New bike time!

sekana69

Hi guys, looking for a bit of advice here on a new bike.
Honestly I'm not sure what to go for now.

I have a fair bit of riding experience, but all hardtail.
I've been out of it for quite a few years now but looking to get back into the scene so need a new bike.

During the week I'll mainly be commuting the 4 miles each way to work. But at the weekend I'd like to perhaps head up to Cannock Chase or Bikepark Wales on longer weekends.

As it's my first bike for a while I'm not going nuts money wise so I'm torn between a Vitus Sentier hardtail and a Calibre Bossnut Evo full sus.

The Vitus will cost about £850 and the 2019 Bossnut Evo (the 2020 Bossnut has dropped the Evo bit and whacked the price up) is available for £799 at the moment at Go Outdoors.

My first thought was a hardtail, as I wont be hitting the trails as much as I would like, and I'm a big heavy bloke (until I start training again anyway).
But then I saw all of the rave reviews for the Bossnut Evo and, coupled with the fact it's now £200 cheaper, I'm stuck.

My instinct is telling me the Bossnut, as I'll be less likely to need to change bikes in the near future as my skills come back. But then the sensible part of my brain is saying "yeah but full sus are harder work on road and path riding. Do you want to work harder on the commute?" Then the rebel part of my brain is saying "F*** you boring old t**t! I'll just replace the rear shock for one with a lockout. Duh!"

Help!!!

sekana69

That's what I was worried about myself.
It's not a long commute and very little of it would be on actual roads, but I wondered if it would just be bloody hard work.

JBA

Commuting 4 miles on the Bossnut won't be hard work. You could always add extra pressure to the shock if you want a firmer ride for the commute.
At £799 it's hard to ignore.

sekana69

I was thinking maybe upgrade the rear shock to one with a lock out? Would that be a good idea?

I hear you. 799 is a bloody steal.

steve_sordy

Don't replace the shock, it's an expensive business.
Instead, just pump up the tyres and/or add air to the shock.

As for the commute; it's only 4 miles, think of it as training and don't change anything on your FS.

sekana69

Good shout Steve. Cheers.

One thing I think I will do is scout around and see if I can find a bike shop locally that really has good knowledge of setting up and tuning suspension.

That way I know it's set for me personally and I'm getting the best out of it.

billycool

I rode for 20+ years on HT's and never really thought I'd make the change. I finally got a FS 3 years ago and have loved it. Admittedly, I do now have a HT and FS so I can switch bikes when needed.

From my point of view.

A HT is great for commuting and can cope with Cannock and BPW but with limitations.

A FS can easily commute 4 miles and will give you loads more smiles per miles at Cannock and BPW.

When I first went to BPW on my HT, two things happened. I nearly died and I realised how out of my depth my bike was. A HT is great fun on the blues but less fun on the reds (I actually came off twice on the blues just due to the sheer speed that you pick up). When I changed to my FS (140mm Enduro bike) it was all so much easier. Better control, more composure, more speed(!) and less arm pump.

Won't bore you with the details but I'd suggest the FS option. More scope to expand your riding and a 4 mile commute is nothing in the meantime.

Buy it and get riding!

PS - my FS has lock out front fork and CTD rear, so I can effectively lock that out as well. Don't worry about that at the moment.

sekana69

Cheers Billy. That's good to know.

There do seem to be some purists out there who are adamant that a full sus shouldn't and cant be used for anything other than trails and even thinking of riding one on a road or something is pure heresy!

steve_sordy

I can't recall the last time I engaged "lockout" on a fork or a shock.

I haven't found a "lockout" yet that actually does what it says. In fact they are all just extra firm compression damping.

When I first got a bike with a "lockout", I only used it when climbing long smooth hills. But then when I got to the top I mostly forgot to disengage it, the ensuing pain was a swift teacher and I stopped using the function.

Whoever you go to for suspension advice, they can only give guidance, they can't ride the bike for you and have to rely upon your feedback. YouTube has dozens, if not thousands, of videos that promise five minute set ups. They all have a value, but follow this link and download the Bike Rumour guide to suspension set up. It contains far more info and advice than you will need for a year or so, but it all comes in easy to understand steps and with loads of pictures too!

https://bikerumor.com/2014/10/30/bikerumor-suspension-setup-series-full-series-pdf-free-download/

sekana69

That's brilliant Steve! Thanks!

I had a chat with someone yesterday about the rear suspension on the Bossnut and his advice was that the Monarch R shock is very capable but he would recommend I get the DebonAir adaptation for it, which is apparently a fairly simple fit. So I'll probably just go for that and see what happens going forward.

I know back in my hardtail days I used to love to ride fast and hard and I'd never pull out of any tricky sections or jumps, so I'm really looking forward to seeing how much more I can push with a full sus.

billycool

sekana69 said:

Cheers Billy. That's good to know.

There do seem to be some purists out there who are adamant that a full sus shouldn't and cant be used for anything other than trails and even thinking of riding one on a road or something is pure heresy!

Arguably, you are slightly overbiked with a FS on the road. But you aren't buying it for just that reason. I ride my FS locally on the road to get to the off-road sections. Even in Afan we rode on the road briefly to get from one trail to another. My mate commutes to work 19 miles each way on a FS as it's the only bike he has.

I'm a bit purist that I think all new MTB riders should start on a HT. It teaches you to ride a bike, feel the trail and manage speed. A FS is then a natural progression. I do think that some people get sold the dream that they need a 150mm £3k FS bike just to get started.

If you do decide to go to BPW you will need full face helmet and ideally knee and elbow pads. Due to the downhill terrain, most unplanned ejections involve a face plant and/or parachute roll. I've seen some nasty facial wounds and bought a FF helmet specifically for my annual trip there. You don't even have to be riding that hard and it can catch you out.

steve_sordy

billycool said:

.......................
If you do decide to go to BPW .......... You don't even have to be riding that hard and it can catch you out.

You can just be riding along, minding your own business and then BANG! before you know it you've had an involuntary dismount and are laid there wondering what day it is! Knee and elbow guards as well as the mandatory helmet are the minimum, in my opinion.

sekana69

Weird you guys should say that as I've been looking at a full face helmet on Tredz.

Because I have a big head and look a total helmet in a normal helmet. Lol.

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.7Protection-M1-Full-Face-Downhill-Helmet_115192.htm

Absolute bargain at 45 quid in the sale right now.
Sure, it might not be anywhere near as good as some of the £200+ cans but I'm not entering the World DH championships just yet! Lol.

steve_sordy

A helmet you like is a helmet you will wear, so that is a good thing.

But be aware that full face helmets can be very hot except in winter. They also stop you spitting unless you are careful. Drinking is OK from a bladder but not a water bottle.
And whatever you do, don't cough just after putting an energy bar into your mouth!

sekana69

Pmsl. I hear you Steve. I did motorcross for years so I know that pain!

slc123

Own a HT and FS, which I've ridden around Cannock, Afan, Forest of Dean etc.. Ironically I've come off worse using the FS probably as you push it a bit harder.

Definitely more fun on the FS and the HT does get a bit hairy on the more technical areas.

My FS is a Trek Slash and I've got the Monarch without lockout and I've been really impressed. Don't notice any major loss of momentum uphill and it sucks up the big stuff, so I personally wouldn't worry about that. Ride it and see how you feel.

sekana69

I'm pretty bloody heavy though!

slc123

sekana69 said:

I'm pretty bloody heavy though!

I just re-read your post about the Monarch and adding the Debonair adaption. I am sure I read somewhere that adding that will actually mean you need a lot more pressure to get the sag right if you are heavier. Something to do with how the negative chamber works. May require some more research.

I would suggest you research and make sure you get the rear shock setup properly as there are loads of different ways to achieve the sag you want. There will be equally heavy riders using the same bikes.

lockstock666

Just be aware that Go Outdoors is listing bike stock in their "sale" that is not actually available. I found this out when I went to order the yellow triple B. Website says Size L, Low stock, but the bike is unavailable for delivery. When I went in store to try sort something out they told me they dont do inter-store transfers so I'd have to travel. That would be fine but when I rang customer services to ask where these bike were in stock, they were unable to tell me. This was mid December. Even now its still showing on the website as a available but if you check website for available stock you will be unable to find any anywhere in the country.

dabber

lockstock666 said:

Just be aware that Go Outdoors is listing bike stock in their "sale" that is not actually available. I found this out when I went to order the yellow triple B. Website says Size L, Low stock, but the bike is unavailable for delivery. When I went in store to try sort something out they told me they dont do inter-store transfers so I'd have to travel. That would be fine but when I rang customer services to ask where these bike were in stock, they were unable to tell me. This was mid December. Even now its still showing on the website as a available but if you check website for available stock you will be unable to find any anywhere in the country.

This is right. I had exactly similair conversations with them back in September regarding the Bossnut Evo. I ended up getting the latest version (2020) at a very good price - under £1000. Love the bike and in hindsight I'm glad I got the latest model....that 50 tooth dinner plate on the back has come in useful more than once.

sekana69

I did look at the 2020 model but I just dont want to spend 1100 quid right out to be honest.

I have reserved an Evo at my local(ish) store and they have text me to say it's ready. So that's a good sign at least.

dabber

That's sounds good, looks like they got your Evo available. Btw, I never made it clear earlier, I would have pressed to button on an Evo but back in September they had no stock of size M.

sekana69

Most commonly bought size the medium I think.
Although some sites seem to suggest trying a large on a full sus for the longer wheelbase?

jujitsoup

sekana69 said:

I'll just replace the rear shock for one with a lockout.

I'm in the exact same boat as sekana69. I'm getting back into it (commute and weekends trails), don't want to spend a lot and like the look of the Evo at that price. Is fitting a rear shock with lockout a viable option? Or does winding up the shock make the rear almost solid anyway?

On another note, would this bike be able to carry and deal with my weight satisfactorily? 5' 11" and 16st (yeah, I know).

robertpb

In 14 years of riding full sussers I have only twice used the lockout and that was only messing about. Over that time I've ridden a fair few miles on the road without the need. Up to that point I'd ridden ridgid MTBs for 21 years so you might think a lockout was needed when I changed, but no. Smooth round pedaling is the answer, less waste of energy.

sekana69

I'm even heavier than you Jujitsoup at around 19 stone at the moment.

That being said, I am due to start my next training cycle soon so I should be around 15 to 16 stone by March/April time.

jujitsoup

sekana69 said:

I'm even heavier than you Jujitsoup at around 19 stone at the moment.

That being said, I am due to start my next training cycle soon so I should be around 15 to 16 stone by March/April time.

Yeah, I feel your pain, I'm way over where I should be and determined that before I get really old (kids say I already am) I'm going to lose some timber. What training are you looking at doing to lose weight?

jujitsoup

Haha, you and me both. No idea why but I can put on a nice £150 standard cycling helmet and people just laugh. My kids especially. Love the idea of a full face. Just bought my son one for Christmas. A Bell Sanction, which is lovely and CE Certified but a bit more expensive @ £90.

https://www.bellbikehelmets.co.uk/products/detail/BEHSANC/sanction-mtb-full-face-helmet/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAr8bwBRD4ARIsAHa4YyLRQIaNG1aGErqilTXOfQ-9h6I8kOK4B5kP6OlFM90z98vbbK5qh4waAqG3EALw_wcB

billycool

jujitsoup said:

sekana69 said:

I'm even heavier than you Jujitsoup at around 19 stone at the moment.

That being said, I am due to start my next training cycle soon so I should be around 15 to 16 stone by March/April time.

Yeah, I feel your pain, I'm way over where I should be and determined that before I get really old (kids say I already am) I'm going to lose some timber. What training are you looking at doing to lose weight?

My best advice in relation to that is to balance exercise and diet. What you do (or don't) consume has a much bigger impact than just exercise.

I've spent 3 months using My Fitness Pal. You set your weight loss target and it tells you how many calories you are allowed each day. You have to be honest about what you consume and if you can stick to it, you'll lose weight.

It's the first time that I've lost weight because exercise alone just doesn't work. It just off-sets my naughty foods and snacks. Cutting out the naughty foods/snacks has been far more effective. I ride twice a week, walk the dogs etc but the sensible calorie intake has made the difference.

sekana69

@billycool
@jujitsoup

I use a program called Focus T25. It's from the Beachbody range. The people who developed Insanity.

Its 30 minutes of HIIT training a day, done at home, 5 days a week with a double on Fridays and a stretch day at the weekend.

Last time round I lost 3 stone in 12 weeks.

I only piled the weight back on because I bloody injured my calf. And not even from doing the workouts either. Sods law!

sekana69