So I've got £2500 insurance to spend on a replacement for my Patriot…

What should I get?

I was thinking – Orange Alpine 160, Orange Blood, Orange 5 AM (you may see a pattern emerging here)

But what else should I be thinking about? I want a burly bike that can handle a bit of all mountain riding / DH light / possible Mega that I can still pedal up hill.

Your suggestions please.

Banshee Rune?
Lapierre Spicy?

Alpine 160 sounds like a great choice.

spesh pitch and enduro gotta be on the list, you got orange covered, cannondale prophet or rush?? santa cruz heckler, blur LT, nomad i'll keep thinking

Trek Remedy, Spicy or Alpine 160 would be on my list.

hey forget my suggestions your obviously an orange fan, so stick with it and support them. get a 224 they look awesome, i don't really like the look of the alpine, blood looks sweet, and the five has been one of the best bikes ever made.

A riding buddy of mine has just bought the rune. About 34lbs with 36's and a dh build.

Hes had wildcards, sythes and a trek rem 7 built in every mode from xc to slopesyle to full DH.

The rune is by far the best as a do everything DH bike.

Vp type linkage, strong as **** and still light enough to pedal all day.

Your not going to break one either – the head tube is he size of a coke can and the stays are internally ribbed.

It looks awesome and is a full on dh strength bke at the weight of an all day trail bike.

That and the fact they are 1099 for frame and a dhx air shock.

winner IMHO

By the way the remedy snapped.

on the drive side chain stay.

This years is being touted as more of an xc bike that an all mountain freeride bike.

Admittedly is was subjected to 30ft jumps an 10' plus drops…

Worth looking at the SX Trail

Tracey

Giant reign 0 or X0?

Less of a niche brand but good kit, tough frames and quite pedally.

Orange won't do me a discount – even as a regular – for theft replacement. The 2010 bikes are at £2800 and I can't really afford an extra £300 at the moment. Arse.

So – Lapierre Spicy, Giant Reign X, Kona Coilair? If I can get hold of a 2009 there are some good deals out there.

I really like the look of the spicy 516 and the kit is awesome for the price. Anyone got one? How does it ride as on 'normal' trails?

i have a friend with a Orange blood.
lovely looking bike, rides it over ALL stuff from DH to XC..
would be my choice personally but wait for the 6" linkage version??

I could build you a nice Chumba XCL for £2500 🙂

Tbh, if it was me, and assuming you really liked the Pat, I'd 'find' the £300 to get the Alpine.

The fact that you said "can't really afford" as opposed to simply "can't afford" means you could probably find it 😉

The fact that you said "can't really afford" as opposed to simply "can't afford" means you could probably find it

It would be a straight choice of feeding the children or buying the Alpine. They've got a bit of bodyfat – they'd survive till October.

It would be a straight choice of feeding the children or buying the Alpine. They've got a bit of bodyfat – they'd survive till October.

Surely they can forage for food in next doors garden… 😉

If considering Alpine and Blood then def test ride both, as they're quite different but both very good fun.

2010 Reign X is losing a lot of weight, looks like a great bike.

Search for Lapierre threads on here, nasher left some useful comments on the Spicy. Sounds really good.

Spicy would be top of my list if I wasn't happy with my Reign, or god forbid it got nicked.

It would be a straight choice of feeding the children or buying the Alpine. They've got a bit of bodyfat – they'd survive till October.

Baked beans – food of champions 8)

Or wait for the new Patriot if and when it comes out.

Stick with Orange and have a hunt around the dealers. Most I spoke to when I got my Five would do 10% off if you pay cash (which you are), as they would be paying this (or something) to a finance company if you went with a 0% finance option. Some will even do a bit more, I've heard of upgrades like Hope packs getting thrown in. Even if they don't budge… with a lot of shops doing the 0%, you could stick the extra over your insurance money on that, not such a hit up front then.
Main thing… get an Orange, they're amazing, but then you know that!

Pronghorn Racing Trail doodah – the 6" travel beast they do…got a good review on Bikeradar and will be more than bike enough for your riding…I may even know a place you can get one for a very nice price!

Nomad in Stif at £2200?

If not I'd just start ringing every Orange dealer asking who wants a quick sale at £2500 – explain your situation and someone will jump surely

I had a drive round some of my local bike shops and the local Orange dealer tells me that the biggest Blood is 17" – WTF? So that'll be a no then (I'm 6'3")

So, I'm thinking Lapierre – I've had a look on the forum and other than the fact that the Spicy 516 is a lot more expensive than the 316 for the upgrades on it I can't see anyone complaining. Anyone had any problems?

I can vouch the for Chumba XCL, it's worth a look.

Lapierre seem to get worse value as you go up the range.

I'm looking at buying a Froggy and am going to start with the base model and spec it up myself. Might be worth investigating same thing with Spicy.

I'm sticking up for the Giant Reign X1 here, 6.7 inches of butter smooth maestro travel, fox 36 vans raceface and sram X9 drivetrain etc

Mines an absolute beast and it peddles uphill like my old Kona Dawg (nice and comfy and doesn't bob around)

Get one you will flippin love it! I had a Santacruz Bullit last year and the Giant makes the Bullit seem crap on the downhills 🙂

Mate tested a blood at afan and found it a right pain to get up hill.
my cash would be on a Spicy.

Hey Hugo,

I just got an alpine 160 and came off a giant reign x, imo cannot recommend enough finding the cash for the alpine if you can! Its light for a bike of that nature and can really take the hits. So far have ridden it at Afan, Glentress Gisburn forest and Winterberg bike park in Germany. It rules, decent climber and covers ground well but loves the nastiness if you start being rude with it. Plus the single pivot (after coming off the the linkage reign) feels lively and poppy yet grippy and solid. it truly is versatile, have ridden w2 at afan which it loved and climbed fair better than my reign yet is also capable of :-

Can you tell i like it?

Nicky B

x

bloody hell nicky thats a big gap, rather you than me. I smashed my face up trying nose manuals 😳

>It would be a straight choice of feeding the children or buying the Alpine. >They've got a bit of bodyfat – they'd survive till October.
>>Surely they can forage for food in next doors garden…

Reminds me of a tip I saw on a money saving website – "encourage your children to go play at friend's houses around dinner time" 😆

Sick gap Nick. Nice work!

Reminds me of a tip I saw on a money saving website – "encourage your children to go play at friend's houses around dinner time"

Not round my house…they won't even be getting to lick the plates clean if they try that!!!

****! You wouldn't catch me doing that Nicky. Only for the brave/stupid/skillful (delete as appropriate).

hugo, if the Alpine is what you're after then go stick the insurance money down on the bike and pay a miniscule amount monthly on 0%. Simples.

Another vote for the Alpine 160,it is an amazing bike.I was going to sell mine as i have returned to another sport and couldnt really afford to keep it, have changed my mind as i could not bare to part with it. Mine has the DHX 5 coil and 36 van rc2 and i find it a great allrounder.

Gary Fisher Roscoe 2. Going to be my next bike, soon as the lazy HR barstewards at work get cyclescheme sorted.