SINGLE TRACK BIKE for £1000? Help needed ...

danuneek

Hello,

Wondering whether anyone can help make my mind up on what bike to get.

I've been riding for a while now using a 2006 GT Avalanche hardtail. The bike has wider bars, shorter stem etc ... as I have been riding Stainburn in Yorkshire every other weekend. I'm particularly into single track, but do have a tendency to try big drop offs. I also ride Sherwood Pines which is quite a bit different to Stainburn in the sense there are less hills and its more an XC track.

As you can imagine from riding Stainburn my GT is wrecked and I need a new bike. I think the time has come to upgrade to a FS. I recently went to Whinlatter in the Lakes and hired a Cube Cross country bike. I was surprised how much better I was on a good bike having struggled with my GT. I did pinch the tyre on the Cube though

Anyway I have about £1000 to spend. I know its not much and everyone says you can't get a decent FS for that price. But, I've been having a look around and its come down to either a pretty decent second hand bike or an entry level brand new one.

So the brand new bikes I'm looking at are: Canyon Nerve AM 6, Giant Trance X3 2011 and Saracen Ariel 3 2011.

But then looking at what I can get from the second hand market, I've been looking at the Specialized Enduro 2009/2010, Commencial Meta 5.5 2010 (for £750 in great nick), Specialized Rockhopper FS 2010.

I think its a case of been indecisive and there been too many options. I'm really tempted by the Commencial Meta though. Just a bit worried it will be too heavy.

Ideally I'm after something that can handle the downhill sections at Stainburn but also be great on the single track routes at Sherwood Pines. So be strong enough to handle these but also be light and quick.

Suggestions ...

Cheers

Dan.

EH_Rob

For a little bit more I recently got a Santa Cruz Nomad second hand, which sounds like the sort of thing you'd be after. If you can afford to save for a bit longer then do that.

The Rookie

Links, you want the help, you put in the effort.

The Boardman is nowhere near an AM bike.

Personally I'd buy good used for a genuine all mountain usage however Stainburn is Trail not AM, where will you take the bike that needs an AM one rather than a tough trail bike? (AM being worse for what you currently use your bike for)

danuneek

The Beginner wrote:

Links, you want the help, you put in the effort.

The Boardman is nowhere near an AM bike.

Personally I'd buy good used for a genuine all mountain usage however Stainburn is Trail not AM, where will you take the bike that needs an AM one rather than a tough trail bike? (AM being worse for what you currently use your bike for)

Your right, that was my thoughts around the Boardman etc ... that's why I'm looking more at a good second hand bike. Most of the riding I will be doing is Trail so it needs to be a tough trail bike. So the Commencial Meta 5.5 ticks that box? I don't really want to spend loads because I have other commitments. Also the GT is broken so I'm bike-less until I get a new one - so can't afford to save. Other trails I'll be riding is Sherwood Pines. Would the Rockhopper sit under the AM bracket?

Link to Meta http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1220990/

danuneek

EH_Rob wrote:

For a little bit more I recently got a Santa Cruz Nomad second hand, which sounds like the sort of thing you'd be after. If you can afford to save for a bit longer then do that.

How much did you get that for?

mcnultycop

Canyon don't do the Nerve AM anymore (other than last year's stock, none of which looks to be the 6).

The replacement, the Nerve AL+ starts at about £1500 delivered, so a bit over your price range.

nfiore

Don't know which Cube you have tried, but I am selling my AMS 125 with Formula K24 brakes, it is listed on Bike Radar. It is kitted with Fox RP23 rear shock with lock out, Fox Talas 32 RLC forks, Deore XT crank, SRAM X9 shifters and rear mech. This bike will do all of your single track and have known others to have thrown this model down a DH track, it has 125mm rear travel and 100mm to 140mm front travel. Price = £750 + carriage

viewtopic.php?f=40089&t=12887965

EH_Rob

danuneek wrote:

EH_Rob wrote:

For a little bit more I recently got a Santa Cruz Nomad second hand, which sounds like the sort of thing you'd be after. If you can afford to save for a bit longer then do that.

How much did you get that for?

None of your business you cheeky swine. It's a 2007, so has a few years on it, but spent the last two of those doing nowt.

I think you can do better than the Commencal you linked to - basic shock and crap brakes in my view. Although if you could get him down on price you'd have some spare cash to upgrade.

If nothing takes your fancy on Pinkbike (lots of people have overinflated expectations of their bikes value) then the Trance would be a good shout. Nice bikes, way more capable than 125mm of travel suggests.

rockmonkeysc

You don't need an AM bike for the riding you describe. A Trance is more than up to the job. I regularly sent mine across road gaps and off 6' drops and it coped extremely well

mac_man

the Saracens were very well regarded when they came out and many people classed them as a 'DH light' bike. A tad heavy but bomb proof.
What about a Heckler? Simple no nonsense build.

LJ.

They got a few deals on at Merlin Mondraker and Commencal like this but most are only 120mm http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/b ... -2012.html

rockmonkeysc

LJ. wrote:

They got a few deals on at Merlin Mondraker and Commencal like this but most are only 120mm http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/b ... -2012.html

Whats wrong with only 120mm travel? Thats all the OP will need for his style of riding and geometry counts for more than travel. a 120mm Giant Trance is as capable as a 140mm Specialized Stumpjumper or Lappierre Zesty

danuneek

Does anyone know how much lighter the Giant Trance is than the Commencial Meta?

And would the Giant be alright riding Stainburn every other weekend?