How did you find going to longer travel?

Growmac

Have you considered that you could buy a Canyon, move on any parts you don't want, replace with your own stuff and be seriously in pocket?

I'm riding a Canyon AM and I really like it. It's just as able XC as my previous 100 mm Mount Vision, but far more capable on the rough stuff. Bob is pretty much nonexistent, so much so that I found it harder to get the pressure right than I did on the Marin, which was a dog unless you got it perfect.

Criticism - the rear travel is more linear than I would like. It has a tendency to blow through and hit the stop when doing larger drops without the pro-pedal on. Solution - put pro-pedal on when doing larger stuff.

jehosophat

I seriously considered two slightly left-field options when buying this bike:

1) Buying a whole bike in the US. Go there (taking empty bike bag), do a riding holiday on it somewhere like Colorado, come home with dirty bike, hope customs have bigger fish to fry. Great plan if I had the time - marriage/kids kind of rules this out.

2) Buy something like a Canyon Nerve XC with a really high spec - forks of my choice, full XTR, etc, and a frame of my choice, and move the parts to the frame and sell the Canyon frame. I didn't do this as some of the parts I want are not current, and anyway it is a lot of hassle for just snobbery about the frame.

Your suggestion of selling the parts on and sticking the parts I already have on the Canyon frame is a good one, but in the end when it came to wallet-out time I decided I wanted something carbon and very light though I am sure for the price I am paying for a frame a whole Nerve XC would ride brilliantly. These are emotive purchases after all...

Of course it would be fantastic if we here in the UK were not royally ripped off in frame and parts prices compared to places like the US - Santa Cruz would have got my business by now (for the third time in a row) if they were not selling frames for £2500 here that are $2500 there, on principle I won't do it!

Right now I have decided what I want (and it is "only" 120mm travel) but having traumas with online retailers either advertising stock they don't have, or at prices they can't actually do, see "Evans" thread (not that they are alone in this). I find out in a week if I actually have the Trek Fuel EX9.9 frame I think I do, if not, back to the drawing board!

Growmac

Your point about the US is an interesting one. When my better half was wanting a new bike, we seriously looked at a Trek Fuel EX. I am in the US a lot for work, and the price was identical in $ as £, so it seemed like we could make a killing.

Trouble was, but the time we'd paid sales tax (8%, although I could have had a day trip to Delaware to avoid that), shipping (Continental wanted £200 to carry the bike), a bike bag, then VAT and import duty (I travel too much to risk getting caught) then it wasn't any cheaper at all. In fact, it cost more.

I guess what I am saying is that it's actually VAT (which is included in UK prices but hidden in the US as it varies state to state) and duty that skews the prices so much. In reality it's a lot closer to do it legally. A big difference if you're willing to run the risk though.

jehosophat

Running as I do my existing bikes on XTRM950-2 gear, I have had a lot of success buying parts second hand from the US, prices are often great and their postage is a lot lower than sending stuff from here to there too. But yes, go above a certain value and you get hit for tax. The second hand Blur Classic I just sold to make way for this bike was bought from the US and by the time I had paid tax and shipping and then bought and fitted a pro pack (the US shop allegedly changed the bearings but the pivots were shot) it was not cheap.

I could justify a new bike bag anyway - before our daughter was born I went abroad on Exodus MTB holidays with my brother every summer, and the bag I used then is knackered. Though I think I'd rather drive abroad with bikes now than fly, flying post 9-11 is just a total PITA compared to before. I used to carry all the tools and spares onto the plane in my hand baggage in the old days, to keep the weight of the bike bag and luggage down!!

Frodo1095

I would have to go with the Trc.
I was riding a Blur LT (alloy) then made the switch to the TRc and the difference is amazing.
I run mine with a 140mm fork at the front which gives a nice slack head angle (about 67 degrees) and makes it super stable and fun for the downhill portions whilst still remaining comfortable and steady on climbs.
Yes I get the odd bit of wander on very steep climbs or switchbacks but with good weight distribution it is easily sorted.
You can see my build in my signature, have made a couple of changes from the pictures. Now running it 1x10 with an XTR shadow plus rear derrailleur. Weighs 25lbs with pedals.
I also run a hardtail which is my winter / general riding bike when I am taking it a bit easier, but the TRc handles everything else.
Both the guys in the shop here run TRc's and we have over 100km of singletrack in the forest and this bike handles everything except the downhill course which was just used for the Oceania Championships.