Another 'What Bike?'
Discussion
Sorry folks...
My Ellsworth has done me well but it's time to get something new.
Budget is about £1k and it needs to be full suspension. Components not too important as I have loads of new shiny bits which I'll take off the old one. After something as light as possible/
I do almost entirely XC - Afan and the like. I know £1k is low for a full susser but there must be bargins out there? What have people seen? I'd prefer new but I'll entertain second hand... Oh, and I'm 6'2" so it needs to be kinda big too. I will stretch a little (say £300) for a stonking deal.
HELP!
My Ellsworth has done me well but it's time to get something new.
Budget is about £1k and it needs to be full suspension. Components not too important as I have loads of new shiny bits which I'll take off the old one. After something as light as possible/
I do almost entirely XC - Afan and the like. I know £1k is low for a full susser but there must be bargins out there? What have people seen? I'd prefer new but I'll entertain second hand... Oh, and I'm 6'2" so it needs to be kinda big too. I will stretch a little (say £300) for a stonking deal.
HELP!
personally i dont think a cheap full sus is ideal for afan and the like, the quality of the ride wont be taht fgood and any percieved benefits of fullsus will be negated by the poor components.
giant anthem 4 or the lapierrre xcontrol 210 would be ideal but a bit over budget. pedalon should do you a good deal but they are in high demand so a cheap deal might not be that easy.
a quality ht would be a blast, something like the charge duster would be a real good ride and soak up hte bumps. afan isnt that bad for downhill bits and the xc stuff you would blitz as the steel rear end is very reactive...
pablo said:
personally i dont think a cheap full sus is ideal for afan and the like, the quality of the ride wont be taht fgood and any percieved benefits of fullsus will be negated by the poor components.
giant anthem 4 or the lapierrre xcontrol 210 would be ideal but a bit over budget. pedalon should do you a good deal but they are in high demand so a cheap deal might not be that easy.
a quality ht would be a blast, something like the charge duster would be a real good ride and soak up hte bumps. afan isnt that bad for downhill bits and the xc stuff you would blitz as the steel rear end is very reactive...
Yeah, I know that the £1k mark is low for a full susser, however I have a lot of high end kit (a whole XT drive train, for example, and new front shocks) that I'll swap over. I already have a Rockhopper, which I've ridden at Afan a number of times, and also an Orange P7 which I've tailored to my liking over the years.giant anthem 4 or the lapierrre xcontrol 210 would be ideal but a bit over budget. pedalon should do you a good deal but they are in high demand so a cheap deal might not be that easy.
a quality ht would be a blast, something like the charge duster would be a real good ride and soak up hte bumps. afan isnt that bad for downhill bits and the xc stuff you would blitz as the steel rear end is very reactive...
However, there are things like the Boardman out there, Giant X3, Felt Compulsion... There are also a few 2009 models around. Noticed this:
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/lapierre/x-con...
Which looked nice but don't know much about them - same as this
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bmc/trailfox-t...
If you can stretch the extra £300, the Boardman Pro FS must be on your list. I have one and love it. Its light (12kg) and is dripping in top quality components but the ride is what really matters. It inspires confidence on any surface and at insane speeds. I have smashed my PBs on every trail I ride.
Its worth digging out the What Mountain Bike review:
Winner. Gold, Value & Editor's Choice medals
"BUY IF... You want the best value all-round trail bike on the market."
"The totally sorted handling, balanced suspension, low weight and unbelievable kit value of the Boardman just can't be ignored... For under £1300 you're getting a bike that can genuinely best most bikes under £2000 and take everything from racing to the toughest trail centres in its stride."
ETA...
If you want to use your existing components, have a look on eBay at frames. You may get a carbon Stumpy frame for around that money and then spend the £300 on wheels.
Its worth digging out the What Mountain Bike review:
Winner. Gold, Value & Editor's Choice medals
"BUY IF... You want the best value all-round trail bike on the market."
"The totally sorted handling, balanced suspension, low weight and unbelievable kit value of the Boardman just can't be ignored... For under £1300 you're getting a bike that can genuinely best most bikes under £2000 and take everything from racing to the toughest trail centres in its stride."
ETA...
If you want to use your existing components, have a look on eBay at frames. You may get a carbon Stumpy frame for around that money and then spend the £300 on wheels.
Edited by Raven Flyer on Friday 16th July 09:16
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
One of these? I confess I'm rather tempted and there seems to be one in my local store too - might have a look later.
I'm also looking at second hand frames but then the other part of me wonders whether I can be bothered with the hassle of building another bike - the P7 has been evolving over many years and I'm getting tired of it....
One of these? I confess I'm rather tempted and there seems to be one in my local store too - might have a look later.
I'm also looking at second hand frames but then the other part of me wonders whether I can be bothered with the hassle of building another bike - the P7 has been evolving over many years and I'm getting tired of it....
Yep, that's the one. 120mm travel with a 20mm front axle and dual air on the front shock makes for an incredible ride. Front and rear are compression and rebound speed adjustable and its worth playing with the settings as they make quite a difference over trails you know well. The 20mm front axle is a revelation on fast descents. As you are a big fella, suspension and set up rigidity will play a big part in the ride, the bike being a smaller percentage of your combined weight.
I looked at upgrading my GT but stopped dead in my tracks when I started adding up the cost of the kit on the Boardy. I got to well over £1500 excluding the frame, bars and seat post. People rightly say you should buy the best frame for a road bike, irrespective of the fittings. On a MTB I think the opposite is true. Just the front and rear suspension units can be 50% of a full suss bike's price and where as a road bike frame is 60-70% of the bike's price, its 30 - 40% of an ali MTB's price. All of the main brands have excellent MTB frames so then it comes down to getting the one with the best kit with it.
In this, the Boardman has no rivals for at least £500 more.
I looked at upgrading my GT but stopped dead in my tracks when I started adding up the cost of the kit on the Boardy. I got to well over £1500 excluding the frame, bars and seat post. People rightly say you should buy the best frame for a road bike, irrespective of the fittings. On a MTB I think the opposite is true. Just the front and rear suspension units can be 50% of a full suss bike's price and where as a road bike frame is 60-70% of the bike's price, its 30 - 40% of an ali MTB's price. All of the main brands have excellent MTB frames so then it comes down to getting the one with the best kit with it.
In this, the Boardman has no rivals for at least £500 more.
Rolls said:
Out of your budget, but I use a Santa cruz superlight around Afan - perfect bike for around there IMO! 100mm travel front and rear :-)
Lol, thankfully not out of my budget it seems! Managed to find a brand new frame and rear shock for a very (very) reasonable price so bought that and am going to strip the Ellsworth of all the juicy bits to swap over - so thanks! 
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff