XC/Downcountry bike

Just a note on the Chisel FS – I did quite a lot of research on this bike and was eventually put off as the weight of the stock XL is 14.6kgs, that is Sherman tank territory! The Comp model is lighter but not by a huge amount, I think the XL Comp is still around 13.4kgs. The general consensus on here was great frame but heavy components and would need a lot of investment to get it to near the Epic Evo weights (12-12.6kgs). I imagine a lighter Chisel FS would be a much much better bike than the 14.6kgs version, but would it be worth the £2K  plus another £1K to upgrade the fork, wheels and drive chain components ?

My 2p as someone who loves my Top Fuel: If I had £4.5k to spend on a Downcountry bike, I’d be tempted to buy the Top Fuel in the classifieds for £2k, spend a few hundred getting it dialled in (suspension service and setup for you, your preferences of tyres and contact points etc.). Then spend the remaining couple of grand going on a trip to ride it somewhere with flowing singletrack winding up and down the countryside.

For clarity, it’s not mine, and I’ve no affiliation to the seller, it just struck me as a decent deal the other day.

@coconut Given the deals you can get on parts then that where the Frame only becomes an interesting prospect. £3kish you’d build something really nice imo.

Just a note on the Chisel FS – I did quite a lot of research on this bike and was eventually put off as the weight of the stock XL is 14.6kgs, that is Sherman tank territory!

Everyone told you not to bother with the low end model, and the nicer one is claimed as 28lbs – which seems very reasonable considering the wheels may still be a bit porky.

As someone else who is keen on a bike of this sort…..with the Chisel, if you get the higher end one which is £2700, is it actually going to be a worse bike than the current half price Epic Evos, which seems to be a few hundred quid cheaper?!

Both are sadly still a little bit above my budget currently ?

That ^^ question is subject to comparing components in the build price and frame material ride characteristics/personal taste.   I’ve not ridden a chisel but I’d imagine someone might comment on typical Alu vs Carbon “feel”, it’d be great if someone had compared both bikes.

@Tom-B – its quite the quandary. I have a Chisel HT and love it. The way it covers ground is crazy (compared to my Enduro bike which feels like it weighs twice the chisel). When the Chisel FS was released i got very excited. Everything i love about the HT, but with some rear squish to take the edge off the bumps. Plus i love the fact its alloy in this world of plastic fantastic bikes (i work in the carbon industry, so know the environmental impacts of the stuff!).

But now everyone keeps throwing up these super cheap (still a few quid mind) Epic Evo’s from last year, i do wonder if they are a better choice.

But….. when you look at the geo charts, they have less reach and a lower stack than the Chisel FS. Not to mention the Evo’s at a similar price have pretty low rent parts. So that doesnt work for me, so i think i will stick to my original plan and get a Chisel. Which i would like to think i could build it into a fairly lightweight, fairly rowdy XC mile muncher!

I’ve never ridden a carbon bike so don’t have a preference on that front (I’ve actually only ridden 5 or 6 mountain bikes in total I think!).

Chisel Comp doesn’t seem to be showing in stock/expected date at my lbs yet. Not sure that I have the know how to go frame only and build one up for a comparable price to the Comp version.

I’ve been riding a doon country Orbea Oiz for 3 years now. It’s an example of what you may be looking for. It’s 120 travel front and rear. I’ve ridden it in just about everything from enduro, XC, gravel to bikepacking. It’s very capable.

But now everyone keeps throwing up these super cheap (still a few quid mind) Epic Evo’s from last year, i do wonder if they are a better choice.

unless you don’t want a carbon bike, the seem to be.

But now everyone keeps throwing up these super cheap (still a few quid mind) Epic Evo’s from last year, i do wonder if they are a better choice

The cheap Epic Evo’s on Certini and Specialized website have pretty low end parts. £2500 bikes with SRAM NX, heavy OEM wheels, low end brakes and other OEM parts. In the Chisel thread someone said “Specialized; great frames, let down by hanging heavy parts off of light frames”, I think this sums up those cheaper Evo’s. Seems false logic to make a nice light carbon fibre frame and kit it out with OEM parts that make the bike come in at 13-14kgs. They look nice bikes, but they were never ever going to shift those at RRP of £3,800.

According to specialized, a medium in both bikes weigh as below:

Chisel Comp = 12.86kg 28.35lb

Old Epic Evo (cheapest model) = 12.72kg 28.13lb

So if you are doing zero upgrades, then they are very comparable. But a decent set of wheels would slice a fair chunk off both bikes. I guess there is more scope to shed weight on the Epic Evo, as the forks and drivetrain are much lower rent items.

Thats assuming low weight is your goal.

Yeah, I think you’ll struggle to lose much off the Chisel FS bike weight with an everyman build – but it’s still gonna be a great XC/DC bike that you could race for fun without feeling particularly disadvantaged.

The Epic Evo will be have more scope for weight weenie-ism for sure, but personally I’d be delighted with a 28lb bike.

And I’d imagine it pedals very well, compared to a 28lb trail bike.

Hasn’t anyone got one yet anyway?

 I’d be delighted with a 28lb bike.

me too, my Raaw Madonna weighs 39lbs :D

Hasn’t anyone got one yet anyway?

Good point…. surely someone on Singletrack bought a Chisel FS/ Chisel Comp FS, and can tell us how it rides? There is the Guy Kesteven review (spoiler alert…. another bike he loved to bits!), but would like to hear from someone who has ridden one a fair bit now.

I ordered a Chisel FS frame from BIKETREKS. Delivery is now 20th October. Mid Nov for full bikes apparently.

I picked up my Chisel FS Comp on Wednesday, bought from Newbury concept store via C2W scheme.  Coming from road/gravel, its hard to give useful feedback to you guys (my last MTB was a 26 inch Marin!). I am happy with it though, if anyone is local to OX11 you are welcome to take a look. Any questions give me a shout, I haven’t weighed it yet…

I ordered a Chisel FS frame

Did you go for the pink one?

 The Epic Evo will be have more scope for weight weenie-ism for sure, but personally I’d be delighted with a 28lb bike.

Yes, there are plenty of sub 10kg Evo’s out there. Albeit spendy, it’s possible to have one around 10.5kg which you would happily ride on most stuff. The biggest point of weakness being the tyres, but thats the same for those +/- 28lb Chisels.

I have a new Epic 8 Evo, built back to a Epic (already have an SJ15 so no need for the Evo) which comes in at 10.65kg which I will happily race XC on this winter & ride anything around the Surrey Hills.

A lighter set of wheels (currently got a 1.5kg set) and brakes could get it pretty close to 10.

I have the S-works Epic Evo Ltd, and its superb, i always go for the top end bikes/components, i have ridden loads of XC/Down country bikes over the years, but this one is the best at everything, and also easy to work on etc, no silly cable routing through headset or silly hiding shock, simple threaded BB etc, the top end components also have a factor in making this bike superb ie the AXS XX sl transmission drivetrain is faultless, the Roval Control SL wheels roll fantastic and have great tyre volume, it weighs 10.4kg and that’s with AXS dropper, if you want quality it comes at a cost.

One for the xc/downcountry crowd

https://www.merlincycles.com/dt-swiss-xrc-1501-boost-carbon-wheelset-29-322282.html

I have a Spur, tarted up with a load of carbon bling, and its about 12.2kg in size large. 10/10 best bike I’ve owned and perfectly fits my riding, but I do love the look of the new Epic 8 (non-Evo) so if I were looking for a new bike today I’d perhaps be swaying towards that. Willing to take a slight hit on the Spur’s downhill capabilities in order to lose a good chunk of weight off the frame, which is something crazy like 600 grammes between the two bikes.

The latest gen Spurs with the Fox 34 / DPS combo are arguably straight up trail bikes now.