I currently ride a Specialized Rockhopper which I love but it’s time to move to a full sus bike. I ride mainly trails (not a downhiller) and love a bike to be quick and responsive as well as a good climber.

The options in my head are:

Specialized Camber Expert
lapierre Zesty 314
Mondraker Tracker RR
Ghost AMR 5900

I know bike choice is subjective but does anyone know if any of these have obvious flaws or can anyone make a recomendation?

Thanks,

TC

quick and responsive as well as a good climber.

you need a Turner Flux 😉

If money is an issue (seems not as you have a zesty quoted) you could try a trance. Essentially a flux/5spot but half the price.

Commencal AM, would have one in a heartbeat.

I’ve no idea if this bike is any good, the reviews say it is. . .

lot of bike for the money and fit for purpose, . and looks gorgeous
Hei Hei, shamowww

Mate o mine has the Camber and loves it, sounds like it would suit you spot on to.

I’d consider an AM, but it’s

a) a glorified single pivot, though with the weight nice and low this means it’s a low single pivot, so I don’t know how well it would take square edged hits

b) ludicrous shock placement – I saw one at Llandegla last Aunday and the shock was literally caked in grit, oil and mud and on every compression this was being forced into it. You’d need to rebuild it once every like three rides.

I ride mainly trails (not a downhiller) and love a bike to be quick and responsive as well as a good climber

hardtail.

If i was forced to have only one mtb, i would aim for a lightish full susser – but i would be aware that it was always compromised, right up till i built a hardtail for riding and a proper susser for fun.

Might be worth adding the Trek Fuel EX to your list.

+1 for the Trek Fuel EX. I recently bought a 2nd hand 2008 EX9 and am loving it as an all rounder.

I currently ride a Specialized Rockhopper which I love but it’s time to move to a full sus bike. I ride mainly trails (not a downhiller) and love a bike to be quick and responsive as well as a good climber.

The options in my head are:

Specialized Camber Expert
lapierre Zesty 314
Mondraker Tracker RR
Ghost AMR 5900

I know bike choice is subjective but does anyone know if any of these have obvious flaws or can anyone make a recomendation?

Thanks,

TC

I’ve ridden all of those bar the mondraker, which I can’t comment own and I own a ghost amr. The zesty is a bit more than a trail bike imo. The camber and the amr are very similar but without knowing what model your looking at, and what damper it has it’s still hard to make a real comparison. The damping on the amr is better than some bikes at more than twice the price.

The Meta AM is very far away from what the op has described. It’s incredibly long, low and slack. No trail bike.

+1 for Fuel EX8. I had one for 2 years and loved it

Budget?

As an alternative. I also had a rockhopper which i built light to 22lb and it was more responsive than my stock Stumpy on trails. I then switched to a Soul. Even more responsive but could cope with more rough stuff.

another +1 for Trek Fuel

Sure you need a full sus, wh not a more capable hardtail?

Geometry/bike layout>>>>>>>a bit of suspension.

jimjam – Member
The Meta AM is very far away from what the op has described. It’s incredibly long, low and slack. No trail bike.

Meta SL 8)

If you mainly ride trails and not any downhill you really don’t need one. If i had the spare cash to have 2 bikes I would get a slacker hard tail for riding trails, something like a ragley piglet and if I had more spare cash I would buy a Ti version. If your getting one because you want one then buy which ever one you like the look of and can afford because none of them will benifit you for riding on trails.

Orange 5? Does everything.

Really? Explain the bullshit then and give us your exerience on riding a hardtail and a full sus and why you would need more than a trail HT for riding trails?

Define “trails”.

It depends where you ride really. Up here in the lakes you can get away with a hardtail, but if you’re riding round Swinley forest then I believe a mid/long travel AM bike is what you need. I imagine its fairly rough there.

the full suss is heavier than a hardtail, there is much more to go wrong/wear out. Common misconception is that its ‘better’ and as its more expensive, its an ‘upgrade’ – that is (marketing) BS.

I love riding my full susser, really wouldnt want to be without it, but its not for all day everyday and if i was sticking with one mtb it would be a hardtail as its just as versatile as a light/mid full suss trail bike, but its cheaper and more reliable.

The OP wants to upgrade from an oldish Rockhopper – my suggestion is to splash out on a very good HT rather than an average FS, which i think he will come to regret.

OP wants advice, thats mine. Ignore it, what does it matter to me.

Hi somebody give xiphon a shout for me i want to buy the rear shock. Regards John

Don’t know (or didn’t look properly)about size required, but I have a size L 2011 Specialized Camber Expert for sale c/w Command post.
Excellent (immaculate?) condition, brought it for the F/S itch that didn’t need scratching after all. Am in suffolk if any help.
Apologies for being cheeky and butting in.
J.

Jesus wept. Some guy starts a thread seeking advice on what full sus to buy and people start telling him he doesn’t need one.

+1, but hardly unexpected on here.

The OP might possibly know what he wants/needs better than a load of internet bossyboots, eh?

All options should be considered, hardtail or full sus, whatever.

The Op may have assumed a FS is the “right” thing to do without considering that all hardtaila aren’t equal.

uhh, no!

No wonder there are so many lurkers on here, when a simple request for some advice turns into this kind of slanging match.

Perhaps the chap doesn’t “need” a full sus, but maybe he just “wants one”.

I don’t have any experience of the bikes listed, but the Camber always seems to get glowing reports and if it rides anything like my Stumpjumper you wouldn’t go far wrong with one of those. As mentioned I would also consider a Giant Trance & a Trek Fuel EX.
Have you ridden many full sus bikes? Perhaps try and demo a couple and see what floats your boat.

Wow people, I think I have started something here, thanks for all your comments. The main reason for me wanting a full sus bike is that the last time I rode one it gave me more confidence as a rider to push myself/the bike. Yes i know, this is in my head but that is usually what makes the difference from being able to achieve something or not.

My local riding spot is the South Downs and Queen Elizabeth country park but I also like to make it to Wales every now and again. My last trip I did a reasonable job of keeping up with all the full sus riders I went with but was a lot more beaten up by the end of the run (yeah i know could be my riding style 🙂 )

To the guys who say i don’t need a full sus, I understand where you are coming from, I have ridden a hardtail for over 20 years and raced for 10 of those and really love the agility, speed and lightness of them.

As I have got a bit older I need a bit of comfort 😉

There is quite a bit of support for the Trek and am off to a bike shop this afternoon so will have a look at one, Cheers everyone.

+1 Giant trance! Its the best all rounder for the price.

HE STARTED IT DAD! 😛 (thats a joke for those that don’t recognise a smiley face that’s laughing)

Hey tobster, didn’t mean to offend just offering some advise and your wording seemed to imply a HT could not be compared to a FS just suggesting you might consider a more trail orintated HT instead of opting for a full sus as I personally feel up grading to a better hard tail could be a better option. In my opinion neither of those bikes offer anything over the others in their intended use.

Going back to the question, i can recommend the speshi camber expert, got mine a month ago in the sales awesome bike! only have 2 snags with mine, one is the brake bleed it was awful, saying that its been back twice to the lbs and is still no better, keep being told thats avids for you! and the second thing is the brakes again. The one lever is mis-shaped and still arguing with the LBS over a replacement they claim its functional but its clearly bent.

Other than that its an awsome bike, climbs really well and downhill its just amazing but thats compared to my previous bike.

Other bikes worth looking at is the Canyon Nerve XC range, almost about to order a female specific for my OH they seem great value, if a little too good to be true, if the OH one comes through ok, will be going for 29er before christmas!

Except the ‘bit of comfort’ part perhaps? Opinions eh? Like ars*h*les….

gmandavison, no offense taken ha ha, suspension helps to keep my false teeth in over the rough stuff.

LMT, got myself a test ride on the Camber this weekend 🙂 Will question the shop about the brakes, no doubt they will say they are fine, thanks for sharing your experience.

Ive done the old, rubber band around the brake levers, and left them overnight, actually i forgot about them until 10 mins ago and all is good!! Although i still have a bent brake lever, but can live with that.

I couldn’t test ride the expert, they only had a comp in my size, tbh i almost brought the comp over the expert but i weighed up the upgrades etc and the expert for me is the way to go.

I ride cannock alot, which is fairly flat but due to my age and braking bumps always end up with back ache towards the end of the ride, with the speshi nothing no aches or anything, was a complete first for me in a long time.

Hi Torbster,

I’ve got a Trek Fuel EX and can say it’s the best trail bike I’ve ever ridden. It helps with comfort and control whenever I’m on it and my confidence has grown massively through this bike. Yes I’ve tried others too including a Spec stumpy, a Turner 5 spot but I wouldn’t swap my Trek for either to be fair.

I hope you make an informed choice and please post a picture one you’ve purchased, just make sure your fence/garden is in check first…

I ride a Trance, used to have a Remedy and a long travel hardtail. Have ridden NomadC, FuelEX, Stumpy EVO, Camber, Scratch and assorted shorter travel hardtails. A bit of everything.

I used to live in the South Downs (nearer brighton) and now live in wales. I would be uncomfortably hindered on anything longer travel than the trance or fuel ex, that’s all my advice.

If you plan to take it on big mountain days in europe, to the alps or italy or whatever, then get a bigger bike.

And if the confidence a fs gives you makes you have more fun, tell everyone else to go suck it.

And if the confidence a fs gives you makes you have more fun, tell everyone else to go suck it.

+1 for this attitude 😉

I test rode a few bikes & settled on the Camber, had it over a year, it’s a great bike.

I think with the bikes you’ve picked you’ll be happy with whatever you pick..

My last trip I did a reasonable job of keeping up with all the full sus riders I went with but was a lot more beaten up by the end of the run (yeah i know could be my riding style )

tbh An alloy HT is probably the worse case scenario, but a short-travel FS should do the job, or a more ‘exotic’ HT (carbon/Ti/fancy steel).