[Closed] Nomad 4!

Erm no. Got offered one and turned it down. Seemed a backward step from the 3 in terms of flexibility of use also heavier compared to the 3 and version 2. I guess if you can think of a use for a slightly heavy 170mm frame then it's great. Otherwise there is better for all around or enduro use. There is a lot to like but kind of don't see the niche it's aiming for

Got offered One? Sponsored rider?.

The real world reviews are very positive, seems like another SC winner.

I'm afraid that i seriously dislike the look of it.

Not sponsored, warranty swap. Demo'd and thought it was good but a bit pointless. A bit dh light which has always been an odd category to own/use.

Looks uglified frame design but whatever works suppose.

Don’t you work for stif or something so like a major perk of the job would be seeing/riding new gear.
I doubt many on here have or could get one yet.dunno

A bit dh light which has always been an odd category to own/use.

Depends where you live. Round here a 170 'DH lite' or new school freeride bike wouldnt be out of place at all.

It's no more dh lite than a capra. Agree with the looks at first, but it's grown on me....

Wow! Well I love it! And I really dislike SC bikes! Too short and currently they all look the same! But that's a great looking bike and the DH lite thing I can see working in wales lakes Scotland etc etc in the right hands.

I think that one is just lush, really like the colour!! Enjoy mate!

Just read the pinkbike long term review, if I had the cash....

Yeah no doubt it’s a killer ride and light to make the colour of frame etc pop! Haha there’s that word again in bike talk, POPPITY POP!

Too short? The N4 is longer TT wise than a Patrol, Enduro, Capra, Remedy, Mega, etc etc.
SC bikes aren't short any more.

Yeah don't look at the measurements just read the internet

Put my leg over one a couple of weeks ago, nice but sadly a little too much bike for most of the trail riding I do, is 170mm the new 160mm?

Must be, at least 170mm front ends.
We have a new uplift place opening that will be spot on for this sort of thing, some of the local trails (old DH style ones) would be fun on it and it wouldn't be a massive pain on the enduro stuff in the NE, my VPP experiences all tell me they pedal like they are 10-20mm shorter but when you let it go...

wales lakes Scotland

Actually, the best place for them are place like Wharncouver or Grenoside.

Scottish and Welsh uplifted blacks - are almost invariably better on a full on downhill rig. That said, if I had to have one bike - it would be a 170mm front and rear bike - like the Nomad. They are planted enough on blacks, expert lines and Alpine tracks to be bearable - but you start tiring quicker than on a DH rig and lose grip over things like braking bumps, but they are fun on Reds as well - especially on runs like Insufficient Funds. TBH, these days I'm finding the 170mm category pretty versatile.

Problem being while DH bikes are super capable and up to the job of WC tracks and huge rock gardens etc. how many people encounter that all the time? I'd say my 170/160 Commencal is a better DH bike than something from 4-5 years back for most UK stuff that isn't full on.

They are planted enough on blacks, expert lines and Alpine tracks to be bearable - but you start tiring quicker than on a DH rig

I bought a capra, went to sell my old bike, ended up with an n4 as a warranty replacement.

Plan was just to sell on the n4 complete. Built it up, had a go.

First impression was it was like the capra after too much coffee, much more energetic. Rode it again to double check. Rode the capra again, rode the n4 with the capra tyres bars and stem. It wasn't just first impressions, the n4 does ride that way.

Now keeping the n4 and selling the capra.

Would say the n4 is way better day to day than the capra, so much more energy, more playful, I was really surprised, pedals like my old sb66, really, really well for this type of bike.

Would also say it's more liveable day to day than my other recent enduro bikes, a patrol and a process 153.

Looks like it's decided to dress down ..no longer sexy !
I still have a 2006 mk1 ( I gave it to my 14 yr old son ..but still maintained by dad !) ..the curves on that are something else.
That's just plain Jane in comparison ..but no doubt rides much better 8)

wrecker - Member
Too short? The N4 is longer TT wise than a Patrol, Enduro, Capra, Remedy, Mega, etc etc.
SC bikes aren't short any more.

mikewsmith - Member
Yeah don't look at the measurements just read the internet

POSTED 8 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

Sorry that's aimed at me!! It was late when I wrote it!! 😆 I was talking about in the past when ever Ive ridden SC bikes ( my mate is a huge fan ) but Ive been left a bit cold by them and felt cramped.

I've seen the bike in real life and read the internet 😉 so I know this is longer than the 2017 bikes.....but shorter than the new 2018 SBG stuff....by about 10mm in xl.....

I was really trying to convey how this is the first SC that I've thought oh wow that's just lush.....but I failed!! 😳 😆

Scottish and Welsh uplifted blacks - are almost invariably better on a full on downhill rig

It’s probably about perfect for BPW, it was designed with big trail bikes in mind, the coach (Griff) has just taken delivery of his.

You’d have to be a bit daft or fairly minted to spend whatever they cost, top spec has got to be £10k, for a bike to use just there and a few places though, most people at BPW are on more versatile 150-160mm bikes that work pretty much everywhere, if you’re going to go full retard gravity get a DH Bike.

You’d have to be a bit daft or fairly minted to spend whatever they cost, top spec has got to be £10k

Alloy from 3600, carbon from 4300 to 6800.

I'm sure it's a lovely bike (and I recognise Stif's offices there too!) but the practical engineer in me worries about putting the shock so low in the frame as that's the bit that's typically full of mud when I'm out riding.

I worry that this is a bike that is "designed in California, made for California" and might not like Yorkshire filth too much over the long term...

I worry that this is a bike that is "designed in California, made for California" and might not like Yorkshire filth too much over the long term...

I had one of these brand new for a week's hire in Morzine this summer. A very, very capable bike and perfect for Alps, it certainly flattered my limited skills, but way too much bike for 99% of my riding back home. Definitely in the "hire for the alps" category for me.

It’s probably about perfect for BPW, it was designed with big trail bikes in mind, the coach (Griff) has just taken delivery of his.

Maybe if all you did was uplift & ride the blacks. They arn't DH bike worthy IMO so this would be ideal.

But if you want to ride everything, and ride up as well, it's far too much bike.

Being a former N3 owner, I was interested to see what it was like. But, living in the south of England, despite getting about to ride a lot, racing a bit of DH & enduro, it's not something that i'm interested in. Far too much bike.

I'm sure it would be great for the 2 weeks a year I spend abroad riding. I'd rather have something a bit more suitable to the other 98% of my riding though 🙂

I think they look rad and if you have the terrain nearby they'd be great. However its a DH bike and trail bike for me, no room in the stable for such a shred sled

It's no more bike than a capra, and there's one or two of those about.

Nobeerinthefridge - Member
It's no more bike than a capra, and there's one or two of those about.

Its no doubt a great ride but when a Capra CF Pro exists for £200 less than a base nomad, its a hard purchase to justify

It's not all about the price though, is it?

Nomad will pedal better, descend better, far easier to sell and for better residuals, free bearings and a far better warranty experience.

That's some of the reasons that SC are common as hell round my way, and not owned by guys that are loaded either.

Are there any statisticians in the house?

I'm curious about some of the new 170 ish travel bikes like the Nomad, Pivot Firebird, Whyte G179, Devinci Spartan etc. I ride a 140mm 'trail' bike just now and it's good for about 80% of my riding. The other 15% of getting battered I 'think' I need a bigger bike & 5% of 'I would do that if i was on a bigger bike', However if I had a 'bigger' bike I'd only use about 60% of it's capabilities due to the size of my cahoonies/ability. So for the 80% my current bike is good for, 50% of that would probably be boring on a bigger bike and 25% of the trails I don't think I would be any faster as i would still be shiteing myself.
100% of the time I would be making an excuse for climbing slowly because I'm on a bigger bike, even though I'm slow on any bike.
Answers on a postcard.

Answers on a postcard.

42.

Everyone I spoke to who has ridden one has been surprised at just how capable and good all round it is.

I think it's too much if you live in the S.E. But if you lived up north, Scotland or in Wales and didn't ride trail centres (non official stuff) it would be perfect as it's all basically DH without the uplift.

Maybe if all you did was uplift & ride the blacks. They arn't DH bike worthy IMO so this would be ideal.

I'm not sure about that, most of the time the people that say this are bimbling down them. As opposed to motoring down them and trying to fit in as many runs as they can in a day. I met a few quick MX types, who'd ditched their enduros last time I was there for precisely that reason.

Ive noticed there's a lot of snobbery amongst a certain brand of MTBer who like to essentially boast by stating that X bike is too much travel for X track.