[Closed] The great debate - 150-160mm Bikes

Depending on your height someone was selling a barely-used complete Specialized 2011 Enduro Comp in Med on here for £1k recently - came with RP2/Lyrik Solo Air, but seems to me you could sell off what you didn't like and end up with the frame for only a few hundred...

You'll do a lot worse than an enduro. I'd bide my time; coverts do come up and they're normally pretty reasonable. I [i]really[/i] like the covert (and the intense tracer/T2).

I was trying to make the same decision as you recently and I ended up with a Covert. And to be honest it ticks all the boxes for me. I've been to Afan and Aston Hill so far and it's handled everything thrown at it. At Aston Hill I was going down the DH tracks and the bike was great, even if the rider was lacking skill and sliding out all over the place!

I didn't want to spend too much but got a frame for £1000 from 2011. There are a few deals around. I think a large is available from Bikechase and there's a second hand one on ebay at the moment in Large.

I almost went with the El Guapo but the Covert just pipped it. I also tried a Whyte 146 and an Stumpy Evo. The Whyte was fantastic but I wanted frame only and wasn't too keen on getting Carbon. The Stumpjumper EVO was good as well and quietly got on with the job but just didn't have the playful spark I wanted.

From what I've read on here and in mags (bias?) many people opt for coil shocks for the alps and depending on the shock they have, keep it on the bike back here. Obviously there are weight penalties for this route.

Ps. I am no help 😉

your 800 quid frame is only half the picture, you are going to need to spend about the same or more again on some forks worthy of the frame. 36 fox or lyriks are knocking on the door of 900 quid now.

I heard a well founded rumour that Richard at Gravity Sports in Buckie has a couple of Nicolai FR and AM frames he is selling, he also nearly always has forks and other bits. Well worth a phone call.

I'll do the usual and big-up my own bike...

I was in a similar position a few months ago and went with the El Guapo. Yes the slightly low BB does cause a few pedal strikes, but the benefit of this is fantastic, planted cornering. You soon learn to adjust your riding to account for the BB. Not that it was a major issue anyway. It built up to exactly 31 lb with 36 Talas RC2s, Halo 4XR wheelset and SLX brakes / drivetrain. For a 160mm bike it climbs superbly, really firm pedalling, and it's not too heavy. Descending it is far more capable than me, and soaks up all the drops and jumps I attempt and if only I was good enough to fully exploit the handling

I love it, but I don't think you'll go far wrong with any on the bikes you've listed to be fair

I would recommend the mega. Got one set up with 160 lyrics, climbs amazing, descends superb!

your 800 quid frame is only half the picture, you are going to need to spend about the same or more again on some forks worthy of the frame. 36 fox or lyriks are knocking on the door of 900 quid now.

Totally! Which is a) why i dont wanna go stupid on the frame any buy a Carbon Nomad and b) Why I think keeping my eye on second hand full bikes is the best bet. (well most sensible financially anyway)

Talas 36's for me i think - Again will try to get some decent 2nd hand ones - Then factor in a mojo service to still make a decent saving on getting them new

Mega and some of these [url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=54722 ]Marzocchi 55 RC3 Ti for £405[/url]. both great bits of kit (they're bound to be, I have them!) and will do everything you want them to do. i built my full bike for around £1800. the shock is OK, but i'm considering getting a coil for it as it is what i'm used to and prefer the feel.

edit: when i was buying last summer i narrowed my choices down to the Mega / Covert / Mythic Rune. they're all very similar bikes and the covert was the favourite but the Mega won hands down on price and it has actually got a few better features such as the 44 headtube (which allows all fork steerer standards to be used) and bolt-through rear axle (covert might have this for 2012). also availability of spares on CRC is great!

This is my choice: -

[img] [/img]

TCahnges form the photo are: -

New 170mm Lyrik Coils RC2DH,
DHX5 Ti rear,
Chain device,
750mm Bars
A true do it all, it's suprisingly light too. Everything (apart form the new Lyriks) is 2nd hand (Mostly bought off here), total build cost was under £1000 over 3 years ago and have mainly swapped out parts at no extra cost.

I don't own a Covert but I have ridden one and liked it quite a lot.
I would not get Talas forks again personally. I have 36 Floats now and just got used to climbing on them and benefit from nicer feeling, more reliable forks but I'm no expert; just my experience.
For the record, I have a 2011 5 spot built strong and it does everything you have specified better than I do but the covert is definitely more active just not so good at climbing.

Heckler? Cheap, well tried and tested and robust? I had a MK1 Nomad, most disappointing bike I've owned. Climbed like a dog in granny as it compressed the bottom link shortening the effective chainstay length. Now have an alpine 160 which is brilliant (see recent Kerala thread in my history). I nearly got a heckler but at last minute found an alpine with ccdb at too good a price to miss.

If your looking for forks, it'll be difficult to get a better bargain than these: -

[url= http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/25290/RockShox_Lyrik_Coil_Maxle_Lite_Forks_2010 ]Lyrik Coil[/url]

But I went for the RC2DH instead :).

Mondraker Dune R/RR?

[img] http://www.flickr.com/photos/61787517@N03/6893925877/ [/img]

This is my do it all toy.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/61787517@N03/6893925877/sizes/l/in/photostream/

chay - pretty tidy that!!

Gooner Dom,

This may solve a few issues, depending on what size you need: - [url= http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1026820/ ]Cube Fritzz[/url]

has there ever been a 'great debate' about 10mm of travel?

Firstly I would look at what you want from a bike. By which I mean angles, lengths, heights, weight etc.

From that, then start trying to match up bikes to what you feel you like.

Of your list, they are themain suspects, probably include the Enduro on that list myself. If looking at Nomad's, I would discount the Mk1, for reasons mentioned above, the Mk2 is a much better bike.

To spec a Covert up to mnearly £5k must have been a pretty blingy build. I would personally be looking at building second hand, and keeping an eye out for deals. If I built my Nomad C with all brand spanking new parts, I doubt I would have seen much change from £7k - but having the money sat there waiting to pounce on a steal it cost me less than the price of a new frame.

Personally, the Covert I rode gave me a bit of a 'meh' feeling, just a forgetful bike. That being said, some people love them.

Building a bike up will cost more than you think even with a decent second hand frame and a discounted fork. It would probably work out cheaper to get an off the shelf bike like a YT, canyon or an enduro evo (You can get the evo for just over 2k if you buy on the continent).

the covert was the favourite but the Mega won hands down on price and it has actually got a few better features such as the 44 headtube (which allows all fork steerer standards to be used) and bolt-through rear axle (covert might have this for 2012).

YES, covert does have 12 x 142 rear end for 2012. and has the RP23 Kashima - These are £1385.00 which is still a good price BUT the Mega is 585 less! Thats a set of Forks! I have ways to acquire Marzocchi at cost so 55 Ti's 🙂 ummmm

Gooner is goes like stink, so much fun to ride!

yt industries....

iDave

has there ever been a 'great debate' about 10mm of travel?

Its not between 150 and 160 more about 150mm or 160mm bikes fullstop 😉 as in which ones?!

if you can get zocchi at cost then surely there isn't much debate about the fork...

ianv

trust me i know i have built plenty!

If i wanted I could go and spend £7000 (i actually could too) on a bike but i just really dont see the point I could but 3 very good bikes for that price hence i dont see point is blowing 5/6/7K on a bike!

I think a fairly decent built with 2nd hand deals or big discounts on new bits could see me easily build up a top end one for £2500 probably less.

I think a fairly decent built with 2nd hand deals or big discounts on new bits could see me easily build up a top end one for £2500 probably less.

Exactly my point. I've reached the limit of what I can do in building near on as high a spec bike as I possibly could for your suggested cost. It can be done, you just have to sometimes wait it out for a few bits to show up at the right price 🙂

yt industries....

Second that! I got a Wicked 150 - worked out at £1450 delivered and it's great. They're doing a 160mm version too this year, and the Noton got a great review in Dirt if you're after something beefier.

My mate picked up a spicy 516 for less than 1900 from here http://www.skiperfo.com/boutique/index.cfm

If i wanted I could go and spend £7000 (i actually could too) on a bike but i just really dont see the point I could but 3 very good bikes for that price hence i dont see point is blowing 5/6/7K on a bike!

We are in agreement on this. What I meant was, buying a yt or something is the most cost effective way of getting a bike and would probably work out cheaper than an own build.

Even if you get your Marzocchi forks at trade I'd surprised if they are cheaper than the 2010/2011 ones CRC have been knocking out recently. I paid £350 for these which are now on my Nicolai (and better than the Floats they replaced, and only 270g heavier).

[img] [/img]

FWIW - I built up my Nicolai from mostly second hand parts... and then I've upgraded and played with the spec over the next two years to get it where it is now. It's a good way to do it as you can chop and change parts for little increase in cost.

[img] [/img]

... and part of the fun is changing things

Iwent for the last of the proper trek remedy's was £900 full bike with xt kit and fox 36's second hand. So far it has done coedy, cuwmcarn dh, afan and some dark peak rides. Fantastic bike that I'm taking to the alps in the summer

[img] [/img]

built up second hand (apart from drive train and brakes which are SLX from rose bikes) for approximately £1400.

It's reet nice to ride, I like the 140/160mm mix and the adjustable forks make it an effortless climber.

You don't need a 160mm bike to ride trail centres, it will make it soooo boring. Fair enough you are going to the alps, but thats once.

If I were you I would seriously look at your local riding (the rides you do the most) and buy a bike to suit that. A Zesty, Five, BLT2, or Bandit will handle anything the UK has to throw at them and you won't be over biked (which seriously takes the fun out of it)

You can always hire a bike for the Alps.

any of the new frames come with a proper 1.5" headtube rather than the tapered ones?

Pitch Pro? 😀

ianv

We are in agreement on this. What I meant was, buying a yt or something is the most cost effective way of getting a bike and would probably work out cheaper than an own build.

I see - and YES very good point!

hexhamstu

That a Zesty or Spicy?

how tall are you, [url= http://www.progressive-bikes.co.uk/product/chumba_vf2/ ]Chumba VF2[/url] frames are good value at the moment 🙂

What bike do you ride at the moment, are you happy with it in the UK, do you want to end up with something way too big for most of your riding at home (95% of what it will be used for)?

Ms AD and me spent 3 weeks in Franch / Italy / Switzerland last year on 140mm travel bikes (BLT2 and Prophet), which were fine. I'm not really jumpy and did have a few issues with breaking bumps more than anything else. To some degree it's a myth that you need a huge bike for the Alps, parts of the UK are pretty steep and techie too. Have you ridden in Spain I've not seen many huge bikes there and parts are far more gnar than anything you'll see at a bike park in France.

But...for this year's trip, to have more fun I've stuck with the same bike after going through the same thinking as you. But I've done the following:

160mm Coil Lyriks (as much for stiffness as travel, it isnt just about the +10mm!)
750mm bars
70mm stem
Bolt through rear
Bigger Rotors

...about £600. I reckon this will give me a bit more speed and confidence and I didnt want my (now) 150mm air forks taking that sort of beating again (we're going for 6 weeks this time). Bought a full face too.

Then, when we get home, I can put my air Revs back on and I have a bike more suitable for the trails I ride here. the big stuff can come back out for Snowdon and uplift days.

In the end, I didnt want to spend my holiday riding a 'cheap' 160mm bike when I had a very goodm tried and tested, 140/150 bike at home, and then putting the big bike in the loft for the rest of the year.

Great idea agent. I took a spesh Sx out and it was great for that week but no use the rest of the year. Going to sell it in the spring

Gnat's ballsack over your £2.5k, including selling my old bike.

Probably easier to ride than my 5, as it's a lot lighter (sub 27lbs). I use it for everything other than riding/racing DH on, although i'm half tempted to use it on some of the smaller local races rather than my actual DH bike.

I'll use it to race the Mega on, and some of the Gravity Enduro races, in other words - pretty much anything.

[IMG] [/IMG]

http://www.yt-industries.com/en/bikes-2012/wicked-160sl/

YIKES!!! Works out about 2500 with BOS shocks!!

Hob Nob - how much you pay for frame then?

Frame was just under £1000 (literally just - can't remember exactly as it was won on Ebay from the States).

Rest, I just bought as & when I saw a stonking deal. It can be done, if you arn't in a rush. I would guess it took me nearly 3 months to get it to it's finished state.

Spesh SX was my original plan, as an extra bike. You can pick them up complete for under £1000 for a 2006 version which is what I was after at the time. Would have gone for a coil shock on that.

....and then not ridden it again for a year.

Was a bit put off by the weight at the time, but my BLT build is over 32lb and now I couldnt care less about a couple of pounds.

Love my covert.

[IMG] [/IMG]

your 800 quid frame is only half the picture, you are going to need to spend about the same or more again on some forks worthy of the frame

I will have a pair of brand new, tapered steerer, white Rock Shox coil Domain R 160mm forks up for grabs shortly. Just bought a new [url= http://2011.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=stinky_tl ]Kona Stinky TL[/url] and planning on swapping my Lyriks over.

Should be with me tomorrow so please get in touch if interested. £175 including Parcelforce 48 hour delivery.

mama DOT dirt AT ntlworld DOT com

Buy a pitch, stick some bigger forks on it and use some money to go on a skills course 😉

The mk2 SC nomad has a 1.5 head tube

They are all fundamentally the same and you will be as happy (or unhappy) with one as with all the others...

Buy a pitch, stick some bigger forks on it and use some money to go on a skills course

soobalias - Member
any of the new frames come with a proper 1.5" headtube rather than the tapered ones?

Mega has a 44 standard, which accepts 1.5", tapered and 1.125"

Pitch is very capable, just doesn't have that "niceness" factor some other bikes mentioned have had.

Mine has been to the alps, ridden some of the freeride in chatel, it's happy riding the off piste bits that make the blacks look tame. Covers ground fast, jumps well. But don't go buying one expecting it to pedal like a 100mm bike.

In the uk i use it for 3hr+ rides with xcers, i use it for uplift days with dhers, i also use it for "freeride" where people are on slopestyle bikes.

It is however getting to the point where i'm not too confident in it on bigger gaps and drops im doing now but it was more than happy with this gap over and over again

[img] [/img]

There was a full build NP Mega on Ebay that ended on Monday . Nice spec , won with 1 bid at £1500. Would have ticked most of the box's.
JHW was selling a specialised something for £1k, again suitable for what you want .

skywalker - Member

You don't need a 160mm bike to ride trail centres...A Zesty, Five, BLT2, or Bandit will handle anything the UK has to throw at them and you won't be over biked

I don't think you were trying to be funny, but you are.

The guy who mentioned a Pitch and a skillz course is bang on the money for several reasons. The Pitch is a very good, cheap bike with an excellent warranty. Also if you need 160mm to go down a mountain you may be in need some training.

That YT is amazing value, BOS front and rear, reverb, crossmax and top end Sram for 2.5k. As hob nob says if can wait you can build a high end bike cheap; old model yetis, Turners and mojos all been half price or less in the last 12 months, already links above to lyriks and bombers around half price etc, but would like to see a YT in the metal as they are terrific value.

Gooner-dom it is a zesty!

I have just built a SC Nomad after trying most of the bikes above, its 160mm Lyrik (Air), RP23, XT Drive Train, XTR Trail brakes usual Hope Hoops on 2.4 High Rollers... I have to say it climbs brilliantly my previous bike was a Cube Reaction Team pretty much a XC racer and even with twin up front the Nomad hasn't really slowed me down.. and when you do get to a down well WOW !

3,300ft of climbs in the Peaks on Sunday and i didn't wish for my Cube at any point. . .

Awesome frame well worth the $$

I don't think you were trying to be funny, but you are.

Whats so funny?

I have a stock Giant Reign which does admittedly include 160m Talas which is fine for all I want/am able to ride in the Alps. My mates ride Orange 5 and Specialsied Enduro with longer travel forks. Our guide in Les Gets last year had a Zesty and the Trail Addiction guides ride Dialed Alpine

It all depends what trails you ride and how aggressively you ride them.

Nomad 2 with coil U-Turn Lyriks gets my vote
This combo will let you ride up the hill / Alp as well as down it

Don't get too hung up about the rear travel. In my experience it the 36mm stanchion forks at the front that will make all the difference to the descending.

Many 140mm rear travel bikes with a 36 fork at the front would out descend a 160mm rear travel bike with 32mm forks up front.

Whats so funny?

The thing about passing the overbiked threshold for UK riding then recommending a few (very nice) bikes with rear suspension 😀

Hobnob

Want to sell me your nomad 😉

The thing about passing the overbiked threshold for UK riding then recommending a few (very nice) bikes with rear suspension

I was overbiked riding to work today as I had round wheels, I should ahve been using the more appropriate star shaped wheels, and a stick in the spokes for brakes.

LOL

I can get a Covert 2011 with Fox RP23 Kashima for £900 - Ex Demo frame MEDIUM - Hmmmmmmmmm

Hobnob

Want to sell me your nomad

Sorry, this one is a keeper!

gooner, I've seen people get new ones for that.

Wrecker, I apologise. I didn't realise you got so much excitement from suggesting a bike for a complete stranger.

Star shaped wheels? You funny toys19. Easiest is bestest. Everybody on the internet knows that.

I like the Covert. I followed a chap down here on one and he/we took some amazing little detours with some nice big drops in the cacti...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxPBfYYxBkk

Most of the group who ride here were on DH bikes but there were a few on AM set ups like myself.

The whole point of a good AM bike is that it can do the same as the DH bikes and yet is capable of being ridden to the top of hills the shuttle vans won't take you to (and that the DH crown won't walk to). It's not an XC/Trail bike so yes much of the time your "overbiked", but when it comes to the doonhall sections you have a better tool for the job. I'd rather be overbiked most of the time and enjoy the doonhalls than be quicker on the boring bits and a frustrated mincer when the trails gets interesting.

Gotta love STW, it's those little differences that bring us together.

You'd be better buying a bike that does the 95% of riding you mostly do and then either hiring/buying-selling another one for the odd times you need something else or adding a number of components that beef/lighten it when required.

You can buy 2 new wheelsets for £600 - say Hope Hoops with one set running Flow's and another on Crest's. Then add an extra fork, bashguard etc smaller/bigger discs.

So probably a 5 or the like is the best starting point.

+1 messiah, "overbiked" is such tired hoary Willy waving. I ride a bike that will excel on the big riding days of which memories are made of (Morocco, alps, Rockies, India...). Oddly though I also ride it and enjoy riding it on more mundane local trails, so I've explored bluebell carpets in the chilterns on a Nomad. My riding group typically includes singlepeed rigid 29ers through to big bikes like mine, but we're too busy enjoying ourselves to sneer at each others choices.

The op asked for recommendations on the best 150-160mm bike, not judgement on his riding ability or whether he needs 160mm.

I rode my Anthem to work along the road this morning and I was woefully overbiked. Should have ridden my road bike. I rode my El Guapo through the singletrack in my local woods on Sunday and again was terribly overbiked. Should have ridden the Anthem. I took my road bike to the shops yesterday to get some bread - massively overbiked. Should have borrowed the missus's shopper. Honestly if only I could pick the exact right bike for the exact right situation I'm sure I'd enjoy my riding a whole lot more

Finally some like-minded people on the nonsense expression 'overbiked'

Sorry, off topic, but I did post a lot earlier in the thread right on topic

Ha - chuckling to my self here.

Yes i could use a skills course DEFINITLEY then so could any rider!!! The pro's are coached after all! The jedi runs skills courses and i definitely want to ge on that. It would improve any rider fullstop!

Ive seen a kid on a BMX on a DH run (and he was awesome!) so does that mean the elite downhillers are "overbiked" on V10's, Sessions, Demos, etc?!

Im not asking anyone to pick my bike, im not asking anyone to tell me a 160 bike is "overbiked" for UK - Yes i agree the Zesty, 5, Foxy etc are all more than capable in UK condition BUT i was asking for peoples opinions on different 150/160mm bikes - Thats all. Not what should I buy.

Opinions on the 150/160 bikes is all i am after - Just to see if certain bikes come up that i've not though about or know about (Like the YT industries post earlier).

To those who have shared useful info thanks. 😀