Which lightweight, fast marathon bike - money no object?

Father Faff

I have a Commencal Meta 5.5.1 which is fab for technical ground and all-day riding however at 28lbs it is not particularly light, it is relatively slow on smoother terrain and it needs a lot of looking after with bushes, pivots, bottom brackets, forks and shock all taking a hammering.

I am looking for a light, shorter travel machine that is quite fast but comfortable with it (I have a slightly dodgy back that doesn't like stretched out riding positions) and handles the rough and the smooth well. I have an ancient Orange P7 with an 80mm fork which I quite like but it is also 28lbs and only has rim brakes but I do like the steel "twang". I have tried a Giant Anthem (which was surprisingly good on rough stuff for such short travel but it didn't inspire me and there's those pivots....) and a Scott Spark (fast on the smooth but felt scarey on anything even slightly rough and it feels way fragile). I have tried a Cove Hummer with a 130mm fork and think that is what I have enjoyed most - it shot up hills and could take rocky downhills in its stride but it was very stiff and gave me a fair old pumelling.

So I'm thinking the perfect bike would be a lightweight steel or titanium hardtail with a bit of twang in it. If the modern incarnation of the Orange P7 was more like 25lbs than 30lb that would be ideal but it doesn't exist. So what else should I try?

*Pez*

That's quite a quiver of bikes you've had.

The Scott Spark immediately sprang to mind as I started reading your post but if you're after exotic and possibly titanium, but need something light, but that will not aggravate your back, and has the geometry to give your riding some confidence, then...

The long stroke Litespeed Sewanee (LS).
There was an article in MBUK a month or so back.

Titanium isn't cheap tho. The frame is two and a half grand.
XTR build will set you back close to four and a half.

Scary expensive for a push bike.

BlackSpur

Giant Anthem X0 just got 10/10 im mbr - they have a marathon bikes test this month.

Father Faff

Litespeed do some good stuff but as you say way expensive. When I say money no object it would be good to do something for £2.5k or less!

Things that look interesting are the On-One 456Ti but I worry that might be as stiff as the Cove Hummer. I think Cotic make a more flexy titanium machine that might be more what I'm looking for.

BlackSpur

Full sus bikes seem to generally be considered better for marathons due to the added comfort - a FS bike will almost always be better in this area than a hardtail, even if it is Ti.

ddraver

The Cotic Soda - ah fantastic bike, but yes, very flexy

Great to ride marathon type events on (I did the 24-12 this year) but in no way is it a "hardcore hardtail"

The Charge Duster Ti is stiffer (apparently) and comfortable but a little more Racey (mbr, 2008)

FSR_XC

Specialized Epic

you did say money is no object, didn't you?

http://www.certini.co.uk/view_product.p ... &p_id=3580



Don't quote me, but I think it's about 23lb

softlad

Father Faff wrote:

I have tried a Giant Anthem (which was surprisingly good on rough stuff for such short travel but it didn't inspire me and there's those pivots....)

Don't worry about the pivots. I've had Anthems for a couple of years and am now on an Anthem X. I've never had to do anything to the pivots and they have never given any trouble.

Father Faff

But did you ride your Anthem through a whole winter in the gritty, muddy, wet Yorkshire Dales.....? Doing that disposed of the bottom bracket, one pivot, and two rear shock bushes on my Meta 5!

grumsta

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkMode ... pic&eid=99

Father Faff

Not sure I should have said "Money no object" - let's keep it under £3K shall we?

FORUM EXPERT

http://www.cube-bikes.de/xist4c/web/ELI ... 31066_.htm

Only £2500

Dr S

I'm still in the honeymoon period with my Kona Kula supreme, 2008 model. Scandium frame, Reba world cups, full XTR and Mavic crossmax SLRs. Book weight 20.5lbs actually is about 21.8... Comfy and fast. Feels fairly solid.

Mine was reduced to 2.3k very very nice bike!