[Closed] Help choosing a short travel full suspension bike.

Looking for some advice choosing a short travel full suspension bike. I just got back into riding last year and bought myself a Kona Cindercone in a 17" size. I am mostly riding at glentress but plan on expanding out to some of the other seven stanes sites. I've changed the saddle and the tyres on the Kona but otherwise it is standard and I really like my position on the bike and I feel quite confident riding it down the red route at GT. I'm finding now though that as I go a bit faster my legs are taking a hammering on the downhill. My new tyres are a bit narrower as well so while they grip much better I've lost some shock absorbance. There is only one thing that I find difficult on the Kona and that is getting round tight switch back when descending.

So I tried a Trek Fuel 18.5", unfortunately they only has the 9.7 for me to hire and I'm not looking to buy a carbon fibre bike, it was comfortable but the pedal bob was brutal, permanently had the pro pedal on unless descending. Overall I felt it was like riding a pillow and was neutralizing the trails to the point where it wasn't fun to ride them. Not sure if it is really just that good or if it was a bit soft.

Then tried a Orange ST4s. This was a 18" and there was something I just couldn't get right in terms of sitting on the bike. I moved the saddle as far forwards as possible but still felt that the the longest part of the pedal stroke was out in front of me, a bit like I was sitting behind the bike. The reach to the bars then felt too short and overall it just didn't feel right. I loved the way the suspension felt in that it was a bit like my hardtail but with a nice fat tyre. A few times I felt like I was being pushed over the bars and was having to get my weight right back off the saddle to descend comfortably. What was slightly bizarre was that it also gave me knee pain, so much so that I had to cut my ride short. I tried an orange five last year just for fun and it did the same to me so there must be some thing about the positioning on orange bikes that doesn't agree with me. I had problems with chainsuck on the test ride as well. Had decided the bike wasn't for me and was almost finished on a benign piece of track and I came off the bike hard, front wheel washed out on a dry rocky trail. I'm thinking I had my weight back so much that the front wheel was unweighted and I've just slightly touched the front wheel on the grass at the edge of the trail and that was it gone. Annoying as I've ridden that bit loads of time and it's not technical and I wasn't trying hard either was just rolling to take the bike back. Anyway nothing broken on me or the bike but I'm lacking a lot of skin 🙂

Both the Orange and the Trek didn't have the downhill switchback problem of the Kona.

So I think I am convinced by a short travel full suspension but with limited ability to try and test near me the I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to what to look at. I'm looking at spending less than £1500 so am more than happy to look at last years model. Both above bikes were last years.

Currently liking the Cannondale Rz120-2 from last year.

Any suggestions about bikes, geometry sizing welcome. (i'm 5ft 7)

Thanks