Plan A, or plan B?

Kitz

So, I feel the need to do some tinkering/messing with my bike fleet. I'm selling a couple of roadies, hopefully soonish, and going all in on MTB trail riding. Just more fun!

My general riding will be on the Long Mynd, also some blue/red forestry trails locally. I also have Llandegla reasonably close, and quite fancy the tracks there, and the free ride area with a few drop offs and jumps.

I have currently a 2015 Kili flyer. Great nick, bit heavy, has a reverb dropper. So the options are,

Sell the roadies, trade in the Kili and get a Santa Cruz Bronson full carbon 150mm in the lower spec. Cost to me after the bikes, about £900.

Or... Make some changes to the Kili! New bars, shorter stem, 140mm fox CTD forks instead of the heavy 120mm's that are currently on it, couple of aesthetic things, probably new wheels and tyres, maybe even swap to 1x11 instead of 2x10 meaning a group set upgrade to XT. Everything lighter, but still the same frameset. Potentially the upgrades would be quality enough to swap to a new frame in due course as and when. Cost to me after the bikes, not a lot. Maybe a couple of hundred.

What would you do!?!

rockmonkeysc

Stick a set of Rockshox Pikes on the Saracen. The Fox CTD forks are absolutely terrible, about the worst performing fork you can buy.
The Bronson is completely overkill for your riding, even a 5010 would kill it. The Basic build Bronson is terrible value for money.

kickaxe

What about a Santa Cruz 5010 C R or a SC Hightower C? They should be more fun on most trails, just that bit more dynamic and a bit less sluggish...

Kitz

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Stick a set of Rockshox Pikes on the Saracen. The Fox CTD forks are absolutely terrible, about the worst performing fork you can buy.
The Bronson is completely overkill for your riding, even a 5010 would kill it. The Basic build Bronson is terrible value for money.

Cheers.

More I hear it the more I'm convinced that a 150 bike would be less than suitable. Cool.

The fork I'm looking at is the 32 Float CTD Evolution 2015 140mm 15mm QR. Are they really that bad? Seems pretty comparable to the rear shock on the bike, and I have to say from very limited experience so far I use the CTD a lot, and it seems to work very well. RS pike would be nice. Not in the same price catagory unfortunately!

Is this a brand loyalty thing? I've herd people can be pretty firmly in one camp or the other?

kickaxe

1. Those actually are some pretty bad forks
2. Rockmonkey is a MTB god, everything he says is true and he never exaggerates.
3. Yeah, if you have had specific brands for a while you will be more on their side than on the other

How about a 140 RS revelation?

rockmonkeysc

Check out the reviews for the 32 CTD forks. They were probably the worst forks Fox have ever made, especially the Evo models which were just dreadful.
If you're wanting to ride a bit harder then you'll want a fork with some rigidity. The Rockshox Pike, Marzocchi 350CR, X Fusion Sweep, Manitou Mattoc or Fox 34 (not CTD) would be the way to go.

Kitz

X fusion sweep RL2 look good.

Would 160 front 120 rear be a daft idea?

rockmonkeysc

You could get them dropped to 140mm.
I wouldn't go to 160 on a bike originally fitted with 120mm.

Kitz

RockmonkeySC wrote:

You could get them dropped to 140mm.
I wouldn't go to 160 on a bike originally fitted with 120mm.

Ok. Thanks. Think I might hold off on the forks until I've got a few quid more available and go for some 140mm Pikes. Ones currently on the bike are X fusion velvets 120mm, and review wise, I think I'd have to go past the fox and the other X fusions to really call it an upgrade. Pikes would be worth it though!

Thanks for the advice.

rockmonkeysc

Fox make some of the best forks but CTD were particularly bad and now dropped from their range.
140mm Pikes are rare but 150 or 160 Pikes can be shortened.

Kitz

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Fox make some of the best forks but CTD were particularly bad and now dropped from their range.
140mm Pikes are rare but 150 or 160 Pikes can be shortened.

Yeah can't find pikes in 140, and not really that keen on buying 150s or 160s and modding them down.

These any good? http://www.tredz.co.uk/.RockShox-Revela ... _80669.htm

kickaxe

A tiny bit flexy but not an issue really, and they are better than leaving your bike as is.

Kitz

Kickaxe wrote:

A tiny bit flexy but not an issue really, and they are better than leaving your bike as is.

Tiny bit shouldn't be a problem!

I swapped out the bars and stem on it today, and while getting it lined up I had the wheel locked between my feet and hands on the grips. Was suprised how much flex there was in the forks I have after it was all tightened up. They're X Fusion velvets 120mm btw. Hope the Rock Shocks should be a fair bit better. Tad lighter wouldn't go amis, although I'll be shedding weight soon enough with a new wheelset, XT group set, and Hope disks!

Kitz

As you can tell I've decided on the upgrades route! 3 stages, - forks, -wheels and brakes - group set. Following that, everything will be as good as I could want. Then I'll think on a new frame and build it up off the Kili. Also helping me to research and learn about each area of the bike as I go. Feels more complex that roadie stuff arm.

kajjal

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Fox make some of the best forks but CTD were particularly bad and now dropped from their range.
140mm Pikes are rare but 150 or 160 Pikes can be shortened.

They seemed like a good idea but CTD were dire forks compared to the competitors forks.

rockmonkeysc

Dropping the travel on Pikes is a really simple job and has no effect on warranty. Rockshox sell a kit to do it.
Revelations are OK, a bit flexy and slightly crude compared to the Pike but a lot better than Fox 32 or 34 CTD.