As I get older and more bits of me ache, I wonder if I should get myself a cheap old full suspension bike (ebay Sub £500) that I could bring out for the occasional trail centre and long weekend away rides. My SS Hardtail will still be my day to day bike.

The question is what one would you go for? It doesnt have to have loads of travel, but has to still have a reasonable ride quality and a frame that justifies some upgrading as I go.
I wondered maybe a a GF sugar or a Kona Dawg or coilair or even a Kona Stinky doesnt have loads of travel compared to modern FS bikes. What about a Horst link Specialized FSR?

What have you got or what would you get?

Cannondale Prophet?

I’ve got a 10 year old Giant NRS – most of the bits are newer (and it’s SS now) but it’s a great short travel FS frame;

Dawg is a good call, I know a couple of people still riding five-year-old ones and perfectly happy with them.

Forget the Stinky – for lift-assisted/push-up riding only.

single pivot marin mount vision

Old Scott Genius? Superb bikes from the get-go if you can find one.

Cost me around the £500-£550 in total. Bargaintastic!

2000 Patriot…. 150mm travel though!

“single pivot marin mount vision” only if it has the ovation tubing, the square one’s were over weight & nasty.

Basically anything with a single pivot and a fox shock would be my recommendation for a simple reliable full susser.
ei: Prophet, Rush, Superlight, Heckler, etc.

Though lots of good un’s out there, and most are very good performers (say over the last 5 years), even if they didn’t get a great ratings in the magazine. Do some reserch and look for those unsung heros, but bear in mind more pivots can mean more wear (in the pivots as well as the bearings), and unless it a fox shock they “tend” to be crap & unsupported service wise.

dawg is a very good idea…………

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MENS-19-INCH-DAWG-KONA-MOUNTAIN-BIKE-/270765027281?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item3f0ada6fd1

Dawg, Sub-5, Mount Vision, Prophet, Stumpjumper

I have kona coiler 05 …. really really pleased with it. frame was sub £200, and a set similar aged marzocchi forks were about £60 on ebay. Easily built up into a great trail centre bike.

Had a £350 I-drive 5 ebay bike and just swapped the bits onto a £100 Sub 5 frame. No problems with either, I just didnt “get” the I-drive, as it was heavy and only really felt at home on smooth flowing trails but had 5.5″ of suspension

Aye, does it have to be old or just inexpensive? You can get complete, nicely specced Idrive 5s for buttons and they’re nice bikes. Heavy, and a bit steep, but otherwise good. Good value new, stupendous used.

2002-2004 Enduro? Classic bike, mine is still going strong and won’t be replaced until I break it.

Early 5-Spot. My 2005 Horst-link is still going strong (now coil rear suspension and 36s up front)

I wonder if I should get myself a cheap old full suspension bike

Eeerrrm unless they’ve suddenly dropped in price, aren’t Turner 5 spots of any age quite expensive (might well be worth it BUT).

and as for the early Enduro, when a thread occasionally appears with one, everyone surprised it hasn’t broken yet? 😉

’03-04 Enduro. So good I’ve got two (and S-Works and an SX).

Dunno how much my 5-Spot’d be worth, but it can’t be a huge amount. As it stands now it might be worth a max of £1500, but then it’s got 2010 Hope V2 brakes, 2009 forks, 2011 rear suspension and 2008 wheels. If it was as built in 2005 it’d be worth less than a bag.

FWIW, I picked up a lovely Patriot a few months back for £800 – Sun Singletrack rims on Hope bubs, newish M4s, Van 36…….OK, £500 might be too little, but you don’t have to go up much to get something really very good indeed.

What about a marin b 17 1998 like this.
http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g404/remedy9/

The only think standard is the frame which i powder coated,
a lot of the stuff on it is from my remedy 9 and from you
good guys,and a lot new stuff aswell.
One day i will ride it. 😆

Already been mentioned, but a Prophet!

I also have a large one going spare?

That B17 is a beauty! Looks brand new!

If its not already gone, snap up that Ventana frame that was sub £300 on here. Almost identical to an El-Ciclon, that will set you back the thick end of £1500. They go on for years. Quad bearings that just never seem to wear out.

another vote for Kona Dawg/Coiler (they all increased in travel thru the years, my 2004 coiler was 130mm, which the dawg became when the coiler went to 150mm). Shouldnt have sold mine (see bike youve had most fun on thread 🙄 )

Here’s my ’04 Enduro:

I was out on it this evening and it’s still great. It’s not even my oldest full-suss – my Epic is an ’03 and also still going strong.

yup single pivot like mentioned above
an older marin,
the jon whyte designed ones,
100mm-140mm frames

i’m pretty sure there was one for sale a couple of weeks ago on the classifieds, think it was a rock springs

here you go
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-marin-rocksprings-very-cheap-full-sus-175-500

5 spots are ace