The most versatile bike?

Aux1 · May 2007

What would be a bike that would be suitable for all things? Fast on the road, not too heavy for pedalling up, strong, tough and with full, long travel suspension for fast descents, jumps and drops?

Downhill bikes are great for, well, downhill but are too heavy and have the seat too low for going up.
Freeride bikes are kinda same as downhill in that respect. Real knee benders.
XC hardtails are great for roads and climbs but not that good on very rough descents and bigger drops
All Mountain bikes seem to be strong, have good suspension, good frame geometry, but they seem to be too heavy for climbs and some have only 2 chainrings so they're not that fast on flat road.

So, the best choice seems to be a nice XC full susser... Although I'd like to have a tough All Mountain bike with 130 or 150mm fork if it had large chainring and if it were not too heavy, like 14kg or less...

Although I'm fine with my current bike... Gonna buy a XC FS or AM in 2-3 years if I do well at work and get raises in pay [:D]

To clip or not to clip, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind of men to suffer the dings and contusions of unclipp'd riding, or to bind thy feet against a sea of gnarly singletrack and by these contraptions, ride o'er them with ease. To clip... to slip no more, and by clipping to end the buttache and the thousand natural shocks that ryders are heir to; tis a consummation devoutly to be honed. No clip - to slip perchance to be thrashed most heinously...

KTM Ultra Flite 2007

Unknown · May 2007

sounds like you want to be looking at a AM/FR lite bike.

mine is 130/150mm front 140mm rear 9 gears with a full bash device combo and 203mm discs and about 14kg or less.

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Unknown · May 2007

Blur lt, intense 6.6,

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Wolf · May 2007

You want a 5inch "do it all" full-sus bike. Spesh Stumpy or Orange 5 spring to mind...

Marin Eldridge Grade 07
GT Avalanche 1.0 07

Aux1 · May 2007

Yep, I see what it should be like now. I like the Orange 5 for example, looks as if that's what I want! [:)]

27-speed so it's fast on the road
Tough frame but not too heavy so it can climb well
About 130mm of front suspension, and a rear one
The seat at a "normal" XC position, not low

Ok, I don't need a car yet, better start saving right away so I don't feel the big hole in my pocket when I buy it in a couple of years! [:D]

To clip or not to clip, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind of men to suffer the dings and contusions of unclipp'd riding, or to bind thy feet against a sea of gnarly singletrack and by these contraptions, ride o'er them with ease. To clip... to slip no more, and by clipping to end the buttache and the thousand natural shocks that ryders are heir to; tis a consummation devoutly to be honed. No clip - to slip perchance to be thrashed most heinously...

KTM Ultra Flite 2007

Wolf · May 2007

Orange 5 is my dream bike too! Beautiful machine, if a bit expensive. nice piece of British Engineering, let's just hope it doesn't go the same way as other great examples of British Engineering... (Cars anyone? [;)])

Marin Eldridge Grade 07
GT Avalanche 1.0 07

Aux1 · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Wolf

Orange 5 is my dream bike too! Beautiful machine, if a bit expensive. nice piece of British Engineering, let's just hope it doesn't go the same way as other great examples of British Engineering... (Cars anyone? [;)])

Marin Eldridge Grade 07
GT Avalanche 1.0 07
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I walked past a Ferrari near the firm like 5 minutes ago. Yawn! Bikes are what turns me on lol [:D]
Hmmm, wouldn't know about British cars, most people here drive German or Italian ones but I get the point! [:)]

Don't know what make mine will be (seen no Oranges in Croatia yet), I'll look what they offer in a 500km radius (Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Germany...)
Guess it's a hundred in the Bike Jar every month then! [:D]

To clip or not to clip, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind of men to suffer the dings and contusions of unclipp'd riding, or to bind thy feet against a sea of gnarly singletrack and by these contraptions, ride o'er them with ease. To clip... to slip no more, and by clipping to end the buttache and the thousand natural shocks that ryders are heir to; tis a consummation devoutly to be honed. No clip - to slip perchance to be thrashed most heinously...

KTM Ultra Flite 2007

futon river crossing · May 2007

Spesh Stumpy FSR or Enduro SL

My Bike

http://angelafung.net/my_bike.jpg

Aux1 · May 2007

So, these bikes are what... something in between All Mountain and XC Full Sussers?

What's the exact difference?

AM:
Fatter, heavier, longer suspension travel, sometimes less gears?

XC FS:
Slimmer, lighter, shorter suspension travel, 27 gears?

They both have the rider in a similar riding position, like in XC riding?

Is that about it?

To clip or not to clip, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind of men to suffer the dings and contusions of unclipp'd riding, or to bind thy feet against a sea of gnarly singletrack and by these contraptions, ride o'er them with ease. To clip... to slip no more, and by clipping to end the buttache and the thousand natural shocks that ryders are heir to; tis a consummation devoutly to be honed. No clip - to slip perchance to be thrashed most heinously...

KTM Ultra Flite 2007

Andy B · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Aux1

So, these bikes are what... something in between All Mountain and XC Full Sussers?

What's the exact difference?

AM:
Fatter, heavier, longer suspension travel, sometimes less gears?

XC FS:
Slimmer, lighter, shorter suspension travel, 27 gears?

They both have the rider in a similar riding position, like in XC riding?

Is that about it?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Sort of...

XC bikes will have a steeper 'racier' geometry.

AM bikes have a slightly slacker geometry.

Both usually have 27 spd gears.

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Wolf · May 2007

Yup, only cheap bikes come with 24 or 21 gears any more...

Marin Eldridge Grade 07
GT Avalanche 1.0 07

Aux1 · May 2007

Thanks for your replies, I've been looking at what my own store has to offer...

http://www.ktm-bikes.at/2007/eu/enduro.php

The AT1 and AT2 seem to fall into the same category as the Orange 5 & co, don't they? I like them, not too heavy and they have around 130mm suspension, while the full sussers in the "race" section don't go over 100mm...

To clip or not to clip, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind of men to suffer the dings and contusions of unclipp'd riding, or to bind thy feet against a sea of gnarly singletrack and by these contraptions, ride o'er them with ease. To clip... to slip no more, and by clipping to end the buttache and the thousand natural shocks that ryders are heir to; tis a consummation devoutly to be honed. No clip - to slip perchance to be thrashed most heinously...

KTM Ultra Flite 2007

Wolf · May 2007

I even like the AT3, nice wheels for the price... Still, a bit early to start looking for something you plan on buying in a couple of years time mate! [;)]

Marin Eldridge Grade 07
GT Avalanche 1.0 07

Aux1 · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Wolf

I even like the AT3, nice wheels for the price... Still, a bit early to start looking for something you plan on buying in a couple of years time mate! [;)]

Marin Eldridge Grade 07
GT Avalanche 1.0 07
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
[:D]Yes indeed but I was a bit excited when I found the optimal type of bike I'd want! [:)]

To clip or not to clip, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind of men to suffer the dings and contusions of unclipp'd riding, or to bind thy feet against a sea of gnarly singletrack and by these contraptions, ride o'er them with ease. To clip... to slip no more, and by clipping to end the buttache and the thousand natural shocks that ryders are heir to; tis a consummation devoutly to be honed. No clip - to slip perchance to be thrashed most heinously...

KTM Ultra Flite 2007

mudface · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Wolf

Yup, only cheap bikes come with 24 or 21 gears any more...

Marin Eldridge Grade 07
GT Avalanche 1.0 07
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

really?

how many VP Frees/Demo 9s etc have you seen running triple rings? or are they a bit cheap for you?

Wolf · May 2007

Yeah, but they won't come with 21 or 24 gears, will they? They'll come with 18. I obviously meant that 7/8 speed cassettes are things of the past.

Marin Eldridge Grade 07
GT Avalanche 1.0 07

Unknown · May 2007

Lots of DJ bikes use 8 speed.

Long Gone
Specialized
Redline

As a begginer XC rider you may well need...

HelmetMini pumpMulti toolSpare chain linksWinter/wet lubeSummer/dry lubeSpare tubePuncture repair kit

Winter tyresSpring/summer tyresDegreaserChainset brushChain cleanerParktools

Wolf · May 2007

Yep, but a DJ bike is not what we are looking for, but an AM bike! Damn you all, obnoxious people! [:D]
Also, if it has 8 speeds it will very rarely have 3 chainrings!

Marin Eldridge Grade 07
GT Avalanche 1.0 07

Andy B · May 2007

Ahem...

...My '03 Orange Gringo has 24spd gears, that's 3 chainrings & an 8spd cassette [:P]

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Unknown · May 2007

Yup frankies rockhopper has 24 speed 3 x 8 for those of you who are not as cleaver as I am.

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mudface · May 2007

i don't think there is such a thing as a do it all bike in the sense you mean - a bike which is good on the road, will be rubbish off-road, and vice-versa. if i was you, i'd prioritise to buy mostly for my preferred type of riding, and deal with it being annoying for everything else, otherwise you'll end up with a bike which is mediocre at everything but truly good at nothing.

Unknown · May 2007

or buy lots of bikes

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My GSpot and Chameleon (now sold)

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Wolf · May 2007

For the Obnoxious ones: Notice my use of the term "most bikes" and the phrase "8 speed chainrings are outdated" (no more reasonable mtb with them in the present). Boo to yer all! [:D]

Back to topic: Of course there is a trade off, but some people are happy with a "Jack of all trades, master of none". I think the 5" full sus will be such thing.

Marin Eldridge Grade 07
GT Avalanche 1.0 07

Unknown · May 2007

Lets bring price into the equation. Now things change.

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mudface · May 2007

a 5" travel bike is NOT a compromise. it is completely unsuitable for 'fast on the roads'. it will be pretty slow and annoying on the roads, but that's fine if he's cool with that and wants a bike good for drops and ragged descents. road and mountain bikes are built for two completely different things. one which is good for one, will not be good for the other. that's not to say it'll be a problem though. i commute on a mtb to keep up my fitness, and it's only 14 miles both ways. not a problem. would be a problem if i wanted to keep up with someone ragging it on a road bike though.

Unknown · May 2007

The most versatile bike I had, for my needs, was the Zaskar when it was a tougher build and 100mm forks. XC, trials, jumps and a bit of DJ. And at 25lbs it wasn't a slouch on the black top either.

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Andy B · May 2007

I find my 5" susser to be fairly good on the roads, I just add pressure to the forks & shock to get a firmer ride, I keep up with my mates on 3" hardtails no probs.

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Unknown · May 2007

Technique and fitness of course play a huge part. peaty could thrash most of us on rigid.

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Aux1 · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by mudface

i don't think there is such a thing as a do it all bike in the sense you mean - a bike which is good on the road, will be rubbish off-road, and vice-versa. if i was you, i'd prioritise to buy mostly for my preferred type of riding, and deal with it being annoying for everything else, otherwise you'll end up with a bike which is mediocre at everything but truly good at nothing.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Well, I do want a "jack of all trades" bike! Maybe because I won't be the master roadie or downhiller or climber either! [:D] The things are like this... I have my XC hardtail which is great for city, fast enough on the road, comfortable for long rides, good on climbs and does pretty well on moderately tough descents. But my dream bike would be able to do all that, plus have a little extra suspension to be able to swallow some rougher, steeper root-and-rock packed trails wihout so much shaking and braking like on the hardtail... So something like an XC full susser but with a stronger frame and some more suspension travel (but not heavier than my current bike) would be fine. It comes to an AM bike it seems...

To clip or not to clip, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind of men to suffer the dings and contusions of unclipp'd riding, or to bind thy feet against a sea of gnarly singletrack and by these contraptions, ride o'er them with ease. To clip... to slip no more, and by clipping to end the buttache and the thousand natural shocks that ryders are heir to; tis a consummation devoutly to be honed. No clip - to slip perchance to be thrashed most heinously...

KTM Ultra Flite 2007

Aux1 · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by mudface

a 5" travel bike is NOT a compromise. it is completely unsuitable for 'fast on the roads'.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Well, I'm perfectly satisfied with my current road speed. I don't want to be as fast as a roadie, I just want to feel the bike isn't slow, heavy and awkward to ride on the road. Mine goes like a rocket when I commute! Even less than that would still be ok...

To clip or not to clip, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind of men to suffer the dings and contusions of unclipp'd riding, or to bind thy feet against a sea of gnarly singletrack and by these contraptions, ride o'er them with ease. To clip... to slip no more, and by clipping to end the buttache and the thousand natural shocks that ryders are heir to; tis a consummation devoutly to be honed. No clip - to slip perchance to be thrashed most heinously...

KTM Ultra Flite 2007

Aux1 · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by supersonic

Technique and fitness of course play a huge part. peaty could thrash most of us on rigid.

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Me!
MYSPACE<hr noshade size="1">Park Tools - help and instructions for all general bike fixes
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<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Hmm, I wonder what it would be like to ride a rigid again... A real one (like this? [:)])
I bet it's ace at climbs, wonder how you'd handle the descents though... would it be too hard to keep the speed without suspension, or could you somehow compensate?

To clip or not to clip, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind of men to suffer the dings and contusions of unclipp'd riding, or to bind thy feet against a sea of gnarly singletrack and by these contraptions, ride o'er them with ease. To clip... to slip no more, and by clipping to end the buttache and the thousand natural shocks that ryders are heir to; tis a consummation devoutly to be honed. No clip - to slip perchance to be thrashed most heinously...

KTM Ultra Flite 2007

The most versatile bike?

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