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Hot on the heels of your recommending a bike for my wife (she ended up with a Transition Spur, and loves it), it’s approaching time for me to have a new bike.
In fact, it may be past time. My current bike is a (second hand to me) 199? rigid bike that was single sped with Paul track ends, and which I then (once daughter reached age that allowed her to reach speeds I could not maintain) re geared with a slide on hanger. I have 5 cogs. And 24 inch wheels (the frame is a 26er). And am 175cm tall. Prior to that I had a (second hand to me) 1993 Kona Explosif. Which I single sped.
I ride between 40km and 70km a week year round on bridleways, farm tracks, anything ‘not road’ that my friends and I can find in Oxfordshire. Well, and as much road as it takes to link bits. Will also aim for at least one riding holiday a year - King Alfred’s Way was this year, between 30 and 55 miles per day. Nothing radical, old school xc, perhaps?
Having ridden my wife’s bike, I *think* I’d like full suspension, but open to being talked out of it. I like to carry stuff on the bike, not in a backpack when possible, so would prefer a water bottle cage. Would also prefer second hand, but open to new. Think I’d be better off on 29 inch wheels, but as I’m currently on 24s, it’s not like I know. Just seems that 29ers are being marketed as the more wheels on the ground bikes at the moment?
Interested (loosely) in the Orange Stage 4 (no bottle mount!), Cotic Flaremax (complicated rear end in the mud?), Starling Murmur (way too much travel for my bimbling?)… so I guess I also like bikes there a bit ‘different’ 🙄
I’d appreciate your thoughts on what I should do, and where to search for them - here, ebay, Pinkbike and Facebook Marketplace are where I searched to get Jr’s Orange Four, and that worked well.
Thank you!
Would something smaller travel suit more? Thinking something like this……
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=trek+supercaliber&_sop=12
That’s the type of bike is like for the riding you describe.
His and hers Spurs?
Failing that, there's so many, but looking at your list, i'm guessing steel full susser sounds good, can't really say much bad about the likes of cotic, stanton or starling, best thing for what you do would be a full susser like that, but with a rear shock that has easily changeable compression or lockout to help.
If you like the Orange keep an eye out for a later Stage 5 as my 2020 frame has a bottle mount. I had a Segment before (old name for Stage 4) and either is perfectly suitable for what you want to ride.
Thanks both. The super calibres look ace - I guess I’d discounted anything that looks too fast! Reference the Spurs, my wife rides way harder and faster than I do - it’s a lovely bike but I think I’d feel kind of over biked? I think that’s one of the reasons I’d go second hand too…
I'd look at 'down-country' type bikes if I was you. They're basically XC racy type bikes but with slightly burlier kit and slightly slacker geometry. This means they're pretty light but still decent off-road.
I've a Cannondale Scalpel SE which is a great allrounder.
I was going to say supercaliber, as downcountry seems to be a thing now it means there are quite a few xc style bikes that aren't too full on xc race
£3k-£6k FS/XC bikes for bridleway bimbling? You know you’re at STW
Joking aside (not joking)I realise that there are bridleways:
and there are bridleways
Most of my rides are bridleways and farm tracks more like what would be termed ‘gravel’ these days and I’m happiest on a fast-rolling rigid steel 29er, sometimes single-speed.
Anything slightly hairier or all-day (I’m looking at a new bike for such) then a mid-range XC/hardtail with lockout forks for road sections?
Am thinking about a Specialized Chisel or Fuse* depending which way I go. Other one I’ve looked at is a Sonder Dial Deore
* liking the Fuse for neat singlespeed option
I’m scared of selling the rigid 29er though because it’s just such a unit for all day no-nonsense bimbling.
Cotic Flaremax (complicated rear end in the mud?)
Had mine +3 years now, never an issue as loads of space.
And if buying s/h I can recommend them as a low-maintenance option as I only had the bearings done this year (as there was a slight notch). Previous FS's have eaten bearings at least annually.
Sonder Cortex?
Has a cage mount and as they are all built to order you can play with the spec to suit.
I'd certainly get something that was a close spec to your wife's bike so you can borrow bits as spares if needed, pack the same tubes, quick links and so on.
The bikes you list are all more hardcore / longer travel than the Spur you say is too much bike in my opinion.
You don’t necessarily need full suss for what you say you’re riding - a nice springy steel or ti hardtail would probably do a good job.
If it’s 29er full suss and you’re thinking not a crazy budget then the below are probably where I’d start looking:
Sonder Cortex (cheap new for what it is)
Giant Anthem (secondhand)
Scott Spark (secondhand)
The Trek Top Fuel is a bit less racey than the Supercalibre but more XC than say a Spur. Might cost quite a bit even secondhand though - a mate has one and it’s taken an enormous amount of stick through stuff it was never really designed to do and just kept coming back for more - really impressive.
The YT Izzo could also be worth a look on the full suss side of things. Similar (but cheaper) than a Spur but probably just a bit more xc.
On the hardtail side of things perhaps a Cotic Solaris / Stanton Sherpa tick the steel and relatively comfy for long ride box. If going titanium I’d 100% want a brand new one with a warranty and not buy secondhand. Sonder Signal always looks good to me - but it’s perhaps a bit more aggro then you’re after.
Need and want are two very different things.
Who needs an SUV type car yet they're everywhere.
Thanks all, lots to think about. And whatever I get, it won’t be 3k!!
Got an Anthem advanced 29er for sale if you want...
£1.6k is
Very twitchy though.