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I have an 09 zesty that I have really enjoyed, but it's getting a bit long in the tooth, and to be honest I am getting tired of constantly changing bottom brackets and frame bearings all the time. So looking at spending approximately a grand on a frame set that will suit my new 150mm forks. It needs to be for a similar purpose as a zesty. I always longed for a five but don't fancy having to buy a new rear wheel as they appear to be maxle only rear now. Any thoughts on a nuke proof mega ? But with 150 forks is it the right bike ?
New meta am.
Nukeproof Mega for sure. The 150mm forks will suit it fine but it is 12mm bolt through at the rear. TBH a 12mm compatiable hub will be a good idea anyway as more and more bikes are going to come with them...
I'd look seriously at the El Guapo, it's stupidly good value.
Titus el Guapo from on one, then swap the shock out for something better 🙂
I paid £1300 for mine and there about £700 now. Loved it once I got a pushed dhx5 on it.
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[url= http://www.bikescene.co.uk/Specialized-Enduro-Expert-Frame-4527-18-0.html ]how tall are you?[/url]
or
[url= http://www.bikescene.co.uk/Specialized-SWorks-Stumpjumper-FSR-Carbon-Frame-2199-18-0.html ]you will break before this[/url]
or
[url= http://www.bikescene.co.uk/Specialized-Stumpjumper-FSR-EVO-Frame-4491-18-0.html ]this?[/url]
how about
Santa Cruz nickel and butchers currently on blowout prices
this?
[url= http://www.probikeshop.com/santa-cruz-blur-lt2-frame-tapered-white-fox-rp23/68441.html ]costs £20 for 24 hour delivery[/url]
You just cost me £50 dirtyrider 👿 (P2 purchase)
The stumpy evo's a ridiculously good bike... TBH if I was in the market for something like that I wouldn't even have to think about any other frame.
Titus el Guapo from on one, then swap the shock out for something betterI paid £1300 for mine and there about £700 now. Loved it once I got a pushed dhx5 on it.
We'll have frames with CCDB Air's in very soon at mad prices.
When will you have ones with big wheels though?
canyon strive
That Stumpy Evo is quite something. I've just bought a TV today...had I not then there's a good chance I've have a new frame on the way.
In my riding group we have a Yeti 575, Santa Cruz Heckler, Nukeproof Mega, Zesty, and 2 Stumpy's. All great bikes, mine is the Heckler, and I love it, but Ive always hankered after a 575.
Long fork HT, that way you've saved on changing bearings 🙂
The Nukeproof is a very good bike, absolutely love mine especially focussing on the downs. Long, slack, stable but climbs amazingly for a bike of that size/weight, partly due to the steep seat angle.
Twelve50 bikes (where I got mine) have them at crazy prices right now - under £600 for yellow or £638 for the black/silver.
https://twelve50bikes.com/shop/NukeProof-Mega-AM-Frame-2012---Rockshox-Monarch---Silver/347
I had my Mega built with 150mm Revelations and it was great. Just go for the headset with an external BB cup to help keep the angles as intended. Great Peak District trail bike like that.
It's even better with Lyriks on now though, back end plenty capable should you need more in the future.
With the price of a mega, you can afford to change forks too... Just a thought. Silly price for those.
Though I'd still have the Stumpy 😉
Mega with 36 Float here. At that price you can get the shock tuned too 🙂
Northwave, as an ex Hemlock owner, I love my Mega, maybe you would too...
Turner 5.Spot? Merlin have got the 2011 iteration at £1,350 (Usually retail at £2,100). Appreciate that this is slightly above your threshold, but these frames are superb and the bearings hold up way better than most other FS frames. I've got the 2010 an the 2011 is an improvement in many ways. Certainly worth checking out.
Love my Mega as well.
It's brilliant, the shock could perhaps do with a tune or a coil for full on DH courses but other than that it's got the best geometry of any bike I've ridden (which is the most important bit). The best way I can describe it, is that compared to my old mans Nomad.....the front just grips through corners....I have a lot more confidence in the front end than on the Nomad....it's really really stable....yet has a bit of lively pop off jumps.....whilst the top tube is short the reach is quite long so the cockpit feels roomy....it's laterally very stiff....and it's easy to get the weight back when needed due to the steep seatpost.
The bike feels much more of a weapon/tool that I can trust compared to my previous SX trail....in fact it's the first bike I've had for a long time that I've felt comfortable enough in to regain some of my confidence I had before I jacked biking in for about three years.
It climbs pretty well on top of that.
Heckler 150mm perfect
2 bearings
Great Bike
I'm going to be in a similar position to the OP later in the year as my Blur 4X is getting long in the tooth and this has really opened by eyes to what you can get for a grand. Those Megas for £600!?!? Wow! They were near the top of the list and a Blur LT2 would be a nice step up from mine but.... just how good does that Saracen look!
Mega for the win
Love mine....
Long, slack, slack - so composed on the downhill
Another Mega fan here, was very happy paying the full £950, so for those prices its a steal!
If I had to replace it, I buy another mega.
If you fit one, the Stumpy Evo in the link above for a grand is the one for me.
IIRC there are some mediums on Ebay as well for similar money, if you are neither a midget or a giant. My Mrs has gone for one having ridden one recently. They are bloody good fun bikes.
I'm going to be in a similar position to the OP later in the year as my Blur 4X is getting long in the tooth and this has really opened by eyes to what you can get for a grand.
Out of interest, in what way is your B4X getting "long in the tooth"?
I've got one too and am still enjoying it. I only ever ride my own bikes (B4X and a carbon 456) so don't really have anything to compare it with. If things have really moved on in the last 5 years, I wouldn't know about it.
Check out this fine beast
http://www.probikeshop.fr/yeti-cadre-asr-5-aluminium-noir-turquoise-2011/72849.html
just above budget
The mega does look a good deal but it really depends how much you like slack bikes. Can you get a ride of something with a 66 head angle? I've tried a few and the steering was too slow for me. Great for downhill but too sluggish everywhere else (for me). Just not my cup of tea, for the trails I usually ride.
It's all well and good talking about trick shocks and tunes but you've got to get the geo sorted first.
he mega does look a good deal but it really depends how much you like slack bikes. Can you get a ride of something with a 66 head angle? I've tried a few and the steering was too slow for me. Great for downhill but too sluggish everywhere else (for me). Just not my cup of tea, for the trails I usually ride.
You might think that at fist but I can't stand the 67 degree head angle on my old mans Nomad anymore.
With slack head angles you do have to compensate but you develop this wonderful carving style of riding. The bike is so stable that you just straight line it through everything and you don't make constant over/under correction because of the quick steering. You have to work the bike more but I have so much more flow now on every type of trail.
The bike is low and long as well, it encourages silly lean angles through corners as it feels very stable mid corner. It's just a total blast, it rewards aggressive riding where you really work the tyres.
I'd go as far as saying that it would be a great bike for novice riders coming off hardtails who are more interested in enduro/gravity as the bike is forgiving, there's not a bad bone in it's body in terms of handling. All my previous bikes have had a trait that could bite you on occasion.
The only place it feels a bit ungainly are the 7-8 mph really tight and twisty trails in trees, where you should be riding a hardtail or a 100mm XC bike.
Had my Mega for a year now and still really love it. Reasons why pretty much covered up there ^^^^ FWIW I run 150 forks, external headset and the wixi measures the headangle at 66.2 ish. Chosen partly because for the price I could buy a frame and new forks compared to some of the frame only options I was considering. But for those prices jeeezzz - really you can't go wrong.
The Stumpy EVO is ace (I have one) although I don't think it'll be that different to the Zesty in terms of BB and bearing longevity.
Mega here too with Lyriks and a coil shock I stick in for DH duties.
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Its a good bike, but I've not been blown away by the suspension personally when compared to my old Giant Reign.(This has been discussed in a few threads recently, have a search)
I have my coil shock away for a tune so we'll see.
Its a great bike though. I recently had a sit on the Meta AM at Skyline cycles. Fantastic looking bike, which Dirt also really rate.
I like to fit coil shocks for DH'ing. I looked at the Saracen above but two things put me off. You can't fit a coil shock in it, and it uses Norglide bushes on the rear pivots instead of bearings. Not sure why that puts me off, I have no scientific reason, but it does...
You also can't physically fit a coil shock in the Meta AM so I'm told, if that is something which bothers you...
For under a grand its got to be a heckler, they are fantastic for the money
Kayak, it's your shock tune matey. Just had a go on one with a ccdb.
You Giant Reign (the one you DHX5 ran well with) was a VP bike, it's going to be better under braking, potentially have a more rearward axle path and the shock tune needed is totally different to a single pivot.
Here's the Giant reigns leverage curve and force displacement curve. It's more linear and also a lot more sensitive at the beginning stroke. Although where I feel it counts (the sagged point) the Mega is more sensitive, the Mega also has a more progressive ramp up at the end which I should imagine would suit a coil shock.
To me geometry is important, I feel that the Geo on the mega is better but that the suspension setup on the Reign may be better. Nothing you can't deal with through a good tune though.
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Nukeproof Mega
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Although I am not so sure how those charts hold up as Bikeradar accuse the Reign of blowing through it's travel to easily, whilst saying the Nukeproof has a "firm race feel".
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/frames/mountain/product/review-giant-reign-frame-only-45194
I don't think those force compression charts take into account he differing shock tunes, the mega has a high compression shock tune whilst the Giant does not. I think the bloke who did them based them on generic air shock tunes.
he leverage curves are of some value though.
Hey thanks Bwaarp, nice one. Hopefully the tune will indeed be a revelation. 😀
I really shouldn't have opened this thread... what size mega's are people running at 5'11"? Bang in the middle of med/large on the size chart.
Medium, I'm in the same position as you DT78 as I'm almost 6 foot. I felt perhaps the medium Mega was too small for me because of the top tube length (short) and felt that could be the reason why I felt a bit over the bars sometimes. Turns out the reach is pretty huge and the short TT is due to the steep seat tube, so I tried some taller bars and that cured my issue.
I would ride one if you can but seeing as I get on with the medium I would go for that. It depends if you want something that is as long as a lot of DH bikes (large) or whether you want something that is stable yet retains a bit more manoeuvrability.
I'm a 6 foot with long arms (+4"!) and the large running a 50mm stem and 750mm wide bars.
The top tube is relatively short on paper but the steep seat tube pushes the reach out so it feels longer when stood.
It is perfect for me for everything from big trail rides, tight techy stuff to DH tracks. Any shorter and I'd be too cramped.
Just over 33" inside leg and I've got about 25mm spare drop on the Reverb, so that's worth bearing in mind.
(edit - similar comments to above, too slow typing, watchin Josh and Danny at Windham WC! A med would definitely be too small for me though, so you are right on the borderline.)
Damnit, I need to try a large at some point. My problem is, is that I have 34 inch legs but I'm not quite 6 foot. Short body on long legs.
I'm not much taller than my 5 foot missus when I'm sat down.
Blur 4X still feels ace but fancy treating myself to something a little lighter and modern with things like ISCG mounts, Maxle/bolt thru rear end and something a little longer in the wheelbase.
Don't get me wrong, the 4X is by far and away the best bike I've ever owned and I may well end up keeping it anyway if I change it for something else... just in case 😉
Looked at the Transitions for comparison. The Meedium Mega has a reach right between the Medium and Large Covert and almost as long a wheelbase as the large. The large Covert being rated for 185cm+ riders. So I reckon I'm fine, no need to change. 
Not sure if this is any use to you? I dont know the normal RRP, but i think it is meant to be a good bike, but other more knowledgeable folks on here will be able to pass comment...
[url= http://www.evanscycles.com/products/trek/fuel-ex9-2010-mountain-bike-frame-ec038506 ]trek[/url]
Mega is outstanding value and very well liked. For a little over £1,000 you can get a Covert on sale. My LBS sold their demo Covert frame together with Hope headset and BB for £650, a bargain.
There's been some great help here. Starting to wonder whether the mega is too much bike for what I need, as my riding is mixed between general xc, trail centres and a fair bit of more technical natural stuff here in north Wales. My mate recently picked up a sale 5 spot for 800 quid ! Anyone know of any deals anything like as good as this ? Also saw somewhere that has a 575 for a good price. With the new hopefully more reliable alloy back end. I looked into the stumpy evo as it sounds ideal, but no medium sizes. Anyone know of any hecklers on a good deal either ?
Santa Cruz Butcher
http://www.stif.co.uk/mtb/product/santa-cruz-butcher-frame/8399
The Mega with propedal on rides like a trail bike. Then let it off to let loose 🙂
Mega for £600. No brainer. Dammit you new kitchen / new wall / 4 car tyres / deposit for anniversary bash etc etc.
Hopefully they'll still be that price later in the year!
More deals than you can shake your mickey at over on CRC
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Categories.aspx?CategoryID=625&SortBy=DiscountDESC
Nice Cove Hustler in green would be cool.....
that 2009 Dawg for £399. Scandium tubes? Mag rocker? 6" travel? for £399? I had the 5" Coiler and it was a riot, and I sold it used for not much less than that.
You could spend the difference on a pimpy shock, or have the frame and decent forks for £1K. Someone on classifieds recently listed 2010 Lyriks for a bargain price (~£250).
Hmmm, I can see a second FS coming on!
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=66814&PartnerID=11696
New Commencal AM for under a grand!
I bloody hate threads like this! Perfectly good bike sitting in the garage, and all of a sudden people are posting awesome new spangly frames which I can't afford but can't stop wanting. What is it with bike envy? I should have just got into chess.