New Trail/AM bike

ej2320

Hi,

Any suggestions on a complete Trail or AM bike?

Looking for a good balance of value and quality frame for £2000-3000.

Like the look of Yeti, Lapierre, Transition, Nukeproof and Banshee.... Suggestions..?

Either 26" or 650b, not fussed about the new 650b craze...

Cheers

danlightbulb

I really like the look of the new Giant Trance, Trance Advanced and Trance SX as reported on in this article on this site:

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/news/artic ... ook-38013/

They've upped the travel to 140mm (160mm for the SX) and gone with the 650B wheels. Look like mean trail busting machines. Dunno when they are out. If I had the cash I'd probably wait for one of these.

Kowalski675

danlightbulb wrote:

I really like the look of the new Giant Trance, Trance Advanced and Trance SX

Me too.

ej2320

Good call, stocked locally so may be able to demo Giant.

Good value with the big brands but I love the look of the smaller brands like Yeti.

Not fussed about Carbon either I might add

Does anyone else think the 2014 Santa Cruz UK pricing is way too expensive considering the spec?..

Long_Time_Lurker

ej2320 wrote:

Does anyone else think the 2014 Santa Cruz UK pricing is way too expensive considering the spec?..

Yep...

poah

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/kona ... -prod95348

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/nuke ... -prod87480

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/comm ... -prod83516

ej2320

Hummmm... That Commencal looks nice, perhaps just a little too big and heavy...

97th choice

With a 2-3k budget you could look at two bikes rather than one that has to be suitable for everything

ej2320

It's a fair idea, but personally I'd rather get a good high spec bike rather than two
Thanks for the idea

lawman

The off the peg Santa Cruz builds are outrageously expensive. You could build one from a frame with the same components to the stock builds and it'd miles cheaper. They are shocking value and you'd be best off building from a frame. IMO when going for a brand like yeti, Santa Cruz etc its the best way to do it, the builds tend to be expensive and doing it your own way you can build it exactly how you want it. The new heckler looks like a great bike though I think you'd struggle to build up a Bronson or Solo for 3K, but you'd build a very nice heckler!

ej2320

I've always liked the idea of building my own bike, so it could be an option...

I can get a (2012 I think) Yeti ASR 5 frame from LBS for around £1250 with a fox RP2 shock, so could build that up
Otherwise it would be any 2013 Yeti frame or Nukeproof or 2014 Santa Cruz when in stock. Giant, Trek and Cube complete bikes are stocked locally too which is good value..

It's actually cheaper to buy a Santa Cruz from the US as Santa Cruz don't seem to think conversion rates apply to the UK. A Heckler frame is around £1400 but in the USA is $1300! ....:/

ej2320

lawman wrote:

The off the peg Santa Cruz builds are outrageously expensive. You could build one from a frame with the same components to the stock builds and it'd miles cheaper. They are shocking value and you'd be best off building from a frame. IMO when going for a brand like yeti, Santa Cruz etc its the best way to do it

Yeti isn't as bad, a new 575 with kashmina fork and rear 150mm with SLX and XT is around £3100, much better than a Santa Cruz but still not good value compared to the Big brands

sofaboy73

i'd be very tempted by one of the new SC hecklers. the last version was greta, but the geo tweeks on this version look like it will make a whole lot more fun. not bad value when you compare it to something like the nuke proof mega am whic, iirc, is £50 more expensiv

i'd also be very tempted by one of these - can't see how you could get a better spec for the cash

https://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbike ... ab-reiter2

ej2320

I would certainly consider a 2014 Heckler, I don't mind the single pivot design as long as the shock has the fox CTD or similar to eliminate pedal bob. That goes for Yeti 575 and Orange five. In terms of frame only what brands should I look at? Obviously SC and Yeti...

Complete builds I will probably have to look at the big brands

I agree with the fact Canyon are great spec so I'd consider Canyon or YT Industries

The other option is 2nd hand of course, Im guessing lots of great 26 inch bikes for sale when people want 650b...

ej2320

I really like the look of the new Giant Trance, Trance Advanced and Trance SX

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/categ ... 75-0-47464

They seem to like the Trance, some components can be swapped or the fork will be different on a higher spec model..
But this new frame will be a really contender, can' t wait to see all the different models available

Goggs-san

New Trance 2014 bikes and specs are up on the Giant US site. Not 100% on what bikes the UK gets though.

Kowalski675

ej2320 wrote:

I really like the look of the new Giant Trance, Trance Advanced and Trance SX

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/categ ... 75-0-47464

They seem to like the Trance, some components can be swapped or the fork will be different on a higher spec model..
But this new frame will be a really contender, can' t wait to see all the different models available

If you look at the thumbnail gallery on the other link, there's pics of most models:

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gallery/ar ... look-38013

ej2320

Giant along with Trek and Cube will be possibilities due to the decent value.. Lapierre too

Any others? Transition look good but are a bit pricey

Frame only SC and Yeti...?

lostboysaint

Rode most of them. Transition Bandit. Ridden a few since, still on the Bandit.

ej2320

What sorta build you got? Cost?

No doubt it's a great bike but Im on a budget.. Do they sell frame only? Could build it with a nice 150mm pike

lostboysaint

Yes, they sell frame only, that's how I did mine.

If you do a search you'll find mine in the "Your bike" thread.

ej2320

Looks like a nice build, undoubtably good on climbs but how does it manage tricky rocks and blacks?

Can you bud it with a 150mm fork?

jairaj

Another Bandit fan here. Tried quite few bikes beforehand, Trek, Giant, etc ... and the Bandit was by far the best bike for me. Has really fun nature to it but also pedals really well and climbs well too. Really good all rounder.

I also built mine up from frame only had a bunch of nice components on my old bike that I transplanted over. The Bandit works pretty good at 150mm (temporally running some 150mm Sektors while my Revs get fixed). Slackens the front end out a little but its still gets up tricky climbs fine.

ej2320

I'm seriously considering a frame only then building it..

A full build Bandit is around £3300 with decent spec, kashmina fox shock and fork, SRAM X7 and X9 ect ...
Would it be cheaper to buy a frame for £1400 and build it up?

I noticed Titus El Guapo frame which is £800 with a Cane Creek DB air shock.. Are Titus any good or is it just cheap and poorly made?

Cheers

rockmonkeysc

As much as I like Giants full sus frames I wouldn't buy a complete bike. There full builds are terrible value.

jairaj

The El Guapo got a good write up here but I think they said it was on the heavier side and really needed to be ridden hard on steep technical terrain to make the most of it.

ej2320

Ok, thanks for that El Guapo might be a bit too big for my type of riding

I'm really confused now to be honest, I think I'll wait for the 2014 bikes and just demo ones that look good
Then decide from there if Im gonna buy it complete or build it, I don't have many tools so my LBS would end up building most of it...

jairaj

Demoing is definitely the way forward. You'll be surprised just how different the bikes feel. Also everyone's preferences are different too.

You can do most the things on a bike with just a set of allen keys leave stuff like bottom brackets to the LBS if you don't want to get the tools.

ej2320

I'm really convinced by the heckler and Bandit from what everyone's saying so may consider a custom build

My LBS tells me Transition will be making a 650b Bandit, shame cause the 26" parts will be going cheap since everyone's decided to focus on 650b

rockmonkeysc

Go for this year's 26" Bandit if you don't want 650B

YeehaaMcgee

Worth checking out the evergreen Marin Mount Vision too. It's always been a devastatingly versatile machine.