sorry that topic again 29er

rgasuk
rgasuk Posts: 89
edited May 2014 in MTB buying advice
so im clearing out my stable and clearing out other stuff and trying to make room before kids arrive in the future.

im after a 29er and seem to be going round in circles, changing my mind all the time etc etc .the reason for a 29er is i think it suits me best , ill be 70-80 % tracks and trails, single track exploring and 30-20% trail centers, mainly just red routes , i have no intention of bombing down hill and doing jumps . ive had a 26 fs trance , and 2 cx bikes, this may sound perfect to all but i find more and more i want to explore and the cx leaves me feeling beat up sometimes just on some of the old bumpy railway lines and my vision is a 29er fs can perform all i want. Im thinking HT but worried it may be quite harsh and i do have dodgy discs to look after.

ive norrowed my choices to these, no i know each person likes different bikes, i just was after others opions on what route they would go and why. cheers.

the bikes

maximum budget - http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes ... tml?b=3235

next - http://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/scott- ... 13-p207750

non carbon

next - http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes ... ab-reiter2

last but not least - http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/giant ... -2014.html

i was set on a HT for ages but some thing keeps telling me fs ,i was set on canyon nerve or grand canyon ht , but realy like the look of the spark, yet cant find many reviews on the 920 or the lux i know these threads pop up daily so if your able to offer your opinons great and cheers
Road - Scott solace .
Training - giant xtc 1
Mtb - Yt Capra pro
Past - Scott spark , caadx ultegra , canyon ultimate cf slx ,trek madone , ridley x-fire , giant Defy, giant trance

Comments

  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Well none of those is a bad bike, for me it would be the carbon Canyon as I prefer RS forks to Fox, far fewer reports of premature wear with RS.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • Long_Time_Lurker
    Long_Time_Lurker Posts: 1,068
    If it was me, I would take the Anthem.
    Mainly because it has been getting some very good reviews (latest in Singletrack magazine) and because I borrowed a friends for a couple of weeks and enjoyed the ride.

    The lack of test riding and the long lead-times to has put me off the Canyons in the past. However the spec is great.

    I'm not sold on the Spark and Scott bikes in general. I tried a Spark and a Genius. I'm not comfortable with the proprietry shock system - I couldn't seem tio get it dialled right. (That said, the lock-out system is fantastic if you spend a lot of time switching your shocks on and off.)
    I have a hardtail XC bike - A Cube Race SL (26") - and I wanted something that felt completely different. The riding position of the Scotts felt very simiar to what I have already, more XC than trail bike.
    Hard to explain, but it didn't excite me. I think that it would be great if I was going out on an all-dayer, but not for a 3 hour blast. I didn't feel as secure when I test rode it down a set of steep steps and 200 meters of rough cobbles

    But that is just my personal preference. It would help if you could get a short ride on any of these (I ended up with a Zesty 329 after 2 months of test rides :P )
    2007 Felt Q720 (the ratbike)
    2012 Cube Ltd SL (the hardtail XC 26er)
    2014 Lapierre Zesty TR 329 (the full-sus 29er)
  • stubs
    stubs Posts: 5,001
    Giant Anthem all day comfort but a missile when you want it to be.
    Fig rolls: proof that god loves cyclists and that she wants us to do another lap
  • rgasuk
    rgasuk Posts: 89
    edited May 2014
    Cheers for the replays , plenty of food for thought.

    @ long time lurcher - cheers for your own insight , I've had a 26 trance for years and know a few people who rate the anthem .if I could have 2 bikes I'd go HT and a FS , but ££ says I can't. I know I could get a good HT for the price, it's the comfort factor that appeals and XC racing if I get into it . Nice zesty you have , to many choices out there lol .
    Road - Scott solace .
    Training - giant xtc 1
    Mtb - Yt Capra pro
    Past - Scott spark , caadx ultegra , canyon ultimate cf slx ,trek madone , ridley x-fire , giant Defy, giant trance
  • rockmonkeysc
    rockmonkeysc Posts: 14,774
    The Anthem would be my choice. I had the 26" Anthem and it was really very good.
  • atomic fox
    atomic fox Posts: 95
    any of the canyon 29ers get my vote. i ve a grand canyon on order.