Common Sense gone out of the window

stomith

I need some pointers as to what bikes are out there which are All Mountain bikes. (which I think and hope means "Like a DH but lighter and less than 7" of travel")

I'm used to XC and have general XC covered, but now want a bike solely for gravity assisted trips. Having said that...If a trail says DH or 4X on it...I am not going on it. (too scared)

I'll only have about a grand to spend (two bikes on Ebay at the moment)....but don't mind second hand or old models.

Help me Obi-Won - You are my only hope. Can I get an AM with those big double crown...forks. I like them

Pudseyp

What ever you do do not get double crown forks...you don't need them !! unless your specifically doing solely down hill then it's a waste of time as they are great going down but terrible on a climb.

AM bikes tend to be around 6inch travel, some great bikes in this sector are the Giant Reign, Orange Alpine or Orange Patriot...The Marin Wolf Ridge is a great buy at the moment from Cycle Surgery at just over a grand that's £800 off the retail..If you like some of the long travel bikes Giant do the Glory 0 which has single crown...the max you will need for AM use is 160mm at the front end or at a push 180mm....don't be swayed by the looks of tripple crowns..expensive, heavy and if you crash they put nice dents in your top tube !

stomith

Any other bikes have similar figures?

stomith

Kona Coilair...? any good?

Pudseyp

Yea not to bad...this is version is a good buy

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/kon ... gn=froogle

cavegiant

When I stuck my manitou dorado forks on my bike, my XC speed and rechnical climbing improved dramatically.
That is a 7" dual crown fork

It is more about quality of travel, than total travel.


I have always like the Coiler,


key thing is how big are you, how much do you weigh, what terrain will you be attempting, what do you classify as a big drop, how often will you do big drops, what are you wanting to achieve.

If you don't give us the info to make informed advice, you won't get any

Pudseyp

Like I said, I have Boxxers on a DH specific bike I would never dream of using them for AM use....look at the likes of Megaavalanche.....the high majority use single crown....why add all that extra weight when you don't need it !! "just because they look good" its about performance harmony, much like having a Ferrari with a Corsa engine...looks good but crap to drive....

You can do most of the UK DH courses using single crown forks...my mate runs them at Cwmcarn all the time.

If vanity rules and you take the tripples...get used to your mates slagging you off at the top of climbs as they wait for you once more

stomith

I do like like the look of the Coilair....and it is only about 34lb.

5'8" and just under 12 stone. I want it for Alps (wi th the lads) XC (uplifted) rides (got 7 days due in July). I'd also like to use it for Wales trips......and then any other trails i can afford to visit when time allows.

I tried a Santa Cruz Nomad in Swinley with 6" of FOX at back & front...and that smoothed out parts that my Stumpjumper could not. The 36 FOX on the front seemed a different league to my 32 TALAS. I wouldn't use it for Swinley personally...it was just a good chance to test ride what riding in a forest felt like, in an armchair.

I wouldn't class my riding as DH in any way, as to me DH is all about top>bottom as fast as possible. I want to go up and across, as well as down. The only DH I've ever been on is at Aston Hill when the XC mixes with the DH. I didn't like it, but then that was on my hardtail with seat up like a flagpole. Met some good lads there that gave me and wife a lot of tips for the Alps last year. Belated thanks to them!

Seeing as I've just come in from a ride with workmates..and back has been killing me for the last couple of days (20 years of sat behind a steering wheel & at a desk does that!)..I quite fancy a smooth ride, when I do hit the tricky stuff.

Note: Steering wheel wasn't on the desk!

stomith

ar5e

now i've found another one....not as pretty...but not too bad either.

Rocky Mountain Slayer SXC 50

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=32983

Anonymous

In all honesty, if you're too scared by proper DH or 4X trails, do you really NEED an all-mountain bike? Or would something a bit lighter duty suit you better?

stomith

Lighter? as in travel? weight?

It is my 'fear' that is driving me to look at something more capable. I figured that with a plusher ride and travel i'd be more able to keep up with the bigger bikes......and have a better chance of staying intact.

Let's face it...I'm just not interested in DH. I'm too old for it too. Hence All Mountain I thought was right up my street (mountain).

A better rider would probably be able to make the most of my Stumpjumper...but I am not of that ilk. I, am a novice. Always will be.

Anonymous

No, I mean lighter duty. A decent all mountain bike is a relatively hefty beast. If you're not going to be taking it to it's limits, are you sure you need something that overbuilt? Maybe something like a nice trail bike with slightly relaxed geometry or something would be better.

stomith

Ahhhh...now see you're stepping outside of my ability.

Until last year I never took a fork off, never changed a bottom bracket and certainly never lost quite so many ball bearings in one day!

I need all the help I can get, but I am not able to get a bike and then set about changing the fork knowing what to expect. It would be too random unless I could copy what someone else had tried.

I considered changing the fork on my 2007 Trance, but it was recommended not to go over 140mm. The Trance has 130mm already so it seemed pontless to spend lots of £ for what is essentially 10mm extra.

Besides - one can never have enough bikes. I've got two for sale on Ebay at the moment. A Trek 8500 and a Giant Trance...so I feel pretty good that I have reduced my bike footprint by "1"

Anonymous

Erm, what's that got to do with anything?
If you don't think you'll be tackling big terrain, why drag the extra heft of a super tough bike around? :? This has nothing to do with fork servicing or anything.

Tom Barton

Although it is true that a bike with more relaxed angles and more suspension will give you more confidence on challenging descents (generally speaking) I think what people are gettinf at is that you say: You don't want to ride full downhill stle courses and the main appeal seems to be comfort.

First, bear in mind that those same relaxed angles (some extra weight) and longer suspension no matter how well the suspension system works is going to make climbing a greater challenge. I ride an AM bike and I keep up with all but the fastest trail riders ok up.

For me, my Lapierre Spicy does the same job as a Lapierre Zesty would have done for me, except that when I point it downhill it lets my skill stretch a little further, lets me go that bit faster and is less likely to break and I get my all important adrenaline buzz out of those downs. The ups I'm happy to tootle along in the middle of the pack. A zesty would be no less comfortable going up in my opinion.

If your not sure about this. Do a proper demo ride - skyline cycles in Afan have Nomads and orange alpines, meta 55's, orange bloods etc to hire. Try one and see what you think, its the only way to get a proper answer to your question. (i.e. try one first before you drop the green).

stomith

Thought you were suggesting getting a Trail bike and 'relaxing' it...or are you suggesting getting a trail bike with relaxed geometry.....?

Suggestions as to what 'relaxed trail bikes' you'd recommend would be great.

One way or another...I will find another bike

stomith

Tom...you are my new hero.

That's exactly it.

Blimey...the Spiceys are nice....and only 29.5lb! Holey Moley Batman! That goes to the top of the list with the cheaper Coilair.

I don't know what to make of the Commencal...they freak me out a little. I think it is just the styling.

Orange are nice but rare second hand

We're up in Afan on 16th May I think...so might just take ur advice on that.

Still can't get over the Spicey being so light.

stomith

I think, All Mountains in the running are:

Trek - Remedy
LaPierre - Spicy
Kona - Coilair
Orange - Alpine 160
Commencal - Meta 55
Specialized - Enduro
Santa Cruz - Nomad
Rocky Mountain - Slayer

aiming for 150/160mm/6" at either end.

Anonymous

See for how you've described yourself, I'd instantly dismmiss the Alpine 160, and the spicy.
The Enduro, or the Meta55, however, and maybe the Remedy, is right on the money.

stomith

I fear...you might be right.

Reading a 2008 post: someone said this...and it is very true:

"My thoughts were originally that I needed a better bike - actually it it the reverse - I need to keep the bike until I become a better rider. Sure a slacker heavier bike will make me feel better, but it will just mask poor technique that I should be dialling with practice rather than buying it off in the bike shop. "

Well I'm not going to learn what I need to in the next couple of months (before Alps in July) so I might have to 'buy' that edge for the moment and then address my complete lack of ability afterwards. The upshot is...I still get to muck about with bikes...and that is not a bad way to chill out.

Make sure you all bid lots of money on my Trance and Trek 8500 on €Bay...so i can buy another bike! I can't live with just 1 bike! It's just not done!

Anonymous

I'm not talking about "better" bike, or becoming a "better" rider. I'm talking about "the right bike for the job"
It just strikes me that you don't really need an overbuilt monster.

Pudseyp

Agreed you need to ask yourself what you will be actually doing on your bike..any 5-6inch travel bike will be totally adequate for UK trail centres and most alpine decents....if you don't like downhill then you don't need tripple crowns...if your not going to be doing 6ft drops then you don't need a long travel full suss like the Scott Voltage....if your after something you can use all the time then a 5-6inch travel bike will suffice.

The Spicy is a cracker, and so is the Meta i have seen the 5.5 2009's on offer for a grand and a half saving 800 notes..The Trek EX8 is also a belter....

If your not an agresive riding these bike will do ! remember this years winner of the Mega Avlerlance did it on a Meta 5.5 carbon !! get my gist

joshtp

your making the classic mistake of thinking you need a bigger bike to make up for your riding, you dont, you just need to ride it properly. get a 140mm slack trail bike, with a light (27-29 lb) build, and learn to ride, you DO NOT NEED 160-180mm, you want that becouse you cant be bothered to learn. sorry to be harsh, its true...

The Rookie

Stomith,
Ignoring your current need, I would suggest you get used to 'playing' with bikes, I hadn't ridden or even touched a bike for 20 years (near enough) I bought a 'snotter' out the local freeads to cycle with my kids to get the nack back, and having never even really maintained a bike built a bike from a bare frame for commuting/local path riding, once you get into it slowly you'll be amazed at how easy it is and how really you can do almost everything!

I bought a bike toolkit from Lidl and use a Halfords normal socket set (complete with Allan keys) and bought a reasonable book from waterstones (which now I can sell as I probably know more than is in the book) and have since built my second commuter and helped my daughter rebuild the used Scott (incomplete) we got off the bay.

If you were OK woth Lego/Meccano as a kid, you can do it, just start with a cheap bike that doesn't matter!

Simon

stomith

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

becouse you cant be bothered to learn. sorry to be harsh, its true...

Easy there tiger....How did you come to that realisation? You know nothing about my lifestyle or priorities so how could you draw that conclusion.

How very obtuse. Luckily - I'm too old to shiv a git about comments like that.

"The Beginner" - I like your "get stuck in" attitude. I did the very same thing and ended up with ...er...10 bikes in the household to maintain. One ended up with a super glued chain and one ended up needing a shedload of ball bearings. All good fun though!

Anonymous

for me, the thing about 160mm bikes is they tend to have slack angles, i like the way a bike with slack angles works, i like how they feel to ride so invariably, the suspension and the angles go hand in hand.

i only ride my enduro like an xc bike, it is overkill in most peoples minds but i just like how it rides, its hard to quantify but i plain and simple like to ride it.

thing is, that slackness doesnt suit every body so it is well worth trying a bike like that out before splashing any monies, it might be what you think you want but could end up being an unweildy wallow monster.

joshtp/webboman: as usual, you are making the classic mistake of being an idiot.

stoman: if you want a bigger bike because you fancy it and are an adult so can make your own mind up about things, my advice is to try one and buy then ride it where and how you like. the funny thing about suitability is that it is your business and no one elses.

stomith

I bought an Enduro 08 SL Expert. Fell in love with it.

Somehow, and I can't figure out why - It is easier to pedal than the Stumpjumper Elite. Don't know what that is all about ...but hey...live and learn eh?

It is true that with the right bike/frame/setup - the weight 'figure' doesn't seem so relevant.

Anonymous

ace news, i look forward to the pictures, i agree about it being an easy bike to pedal and although mine is over 30lbs in weight, it doesnt feel sluggish or difficult to ride.