Full susp for £1k - £1.5k

kajjal

The trick with FS bikes is to have a budget that allows you to get what you want. If buying new and your budget is too low you can end up with a bike that makes you think what if I spent more or possibly second hand would have got a better deal. It is more costly to upgrade a bike later than buy in the first place with that spec normally.

Slightly older bikes available at reduced prices brand new will be fine for most people and help you get a better deal if you want a new bike with the shop support that gives you.

danlightbulb

larkim wrote:

Didn't this thread start with "I can only justify spending £1k, £1.5k max?

The reality surely is that the more you spend the less you get (relatively). Set the max you want to pay, add 10% wiggle room and then only look at bikes in that price bracket and don't get carried away looking at more expensive ones!

Yeah true. Then I started seeing whats available. There isnt alot of choice for £1.5k. Its the Calibre, the Boardman or a Vitus Escarpe on sale price which i missed and may not see again. Both the Calibre and the Boardman have obvious limitations. Its the fork with the calibre and the lack of boost/bolt through with the Boardman.

At £2k there still isnt much choice.

At £2.5k its the top range Escarpe or the Bird, neither of which have any obvious limitations.

jamski

danlightbulb wrote:

larkim wrote:

Didn't this thread start with "I can only justify spending £1k, £1.5k max?

The reality surely is that the more you spend the less you get (relatively). Set the max you want to pay, add 10% wiggle room and then only look at bikes in that price bracket and don't get carried away looking at more expensive ones!

Yeah true. Then I started seeing whats available. There isnt alot of choice for £1.5k. Its the Calibre, the Boardman or a Vitus Escarpe on sale price which i missed and may not see again. Both the Calibre and the Boardman have obvious limitations. Its the fork with the calibre and the lack of boost/bolt through with the Boardman.

At £2k there still isnt much choice.

At £2.5k its the top range Escarpe or the Bird, neither of which have any obvious limitations.

I think you're starting to confuse what you WANT with what you NEED. You can spec a perfectly adequate Bird for less than £2.5k. The Boardman does have bolt through at both ends, just not boost, but do you NEED that? You said you've been riding a £500 Rockrider for years, any of the discussed bikes will be a step up and last you an equally long time.

jamski

Right, here's my point. The below, is a cracking bike, absolutely brilliant, and on a frame what is worth keeping and 'upgrading' in the future. I specced the rt3 shock and SLX drivechain as I know climbing was an issue. The revelation uses the exact same outer as a Pike now. It can easily be made to 140mm in the future, you can add a chain guide in time. If the brakes don't do it for you then you can change them or just swap the front rotor to the rear and add a 200mm to the front for very little money. These bikes climb like a mountain goat and go downhill probably better than you'll ever be able to, that's certainly the case for me.

If you're happy spending £2k plus, get one of these.

If you want to spend under £2k get the Vitus and sod the fact it was on offer.

If you want to spend even less, get one of the Calibres.

I'll keep watching this thread, but we're going round in circles now, I'll try not to comment. Whatever you end up with, you'll enjoy it!


how to delete match com

JBA

danlightbulb - have you checked with any of the potential suppliers that they are happy to sell you a bike using a combination of cycle scheme voucher and cash? Technically you are not allowed to do it as the bike will then be under dual ownership - your employer and you.
The rider does not own a bike bought via a cycle scheme. The employer owns it and leases it to the employee for a set time. Ownership only passes to the employee after the final payment has been made.

I hope you know that already but thought I'd point it out in case you finally decide on a bike but then find you can't buy it.

tallpaul_s

jamski wrote:

If you're happy spending £2k plus, get one of these.

If you want to spend under £2k get the Vitus and sod the fact it was on offer.

If you want to spend even less, get one of the Calibres.

Pretty much this. Only you can decide if you want to spend the extra few hundred to get the bird.

The third option is to wait and hope that the Vitus goes on sale in the next few weeks.

All 3 bikes will be more than capable of doing what you want, with a massive performance increase over your current bike - and each bike as they increase in cost will have a smaller increase in performance as you go up.

It's the law of diminishing returns. A £2000 bike isn't 2x as good as a £1000 bike, and so-on. However all the bikes listed will be multiple times better than your current bike!

Ultimately it comes down to how much you want to spend. Set a strict budget and stick to it, allowing for 10% budget creep.

danlightbulb

Re cyclescheme - yes ive checked i can put extra.

@jamski. ive specced similar, thanks for posting. I have to add £100 cyclescheme tax to that price plus pedals so its about £130 higher making it £2400. If im spending £2400 it seems silly not to spend a couple hundred more for pikes and better brakes so say £2600. I then get the approx £250 tax rebate so im paying around £2350 total. I dont NEED pikes but we are talking just 8% incremental cost. The only benefit id get by spending more than this is weight saving i guess, so in my mind is that price point the optimum point? Dont get me wrong though, it feels a little high to me, hence my reticence to proceed. If there was more choice at the £2k price pointId be happier there.

I did the same when i bought a digital piano. I spent £2k on a model that had wooden keys. I could have spent £1500 on a model without wooden keys and i could have spent twice as much on sonething with a much better amp and speaker system. but i reasoned that im at the optimum position. ill never NEED wooden keys, and im not by any means a very good player. But ill never need to change it (unless it breaks).

I dont have a fixed budget as such. but whatever i spend ill want to feel like i got as close to perfection as possible for the optimal amount of money. Obviously im not entirely happy spending £2.5k. Id rather be at £2k.

tallpaul_s

danlightbulb wrote:

If im spending £2400 it seems silly not to spend a couple hundred more for pikes and better brakes so say £2600. I then get the approx £250 tax rebate so im paying around £2350 total. I dont NEED pikes but we are talking just 8% incremental cost. The only benefit id get by spending more than this is weight saving i guess, so in my mind is that price point the optimum point? Dont get me wrong though, it feels a little high to me, hence my reticence to proceed. If there was more choice at the £2k price pointId be happier there.

And this is how you end up spending 2/3x your original budget we've all done it.

When I was looking at bikes, the escarpe was £1665 after discount. Now the canyon spectral is £2k for the cheapest model. But then I said to myself, if I spend an extra £300 I'll get GX eagle, better wheels and won't need to change any of that stuff later. £2300 it is then.

But... If I'm spending £2300 I may as well get the carbon version which I'd never want to change for a few years!! That's £2700 then.

All of a sudden I'm £1000 over my original budget, for a first full suspension bike that I'll never get anywhere near the limits of for at least a few years. Then I reigned it in and got the escarpe at £1665. Which is still more than capable for me, and once my riding has improved I'll look at upgrading to a better TS bike for £2500-£3000 (in the sales) in 6-12 months time.

Oh and mountain bikes ARE things that you'll change over the years, as your riding develops you'll maybe want different tyres, or wider/narrower bars, or brakes with more modulation, or a wider gear range, or better suspension feel and you'll want to upgrade components as they wear our, or just because you want to alter the feel of the bike or how it performs.

I dare say most people but a piano and keep it as they bought it for years. Most mountain bikers don't buy a bike and keep it the same for years

danlightbulb

TallPaul_S wrote:

and once my riding has improved I'll look at upgrading to a better TS bike for £2500-£3000 (in the sales) in 6-12 months time.

Oh and mountain bikes ARE things that you'll change over the years, as your riding develops you'll maybe want different tyres, or wider/narrower bars, or brakes with more modulation, or a wider gear range, or better suspension feel and you'll want to upgrade components as they wear our, or just because you want to alter the feel of the bike or how it performs.

I dare say most people but a piano and keep it as they bought it for years. Most mountain bikers don't buy a bike and keep it the same for years

But youre buying twice which costs more in the long run. 6-12 months is nothing. Why do i need to wait for my riding to improve rather than allowing it to improve within a better specced bike from the outset?

My current HT all i changed on it was wider bars and conti black chilli tyres once id ridden it for a couple months and realised there was no grip. The BB wore out so swapped that, and new chain when that wore out.

jamski

danlightbulb wrote:

Re cyclescheme - yes ive checked i can put extra.

@jamski. ive specced similar, thanks for posting. I have to add £100 cyclescheme tax to that price plus pedals so its about £130 higher making it £2400. If im spending £2400 it seems silly not to spend a couple hundred more for pikes and better brakes so say £2600. I then get the approx £250 tax rebate so im paying around £2350 total. I dont NEED pikes but we are talking just 8% incremental cost. The only benefit id get by spending more than this is weight saving i guess, so in my mind is that price point the optimum point? Dont get me wrong though, it feels a little high to me, hence my reticence to proceed. If there was more choice at the £2k price pointId be happier there.

I did the same when i bought a digital piano. I spent £2k on a model that had wooden keys. I could have spent £1500 on a model without wooden keys and i could have spent twice as much on sonething with a much better amp and speaker system. but i reasoned that im at the optimum position. ill never NEED wooden keys, and im not by any means a very good player. But ill never need to change it (unless it breaks).

I dont have a fixed budget as such. but whatever i spend ill want to feel like i got as close to perfection as possible for the optimal amount of money. Obviously im not entirely happy spending £2.5k. Id rather be at £2k.

Ok, I can't stop posting. You don't NEED better brakes, trust me! I'm running Deores and they've more than stopped me so far and I'd take them down anything without question! So you're spending money for the sake of it. More expensive brakes wont do any more, apart from cost more money. Of course there's a point where you need bigger, 'better' brakes, but for what you've described, and a lot more they're more than good enough. I honestly can't help but feel you do know what you want, but for some reason can't bring yourself to actually commit. The forks, I can't comment, as I have Pikes, but the reason I got those is by Boardman had Pikes and I didn't want to feel any part of this bike was a downgrade on that one.

At the end of the day, we buy bikes to ride. There's always another model, or part, or sale, or upgrade around the corner. Just buy one and enjoy it.

tallpaul_s

danlightbulb wrote:

TallPaul_S wrote:

and once my riding has improved I'll look at upgrading to a better TS bike for £2500-£3000 (in the sales) in 6-12 months time.

Oh and mountain bikes ARE things that you'll change over the years, as your riding develops you'll maybe want different tyres, or wider/narrower bars, or brakes with more modulation, or a wider gear range, or better suspension feel and you'll want to upgrade components as they wear our, or just because you want to alter the feel of the bike or how it performs.

I dare say most people but a piano and keep it as they bought it for years. Most mountain bikers don't buy a bike and keep it the same for years

But youre buying twice which costs more in the long run. 6-12 months is nothing. Why do i need to wait for my riding to improve rather than allowing it to improve within a better specced bike from the outset?

My current HT all i changed on it was wider bars and conti black chilli tyres once id ridden it for a couple months and realised there was no grip. The BB wore out so swapped that, and new chain when that wore out.

True, I'll be buying twice but for me I couldn't justify spending £2k+ on a first MTB after a 15 year break, especially considering I was originally looking to buy a Hardtail for £1200. I've already got in my head what i want to do bike-wise, this winter get a Cube Stereo 140 in the sales, then sell the Vitus frame and transfer the parts onto a steel or titanium hardtail, so i'll have 2 bikes. Having bought the Vitus I now know it's a little bit too long for my riding and I probably should have bought the size L instead. When I get the Cube I may go for the L or XL, both are a fair bit shorter than my Escarpe. If I'd bought the same size bike for £2600 I'd now be feeling a bit crap in that I'd either need to keep it and deal with it, or change it and loose a load of money. If I want to change the Vitus it's much less painful on my wallet!

There's nothing wrong with having a very good bike to start with, just be aware that as you get better you might realise that the bike you bought isn't quite right for you - in 6-12 months your riding will have changed loads, you'll be taking on stuff you never thought possible on the hardtail.

If you're happy spending the extra for the Bird then I don't think anyone here will say 'Don't do it' as they're awesome bikes. We're just saying that you don't 'need' the upgrades and they won't make you a better rider, they may give a few % extra performance but that's all. Deore brakes are a classic example. I've love a set of Hope E4's. Do I need them? No way! Even at 30+mph on rocky gravelly flat out descent my little Deores with 180mm discs stopped me just fine. I might upgrade to a 203mm rotor for £20 at some point but there's no rush for that.

jamski

TallPaul_S wrote:

danlightbulb wrote:

TallPaul_S wrote:

and once my riding has improved I'll look at upgrading to a better TS bike for £2500-£3000 (in the sales) in 6-12 months time.

Oh and mountain bikes ARE things that you'll change over the years, as your riding develops you'll maybe want different tyres, or wider/narrower bars, or brakes with more modulation, or a wider gear range, or better suspension feel and you'll want to upgrade components as they wear our, or just because you want to alter the feel of the bike or how it performs.

I dare say most people but a piano and keep it as they bought it for years. Most mountain bikers don't buy a bike and keep it the same for years

But youre buying twice which costs more in the long run. 6-12 months is nothing. Why do i need to wait for my riding to improve rather than allowing it to improve within a better specced bike from the outset?

My current HT all i changed on it was wider bars and conti black chilli tyres once id ridden it for a couple months and realised there was no grip. The BB wore out so swapped that, and new chain when that wore out.

True, I'll be buying twice but for me I couldn't justify spending £2k+ on a first MTB after a 15 year break, especially considering I was originally looking to buy a Hardtail for £1200. I've already got in my head what i want to do bike-wise, this winter get a Cube Stereo 140 in the sales, then sell the Vitus frame and transfer the parts onto a steel or titanium hardtail, so i'll have 2 bikes. Having bought the Vitus I now know it's a little bit too long for my riding and I probably should have bought the size L instead. When I get the Cube I may go for the L or XL, both are a fair bit shorter than my Escarpe. If I'd bought the same size bike for £2600 I'd now be feeling a bit crap in that I'd either need to keep it and deal with it, or change it and loose a load of money. If I want to change the Vitus it's much less painful on my wallet!

There's nothing wrong with having a very good bike to start with, just be aware that as you get better you might realise that the bike you bought isn't quite right for you - in 6-12 months your riding will have changed loads, you'll be taking on stuff you never thought possible on the hardtail.

If you're happy spending the extra for the Bird then I don't think anyone here will say 'Don't do it' as they're awesome bikes. We're just saying that you don't 'need' the upgrades and they won't make you a better rider, they may give a few % extra performance but that's all. Deore brakes are a classic example. I've love a set of Hope E4's. Do I need them? No way! Even at 30+mph on rocky gravelly flat out descent my little Deores with 180mm discs stopped me just fine. I might upgrade to a 203mm rotor for £20 at some point but there's no rush for that.

I totally agree with this. You've posted asking for advise. People that have been riding full suss for many years have advised based on where you're riding and your budget. I've personally ridden 6 different bikes in the last 18 months, four of those I've owned! So when I say things about brakes, shocks, forks, geometry, I have a frame of reference. I wouldn't have known what brake modulation was if it smacked my in the face 18 months ago!

My point is, if you're spending £2k plus on a bike, you want to get it right, which we're trying to help you with. Both in terms of what to buy, but also what not to. However, I agree with Paul, you'll find what you want, what you like, what works for you, by riding. So perhaps, it's best to spend the voucher now, get a Bossnut EVO, then save that extra £1.5k you seem to have for 12 months time. You can get another voucher then, and you'll be in a better position to know what YOU want from a £2k+ bike.

tallpaul_s

This is the spec I'd go for on the Bird Aeris 120, comes out at £2050, plus £100 for the C2W scheme. Then you'll need to buy a brand X XL dropper for £100 from CRC. So £2250 total - this is the cheapest option for the Aeris. As you're not keen on spending £2500, if you want the bird this is the cheapest way to do it.



It doesn't have pikes, but the Revelations are more than capable and can be upgraded later. Again deore brakes and these are more than capable.

Not a single thing on this bike will hold you back in any way. An extra £110 for the pike RC isn't a bad option - but that means you're up to £2360...

Then, I would compare the Aeris in this spec with the Vitus and see what you're getting for your extra £400. It's basically the frame (and better service but there's not an actual £ cost figure for that) - everything else is the same or the same level.

As above, nothing wrong with upgrading to pikes, but don't feel you need to do it if you're trying to keep the cost down

jamski wrote:

I totally agree with this. You've posted asking for advise. People that have been riding full suss for many years have advised based on where you're riding and your budget. I've personally ridden 6 different bikes in the last 18 months, four of those I've owned! So when I say things about brakes, shocks, forks, geometry, I have a frame of reference. I wouldn't have known what brake modulation was if it smacked my in the face 18 months ago!

My point is, if you're spending £2k plus on a bike, you want to get it right, which we're trying to help you with. Both in terms of what to buy, but also what not to. However, I agree with Paul, you'll find what you want, what you like, what works for you, by riding. So perhaps, it's best to spend the voucher now, get a Bossnut EVO, then save that extra £1.5k you seem to have for 12 months time. You can get another voucher then, and you'll be in a better position to know what YOU want from a £2k+ bike.

I'm in the same boat, in the last 6 months I've ridden 8 different full suspension bikes *(for full list see below) ranging from £1850 (my own!) to £5500's worth. The £5500 worth one was completely the wrong bike and not what I needed. 29er, long and very slack. The spec was amazing, but even though it had carbon wheels and expensive forks I barely noticed the difference. I've ridden shimano and sram brakes and although I prefer the sram 'feel' I wasn't able to get the bite point far enough out for me. Hence wanting to give hope brakes a try. Changing the spec from Sram brakes to SLX brakes may be a decision that takes a split second, but it's one that could end up with the rider hating the bike and not being able to ride anything with confidence. I know that I was actually scared to apply the front XT brake in the wet and slippy conditions I rode it in as it was so damn grabby I felt like I'd lock the wheel up instantly. other people hate the 'mushy' feel of SRAM brakes and love Shimano.

I prefer Fox forks to Rockshox but I know that the Fox 34 is a little too flexy for my liking. 35mm rockshoxs are fine in comparison but not as good over small bumps. The Fox 36 2018 Factory is bloody awesome!!

Getting to know all this stuff only comes from riding bikes.


Stuff I've ridden:
Vitus Escarpe VR 27.5
Canyon Spectral CF 8.0
Specialized Stumpjumper 29
Focus e-bike
Whyte S-150 C-Works
Whyte T-130S
Cube Stereo HPC Race 140
Cube Stereo HPC TM 140

larkim

In the real world of some who is only getting into a full suss bike now, I'd bet a substantial sum that if it were possible to hide the component parts names from you and give you a "blind test" you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between some of the things you are fretting about speccing because you simply won't be pushing the components into the zone where their "better" nature is noticeable. Speaking as someone who got rid of a Suntour XCR fork on a bike and replaced with a set of Recon Gold forks and can barely tell the difference because I'm crap at riding, I think you need to be making reasonably big changes in hierarchy to really notice anything if you're not already quite good.

Things like adding a dropper, going 1x, going from x9 to x11, going from cable to hydro brakes, putting on the right tyres with the right pressure vs the cheap ones that came with the bike etc you can tell the difference. If I put a Reba on instead of the Recon, could I tell? Almost certainly not. Might I wish to buy that upgrade in the future because I know it is "better" (specific example may be a crap one!), maybe I'll treat myself.

You're down a rabbit hole of indecision. If you can afford £2500 and your better half isn't going to make your life hell and all that will happen is you have £500-£1000 less in a generous savings account that you keep for a rainy day, just spend it because you know it'll be a good choice. If having £500 less in your bank account will mean the difference between a nice holiday abroad and a week B&B in Newquay for your holidays, just spend less and be reassured that there are good choices out there!

danlightbulb

Im looking again at the Boardman and what concerns me is how steep it looks and short wheelbase compared to the ones ive been looking at. Spec wise, with pikes, it looks good.

It has an offset seatpost. Does this create an issue fitting a dropper? Does it have stealth dropper routing?

The rims are narrower too, although wider than current bike. Would need to swap front the front tyre too.

Should the geometry concern me, if i have the option to spend more?

tallpaul_s

Have you got a link to the exact one with the geometry? As I know you can't get it from Halfords.

An offset seatpost isn't bad, a lot of bikes have them - it does lengthen the reach a little.

edit: found it:



Size medium, it's only 29mm shorter than a Medium Escarpe, and 68.5 degrees vs 66.5.

The rims are narrow by todays standards at 19mm, if you want to fit 2.5" tyres you'd need 27mm or wider.

You're gaining in a lot of areas (fork, brakes etc) but losing in others (rims). Upgrading the wheels shouldn't be more than a couple of hundred though.

danlightbulb

Yeah so that reach will lower if i fit a standard dropper post wont it, cos it wont be an offset post.

And the wheelbase is about 50-70mm shorter than the likes of Bird and Vitus.

tallpaul_s

Could you size up to a Large? Not sure if the seat tube would be too long, you might get away with a 120mm dropper.

danlightbulb

Only 19mm rims is that right? That seems like a pretty major issue really. if i start having to spend £200 on rims then £150 for dropper and tyre im up to £1650 already.

jamski

You can get layback droppers if you don't want to lose the 10mm, or fit a 10mm longer stem? As for the rims, they'll happily take a 2.3 Maxxis Minion DHF 3C. I know this because I ran it on mine, and it was brilliant. Should you eventually want a wider rim just get a new front one. Can pick up a Hope for £100. As it's not boost you're not going to be running 2.8s in there though, which is fine by the way. The Boardman is a cracking first full suss. It has stealth routing for a dropper.

joebristol

Just to add I ran 2.4” mountain king black chillis lm those 19mm rims. No dramas with either clearance or the tyre rolling.

You wouldn’t need to change them straight out - I used them for 2 years and even then I had no plans to change them. All I felt the need to do was dropper / extend fork travel to 150 (mine was 130mm) / change the plastic tyres after a year of use and go 1x10. Oh, and a wider handlebar.

With the newer Boardman I think the head angle is a degree slacker, you’ve already got a 1x drivetrain and it has stealth routing for a dropper.

It’s in no way a short steep bike and a year or so ago you wouldn’t even be thinking that. It’s just the current marketing machine going crazy for it.

danlightbulb

Im hestitent to be honest. I was getting quite keen until i found out about the rims. This years rims are normally 30mm thats over 50% wider. Are they tubeless ready?

Its adding up to a few too many shortcomings, compared to current year bikes. Yes i know it will be better than what i have now.

Damn it

tallpaul_s

As said the rims will be fine for 2.3" tyres, and the reach is pretty normal, I'm 6ft 3in and on a size L with 458mm reach I felt right at home. It won't cause you can issues.

I have 27mm internal with 2.5 WT tyres, don't be put off by one thing when wheat you're getting on the rest of the bike is far above any other bike spec at the price.

jamski

Not tubeless ready, but all tubeless ready is, is rim tape. Whatever you get it will come with tubes anyway, unless you get a Bird. I would 100% take the Boardman over the Calibre BBB. Better fork, shock and brakes. I think your biggest decision is are you going for the £1-1.5k category, the £1.5-2k or the £2k plus.

Than we can talk again. There are too many variables and options at the moment.

apreading

Not saying they dont have their advantages but wider rims will generally be heavier too. So there is a plus side to narrower ones.

But I would also consider that you may want to have two sets of wheels. I generally get a set of nice hand built wheels for most bikes and the factory wheels are kept as backup in case I find a problem, brake a spoke or need them serviced and still want to ride while that is sorted. Doesnt happen often but it just seems useful to have a cheap spare set knocking around. More so on road bikes that get ridden while the roads are gritted etc, so I can run the cheap set when things are s***y, so maybe less milage here. Buts its an upgrade you can look at later IF you need to. Decent wheels can be quite cheap from thecycleclinic or similar. Its not worth spending £1500 more on a bike because you dont like the wheels on the cheaper one!

I actually havent liked the current crop of really slack bikes the few times I have ridden them but quite possibly I just need more time to adjust.

tallpaul_s

That 68.5 HA might be wrong anyway.

See the review here, they don't even mention the rim width. It's a non issue unless you want 2.6+ tyres.

https://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/category/bikes/mountain-bikes/full-suspension/product/review-boardman-pro-fs-50371/

Highs: Unbeatable spec for the money, frame and suspension tweaks bring performance bang up to date, light and nimble character
Lows: A greater range of sizes would make a big difference to taller riders
Buy if: You want one of the finest trail bikes for the money available today – and are the right size and shape to appreciate its benefits

You don't need an XL so the low point doesn't apply.

Also, watch this and tell me the bike will hold you back

https://youtu.be/DvjhjnXXJX0

jamski

And it can really be a very nice looking bike.

danlightbulb

Hi all.

Firstly I would like to thank everyone for their help and advice, you've all been really helpful. Maybe it was a good thing my voucher took so long, because I could think about alot of different options.

I just bought this!!!!



I had the dropper fitted in store, they price matched CRC on the 150mm dropper. And changed the pedals immediately too (in store) for DMR V12. Also got a shock pump, and 3 spare 27.5 tubes. Total cost £1485. I'm happy.

It weights 14.2kg, so the 13kg in the review is balls, but Im ok with it.

Cycle Republic in Birmingham. Big thumbs up, great guys.

jamski

AMAZING! Well done mate, the right choice. How much did it all come to? 2 things.

1. Remove the bell
2. Remove the wheel reflectors



Now get out and ride and start finding out what you like and what you don’t. Then it’s time to make it your own. Glad we could help.

Not sure what I’m going to do with my evening now you’ve got a bike.

Join Boardmaniacs on Facebook too. Great group.

Have fun.

tallpaul_s

danlightbulb wrote:

Hi all.

Firstly I would like to thank everyone for their help and advice, you've all been really helpful. Maybe it was a good thing my voucher took so long, because I could think about alot of different options.

I just bought this!!!!



I had the dropper fitted in store, they price matched CRC on the 150mm dropper. And changed the pedals immediately too (in store) for DMR V12. Also got a shock pump, and 3 spare 27.5 tubes. Total cost £1485. I'm happy.

It weights 14.2kg, so the 13kg in the review is balls, but Im ok with it.

Cycle Republic in Birmingham. Big thumbs up, great guys.

I honestly could see you never buying something and just endlessly comparing the specs and geometry spreadsheets

Good man. Longest. What bike thread. Ever.


Did you go for the medium or the large? I'm guessing medium as you've got a 150mm dropper, that's the Brand X one? Get those reflectors off pronto too