[Closed] If you can only have 1 mountain bike...

150mm full sus and swap the gravel bike for a stooge

A 120/130 29er sounds the best way ahead, enough travel to play at places like BPW, FoD, etc, but with the matching shock you can bump up the compression and kind of have a hardtail'ish ride as well, if you ever wanted that. I'd always go full sus when you're hitting bike parks, riding trails and doing weekend stuff, it just takes a lot of the sting out of the trails on your back, fatigue gets worse the older you get as well.

Loads of bikes in this class these days, and for 6k you can pretty much choose whatever one you like best, every brand does a lot in this range, so narrow it down to what you like the look off, and see if you can get round to see/test them.

Switch the carbon gravel for steel and then that takes care of the bikepacking and tamer XC stuff?

Then as a Cotic fanboi, sounds like you need a FlareMAX or a Jeht for everything else.

If I had 6k to spend an a mtb right now, I’d buy a transition spur.

I don’t so I’ll stick with my smuggler.

If I had 6k to spend an a mtb right now, I’d buy a transition spur.

Only thing is that transition don’t send many to the uk, and they have a waiting list as it is 😟

Good job I don’t have 6k then.

Can't you find space in your plans for a bike cupboard?
I've got a 3' x 5'6" cupboard in the house that I can fit 3 mtbs & 1 road bike in.

Orbea Occam

Absolutely love it, I still haven't managed to do more than 80km ride on it yet. But it manages most stuff lovelyly...

https://flic.kr/p/2n9GFwg

Should've said the carbon gravel can take 650b road plus wheels. That might be an option for the long gentle stuff.

I am mostly a wheels on the ground so can't see me needing loads of travel, but a short travel FS like a Blur might be ideal

Phil H, got any pics of that?

Short / mid ish travel 29er full suss sounds a good option.

Spur / Top Fuel sort of thing if you want the lighter end. Something like a Tallboy is a touch more burly I think - seems like an ideal allrounder.

Loads of bikes in the 140 front / 125 or 130mm rear travel.

Reactor 290
Norco Optic
Aether 9
Flaremax
Izzo
Spectral 125

If you can only have 1 mountain bike…

I already only have one mountain bike.

If I had the budget then the Cotic Jeht looks ace (midnight blue).

I only have one MTB and have a Nukeproof Reactor. I love it.

Gravel bike for local rides and road bike for, well road! I do wish I'd kept my Solaris as well though....

Mtbs, front wheels off and hanging from hooks in the ceiling.
Road bike hanging by front wheel from a hook in the ceiling.

Trouble is I've got another couple of bikes in an asgard shed In the garden.

If I could only have one, I would probably keep my Spur and 2 wheelsets. One light for XC/Trail duties and the other for racing/trips abroad.

I’d accept I wouldn’t be as fast on it, but I would have a great time!

What's your current 130mm 29er full sus? Would have thought something like that would be perfect for a do it all.

29er something around 120-150mm rear travel and 2 sets of wheels - 1 xc - 1 enduroish.
That will give you a great spread of capabilities.

I've recently gone from a transition smuggler at 115mm travel to a transition sentinel at 140mm.
Both excellent bikes, but the sentinel pedals absolutely fine (did 75km on it on Friday) and is very capable going downhill or off drops.

I only have one mtb, an Orange Four, but that doesn't help you 😀

My next bike will most probably be an SC Tallboy, great all rounder apparently.

Spectral 125 and reactor are both good shouts. Similar to the smuggler in intended use as a capable short travel bike, with the smuggler being no longer available new and the ‘sort of’ replacement spur rare as hens teeth. That sort of bike would be my one bike.

Thanks Phil, v space efficient!

Current bike is a trek fuel ex, but it's alu and a bit heavy rear sus makes bike feel soggy.

The spur sounds nice, will look into it

Got any room in the garden? 6K will get you a decent shed to keep the existing bikes and money to spare to contribute to a new MTB further down the line.

Also space to do maintenance, keep mucky kit, etc, etc.

I like my current stumpjumper. I've had long travel 29er and it kind of took the fun out of some bits around hope. Prefer less travel with a bit of pop but hard tail gives me back ache.
Rides well with the suspension "locked" on roads too.

https://imgur.com/0YAgbXN

cotic again.

but a solarismax. Sounds like the perfect weopen for your needs to me.

[img] [/img]

I'd probably replace my aging 130mm/116mm & 120mm/100mm full suspension bikes with a Santa Cruz Blur TR.

The bigger problem might be finding something in stock.

Just thought I'd post a pic of my reactor 290. Mines the alu version, not sure how heavy it is but it doesn't feel that heavy. I've changed the stock grips, bars and stem for Ergon grips, carbon bars and nicer lighter stem, so thats knocked a bit of weight of it...and through the winter I was running magic mary front and Minion DHR rear.

[url= https://i.postimg.cc/L8g3JqqC/IMG-20211112-134531741.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/L8g3JqqC/IMG-20211112-134531741.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

Another vote for a short travel 29er. The current crop are super capable. You can go one of two ways with them.

If you want something a bit burlier then aim for something like a SC Tallboy, YT Izzo, Cotic Flaremax etc (130mm front / 120-130mm rear).

If you want more efficiency / lighter built then Transition Spur, Epic Evo, Trek Top Fuel.

I've got a Spur. Does long XC rides just as good as my proper XC bike (Giant Anthem) but doesn't give up anything going down.

The only reason you'd ever need a long travel bike nowadays is if you're racing Enduro or ride a lot of gnarlier trails with big drops and like hitting rocky / roots sections at speed.

As above shuuuuuurly a new shed!

Still, any excuse for a flash new bike...

thank me later...

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/2020-field-test-norco-optic-short-on-travel-not-on-capability.html

Personally I'd get rid of the family, or move to a bigger house if they have to stick around.

Bike-wise - I'd probably keep my gravel bike so I could still commute on it. BPW have good hire bikes. But nah, life is about bikes! Moooore bikes!

Any hardtail with 120/140 upfront.

Something like a Spur with 2 wheelsets would be ideal. Light enough for big rides but just enough for bigger days. Slap some heftier tyres on for BPW and I'd be happy to ride mine there.

The problem is my riding is very diverse:
play on woods
long rides over dartmoor
Ride Coast path
Occasional BPW trips
Occasional big mountain weekend
Overnight bike packing trips

130ish 29er full suss would cover everything*, 2 wheelsets if possible, although mainly as a quick but expesnive way of swapping tyres for the intended ride.

*some, like the spur are going to be better than others at the final task - bikepacking.

Do some people have more than one nice mountain bike? I've never tried it.

I have a gravel bike and deeply off trend Neuron

They do work as a pair

660b wheels on the gravel bike with bigger tyres has been fantastic with the 700c weeks now set up more for the road with 35mm slicks

But I don’t think FS bikes ever peddle brilliantly. I thought the latest Treks were meant to be good to pedal. How old is yours?

I do spend an amount of time wondering if I should have a hard tail or rigid mtb and a longer travel FS bike.

On a forum full of roadies, gravel bikers and occassional MTB'ers, the leaning is always going to go towards shorter travel

I've dropped right out of biking altogether though - have a PP Shan 26", Spesh Kenevo e-bike and 90's steel Kona, but none get ridden.

For me, it would probably be a 150mm+ 27.5 FS of some flavour though

Personally, what would I have?

Well ive only one MTB so that's easy.

Fat bike with a spare set of 29r wheels.

All about compromises.
What on that list do you do the most of. Buy the bike that is the best suited to that.
Live with the compromises for what you do less of.
I spend most of my time on the South Downs, so my Epic Evo works dandy for me.

I would be buying a Pave Rc295,I have one of their hardtails ansd I can't fault the bike or Pace
https://pacecycles.com/pages/rc295

If you can only have 1 mountain bike…

...who cares? literally no point in carrying on

Singletrack Forum, youve changed.

Orange Five (in whatever wheel size fits you best)

Most i can think off have already been mentioned but that revel you can win in the Ukraine raffle looks really nice .

I think the next issue of the magazine has a test of the stumpjumper evo , the pace rc125 and one other that I can't remember , that might be worth a read for you .

I'm absolutely loving this - 2022 Stage Evo.

Its replaced a longer travel bike and a Hardtail. Its basicvally 90% as capable downhill as the older longer travel bike was, I have raced Enduro on it, its AMAZING on swoopy trail centre stuff, and (albeit perhaps with some lighter tyres on) I can/have done 50mile mixed XC rides on it, and it barely weights more than the hardtail did.

Note a few key spec choices, Fox 34s over 36s (2022 34 is incredible) DT XM rims rather than EX, non dinner-plate sizes Rhythm step casette, etc..

Edit - SC Tallboy (old bike was a Hightower) or a Pace RC295 were my alternative options but the SC would have to the alloy, and the frame design is optimised for Carbon so the Alloys weight a tonne. The PaceRC 295 sizing is daft with a massive seat tube extension so only works if you have long legs/like a short top tube.

I reckon, if I could only have one MTB (plus a road or gravel bike) I'd plump for one of these
https://intl.bikes.com/collections/element/products/element-c50-22?variant=41230868873379
Hmm, I reckon I could've got one if hadn't spent out on that nasty ebike...

https://startfitness.co.uk/products/orange-stage-evo-le-29-mountain-bike-2021-white?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5-WRBhCKARIsAAId9Fkw1werltrZlf3RFUXA2HVCPfAu6mVs8c0-zcdReZ1qfxrZAhSdxIcaApKVEALw_wcB

I agree with pretty much everyone else 🙂 that a short-ish travel FS bike would probably "do it all" for you. But!

All about compromises.
What on that list do you do the most of. Buy the bike that is the best suited to that.
Live with the compromises for what you do less of.
I spend most of my time on the South Downs, so my Epic Evo works dandy for me.

...it is all about compromise; but I think it's about compromising around what you most enjoy rather than what you do most of.

In terms of what I ride, it's like 90% fairly trad XC bimbling. But the bit I actually ride for is the other 10%, which is about puzzling my way down steep techy things without dying. If I bought a bike for what I mostly ride I probably wouldn't ride it because it wouldn't be all that much cop for what I actually want to ride, if that makes sense.

So -- what do you prize most in the riding that you do? And what are you willing to compromise to make that as fun as possible?

A Santa Cruz Chameleon 2022 or similar with a 140mm suspension fork and a rigid fork. Plus as many wheel sets as you have space/ cash for. Plus various bars and stems.

29er trail wheels
29er gravel wheels
29er road wheels if you really must
29er single speed rear
27.5 plus rear for extra cush at BPW
29er plus front wheel for the rigid fork.

I would start by seeing whatever spec/level of Stumpjumper fits within your budget and use that as the benchmark.

It's the standard answer for an all-round MTB that covers most of what you outlined needing geometry/travel/kit wise OP.

From there I'd just look at the ususal suspects:
Bird/Trek/Nukeproof/etc/etc and see if anything stands out in terms of VFM, weight, spec and most importantly geometry...

If not just get a Stumpy, they're alright.

Geometron G13 with 160mm fork, coil and air shocks to chose from.

https://geometronbikes.co.uk/bike-archive/g13/

List price of £5k for an xt build gives enough for the coil shock as well.

play on woods- it's great

long rides over dartmoor- it's great in the peaks

Ride Coast path- pass

Occasional BPW trips- I'm off to the dyifi bike park this weekend

Occasional big mountain weekend- it was great in Whistler and in torridon

Overnight bike packing trips- it's been great on the Jen ride for several years.

Hmmmm. For me the short list would be:

Transition Spur - I have one and love it. It does all I need and more, but I would quite like a second bottle cage inside the main triangle.

Santa Cruz TR - it has that second bottle cage and seems to meet the bill.

Rocky Mountain Element - 130 front, 120 rear and seems very capable.

Ibis Exie - just looks fantastic and with 120 both ends should be good for most riding with wheels down and a few jumps too.

Id be looking at:
Nukeproof reactor
Evil the following
Canyon Spectral 125

All are very capable do anything bikes.

S works leki 10k.

Canyon Spectral 125

I'd be very tempted, but I think I'd go for the 150mm version instead.

Or another long-ish travel trail sled with a burly fork.

Another vote for short travel full sus. Pretty much covers 99.9% of UK MTB needs.

only got 1 mtb at the moment, 29" SS hardtail with 80mm forks, but that was only coz it was winter when I had to send my bikes to storage.
But for the rest of the year if I could only have 1 MTB I think I'd go with the consensus, a short* travel FS, ie my stage 4.

*still struggling to accept 120mm is short travel

Pace

Hope hb130

Orange stage 4

Reactor

Basically a 130mm 29er

Not posted here much for months.

I'm another in the 120mm+ 29r FS camp as my only MTB.

In my case it's a 2015 Camber Evo that is far more capable than me (but I'm not that good compared to many on here I'm sure).

My most common riding is South central bridleway bashing and it's on paper too much bike for that but it doesn't detract from the ride, even though a light xc rigid bike would be just as much fun but it's perfect at my talent level for trail centres, the odd Wales trip etc.

Not sure it'd be much cop for bikepacking. I keep meaning to give it a go but ... Time...

I reckon I would be just as happy with a slack but light 120-140mm forked 29r hardtail. That's maybe the next bike for cost and maintenance reasons.