Whyte 529 vs Trek Cobia

sirkewell

Hi... Looking to get a hard tail 29er. The two bikes I like the look of are the Whyte 529 and the Trek Cobia. Can anyone offer any comments on which bike appears to offer better value in terms of spec? Would really appreciate any advice as I'm just starting so not too great at comparing components.

http://www.whytebikes.com/2013/product.php?

http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/mountain/cross_country/29er_race/cobia/#/uk/en/model/details?url=uk/en/bikes/mountain/cross_country/29er_race/cobia

Many thanks.

tarbot18

The whyte has a dire fork and poor spec , the trek has a far better fork and spec elsewhere too.

cr250noob

Love my Cobia. Ive taken it around Cannock countless times and done Llandegla a couple of times too. Have done long club rides where trails are linked by some road riding and it handles it all well without problems. Climbs really well, really noticed this when using a Carrera Vulcan while waiting on the new bb. On really tight slow corners can feel a bit long but think that's 29er's for you.
In the last 12 months I've only had to replace the BB. Its a Truvativ powerspline and took around 6 weeks to get in at my lbs. Not sure if it was a blip in supply or what. Headset bearings also starting to feel a little worn now but in all honesty I've ridden it in some crappy gloopy conditions. I own a 17.5" frame and it fits me well @ 5' 9ish. Does feel a little stretched at times but not that much of an issue.
I'm now in the market for a full Sus bike but keeping the cobia for xc orientated rides as I love it that much.

sirkewell

Thanks for the feedback and advice. I have gone for the Cobia which sounds like the right choice based on your comments. I did have a test ride in the shop car park and felt very nice but difficult to tell from 5 mins in a car park.

Thanks again for the help.

IceDog77

I had exactly the same choice between 2 a few months ago. Both ride great and yes the Cobia has a better spec, but the Whyte is an awesome piece if kit and I am properly into their brand. So I went with the 529 in the end and haven't looked back.