Recommend me … a light-ish 150/160mm enduro bike…which is 26" … !!

All,

Scratching my head with this one;

Have an Orange Five with CCDB Coil….which has been fine enough for the alps/super enduros etc.

But, want something a little longer in the rear travel(with linkage)…but, still light enough to pedal about the Peak etc.

However, really don’t want to commit to new wheels/tyres and write off my life stash of new rubber!

So, where do I go with it?

Banshee Rune – too heavy
Spec Enduro Carbon – too pricey
Convert – high BB and bit too agricultural
Meta – heavy
Nomad C – over biked?

Errm…

Am I missing anything?

Mojo HD

Last of the Blur LTc with 160 up front. Light pedals well and fun. 140 at the back but what’s 10mm between friends. Back to back with the Nomad in the lakes and it was as capable as you can try with the rep watching.

Ibis a bit steep (even with offset bushes etc) …

LTc … geom is a bit odd.

Keep the ideas coming!!

Meta SX
Orange Alpine
YT Wicked

In true STW recommend what you’ve got fashion – Canyon Strive.
No stock of the decent specced ones though.

I’m guessing you haven’t ridden one then… A bike that’s more than its numbers.

Yeti

Mega AM?

Orange Five with an air shock. Add a taller profile rear tyre running lower pressures and an offset angle headset so you can run longer forks.

Pros – lighter, longer fork, more rear ‘travel’ and you already own one

Cons – not a new bike 🙂

Ha, that’s exactly the currently build….

I’ve had it with offset headset, bushes, air shock, 150mm forks, 160mm forks etc etc…

I’m not sure why, it never quite satisfies!!

Tempted to try an RT3 plus on it….but, for £400….I’m almost into a new frame & shock (mentally, at least!).

Pivot Mach 5.7?

http://www.freeborn.co.uk/pivot-mach5-7-2013-frame

Liteville 301?

I like mine 🙂

Ibis Mojo HD .

2pure are now selling the frames+shock off for £1499 , now that 26 inches is out of fashion. Makes a great do it all bike.

Frame weighs 6lb inc shock. My entire bike with pedals comes in at 29 and a bit pounds. Thats with big tyres (2.3 hans dampf), coil fork (marzocchi 55 rc3), ccdb air, and reverb seat post.

Pedals uphill well, goes downhill very very well.

Blur Ltc +1. i’d ignore any preconceptions about the geometry until you’ve tried one out for size.
As while to the eye it looks to be too short on the top tube, and once you sling a leg over it seems that the top tube is too short, once you’re actually riding the bike it doesn’t even come into it.
it is light, pedals well, agile, and most importantly (for me) it is extremely good fun. the kind of bike that leaves you with a massive grin ride after ride.

But, want something a little longer in the rear travel(with linkage)…but, still light enough to pedal about the Peak etc.

I don’t think the frame weight has any great significance in how well the bike will pedal about the Peak – my Spitfire (140mm version of the Rune) climbs and pedals as well as my hardtail (and when it gets techy it climbs better). Very efficient suspension kinematics – and it’s not a light bike by any means! If the Rune is half as good then it’s awesome.

PS – Head angle on the mojo hd can be slacked out to 65.5deg using a -1.5 degree angleset. Its how I have mine set up.

Giants are beer can thin, but reinforced where required. My 170mm reign is lightest bike I have, over my Ss inbred and surly tourer.

The current Orange Alpine, tested in the mag several months ago. Rides brilliantly up, down and along, with no linkage to get clogged with crap and wear out.

Hmmm

I can’t really see much difference in an Alpine vs. my current 2013 Five with offset bushes & CCDB?

Wheelbase probably the same, 20mm less travel, but with well controlled compression?

To be honest, if you’ve turned your Five into something the same as an Alpine, I’d just stick with it. Don’t reckon there’s anything better on the market to match your description of what you’re after.

Another vote for the Liteville 301. Mine pedals fine with the 140mm plates on it, it should still be fine with the 160mm plates. Variable headset built in to it too.

if you choose to stick with what you’ve got here is an RC3 Plus shock for £333

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rockshox-Monarch-Plus-RC3-Rear-Shock-190×51-7-5-x-2-0-Tune-Mid-Reb-High-Comp-/161125089310?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item2583cdc01e

I’m just outside the Peak and am going to be selling my very good condition medium Knolly Chilcotin? Would be perfect for what you describe.

I’ve got an alpine 160 with ccdb air cs and devilles up front, amazing bit of kit. Ugly and agricultural but does the job very well. If I was to go for something else I’d be looking at the 26″ mega am frames on crc for £935 with ccdb coil, bargain, my mate loves his.

Titus el guapo, great bike, replaced my mk1 banshee rune and it’s definitely lighter and an all round better bike! Paint on it is crap but other wise all good, run mine 1×9, marzocchi 55 ti forks and a pushed dhx 5 coil shock, brilliant in the peaks, Scotland and Wales

Cotic Rocket

+1 for a Blur LTc.

No regrets selling my 2010 Enduro or 456ti since it makes me braver and faster on all trails I’ve taken it to.

wl – Member
To be honest, if you’ve turned your Five into something the same as an Alpine, I’d just stick with it. Don’t reckon there’s anything better on the market to match your description of what you’re after.

Took the alpine out on the same trails that I took the 2 Santa Cruz’s out on, nice but in a simple way, fun but nowhere near as good as the VPP IMHO. Relies far too much on the shock to make it work.

Covert is “too agricultural” but you ride an Orange 5? Genuine question, I have both bikes and it’s the opposite surely?

I’m with wwaswas – Liteville 301

Great all rounder – can swap between 160mm or 140mm and if careful, you could build it under 30lbs – i’ve been running it for 2 years and love it

Yeti SB66?

+1 for SB66.
With Pikes.

Another shout out for the SB66. Yes it’s heavy (think the frame weight is about the same as a Five), but it climbs south better than the Five.

Covert is “too agricultural” but you ride an Orange 5? Genuine question, I have both bikes and it’s the opposite surely?

I think it’s more a case of the Five ‘being what it is’ and the Covert being an agricultural ‘bit more technically developed’ frameset…

Not making much sense clearly, but I know what I mean (MK.1 Covert had some terrible welds, gussets etc)…later version is better, but still too high on the BB.

Loads of reasonable ideas…

Mega AM – what sort of weight can you get these built up to?

Commencal Meta AM?

I’m enjoying a Specialized Stumpjumper Evo at the minute

or just give in and go a little bigger…

28lb too…

Transition Bandit in 26? Might be a few still about. I’m looking at the 650b version, but the 650b is 140mm and the 26 is 130mm…too little?

I’ve been told the latest Banshee Spitfire can apparently do both 26 and 650b by changing the drop outs…. not sure what happens to the bb height though

Riding a Remedy here. Can’t see why the Orange gets so many rave reviews myself. Every one I’ve ridden has been only so-so.

A few have mentioned Meta AM, but the frame is over 8lbs, so perhaps a little heavy for the OP?