Viewing 36 posts - 41 through 76 (of 76 total)
  • Yeti SB66, Santa Cruz Bronson, Intense Tracer 2 or [insert 160mm superbike here]
  • Hob-Nob
    Free Member

    I don’t think Yeti did themselves any favours when they launched the SB66 with a 150mm Fox 32 fork & effectively marketed it as a long travel trail bike.

    When you actually look at the numbers with a proper fork on it, it’s a bike that actually encourages you to wring it’s neck. With a 160mm 36 on the front it’s got a 65 degree head angle, low BB & average to short chainstays. It’s a very fast bike.

    However, it is harsh if you arn’t on it though, you need to be off the brakes & riding it hard to work properly. The long TT helps because the WB is pretty big too.

    I went from a Nomad to the 66, the 66 is a whole lot easier to ride faster. I’ve spent a bit of time on a Bronson too & didn’t rate it as highly as the SB, but that’s a fitment issue for me. I like a bike with a long front end & slack head angle.

    catvet
    Free Member

    New 650 Five, longer slacker and lower, weight equal or less than previous due to different tube specs.

    honourablegeorge
    Full Member

    Hob Nob – Member
    I don’t think Yeti did themselves any favours when they launched the SB66 with a 150mm Fox 32 fork & effectively marketed it as a long travel trail bike.

    Yeah. It was all a bit confused. Sicklines reviewed it, and he put a 160 fork spaced down to 140 on it. May well be a great bike, but the upshot of it all was I never found myself wanting one.

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    thepublican
    Free Member

    2014 Scott genius LT if you can wait that long? 160 travel so much more usable than the old one, new fox rear shock so no own brand/dt rubbish, adjustable travel/angles/shock behaviour at the flick of a remote and the weight is bonkers light…?

    justinbieber
    Full Member

    Catvet – I’ve been riding Fives for nearly 5 years now and I fancy a change. Kinda want something that isn’t a single pivot made in Yorkshire. 🙂

    buzz-lightyear
    Free Member

    Don’t get a tracer 275.

    justinbieber
    Full Member

    Any particular reason why not?

    justinbieber
    Full Member

    Hmm… I might be in the process of changing my opinion of the Mojo HD. In the words of Terry Tibbs, talk to me 🙂

    smatkins1
    Free Member

    It certainly looks like 27.5″ is going to take off in the next generation of ‘trail bikes’. Santa Cruz along with others seems to have dropped 26″ from next year…

    Something to bear in mind for future proofing.

    stewartc
    Free Member

    Since we have reached the stage of recommending what you we have got, +1 for the SB66.
    Run mine with 160 34 Floats and no problem climbing at all, and around here there are some steep long climbs to do before reaching the trails.

    justinbieber
    Full Member

    smatkins1 – quite probably, but I really don’t see any benefit to 650b.

    Has anyone got any long term experience of the SB66 – I’m slightly daunted by the high cost of the switch link rebuild kit.

    ChunkyMTB
    Free Member

    kiwijohn
    Full Member

    Just replaced the bearings in my 66. Pretty easy job, the big one in the switch was a little tricky but nothing major.
    Putting a new Pike on it tomorrow.

    ansdy
    Full Member

    I had a very similar dilema. I went to one of the lakes based shops already mentioned with a view to buying a SB66. I hadn’t considered an intense but ended up with a carbine which has the angles of a tracer 2 but 150/140 travel option and at the time £300 more than the tracer.
    Also you can buy replacement dropouts that turn it into a carbine 275 if thats your thing?
    I know they’ve had their issues in the past but I dont buy into the ‘its intense so will break/ is wonky’ argument on their current bikes.

    mrlebowski
    Free Member

    I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the Pivot Mach 5.7 Carbon – it’s about 150mm front & rear, a very respectable weight & less than a SC Nomad.

    honourablegeorge
    Full Member

    ansdy – Member

    I know they’ve had their issues in the past but I dont buy into the ‘its intense so will break/ is wonky’ argument on their current bikes.

    Carbine is built for them by a German carbon specialist, so I’d expect it to be of a completely different standard to their other stuff. Stunning bike too, bar the inexplicable omission of ISCG mounts.

    mrlebowski – Member

    I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the Pivot Mach 5.7 Carbon – it’s about 150mm front & rear, a very respectable weight & less than a SC Nomad.

    It’s 145mm – it’s probably a step down in terms of intended use to the 160mm bike the OP is after, although we’re dealing with fairly blurred lines here.

    muddyfunster
    Free Member

    Enduro Carbon. Can be had as frame only, last time I looked. failing that you can get it from anywhere in Europe,US,Canada and specialized will honour the warranty anywhere in the world. Speaking of warranty it has one of, if not the best.

    Imo almost all of the other suggestions put forward are long legged trail bikes. The Enduro is cut from a different cloth, it is simply amazing when pointed downhill, and the new one really does climb and pedal brilliantly for what it is.

    wrecker – Member

    The carbon enduro , it’s not actually as good as the other bikes the OP has already mentioned. Apart from that, it’s ideal.

    I’m guessing one of three things here. You haven’t ridden it, you rode it around a car park, or you rode one that wasn’t set up for you.

    I’ve spent time on the base spec comp Enduro and it’s awesome. Even with the ctd suspension it’s performance is mind blowing. It obviously doesn’t have the boutique brand snobbery attached to it that a yeti or santa cruz does, I’ll give you that, but it’s performance is unquestionable.

    professorfaceplant
    Free Member

    + 1 for the Nicolai’s

    the Helius has adjustable rear travel though, which is pretty useful for shortening the travel around local trails, then big travel for Alpine trips – combine it with Lyriks or Talas and you have a massivly cabable do it all bike

    it is heavy though, but as you are not competing cross country, you should be fine just work the legs more ;)!

    and they have 5 year transferable warranty….

    julians
    Free Member

    Mojo HD owner here.

    Great bike, climbs well, descends brilliantly, not too heavy (30lb) all up for mine (inc pedals). I use it for everything, long xc, uk uplift, spain uplift etc.

    Large mojo hd
    fox 36 160mm talas
    ccdb air
    shimano xt brakes
    XT/SLX 2 x 10 drive train
    hope pro ii hubs + dt swiss ex5.1 rims + hans dampf tubeless tyres.
    rockshox reverb
    easton carbon bars
    superstar mag pedals
    cane creek angleset (-1.5deg) – not convinced this is worth having

    wrecker
    Free Member

    I’m guessing one of three things here. You haven’t ridden it, you rode it around a car park, or you rode one that wasn’t set up for you.

    Neither. I had a good couple of hours on a friends, who is a similar weight to me. The tracer certainly is every bit as AM as the enduro.

    justinbieber
    Full Member

    I test rode a Mojo HD last night, which was most unhelpful. Stiffer, lighter, climbed better, descended better etc etc. All round, a better bike to ride than the Five.

    I now want one.

    Which poses a dilemma – do I get a complete new bike, or just upgrade the frame?

    Rik
    Free Member

    Liteville ??

    ajr
    Free Member

    Ventana Zeus 140/160mm travel.

    julians
    Free Member

    There must be some deals to be had on mojo hd frames now that the hdr is out.

    Make a few offers, someone will bite.

    I got £500 off mine (frame only) a few years ago.

    godzilla
    Free Member

    A HD is a good choice, a few months into ownership and I’m smitten, the thing loves techy climbs and generally feels very flattering,

    justinbieber
    Full Member

    yeah, I’ve got a line on a fantastic deal for an HD. I just need to man up and do it

    jam-bo
    Full Member

    I rode a carbon Bronson last night. Distinctly underwhelmed.

    I was most impressed with the clutch mech and a decent dropper post.

    prom
    Free Member

    Sam B – Might be interested in the Tracer 2 (replacing stolen Tracer VP) – can you pm me with details (spec, size, price, colour etc). Also, Buzz Lightyear why not the Tracer 275? Tested, rode and liked and current favourite

    ratherbeintobago
    Full Member

    Pardon the ignorance, but what’s wrong with Intense?

    (had been having vague notions of getting a Spider)

    crashtestmonkey
    Free Member

    Pardon the ignorance, but what’s wrong with Intense?

    They have a reputation for building bikes way out of alignment. Which then break.

    Tweeks have the Spider 2 at massive discount (£990 from £1650) if thats your thing (or possibly you knew and thats why youre considering it!).

    http://www.tweekscycles.com/components/full-suspension-frames/intense-spider-2-26-frameset-2012

    dan45a
    Free Member

    Enduro owner here does it all, haven’t looked back. Recently went through OP’s dilemma.

    I did try the sb66 – very good quick bike, but sizing a bit long. Tried a nomad didn’t like the riding position.

    Didn’t try the mojo HD, love the look but I discounted for the geometry being a bit dated so thought something new may be around the corner. Then the HDR came out and really don’t get that.

    Sat on the enduro and it just felt right.

    650b is growing rapidly so you may want to go that way to future proof the investment. Spicy or Bronson would be my pick of them. But for me it’s a 26er for the next few years 🙂


    Machen mountain by dan45a, on Flickr

    ratherbeintobago
    Full Member

    They have a reputation for building bikes way out of alignment. Which then break.
    Tweeks have the Spider 2 at massive discount (£990 from £1650) if thats your thing (or possibly you knew and thats why youre considering it!).

    Is that historical (like Cannondale) or more recent?

    Sadly not in a position to buy now, due to 4/12 old second child…

    orangeboy
    Free Member

    Another very happy enduro owner , been using it as my main ride ever since it arrived , fast enough on the flat climbs so well and makes up for my lack of talent going down hill.

    Full bike was never imported into the uk just frames , so build they way you want
    Mine tips scales at 28.05 inc cage bell and pump plus the older heavier dropper post.

    twohats
    Free Member

    Carbine is built for them by a German carbon
    specialist, so I’d expect it to be of a completely
    different standard to their other stuff. Stunning
    bike too, bar the inexplicable omission of ISCG
    mounts.

    From what I heard recently, the Carbine may be designed by some random Germans but is actually coming out of china like all the other carbon frames.

    crashtestmonkey
    Free Member

    Is that historical (like Cannondale) or more recent?

    More recent than “Creak’n’fail” who’s failures are definitely historic (Lapierre have stolen that crown), and sufficiently high profile for me to turn down getting an Intense at mates rates last year (cost + VAT)- but that might just be me being overly cautious, I’m sure there are plenty of happy owners out there. And I own a 2010 Alpine 160, so I’m expecting the swing arm to crack at the weld vent 🙄

    ChunkyMTB
    Free Member

Viewing 36 posts - 41 through 76 (of 76 total)

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