Help choosing 160mm travel bikes??

kathg

Hi all,

Am looking for a 160mm travel bike for Alps riding and the odd Enduro DH event. It needs to be light enough for me to pedal uphill OK and forgiving enough to get me over all sorts of rocky mayhem and steep stuff both home and abroad. I'm considering these bikes listed below... and any comments from short people who ride any of these would be really welcome, I'll be needing SMALL frames with good standover (I'm 5ft 4 with quite short legs..)

1. Transition Covert 2. Ibis Mojo HD 3. Trek Slash 8/9 4. Saracen Ariel (160mm)

If anyone has good things to say about any other bikes I'll happily take note!

Thanks

Kathg

lawman

Well I'm biased, but of the three mentioned I'd go for the HD with the covert a close second, depends whether you value climbing or descending more, as the HD is lighter and steeper, the covert is heavier and slacker, both are great bikes, the HD is imo one of the best all-round bikes out there atm.

felix.london

Try and get a test ride on a Spesh Enduro

rockmonkeysc

Ariel is good but works best as a freeride / play bike as it's pretty heavy.
Covert is really good. Slash is good as long as you get one without the DRCV forks as they are awful, the basic Slash comes with a Lyrik R fork which can be upgraded to full RC2DH spec for a couple hundred pounds.
I would go for either a Specialized Enduro Evo or a Giant Reign X. If you shop around you can get some great deals on the Reign X. I use mine for everything, it climbs extremely well but also handles downhill trails very well and has no problem with 8-10 foot drops.
I would go for a coil shock over an air shock if your doing big stuff, you have to spend an awful lot of cash on an air shock to get one which handles the big stuff as well as a coil.

bjj.andy.w

Of those 3 I'd lean more towards the covert. How about a Santa cruz nomad? Had mine for a couple of years now for riding in the lakes and love it.

ricardo_smooth

bjj.andy.w wrote:

How about a Santa cruz nomad?

was going to say, especially when you're considering trek slash 9 kind of money too. The only thing that will hold you back on a nomad (ime) is your own ability/fitness levels

out of your list though, i'd probably pick the ibis

arthur_scrimshaw

Canyon Strive?

bjj.andy.w

was going to say, especially when you're considering trek slash 9 kind of money too. The only thing that will hold you back on a nomad (ime) is your own ability/fitness levels

Have to agree with you there. When I get to the bottom of a decent I always get the feeling it's saying to me " is that it?, is that the best you can do?" :oops:

Stevo_666

kathg wrote:

Hi all,

Am looking for a 160mm travel bike for Alps riding and the odd Enduro DH event. It needs to be light enough for me to pedal uphill OK and forgiving enough to get me over all sorts of rocky mayhem and steep stuff both home and abroad.

The Lappy Spicy is worth a look if the small size frame will fit you. Mine is happy doing most things including some light DH (Cwmcarn, Forest of Dean) but also climbs pretty damn well and is not too heavy. See 'Bruiser' in my sig.

felix.london

RockmonkeySC wrote:

8-10 foot drops.

:shock:

felix.london

felix.london wrote:

Try and get a test ride on a Spesh Enduro

Commencal?

http://www.commencal.com/web/en/bicycles-en/bikes/all-mountain/meta-am-1

But like I say, I was amazed with the Spesh Enduro; it felt like it climbed better than my 'hopper (how do they do that?) Took it on a couple of serious Alpine climbs and did a day of very steep downhill :shock: as well as general XC riding and a load of twisty, techie singletrack and I really couldn't fault it at all, anywhere...except for the SRAM drivetrain

Like I say, a real contender for "one bike to rule them all" (imho) http://thehairyrider.com/bikes/

Tom Barton

whats your price range - the 160mm travel AM bikes are now here on masse and tend to be expensive - £2000 at least but then a fully kitted out carbon nomad is going to set you back £5500.

I ride a 2009 spicy 516 - it has taken a pummeling and its great, goes up and down. Not as plush on the rockier downs as I'd like, it takes a bit of piloting compared to my old enduro which i pretty much just smashed through things on (Had it set up very much down orientated).

If I could buy a bike right now (money not an issue) I'd be test riding these:

Yeti SB-66 with an AM set up
Carbon Santa Cruz Nomad
Ibis Mojo HD
Lapierre Spicy 916

With an eye on the price (mid range I guess):

Specialised Enduro EVO
Cube Frittz (better specced inc shocks than the lapierres)
A good second hand Nomad
Orange Alpine


If your buying new most of those companies offer small sizes

Anonymous

Don't know much about the rest, but I went with the Nomad for this kind of use. Found it's at home almost anywhere. Regular trails/singletrack, rocky trail centres, DH, and will see about the Alps as yet to take it but that's why I bought it.

Has a fairly short top tube I find, even in medium.

Anyway, for that kind of money - demo! (and don't pay RRP).

kathg

Thanks for all the advice folks.. I'm demoing a Spesh enduro at Coed Y Brenin next weekend.. how about that for luck? Was there today and they've got a big Spesh demo day next weekend?!
I will be able to demo an Ibis at my local trail centre and a friend is selling a Covert second hand so I'll be able to get a go on hers. I really hope I like the Covert best as it'll be the cheapest!
I'm hoping to get a go on a Trek Slash at the Coed Y Brenin Enduro event in April so that'll be most of them tried out. I wouldn't ever consider spending this sort of hard-earned cash without much research and extensive demoing!

Thanks again, all opinions are welcome!

Kathg

supersonic

How about a Scott Genius>

http://www.drakescycles.co.uk/m1b66s1p2 ... RS_GB/8762

Very adjustable ie travel, and start from low prices.

kathg

Well, total disaster so far..! Despite all your good advice and suggestions it turns out to be absolutely impossible to find any of the bikes I was interested in or any that you guys and girls suggested available to demo or even see in a size small.

I tried my friends Transition Covert and didn't really like it sadly. It weighed a ton and seemed to be almost waiting to pitch me over the bars!!

So, even though I've worked really hard and saved up like crazy for the 'bike of my dreams' it looks like it's not possible to try one before buying and there's no way I'm gonna commit to buying any bike, never mind one in this price bracket, on sight!!

Ah well, looks like Canyon will get my money. At least I can send it back for free if it doesn't fit/suit me. Can't believe it to be honest. I'm so disappointed.

Kathg

felix.london

If you're going for German online bikes you might wanna check out these;

ROSE Granite Chief
http://www.roseversand.com/article/rose-granite-chief-4-524773/aid:524792

YT Wicked 160
http://www.yt-industries.com/shop/index.php?page=product&info=213


Both available in Small 8)

oodboo

Again, another biased opinion but I don't think you can go far wrong with the Specialized Enduro.

felix.london

oodboo wrote:

Again, another biased opinion but I don't think you can go far wrong with the Specialized Enduro.

Already suggested but I think the problem is she can't find any of her original choices or other suggestions (like the Enduro) in a Small

oodboo

felix.london wrote:

oodboo wrote:

Again, another biased opinion but I don't think you can go far wrong with the Specialized Enduro.

Already suggested but I think the problem is she can't find any of her original choices or other suggestions (like the Enduro) in a Small

Yeah I read the earlier suggestions, maybe I should have said another vote for the enduro. However thinking about it maybe a spicy would be a better suggestion (again, already suggested) as they are still using air shocks (on the 516 at least), these will be lighter and more adjustable to OPs small size than the coils on the enduro even though the enduro does have a shorted back end.

kathg

Well, after travelling all over the North West to try bikes, mainly of the wrong size...(lots of those you all suggested to me) I have finally decided on and got ordered a Santa Cruz Nomad carbon The clincher was, after contacting the importer to complain about the lack of demo bikes in size small and 'was I to really spend that much dosh on something I couldn't get a proper ride on yadda yadda..' He put me in touch with another customer who had one and she kindly let me ride it for a day in the Lakes and that was it.. total love at first ride.. Wow awesome bike!! All those who suggested the Ibis HD, that was fantastic too but IMO the Nomad descended a little bit better and just pipped it at the post!
So thanks to everyone for their biased and non-biased opinions!! I await delivery of the bike of my dreams

Kathg

miss notax

Ooooh, just seen this thread, how exciting Kath!!

Look forward to seeing the pics 8)

dhooper7

I've owned a 2011 Enduro Comp for 3 months now and love it.
It can handle whatever I'm in the mood for that day, 6hr xc epics to uplift days in Cwmcarn.
All mountain isn't just some stupid marketing term!

bennett_346

dhooper7 wrote:

All mountain isn't just some stupid marketing term!

Well, it is, since it just means mountain biking.

b45her

kathg wrote:

Well, after travelling all over the North West to try bikes, mainly of the wrong size...(lots of those you all suggested to me) I have finally decided on and got ordered a Santa Cruz Nomad carbon The clincher was, after contacting the importer to complain about the lack of demo bikes in size small and 'was I to really spend that much dosh on something I couldn't get a proper ride on yadda yadda..' He put me in touch with another customer who had one and she kindly let me ride it for a day in the Lakes and that was it.. total love at first ride.. Wow awesome bike!! All those who suggested the Ibis HD, that was fantastic too but IMO the Nomad descended a little bit better and just pipped it at the post!
So thanks to everyone for their biased and non-biased opinions!! I await delivery of the bike of my dreams

Kathg

fine choice , i own the baby nomad , and thats incredible up and down the hills .