FS for £1000?

[_rubinho_]

Disaster! My bike got stolen last week. I had a 2009 Marin Nail Trail which I was very happy with and had a decent spec. The current equivalent model from Marin is an Eldridge Grade (the Nail Trail appears to have moved up the range and now costs in the region of £1400). RRP for this bike is £1000 and there are many other decent hardtails for this kind of money of which I am looking at (Specialized Rockhopper Expert or Kona Kula).

FS bikes seem to start at about this price level too for example Giant X4, Kona One20 or Specialized FSRxc. Are FS bikes at this price range worth looking at?

I'm a casual trail/XC rider. The guys I ride with all have pricey FS bikes (Scott Genius etc) and are quite a bit quicker than me on the bumpy stuff so I have been thinking about upgrading. I'm not sure it's worth it at this price range and I can't spend the >£1500 for a known good FS (Trek Fuel or Lapierre Zesty...)

So opinions please?

[slomax]

_rubinho_ said:

Disaster! My bike got stolen last week. I had a 2009 Marin Nail Trail which I was very happy with and had a decent spec. The current equivalent model from Marin is an Eldridge Grade (the Nail Trail appears to have moved up the range and now costs in the region of £1400). RRP for this bike is £1000 and there are many other decent hardtails for this kind of money of which I am looking at (Specialized Rockhopper Expert or Kona Kula).

FS bikes seem to start at about this price level too for example Giant X4, Kona One20 or Specialized FSRxc. Are FS bikes at this price range worth looking at?

I'm a casual trail/XC rider. The guys I ride with all have pricey FS bikes (Scott Genius etc) and are quite a bit quicker than me on the bumpy stuff so I have been thinking about upgrading. I'm not sure it's worth it at this price range and I can't spend the >£1500 for a known good FS (Trek Fuel or Lapierre Zesty...)

So opinions please?

I was in exactly the same position as you about a year and a half ago. I had a decent spec Pinnacle evo2 that got nicked. I knew i wasn't going to see it again so got cracking the next day looking for bargains. I had decided that if i could get a decent FS bike at the right price and spec i would buy it. So 2 days later of trawling the web and visiting every bike shop within 20 miles i had a fair idea of what was on the market.

No matter what people may say, the best by far is to sit on it and have a little ride as the position and style of FS bikes varies greatly. I ride XC with a bit of trail and although i loved the handling of my pinnacle i seemed to get bounced around a bit at the back. I managed to find an 08 Haro Sonix for a little over £500 from a reputable dealer. As they are an American bike and the Dollar was extremely weak this helped matters (list price was $1600 if i remember correctly)

The concentric BB handles differently to most FS bikes and it does handle more like a hard tail untill you hit something that would normally slow you down on a HT. My advice is to shop around and see what bargains are going. Just because its a 2010 bike doesnt mean its worth the extra over a 2008 or 2009 bike especially when looking at around the £1k mark. Go out and try as many as possible out. The thing to remember is that bargains can get swept up pretty quickly.

Hope this is usefull,
Niall

[_rubinho_]

slomax said:

I ride XC with a bit of trail and although i loved the handling of my pinnacle i seemed to get bounced around a bit at the back.

This is what I found with my Marin. On the bumpy stuff trying to keep up with the FS guys I'm up on the pedals the whole time clinging on for dear life while they were mainly seated powering through with steady cadence. It's fun and intense but gets tiring after a while.

There seems to be so much variety of rear suspension geometry it's all a bit confusing. Is there a guide to all the different linkage types and their relative pros and cons? Also what's most suitable for different riding types?

[anonymous-user]

_rubinho_ said:

There seems to be so much variety of rear suspension geometry it's all a bit confusing. Is there a guide to all the different linkage types and their relative pros and cons? Also what's most suitable for different riding types?

i think there is a guide to suspension types and geometry in what mountain bike mgazine. it might be a regular feature or it may have been a one off. i remember it in a mag a year or so go but dont buy it very often... you might find something on the bike radar section in the gear section or just give them a call and ask!

[AyBee]

I asked this question when I was looking at mtbs having ridden road only for a long time. I was looking at a Giant trance but in the end, went for a previous year model XTC A1 - I got a half carbon framed hartail for £700 as opposed to a heavy FS like the giant for £1k. My riding is mainly cross country with a few downhills but nothing the hardtail can't cope with. It's a bit bumpy trying to keep up with FSers over some parts though. Bang for buck, I'm glad I got the hardtail for my budget and that seemed to be the general consensus of others too.

ETA: Got mine price matched from here (they have deals on last years, and earlier, models) if you're not too fussed about riding something slightly older although still new:
Clicky

Edited by AyBee on Sunday 2nd May 21:30

[_rubinho_]

I'd pretty much settled on getting a new HT when I get the insurance money until I found that I can get an Iron Horse MKIII for just over a grand. This seems to be an excellent spec bike with dw-link rear suspension and good components. My only worry is that Iron Horse themseleves have gone bankrupt so wouldn't be able to back up any warranty claim if one ever arose. What's the opinion on this bike and whether this is a good deal given the manufacturer's situation?

[Floor Tom]

I had one a few years ago. It was a great bike but I bought a 17.5" and at 5'11" it was too small. The 19" would have been a better bet, but I think it may have been a wee bit too big. Good bikes though, the suspension works well. The warranty will be with Chain Reaction (I'm guessing thats where you'll be getting it from) and not Ironhorse so I wouldn't worry about that too much. They are pretty solid bikes anyway.

[snotrag]

The Giant and the FXR XC that you mention were two bikes I used to sell a lot of - In my opinion they both represent a 'tipping point' at where it really does start to be worth looking at FS frames.

Both bikes are very good for a casual/leisure rider IMO.

The componentry IS a little lower specced than their equivalent hardtails, that is certain.

However - the VFM that both these bikes offer is great.

Giant, and Specialized (through Merida, who manufacture for Specialized) are the industry leaders in aluminium frame manufacture.

There are many, many boutique, posh manufacturers who can sell you amazing frames, but these two are actually the daddies - they just don't receive the accolade they deserve due to their common-ness.

The Giant frame is the same frame you'll find throughout the whole range, right up to £2k+. AFAIK the X4 uses a Giant branded shock.

The Specialized frame uses an M4 alloy - this was their top level alloy just a few years ago. The FSR-XC is a frame based upon the Stumpjumper, using similar geometry. The frame is made to a lower price through some simpler plate gussets and castings rather than the forged parts of the Stumpy. The older alloy is also cheaper.

Again - I think the FSR-XC uses an X-fusion shock. These are not the best known, but I do seem to remember they are reliable, spares are available if needed, and they are easily adjusted.

Basically your getting a cracking frame for your money with either of these two bikes - Id suggest a sit on both. Bear in mind the Giant is a more racy bike than the Specialized - higher BB, steeper headangle - it will be nimbler and ultimately faster, but less accomodating for a beginner or nervous rider. The Specialized has a typically low BB, will corner like its on rails and descend well, but feel a little more 'sluggish'.

[craig_s]

I can only speak for the Trance frame as that's what I've got.
At first I was a bit apprehensive about changing to and FS frame with a shock with no lockout since I was so used to the pedaling efficiency of a hardtail. My first proper ride on the bike was the last time I worried about this though. The shock doesn't move at all when I'm pedaling until I hit a bump and it absorbs it as expected.
It's probably quite fair to say that it won't be as efficient as a hardtail, but the extra traction, comfort and confidence it gives you more than makes up for it.
I've heard lots of good things about the Specialized too so getting some test rides in on the kind of terrain you are going to be riding will really help you make your mind up. A quick test ride in the car park isn't normally enough to let you decide which bike suits you best.