all mountain frame

welshgar

hi

i have a short list of trail/am frames but can t decide.

im on a 06 spesh enduro at the moment, and quite like it. but ive had it 5 yrs now and fancy a change.

i'm looking at

intense tracer vp. heard the barings don't last in uk conditions.... ??
new spesh enduro
lapierre spicy (i've read they are a bit long. so not sure how i'd get on with it as the spesh is guite short)
orange 5
santacruz butcher
trek ransom

please don't say orange 5 because it looks nice. i want a good bike, with minimum maintenance that can be ridden on trails as well as the mountains here in snowdonia and the odd enduro event.

any advice would be appreciated.

thanks

supersonic

Are you after a full build or frame only? Many very good full builds can be had for the price of those frames!

cat_with_no_tail

Do you mean just the frame, or the complete bike? Afaik, Trek, Lapierre and spesh won't sell you a frame on its own.

I don't think there is much danger of anyone with their retinas attached ever reccomending the 5 "because it looks nice".

What's your budget?
Which ones have you tested already?

welshgar

frame only. the bits i have on the enduro's fairly new and top quality.

im looking at secondhand as well as new.

welshgar

that s the problem. where i live, it s not easy to get hold of test bikes. rode a 5 and liked it, but every on here has one, so i'd like something diferent.

toasty

I'd have another look at the Spicy, Specialized certainly aren't short. I'd hazard a guess than an Enduro would actually be the longest bike out of the list you've made, both in top tube length and wheelbase.

welshgar

that's what i thought.

nice 1

Anonymous

welshgar wrote:

please don't say orange 5 because it looks nice.

Kind of a contradiction anyway

Bias in me says Santa Cruz, but personally I'd go for the Blur LT or Nomad for an AM bike. VPP, multi pivot, solid rear triangle. Budget may say otherwise however

Stevo_666

welshgar wrote:

lapierre spicy (i've read they are a bit long. so not sure how i'd get on with it as the spesh is guite short)

I don't find the Spicy especially long for me but it'll depend on your measurements vs the size you choose. IMO its a good frame but Lapierre don't sell frames on their own, only complete bikes so you'd have to buy second hand if that's what you wanted.

ilovedirt

giant reign?