talk some sense into me - deciding between two bikes.

Anonymous

hmm, I'm after a new bike, and have decided on either a new Wolf Ridge, or a Quake.
Trouble is, they're both tempting.

I'm tempted by the quake, so that next time I venture into the Alps, or go to whistler or whatever, I'll have a sorted bike for the occasion. It can also, just about, be used as an all mountain bike.

However, the wolf ridge is more suited to UK riding, and will be a better fit for most of my riding I guess. But, when I get back to the alps etc, it's probably going to leave me wanting.

I can only afford one bike, what do you guys think I should do?

supersonic

I think the Wolf would handle the Alps ok - well most of it! Same as it would the UK.

SOme tour guides use XC hardtails in the alps!

ride_whenever

didn't MBUK take a wolf for the mega in an article and it held up the best of the lot they took.

If you do it might be worth retro-fitting the maxle rear end.

Anonymous

i would get the bike most suited to your iding for most of the time. from what i can gather, the wolf ridge is plenty tough enough for most riding nd as suggested above, a maxxle rear end would make it ready for anything.

pdid

Another vote for the Wolfy. One of my riding buddies has an older version and its really versatile and has taken lots of abuse over the years.

Anonymous

The 2009 wolf ridge comes with a maxle rear axle as standard
And pdid, check out my vintage (1st gen) WolfRidge in my sig - That's what I took to Les Gets / Morzine, Avoriaz for a summer's downhilling last year! Forks blew up (bloody 55s) but otherwise it did a cracking job, although the limited suspension capabilities became really restrictive. Also on some of the larger drops, I had to opt out, because I honestly wasn;t sure how much more aggro it's poor ageing frame could take.

Anyway, I do think the new wolfridge would be better suited, as the suspension design is light years ahead of my current rig, however I have one question.

DO you reckon the new wolfridge would take a triple clamp fork for alpine lunacy? I'm thinking that mahoosive gusseting/reinforcment around the head tube would suggest yes, but I can;t say I'm 199% convinced.


Anyway, thanks for your views so far, keep em coming!

supersonic

I don't think you need one with the advent of forks like the Domain and Totem.

Anonymous

supersonic wrote:

I don't think you need one with the advent of forks like the Domain and Totem.

Ah, see, that would be fine (or 66s, I still love coil Marzocchi like you love GTs ) but the wolf ridge only has a 9/8" headset.
do they make tasty big single-crown forks in 9/8" still?

Basically, the pikes would be fine for 90% of my riding, but I'd like something bigger for Les Gets - the braking bumps are just nasty.

BlackSpur

I think you'd be fine with a 160mm fork - I think i remember reading that the Attack Trail uses the same frame with just the angles adjusted i.e. no extra reinforcing. An out and out DH fork would be too far IMO. I'd contact Marin and see what they say but their response will probably be no if only to cover their own arses.

supersonic

Yep, all the big forks can be got in that size!

Anonymous

you should try a nice lyrik, i use a 2 step air one and its ace, the coil one is said to be mega. isnt the top version of that bike fitted with a lyrik?

Anonymous

yeah, the top version, which is called the Alpine Trail (Marin's naming logic seemed to cave in on itself when it swapped the Quake and B-17 names around?!?) has a Lyric, and uses a tapered 9/8" top to 1.5" bottom head tube.
It also had that weird hammerschmidt system, and costs over £3K :shock:

Basically, I'm looking at buying the cheaper wolf ridge, (cause I reckon the cheaper one looks best, in black) and possibly swapping some componentry from my current bike, saint brakes, saint cranks, raceface bars etc.

Unless of course, someone can convince me to get the Quake?!?