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scenario being - you have space for 1 bike only.
You live and ride in the Peak district almost exclusively. You are not slow up or down but tend to hammer through rather than avoid obstacles. You enjoy a climb as much as a descent. Your rides involve 30% (ish) road.
The kit list includes:
Talas 140-100mm forks with a qr15 axle
slx/x9 kit
Elixir brakes (180/160)
Stans 355 rims on pro 2s
carbon bar/seat post
With the above in mind would you choose a full sus or hardtail frame and why?
heckler
why a heckler?
I would keep my cyclocross bike.It does off road you could tour on it or put skinny tyres and tribars on it and do a timetrial
I have never used any of the above kit as it's all to pricey for me.
bombproof
Bluepig
but the other considerations ton ....
'Goose teocali...
With the above in mind would you choose a full sus or hardtail frame and why?
BTW - currently have trance x just want an opinion as to what others think is suitable.
Ibis Mojo
Light frame, suspension will help you batter your way through, you have travel adjust forks for the climbs and it'll be circa 25-26lbs making it suitable for all day epics.
dialled prince albert latest CEN approved model great bike, handles well up and down just a joy to ride.
Turner 5Spot.
Just changed to it from a hardtail and it has made my local rides much more enjoyable.
daffy - of only mate, if i had one of those i would never be on the net!!
853 inbred
Cotic Soul
Much cheaper than a full suss frame but comfortable and fun to ride.
Are the 355 man enough to cope with 'hammer' through?
P7 - since building mine up I havent touched my 'proper' bike (Blur LTc) 😀
Pretty much the same kit as you specced above
Mine now has some SP3 on ZTR355 wheels too (they were on my Blur previously & hammered through lots of stuff BTW)
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What don't you like about the Trance X ?
What Simon said
five. don't believe it can't climb.
or maybe a blue pig
i like it a lot but always have a bike itch. I cannot find the sweet spot on the sag/rebound on the rear sus. I tend to lock it out for road and climbs so wondering if a HT would work for me again (ex PA owner)
Similar to oxnop - if I only had one bike, I'd keep my Handjob as it serves as a really good multipurpose bike.
Similar position, similar ponderings.
Current thought is either:
a) Soul, or
b) Stick with current bike - learn to love what you've got.
snap!
See if you can demo a Zesty.
Much better for your kind of riding than the Trance I think (as a former Trance owner).
racing_ralph - Member
daffy - of only mate, if i had one of those i would never be on the net!!
I'm sorry to say, mine hasn't turned a wheel since October last year. 😳
what you want is the genesis alpitude that i have for sale, similar to a soul only cheaper 😉
but its too small as i am 6ft1 and a bit plus a 33" inside leg. Top tube must be 23-24"
I also only have one bike to do me for everything so went for this. Ti hardtail all the way...
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did you not one that fitted? layback post and seat ll the way back plus barge stem?
Not sure you'll get much grip from those green bike shoes though.
Chameleon...
Apart from the seatpost (not carbon), the fork (revs) and the drivetrain (xt), its got the same bits..
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And I've just got myself a 180 front rotor..
In fact, don't get a chameleon, otherwise if we ever meet it will be weird. I'd have to put my name on it or something or we might get confused.
The kit list is not too dissimilar to mine.
I have a Chumba vf2 and Cotic Soul. If I could have only one it would be the Cotic as I find hardtails more fun for more of the time. FS is great for the odd gnarly bit (or for comfort) but most of the time gets the job done.
New Soul good for 140 (although I run mostly 100mm)
YMMV
RR- bike fits me great but I like a stretched position. Frame is 19" & I am 6'.
I haven't ridden in the peak district, but I made a very similar decision recently, with similar kit. I went for a Cotic Soda, and have no regrets. Not quite as quick down the hills in Wales, but a lot of fun.
Turner dw spot or Nicolai Helius AC
If the cost of servicing the suspension is not a problem (Assume a £200 outlay a year for both ends) and you can live without the bike for a week or 2 whilst the servicing is being done, I'd go for a FS, but then I've been riding HT for the last few years and fancy a change.
I rode a couple this weekend and it seems that a bit of squidge whilst climbing is something you need to get used to (even with a Brain equipped Spesh Stumpjumper Pro), although it helps get up those really awkward climbs.
bump
Nic Helius FR or Chumba imo
the op asked why tho not just a straight choice
FS for me, I think. One of the many capable offerings out there, but I'm happy with my 2010 Stumpjumper so I'll say that...
...decent amount of travel but still climbs well, doesn't bob around, good traction, comfy position etc.....
I would never live anywhere the forced me to have one bike but if I had to have only one bike it would be a nice road bike. If an mtb then a nice steel hardtail (Soul) - or a toughish Ti (On-one?).
But then my most versatile bike is my slidey drop out Inbred - I've happily used it for offroad, road touring and as SS.
A comfy HT that is at home on 5 hour rides including longish climbs, singletrack and easy DH trails.
Adjustable travel 6-4" bolt-thru air fork, reasonably slacked out at full extension. Largish volume, med tread, LUST tyres on medium width rims on Pro2's. A comfy saddle on a 4" adjustable seatpost. Relatively short chainstays. Med-wide low bars and a stiff shortish stem, 18 speed. Target weight of 28lb.
Two i'm looking at is a [url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=46087 ]Tomac Snyper[/url] and one of the new SantaCruz [url= http://www.santacruzbikes.com/nickel/#gallery.php ]Nickle[/url]
I have only one bike and it's a Zesty. Light enough for long rides but plenty of fun when gravity is on your side.
If you want a true "do everything" bike, then a hardtail or cyclocross would probably be more suitable. Sounds like you want a true off-road all rounder though, not one bike for absolutely everything, so I'd suggest a light weight 120-140mm full-suss is not a bad decision.
Personally I'm very happy with my Zesty for covering everything I'll ever want to do on a mountain bike but I'm really hankering after one of those 2011 Genesis Day One Cross bikes with an Alfine hub to cover the rest of the spectrum (commuting - road - off-road pottling etc).
Turner DWlink 5spot or SC Heckler
For a start the forks would go.. Lyrik Coil Uturns (max length 160mm not 170)
the rest of the kit looks spot. (my wheels are pro2s with Mavic EN321)
Orange 5 simple.
I have my 5 set up like this, I can take it anywhere in the world and it will cope -
Long XC ride wind the forks to appropriate height and away I go..
get to a super gnarly/techie descent - wind the forks back out and away I go.
I went to Central Canada a few years ago - mainly riding XC a few hours north of Toronto, with occasional woodwork thru the trees with drops - plus spent a long weeeknd in Bromont riding the trails (inc world cup course) my bike was very very versatile and only twice on the DH black runs at Bromont did I feel under biked.