[Closed] 3 bikes, 3 different shocks, forks....Help!

Best VFM is in second hand or ex-demonstrators. Some shops selling ex-demos will class you as the first owner so the warranty starts with you.

My comment is you're mad to drop nearly £3k on a bike you know nothing about! Difficult for the bikes you've selected, but I'd try to get a ride on them or at least demo some other bikes. You might get a good deal from your LBS on last years model, etc.

Spectral does look good though, I think it's an STW stock answer, just like Aeropress, Deore Brakes, XT bottom bracket from Rose Bikes etc..... and the great thing is they're good recommendations!

Cheers, yeah I know wish I could test ride them all - only one I can is the Chief, at Ashton Court next Tuesday.

Buying my first F/S and want the best for my money

best is very subjective...

do you want lightest?
strongest?
fastest?
most durable?
lowest maintenance?

Ultimately though the best bike is the one that fits you best and that you like, people ride bikes they like, bikes they don't like tend to get left in the corners of sheds and garages.

Getting yourself in a knot about minor spec differences isn't really going to get you anywhere so if you have the opportunity then test ride, failing that go with the one your heart tells you to!

Good advice. Bloody hard this! head spinning with it - Tuesday should help.

I'd not bother with the Radon at that price. They're good in the lower price-brackets for value, but when you get up to your budget you end up with a distinctly average frame with some nice bits on it.

Thanks - so what would you go with?

Personally, the Canyon. I think it would generally suit my riding better, and I prefer RS forks and 1xX gears. You might be different though.

'best is very subjective...

do you want lightest?
strongest?
fastest?
most durable?
lowest maintenance?

Ultimately though the best bike is the one that fits you best and that you like, people ride bikes they like, bikes they don't like tend to get left in the corners of sheds and garages.

Getting yourself in a knot about minor spec differences isn't really going to get you anywhere so if you have the opportunity then test ride, failing that go with the one your heart tells you to!'

Yes, you are right. I mostly ride Cannock cheekies (bored with the marked trails) and am looking for a do it all bike. A bike that is good for local but a bike that can go on the odd away day to Wales (Degla) etc. Not wanting a DH bike.

On spec the canyon would be clear winner for me. The best fork and best parts especially the X01 only negative thing is avid brakes but I would suck this up knowing at some point I would drop a £100~ on some SLX ones.

Would the 8+ week wait rule out the Canyon?

No, waiting time not an issue - I won't ever buy a bike of this spec again - I can wait.

I'd say the Canyon was best VFM of those, i've got a Strive and it's a fantastic bit of kit for not a lot of money given what the equivalent mainstream brands would charge.

For a first FS bike though i'd be hard pushed to drop that much unless I was cock on sure it was right. I was happy enough taking a punt on mine given that after having 6/7 bikes before it I knew what geometry/measurements I needed, and even so it needed a bit of tweaking o get perfect.

I'd suggest going and trying the usual first bike suspects, giant trance/anthem, trek/specialized etc as you'll get easy demos on them and then you can probably find last years model at a sizeable discount.

Edit: On the brakes - I bought mine and was going to order a set of XT's to change them too. I never bothered, braking performance is just as good on the Avid's, modulation & feel is better. They are noisy if they as much as look at water though. Biggest perk is the cockpit - the 1 shared mount system is fantastic with the shifter right and reverb left.

Cheeers Nick. I really like the Chorman bikes though and have Bob Hope of testing any of them (apart from the Rosebike). Looks like it's gonna be a Hail Mary job.

You do at least with canyon have the 30 days return policy - I didn't really factor it in as it's basically as new condition which means you can't take it on the trails. You'd know if it was really wrong though after 1/2 an hour on the car park.

And ignore their sizing tool - it's rubbish. Told me I needed small and i've got a large...

Thanks for that, still think the Canyon is winning but I'll see what I think after running the Chief around Ashton Court.

They're all good quality parts, I wouldn't let it be the decider. I'd want the Fox least personally. The Rev RCT3 is a [i]great[/i] fork but that Canyon could push the chassis pretty damn hard, really it wants a set of Pikes on it if it's going to be used as hard as it could be (I love my Revs but on a long travel hardtail, they were always a little out of their depth on the big bike)

The RC fork on the Radon's a wee bit of a wildcard, I've not seen much good comparison between those and the Pike RCT3. Some say it's the same damper with less adjustment, others say it's much inferior.

Cheers again - I've decided I need a bike with Pikes, after all the good advice - think this is the one. Finger hovering on 'buy'.

http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/radon-slide-carbon-650b-160-8.0-se-128913/wg_id-7243