Currently thinking…

GT Force Pro
Santa Cruz Bronson – would have to be lower spec
Nukeproof Mega
Saracen Ariel 152
Orange 5

But then I really love the Commencal Meta SX which is a 26er. 26 aint dead right?

In my general opinion the most important thing is the frame, most of the other bits can be upgraded over time. Get out and try some! I know Santa Cruz & Orange are easy to demo, no idea about the mega.

For fear of becoming a fan boy!

😀

If you test a bronson and like it I managed to get my bronson c with kashima shock, xt group, hope/flows, reverb, pikes, renthal bar/stem for £4.6k.

All it took was a little shopping around 🙂

Turner Burner?

Complete bike comes in under £4k.

What about one of these: Intense Tracer 275

On all of these “new enduro bike needed” threads, there is always one bike overlooked. The Cube Stereo Super HPC 160 (650b) / 140 (29er).

Don’t know why it’s always ignored, full carbon, long travel, well specced bike, that’s rides amazingly for a fraction of the price of an equivalent Yeti or SC!!

In SL spec comes in around 12kg, SLT sub 10kg!

Don’t dismiss it, demo one, you won’t be disappointed.

Are you racing? Where are you going to ride it? Do you like carbon? Do you value light weight?

Mojo 650B HDR also.

Merida forty 1 b, looks a good deal at 3k????

sumomatt – Member

In SL spec comes in around 12kg, SLT sub 10kg!

10kg = 22lb.

*dubious*

also throw in the Rocky Mountain Altitude, very nice bike

Sorry was out by 1kg

Color Zeroblack
Frame Super HPC Monocoque Advanced Twin Mold Technology, ARG, ETC 4-Link, AXH
Size 16″, 18″, 20″, 22
Fork Fox 34 Float 27.5 CTD Adjust FIT, tapered, 15QR, Kashima coated, 160mm
Rear Shock Fox Float CTD Adjust BoostValve, 216x64mm, Climb/Trail/Descend mode, Trail mode adjustable, Kashima coated, LV air canister
Headset FSA Orbit I-t integrated, top 1 1/8″, bottom 1 1/2
Stem Syntace Megaforce 2, 31.8mm
Handlebar Syntace Vector Carbon, 740mm
Grips CUBE Race Grip, 1-clamp
Rear Derailleur Sram XX1 11-speed
Shifters Sram XX1 Trigger, 11-speed
Brake system Formula R1Racing hydr. Discbrake (180/180mm), Titanium hardware, tool-free contact adjust
Crankset Race Face Next SL DM Carbon 34T, 175mm, Oversized Aluminum axle
Wheelset DT CSW EM 3.7 straightpull wheelset, 28/28 spokes, 15QR/X12, 584x25C tubeless ready, DT SWISS Pro Head® Reinforcement System, Squorx® alloy nipples
Front tire Schwalbe Hans Dampf Kevlar, TrailStar, SnakeSkin, 2.35
Rear tire Schwalbe Hans Dampf Kevlar, PaceStar, SnakeSkin, 2.35
Seat Fi`zi:k Gobi Carbon braided
Seatpost Rock Shox Reverb Stealth 31.6mm, 125mm adjustable seatpost, internal routing
Seatclamp CUBE Screwlock 34.9mm
Shock hardware top: 30x8mm, bottom: 22x8mm
Weight 10,9 kg

If I were spending £4k (which I probably will on my next bike), I’d still be avoiding anything with Fox CTD at the moment 🙄

*edit – although, I do like the Cube Stereo

I’d be tempted to go for the heckler over the Bronson. I’m looking at a heckler with x fusion sweeps, hope hoops, Slx group and a reverb for about 3k with bits from Merlin, chainreaction etc. I’d build it myself as the build kits from Santa Cruz don’t offer particularly good vfm. If your looking to spend 4k you could go for 1×11 group and possibly pikes if you wanted them. That would make for a very bling build!

I’d be tempted to find another £600….

In no particular order for Enduro and down:

Cube Stereo 160
Spicy/Zesty
Bronson
Stumpy

must have 1 x 11

Currently Bronson and Zesty lead my selection but leaning to Zesty. Got a demo ride on Bronson so that will decide the issue (I hope).

But the stumpy is a great ride too. Demoed one few years ago but went for a Zesty. Spesh just seemed a bit dull on the trails. That’s a very subjective opinion I know. Maybe I should revisit it? Any demos?

New YT Industries bike? I’ve got the cheaper ’13 wicked 650b and it very good vfm

I assume this thread is like all those classic car programs where the presenters listen intently to that weeks buyer, who says, “ah, and i can’t spend any more than £10k” and immediately recommend a £15k car.

And so in that vein, hows about the 2014 Team Spicy?

😉

I think they should have hung some onions off the front of that Lappy to make it look a bit more French

is that a pile of shiney electric gubbins ready to die in the british weather I see strapped to it 😉

Liteville 301 frame (650b) set up
R/S Pikes
Hope Pro 2 Evo (40t engagement) on Arch EX or Flow EX
Your choice of groupset mix (maybe Zee/XT/RF Narrow/Wide plus Zee brakes)
Reverb stealth
etc etc

all do’able for that sort of money with a bit of ingenuity and effort

Typical Lapierre rider, pictured earlier:

😉

You know something is wrong when you find this

‘Santa Cruz Bronson – would have to be lower spec’

in a thread about what 4 k bike to buy…..

Prices are just madness.

and specialized charge £3k for this

Friends who have the Bronson C rave about it, but I would be a little hesitant based on the price they paid for their XX1 blinged bikes, they are a tadge expensive for an admittedly very good bike, having had the chance to ride them on a few occasions.
Just put down a deposit on a Giant Trance Advanced SX myself, came to around 3050GBP even with a pretty good spec, very happy, guessing it would cost a bit more in the UK but not that much?

With a Float X CTD shock (very good,got one on my SBB66c now), Fox Talas fork, a stealthy dropper and X01 it looks like it will do the job.

As others have said, if I was spending that much on a bike I’d want to demo loads first, so try as many as you can then go from there.

Knolly warden

That is all.

I’d get the Nukeproof Mega TR, plenty of travel up front and a nice taut 130mm back end…if you must have 150mm at each end get the AM version.

Just to randomly add some more to the list.

Kona Process (seems to be universally loved but not amazing components for the money)

Banshee Spitfire (not the best pedalling but otherwise look great)

Aye. Knolly Warden.

For me, if I was spending 4k, I wouldn’t want a ‘model year’ bike, because I would be keeping it for 4 or more years.
So I would probably stick to companies that release bikes when they’ve got something worth changing, rather than every year.

I would not buy a 4K bike off the shelf again, I would go down the frame and components route, so there would be no compromises, and make sure the boring stuff like BB and headset were top notch as well as the blingy bits.

As Alex said I would also be looking for a frame that had shown it had no issues,so not the latest model unless you were planning to change every year.

That Focus SAM looked pretty decent to me…and within budget!

Just had a weekend on a Saracen Kili Flyer & it flew very enjoyably. They do a longer travel bike too, both around 3.2 k.

campfreddie – Member
Liteville 301 frame (650b) set up
R/S Pikes
Hope Pro 2 Evo (40t engagement) on Arch EX or Flow EX
Your choice of groupset mix (maybe Zee/XT/RF Narrow/Wide plus Zee brakes)
Reverb stealth
etc etc

all do’able for that sort of money with a bit of ingenuity and effort

Funny you should say that:

Mk11 301
26 Pikes (though just received the 29s by mistake)
XX1 Groupset (Crank, ring, chain, shifter, rear mech
Stealth reverb with the connectamajig
40t Hope hoops with Arch EXs
Hope Ceramic BB & GXP converter
Hope MMX thing
Easton Carbon bars & stem
XTR trail pedals

Cost me £3520 excluding brakes (which I already had)after some judicious “bargain” hunting.

This is what u want.http://m.pinkbike.com/news/Orbea-Rallon-First-Look-2013.html
I went for the base model and upspecced it to a good level for much less than 4k

I’d say Spicy, but that’s because I’ve got a 527. Get a good deal and put a grand in the bank. Or my other serious contender was the Cube Frittz HPA TM, lot of high end kit on that and still way under your 4k.

http://www.scott-sports.com/gb/en/products/233993008/bike-scale-700-sl-l/

or

http://www.transitionbikes.com/2014/Bikes_Covert275.cfm?Token={ts_2014-01-11_10:21:37}-b02beb5522536fc1-C99EE037-A1B4-830F-7C40D98C75EB328B