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After a recent Car-rear-ending my Mega 290 is heading for the scrap heap.
Hoping to replace with a 150/160mm travel all day ridable, Enduro race capable machine.
I’ve been really happy with the Mega but feel it could be time for a change.
Budget wise is a guessing game at the moment untill insurance gets back to me to have me pants down- one rear ending was plenty Thankyou!
I’m hoping to build something between 3-4K. Possibly up to 5k on a longer term build.
Any inspiration gratefully received, I like the look of the Specialized s-works Enduro- was a big Orange fan but not inspired by the Stage 5.
Thought about Yt Jeffsey but would like to demo bike.
In the tradition of recommending what you ride I'd suggest the Orbea Rallon. Carbon full builds come in well within your price range and I think frames are available as well.
Confidence inspiring and fantastically capable 'enduro' bikes when going down but very much pedalable all day as well. Plus custom paint jobs are always a bonus!
I went from a Mega 290 to the Stage 6.
Very similar geometry, very different ride feel. The Orange is much more urgent and better company on all-day rides. Would make a great race bike, just because it's so bloody fast. Worth a demo on one if poss.
New Cotic RocketMax would probably be my first choice, but I got fed up waiting for it.
Interested to know what terrain you ride? Always thought the stage 6 would be overkill for most uk stuff?
Had a few Fives and loved my Blood but thought a single pivot would be like taking a step backwards.
Whyte S150C RS or Works.
Only just got mine but very impressed with it! Despite the additional travel and bigger/wider tyres & rims, it pedals very well. I'd say on par with the T129 and T130. Point it downhill and it's silly quick and capable.
Sounds like you want frame only...
Transition Sentinel?
Cotic Rocket Max?
Santa Cruz Hightower around £4-5k gets you a very capable carbon all rounder. Orbea Rallon worth a mention too also in price range. Does Intense float your boat at all?
Geometron?
Pole Evolink?
Stanton Switch9erFS?
Intense does indeed float my boat! Stunning looking bikes!
I’ve looked The Geometron but not keen. The Stanton caught my eye before, can you demo Stanton anywhere?
Where are you based? I rather like 29ers and have built quite a few demo bikes.. So, if you can make it to Edinburgh/Tweed Valley we have a Stage 5 medium, Sentinel Carbon large, Rallon large and a Rallon XL as well.
I have been riding the Stage 5 last few days and love it, actually way more than I thought I would. Super fast and light, and insanely capable especially with the 27+ wheelset fitted.
Everyone that rides a Sentinel falls in love, as does anyone that rides a Rallon.
I live near Scotch Corner A1/A66 North Yorkshire. Could be worth a road trip up sometime!
Mainly ride in Swaledale, Local bridleways and a handful of races a year, Boltby Bash- Ard Rock/ Moors. Really enjoy Lakes riding aswell.
I’m also building a long term hardtail project and have 27.5+ wheels/tyres for it.
Was tempted by the Specialised as can be run 29 or 27.5+
New Scott Ransom would be right up there for me if I wanted something off the shelf.
Similar to the Scott as owned by them
Bergamont trailster 10?
Interested to know what terrain you ride? Always thought the stage 6 would be overkill for most uk stuff?
Pennines, Lakes, Wales, Scotland.
If anything it's less overkill than most 150mm/160mm 29ers, as it pedals so well and can feel a bit taut over rough stuff. It doesn't feel like it has more than it's travel IYKWIM.
I have extended my fork to 170mm and added offset bushings to make it a bit more enduro-y.
In true recommend what you've got - Starling Murmur .
Factory or full custom , frame or full build .
""Santa Cruz Hightower around £4-5k gets you a very capable carbon all rounder.""
£2.6k NX/revelation fork, £3.2k for S spec [gx eagle and fox36]. @ start newcastle
Ibis RipMo 🙂 Someone will be along shortly to tell you it’s not an Enduro bike. Then I’ll explain it’s used by their EWS riders. Then someone else will turn up and say ‘ah yes but they all will go back to the HD4 this year’ 🙂
Anyway it’s an amazing bike. Lots of amazing bikes on this thread. The Orbea caught my eye before, and I’ve not heard anyone not loving the Stage 6.
Ibis Ripmo?
carbine/tracer is a bit short (455/460 in large) compared to the 290 (470 in large)
a mate hates his sentinel
another mate loves his switch9er
another mate loves his 275 and is considering another
I was v tempted by a 290 but I got a carbine
Cotic RocketMAX?
Lots of bikes to look at/drool over while I’m off work!
Only joking.
Capra? I had a Jeffsy (which was great) but Capra sounds a better fit.
I just bought a great s-works Stumpjumper coil at a bargain price. 40% reduction. It’s a great trail bike, 150/140 travel.
If you’re a medium, they’ve got one more left too.
Freeborn.co.uk
I’m running 29er wheels with lighter tyres for longer distance rides, with the carbon Rovals that came with it.
I also have built some 27.5 wheels with 40mm rims and 2.8 tyres for messing around and more rough stuff.
Works a treat.
Santacruz Hightower LT really spritely to ride climbs well, downhill is brilliant too,
What can you get a demo on? In my case it was Santa Cruz and Orbea. I chose the Rallon as it was much better value and didn't have any components I wanted to change. No regrets, it's an awesome bike (still love Santa Cruz though anf have a Blur on order)
Good shout
I’ve currently got a RocketMAX (not longshot) and a 2015 Spesh Enduro 29. Being shallow, I prefer the way the Cotic looks, and the geometry is a bit more confidence inspiring on really steep or rough terrain. However, being carbon, the Spesh is at least 2lbs lighter with very similar components - that, and the way the suspension works mean that it’s way better on climbs. Descending wise, the Enduro is quicker than the Cotic, and the suspension feels a lot more composed. The Cotic really needs the Cane Creek shock to come close to the Enduro with boggo Monarch Plus - with a Cane Creek on the Spesh, it just moves it’s descending prowess on even further.
Where I think the Cotic is better is on milder trail centre reds, because it doesn’t completely steam roller them and, particularly if you run it with the standard X Fusion shock, it feels more trail bike than All Mountain/Enduro bike. Having said that, the geometry on the Spesh I have does make it feel nimble - it’s just the amount of suspension travel that can feel a bit OTT.
I really can’t justify keeping both bikes, so really need to sell one of them - head says sell the Cotic, heart says keep it. If you can get one of the more recent Enduro’s with the slightly longer reach and threaded bottom bracket, that’d be my choice - esp if you can snag one in a sale.