Another £2K Full Suss post. Too much choice!

davestourbus

Evening.
I currently have a 2012 Giant Anthem which I bought used about 2 years ago and it now has a crack in the frame. Turns out I'm its third owner so no chance of warranty replacement.
Anyhow, I've been looking at upgrading to something more modern, a longer, slacker and with 130-150 mm.
I can get the following for between £1700 - £2300 but I can get some discount off the 2016 bikes which brings them into my price range
I've narrowed it down to:
2016 Giant Trance Advanced 2,
2015 Giant Trance 1,
2016 Lapierre Zesty AM 327
2015 Spesh SJ 29 Evo

The only thing that is putting me off the Advanced is the Sektor fork. Like the carbon main frame, sizeing, geo, brakes, dropper. Can live with SRAM GX until it wears out.
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bik ... ifications

Pauls Cylces are doing a 2015 Trance 1 for £1700. Cant see any negatives.
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bi ... ifications

The Zestys sizing and geo was spot on and its also got a Fox 34 up front and a KS Lev. But its heavy at 14.6KG!
http://www.lapierre-bikes.co.uk/2016/zesty-am-327

And I really like the Spesh SJ 29 Evo. Less travel than the above. The 2016 is meant to be better and its full retail currently.
http://www.freeborn.co.uk/specialized-s ... vo-29-2015

Any advice/recommendations would be most welcome and experiences, if any of riding the above. Would consider a frame only plus build if I can keep it all within £2K.

Cheers

Dave

rockmonkeysc

The Trance Advanced has a great frame but the rest is pretty rubbish.
The Fox 34 on the Zesty is just terrible.
The Trance 1 is pretty good for the money.
The Stumpjumper has an absolutely excellent frame, ignore the amount of suspension travel. If anything it's a harder riding bike than the Trance. It is let down by a fork with all the rigidity of a wet noodle. Swap the fork for a Rockshox Pike and it'll be an awesome bike.

kickaxe

I'd go for the alu Trance, it's a great bike, also a surprisingly good climber.

Briggo

I'd thoroughly recommend the Trance, I absolutely love my Trance Advanced 1 2016.

However the kit on the 2 isn't all that, sell a kidney and up your budget to get the 1 (or just get the alu version).

clint29

Whyte T130s yari it's a fantastic bike.

kickaxe

Fortunately for all alu Trance owners, the carbon frame really doesn't weigh much less than the la one at all, I would definitely focus on spec rather than frame material.

davestourbus

Cheers for the input everyone. The guy in the LBS rates the alu Trance very highly, think its the novelty of carbon that was leading me down the advanced route! Frame quality and suspension quality are key factors but having owned bikes with an affordable RS Tora and basic Fox Float I've never got to the price point that includes Pikes, 36's etc.
The RS Revelations seem to be a good compromise on both of the 2015 bikes so I think its going to be toss up between the Trance 1 and SJ Evo and they can be both had for £1700.

First world problems eh!

Briggo

Kickaxe wrote:

Fortunately for all alu Trance owners, the carbon frame really doesn't weigh much less than the la one at all, I would definitely focus on spec rather than frame material.

Weight is a factor, but its also about structural rigidity or flexibility which carbon can provide more so.

That and bragging rights.

rockmonkeysc

Although the Trance and Stumpjumper both have Revelations they one is good and the other is terrible.
The 29er Revelation flexes REALLY badly. So much that it causes drag in the bushes and stops it working properly over rough ground and stops it holding a line.