Thoughts on these MTB's?

[warp9]

Hi, following on from a thread towards the end of last year, I've decided to up my budget, go for FS and not worry so much about wheel size. These are contenders, what do you think?

Jamis Dakar A1 2018 https://www.evanscycles.com/jamis-dakar-a1-2018-mo...
Vitus Escarpe 2018 (also 2017 version available for £999) http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/vitus-bikes-esc...
KTM Lycan 274 https://www.cyclerepublic.com/bikes/mountain-bikes...

Wildcard, as it gets good reviews. Rockrider 740S https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-740s-full-su...

Any other suggestions, apx £1500 with a slacker front end?

[SamR380]

If you're large there's a very nearly new Calibre Beastnut on eBay at the moment for about half the original (very good) £1300. I would have bought it myself it appeared a week earlier.

It's pretty slack already but a 20 quid set of offset bushes would send it to about 64.5° head angle!

Edited by SamR380 on Monday 22 January 11:10

[Herman Toothrot]

Escarpe

[daddy cool]

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bik...

Currently £1350, but someone local to you will have a british cycling discount card, so that's now £1215.
And you buy it through Quidco and get a nice cashback on that too.

Pike forks, 11x1 SRAM, 4-pot brakes, and routing for an internal dropper post. Its a fab bike for the money.

I have one, and have replaced the 2.2 tyres for 2.4, and fitted a dropper, and its easily able to hold its own against bikes costing twice what it does.

[SamR380]

Brilliant level of kit on the Boardman, but the geometry is a bit 2012.

[Eddie Strohacker]

The B-Twin looks bang average to me. I'd have the KTM or the Escarpe. Rock Shox, Deore, all solid enough componentry for the money imo.

[snotrag]

SamR380 said:

Brilliant level of kit on the Boardman, but the geometry is a bit 2012.

Its well reported that the geometry on the website is wrong.

I have had mine for a year or so and can confirm it is very much long/low/slack.

I even measured mine before I bought it

See the bikeradar review I think for more info.

It is a brill bike for the money, and I've owned some much, much more expensive boutiquey stuff before it.

[Sk00p]

daddy cool said:

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bik...

Currently £1350, but someone local to you will have a british cycling discount card, so that's now £1215.
.

Hit and miss where you go but BC no longer officially get discount on sale items.

I spotted the website and then had it confirmed in an email from BC that the terms had changed,

[daddy cool]

Sk00p said:

daddy cool said:

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bik...

Currently £1350, but someone local to you will have a british cycling discount card, so that's now £1215.
.

Hit and miss where you go but BC no longer officially get discount on sale items.

I spotted the website and then had it confirmed in an email from BC that the terms had changed,

News to me... mind you, might be more if you walk into store and pick it off the shelf and then say "can I use my discount on top"... however, if you do a reserve and collect from the web you get a collection number and barcode, and when the monkey on the till scans that in they just charge you whatever the till then flashes up. But before you pay you just say "...and heres my B/C card too". The store manager might be clued up, but the Saturday kid wont!

Last bought a bike there 18 months ago (the aforementioned FS Pro) but bought a few bits and bobs a week back and some of those were sale items, no issue using B/C discount.

[warp9]

SamR380 said:

If you're large there's a very nearly new Calibre Beastnut on eBay at the moment for about half the original (very good) £1300. I would have bought it myself it appeared a week earlier.

It's pretty slack already but a 20 quid set of offset bushes would send it to about 64.5° head angle!

Edited by SamR380 on Monday 22 January 11:10

Thanks for the heads up. I'm guessing you're referring to this one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Calibre-Beastnut-21-5-2... - It's a little big for me and would be a bit concerned about the buckled rear wheel.


I've also found this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Calibre-Bossnut-2016-La... It's my size, has some nice upgrades up and isn't located that far from me....!

[mikey P 500]

I recently bought a Kona precept (think they are on your budget) very happy with it, some of the components are cheap compared to rivals at same price point but really like the frame and can always upgrade parts as they wear out. To be fair i was going to go for a bossnut due to great reviews but they don't make a small and found the medium too large.

[Tall_Paul]

Take £145 off that escarpe with the BC discount too.

If fact if you're at the £1500 budget I'd stretch it a tiiiiiny bit to £1665 and get this:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/vitus-bikes-esc...

£1850 but the 10% BC discount brings it down to £1665. For your extra few pounds you get SLX over deore, a Revelation over a Recon (miles better), slightly wider rims and a rear shock with lockout.

Unless you can find a 2017 sale bike you'll struggle to get a better spec for the price. There are some hardtails approaching £1600 with the same revelations and worse groupset specs...

[SamR380]

warp9 said:

Thanks for the heads up. I'm guessing you're referring to this one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Calibre-Beastnut-21-5-2... - It's a little big for me and would be a bit concerned about the buckled rear wheel.


I've also found this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Calibre-Bossnut-2016-La... It's my size, has some nice upgrades up and isn't located that far from me....!

Nah, it must have sold, it was a bargain!

I picked up a virtually immaculate V2 Bossnut with a seatdropper fitted for £640 last week, for your reference. The V1 is still a great bike, the V2 just slightly better.

[warp9]

Hi guys. Sorry for buggering around, but trying a slightly different tack now - second hand. Any thoughts on these?

2014 - Orange 5 RS - https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2160112/
2017 - Vitus Sommet Carbon - https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2298419/
2015 - Commencal Meta AM V4 - https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2293296/

Cheers

[Herman Toothrot]

Hated my Meta AM V4 I sold the frame on within 6months of buying the bike New from Commencal Direct. I loved the look of the thing but hated riding it, another bike with a great spec for price. I wasn't too bothered about hating it as I ended up with a great build kit to put on a better frame.

[mikey P 500]

Re the second hand suggestions all depends on condition in real life, by spec they all look good value compared to new. But if they need new suspension pivot's/bushings forks or all the drive chain parts replacing due to wear not such great value. None of the adds mention low use (in fact as pink bike is for enthusiasts they have prob all been well used, really want someone who has bought and then not had time to use.

[SteA]

If you do decide to reconsider new bikes, as said above, the Boardman Team FS Pro is a cracking bike and could be worth a look. I picked mine up a few days ago (using sale and BC discount) and I’ve been out several times on it; it’s a quick bike, goes downhill really well, jumps brilliantly and the suspension works really well. I’m surprised how plush it is, four foot rocky drop offs feel like they are barely there and repeated successions of jumps are despatched with ease (despite a dodgy rider), it just feels like a very well thought out bike and very cheap for what it is

[Herman Toothrot]

mikey P 500 said:

Re the second hand suggestions all depends on condition in real life, by spec they all look good value compared to new. But if they need new suspension pivot's/bushings forks or all the drive chain parts replacing due to wear not such great value. None of the adds mention low use (in fact as pink bike is for enthusiasts they have prob all been well used, really want someone who has bought and then not had time to use.

Indeed, my Swoops is about 3 months old and already looks a right state already covered in scratches, chips, dents and creaking headset. I could make it look great again if I wanted..

[SamR380]

I've literally just been looking for the same kind of bike, same kind of budget after having my Calibre Beastnut stolen. I've spent months watching dreamers ask 80% of RRP on a 3 or 4 year old bike. I was holding out for a Kona Process 134 but in the end I did what I normally do and bought something cheaper (the V2 Bossnut with seat dropper), only this time I don't regret being tight with my money. I normally buy nearly the car I want and regret it within a week.

As I had 'budget' left over it allowed me to buy a set of coilovers and a 2.84:1 ratio diff for one of my SD1s

[TheHighlander]

I have the Vitus Sommet VR.

Only bought it last month and just completed the "Strathpuffer" over the weekend with it (24hr MTB event)
Have also had it on the local trails, hit some big jumps and bails and it's held up.

Only thing I did when I bought it was change the front chain ring to a 28tooth for the event I was doing.

Can't go wrong with Vitus as the components for the money is brilliant.