s no right answer.

Just interested in the opinions of strangers prior to dropping £4k on a new bike… 😕

I’d go for a hemlock if you can get one second hand. Sounds like it would suit your bill. I have one with 150 forks and it’s great.

With 4k you could build up with an xc and dh kit.

Demo them

My riding pal eventually put a deposit on a carbon SB66 (due in Jan) after demo’ing the alloy version and most of its competitors.

Dirt Mag seem to have got a Canyon Strive in at the moment. Something on their Twitter about looking on their website on Thursday. Very cryptic.

http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/series/strive.html

EDIT – sorry, I know you didn’t want another to add to your list, but by all accounts Canyon are very good VFM.

I’ve ridden a covert and a tracer 2. I preferred the tracer, it felt taughter and less active but that’s my preference.
I’d add the 5 spot, pivot Mach 5.7 and knolly chilcotin (any of which I’d rather have than those on your list)

i’ve got a 2011 Cove Gspot for sale, just posted it on the classifieds, top spec

Cheers
Nick

Orange Alpine (maybe a bit too much bike)
Commencal Meta AM

I went for the covert and very happy with its all round capabilities.

Buy two bikes, a fun but half sensible one for epics. Hardtail or Lapiere Spicy, something like that and then you can buy something really stupid without having to worry about practicality.

no suggestions here, just jealousy! The tracer 2 and covert are stunning!

Intense SS2 read the dirt 100 review.

– Yeti SB66, going by the reviews the suspention is very much more of a 160mm xc bike than a xc / eduro / possible dh bike

Off the peg
http://on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBTIELGX9/titus_el_guapo_x9_pro

or build one up yourself
http://on-one.co.uk/i/q/FRTITELGUV2/titus_el_guapo_frame_and_monarch_shock

And still have plenty left over for a top notch trip to the Alps

Test rode a covert recently and thought it was very good. The cockpit was extremely comfortable for me (6′) and the bike felt that it would tackle anything in front of it. The build was 33lb but it rode much lighter. Worth a test ride.

Mojo Ibis HD or Pivot Mach 5.7 – ridden both, both great bikes. Some ex-demo Mach’s around for £3k…..
Exceptional longer travel and light enough for all day in mountains and uphills too. Ridden Zesty not Spicy and that’s great, esp in carbon which it would be at your budget – but I’d go for the Spicy if you wanted DH ability.

Another option to seriously consider is a Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon if you can get one – got a friend who rides one, loves it.

Absolutely hands down without even thinking about it, a Lapierre Spicy. I have owned well over 30 bikes over the years, & none close to the 316 I had.

I rode it with 70mm stem across the ridgeway, along bridleways, through the local woods, at Afan, Glentress, I raced downhill 3 times at Astonhill, & FOD, & did the megavalanche last year & got my best finish by far after 3 years of trying to (even) survive.

Not once did i feel over or under biked (although as a downhiller i am used to heavier bikes) but the spicy pedals so well, & handles perfectly with the right setup for the terrain.

Go to your local dealer & have a lookie. (then buy one & get shop service!..)

Thanks to everyone for help so far:

xeo – it’s to replace an ageing Zesty, so the Spicy is right up there on the lust list, thanks!

xcentric – the Mojo is lovely but off the list due to it being carbon (I crash far too often!). The Mach 5.7 is also lovely but probably not that much of a step up from the 140mm Zesty?

ask1974 – can you remember what kit the covert had on it to get to 33lbs?

xcentric – the Mojo is lovely but off the list due to it being carbon (I crash far too often!). The Mach 5.7 is also lovely but probably not that much of a step up from the 140mm Zesty?

Not sure I go with that – carbon is pretty tough, but each to their own. 5.7 is probably sightly better pedalling than the Zesty, but I agree it’s not so far away.

Sometimes the bike to buy is the ne your heart wants, whether or not your head agrees – and it seems you love the Spicy, so why not go that route…..? There’s no way it’ll ever be a bad bike…..

Haven’t ridden any of them, but if I wanted a new 160mm bike I’d be looking at the Slash, carbon Spicy, alu or carbon Enduro and Mondraker Dune.

But I’m not ‘cos I’ve already got a Dune and I’m delighted with it.

🙂