Speccing a great UK trail bike

My trailbike is a long travel hardtail but the logic's about the same (except I need a stronger rear wheel and tyre than I would with suspension cos I'm always smacking it off things)

Thing is for a capable trailbike the answers are mostly the same as for a bigger bike, you need strong brakes, tough wheels and tyres, and you want all the dropper post you can squeeze into it. Like, if I have a 170mm bike or a 150/130 bike I'm probably going to put <exactly> the same wheels tyres and brakes in it.

I'd put most of the effort into wheels and forks, it's not so much a performance thing, more feel, but feel is very important and lighter wheels will always add zip. I don't know what I'd actually choose, today, all my wheels are pretty old now. Light and strong is expensive, usually, but it doesn't have to be <light> light, I just don't want it to be heavy. An enduro bike can wear a heavy wheelset well, even gain from it, but a trailbike with heavy wheels is neither one thing nor t'other imo. At some point you might as well just be a bigger bike 

Fork, my choice was maybe an odd one but the MRP Ribbon Coil. It's stupidly light for a 150mm coil 29er fork at about 2.1kg, the damper isn't as adjustable or probably really quite as good as my 36s but the coil makes up for that. And there's really not much downside to the coil, on the front, but being able to really lean on the fork helps you get more out fo a short travel frame (or in my case, big enduro hardtail). 

Eh lastly my own trick for a good trailbike is 2 rear wheels, one with a fast tyre and one with a slow tyre. Sure, you can change a tyre easily enough but does anybody actually do that? I don't. So I have one wheel with a dhr2 and one wheel with a rockrazor. And swapping that makes more difference than anything else I could spec on the bike, the rockrazor turns it into a missile. Being on the right tyre for the ride makes such a difference.

My trail bike is a hardtail too with 34's and Forekaster/Rekons built lightish but tough enough. I do ride it a lot differently though to my enduro bike, I feel to old to be smacking a hardtail into things. 

I did ride an Aether 7 with 150 Pikes and coil shock with Minions as a trial/enduro bike for a few years which was suprisingly good at both and would have benefitted from Northwinds x2 back wheel trick.

These days I sometimes use Turbo Levo as a trail bike because it doesn't care what back tyre its running ...

So maybe a decent UK trailbike is a bike with a great fork, lightish wheels, faster back tyre and good pedalling manners.

As above really, Fox 36s on the front and a FloatX on the back and 2 sets of wheels. I run Kryptotals in Enduro soft on the burly set and a set of Bontrager XR4s for the faster local stuff, although admittedly i could arguably use the Bontragers for everything at my skillset 😀 

Mine is a Fuel EX8 Gen6 and does absolutely everything perfectly. From Dyfi to Ridgeway, from FoD to BPW, yeah it's just top class.

I'd build the following:

Orange Five Evo frame / Fox 36s at 150mm / Hope/Stans Flow wheels with Maxxis Assegai/High Roller / XTR brakes and drivetrain / dropper post / Renthal bar & stem / comfy WTB seat and squidgy grips

Actually, thats my bike (actually I run 34s at 150mm but want to put some 36s on). Does absolutely everything from multi-day rides to tech stuff to bike parks to trail centres to the Alps. Its flippin brilliant.... Staggering how capable a modern 140mm "trail bike" can actually be.

I keep toying with building one of these up - would have gone for a Switch9'er FS, but they sold out a while back and doesn't look like they'll make any more. Switchback can be run mullet though.

Be a £7-8k build to do it nice though

What sort of weight are your bikes coming in at? I have a Giant trance X which seems comparable to what is being said but comes in at 15.5 kg. The wheels are a bit porky so I could improve weight and feel there but the rest seems ok. I do run lighter tyres though. 

Not specific, but +1 for a spare rear wheel with a different tyre.

Soft tyres are like riding downhill trails with a cheat code, they're bloody brilliant.

Soft tyres literally anywhere else are awful.

Front tyres, less important, depends if you have spare matching sets of wheels or just picking up something cheap in a sale.

And get a custom shock tune if you're not average.  Most bikes seem to be setup for a 5ft8 75kg average. If you're 6ft and 95kg you'd not ride a medium frame, so why ride their medium fork / shock.  You probably need a coil fork with heavier springs , or the opposite of a Vorsprung Luftkappe (you need more positive volume and less progression) and a much larger air can on the shock than Joe Average. Or if you're smaller than average, Vorsprung Luftkappe and volume spacers will be your friend.  Custom tunes are far cheaper than new shocks, and far better (than buying another more expensive average setup shock) if you're not average.

Travel: 150f/130r is a good sweet spot (obviously within reason - geographic specificity notwithstanding)

Fork: 34-36mm chassis depending on rider weight.

Shock: good shout on a larger-capacity air can for larger riders.

Wheels: Hope hubs + whatever DT Swiss rims suits (XM421 or XM481?) - reliable and easily repaired/rebuilt. 

Brakes: mid-level Shimano 4-piston for heavier riders, 2-piston for lighter.

Drivetrain: mid-level Shimano 1x12, or 1x11 LinkGlide. Posher shifter for nice feels.

Tyres: something grippier up front (e.g. Butcher Grid 29x2/4 T9), faster rolling rear (Ground Control Grid 29x2.35 T5). For summer use anyway.

Dropper: Brand X is brilliant or OneUp if a bit more flush, as long as you can manage in the frame.

Decent front mudguard, because UK.

I'm happy with my Tallboy for all-round UK trail use - I've got a bigger bike for bigger stuff but I'd make do with the Tallboy if forced into having just one bike. Slighty less travel at 140/120, slightly chunkier fork (Mezzer Pro with 37mm chassis), Float DPX2 shock is great for me, I've got posher wheels, brakes and drivetrain than necessary. Weighs 15.3kg in XXL. 

Any bike can feel like a trail bike with fast tyres on. Unfortunately fast tyres usually come in lightweight casings which aren't up to sharp rocks and edges.

At the moment on my 150/130mm trail bike I've got Forekaster/Rekon in Exo+ with inserts for safety and I'm liking it.

Orange Five Evo frame / Fox 36s at 150mm / Hope/Stans Flow wheels with Maxxis Assegai/High Roller / XTR brakes and drivetrain / dropper post / Renthal bar & stem / comfy WTB seat and squidgy grips

We think alike. I've got, and absolutely love

Orange Alpine Five, Fox 36 Factory, Hope/Stans wheels with Ardent/High Roller, XTR drivetrain (1x11 mechanical) Hope Tech 4s, Thomson dropper, Rental carbon bars, comfy WTB seat.

And an old Middleburn square taper chain set on UN74.

I'm fortunate enough to have other options though, a Rocket for for when I need more bike, and a Solaris for when I need less. 

Any bike can feel like a trail bike with fast tyres on. Unfortunately fast tyres usually come in lightweight casings which aren't up to sharp rocks and edges.

It depends I suppose on what you're calling "UK", "trail" and to an extent the rider.

The Lakes, Parts of the Highlands, Peak, or areas of Wales, then you're going to want something far burlier on the descents, unless you're a racing whippet who enjoys the climbs and covering distances rather than focusing on just a few miles of the ride and tolerating the rest.

The other 95% of  the population, what you ride from the door is probably 100mm hardtail territory. 

I'm actually in the process of going from an FS trail bike (2015 Stumpy Evo) to a "Hardcore" HT. 

I'd just come to the conclusion that a decade old bouncy bike frame with even more dated Geometry wasn't really worth the effort/cost of maintaining (for me) Vs the relative benefits of a simpler, handling focussed HT which I can change later without too much fuss and no rear shock to look after... 

In terms of parts to focus on, for me it's primarily going to be Wheels and tyres. I intend to build two different rear wheels one for "normal" use and one for "aggressive" use (i.e. uplift days and smashing through rocks), I am probably going to be Mulleting it to begin with so I can use the front wheel I already have and am pretty happy with in most use cases. 

Fork is a Manitou Mezzer which is pretty light, and very adjustable in terms of both travel, damping and spring. 

Weight of the chassis will be a big winner for me, a ~2kg fork with a ~2.5kg HT frame will always be lighter than the lightest trail FS frame. 

Light wheels are a bonus, but I wouldn't build down to a weight, I would build wheels (and spec tyres) to suit the application. If you are going to be mashing through rocks all day a sub 400g 28h wheel will only last so long especially on the rear. 

Only other thing worth thinking about is Bars, comfortable bars in a width that suits you, but that's a very personal thing, similar goes for saddles or grips I guess. 

Drivetrain and Brakes might get some cash splashed at them later, but it's going to be ~Deore-ish spec to start and I've no massive urge to upgrade while they're still working... 

I Normally prioritise Fork, a Fox 36 Factory at 140mm in my case, bought "cheap" for about £500 or a Lyrik Ultimate bought for similar money in a sale would be top of my shopping list. (Keep an eye on Merlin for sales on forks and Shimano groupset bits).

Now that you can get Deore 4-pot brakes I'd run a full Deore 11-speed drivetrain and brakes to keep the costs down, that's where I'd always compromise if I had to. XT 11-speed shifters can be had for <£30 in the sales quite often and they do feel nicer to use than the Deore ones but not a dealbreaker.

Wheels & Tyres nothing to add to the above really, I like Hunt XC wheels personally but I'm a light rider and don't hit things too hard. I only buy them in the sales though at 30%+ off, otherwise I'd get some Hope hubs & get something built up 😀

Current favourite tyres are 2.4" Maxxis Forekasters in summer, Michelin Wild Enduro 2.4" in winter for Hampshire/Surrey mud. I don't ride anywhere rocky really!

I've found for me a 29er 130mm hardtail is a pretty good all rounder, though there are some times where I'd like a bit of rear travel and maybe a mullet setup. 29er definitely helps smooth things out with a hardtail for me, but it's still missing a bit of that playful nature you get with smaller wheels. And I'm a short arse.

A 140mm-ish F/R mullet bike could be the ideal best of both worlds for me, however there aren't many mullet trail bikes that I can see - it's usually enduro or DH that get the mullet treatment.

I still need to experiment with some lighter/faster tyres but seems like an expensive game. Currently still on the Magic Mary/Nobby Nic that came with the bike but feel I'm probably over-tyred since I mostly just ride all-weather hardpack trail centre/pump track style surfaces. Feel like the tyres are probably slowing me down a bit and making the bike feel more sluggish than it should be.

I'll recommend what I run

160/130mm full suss

Fox 36F cane creek db in the rear

Hope E4 or v4 brakes

Hope pro5 or pro 4 hubs on DT Swiss rims in your choice of weight. 

One up dropper

Spank vibrocore  bars

Short stem. I haven't noticed any problems with any short stem. Some are more spendy.

Specialized tires bought in a sale. T9 on the front, t7 on the rear. Light or heavy depending on use 

Thanks everyone, some good ideas and thinking there. 

@cookeaa I’m lucky that my full suss frame is around 2.5kg (or at least it is according to Specialized) so got that bit sorted. 

Also pretty happy with the drivetrain I’ve got (full SLX 12 speed) and the brakes (SLX 4 pots).

Top of the list sounds like a stouter 150mm fork then rather than my 34 Rhythm. 

Then lighter but stronger wheels. Maybe an insert for the rear wheel as I pinch flatted the other night. Tyres I’d like to go to 2.5 ish rather than the 2.3s I’m running now.  

@DaveyBoyWonder

Did you run it at stock 140mm first or go straight to 150? And is that 37 or 44mm offset? Got same frame to build up so curious about your fork choice and experience with it.

Spent the last few months drastically overthinking this exact dilemma, and this is what I bought at the weekend to hopefully fulfil the role...

My brief was that I didn't want a Downcountry bike, I didn't want an Enduro bike, I wanted something that with 2 sets of wheels could be entered into either an XC race (giving up a kilo or two granted) or an Enduro race (giving up a bit of travel but not much else) if required... Also important was a 35/36mm chassis fork, super efficient pedalling dynamics, as close to 13kg total weight as possible (this is 13.5kg stock, with some upgrades it won't be difficult to drop below that weight) and the ability to at least ride all the most gnarly trails I tend to ride confidently if not set PR's on them (where a downcountry bike would feel out of its depth and I would be backing off significantly).

I deliberated over all sorts of bikes in the 130ish travel category, but ultimately the Raze ticked the most boxes, the geometry is bang on for what I want in my size, and I was able to pick one up for a crazy price!

Next to personalise it... First will be swap the GX/NX out for some X01 Eagle I have spare, then work out what I'm doing with the brakes (definitely will fit a 200mm front rotor if nothing else, but debating swapping the G2's to Codes too). As for wheels, well the stock Crossmax XLS's look amazing, but I have a real wheel fetish and have 3 other high end sets to choose from too! So got some decisions to make... Also need to work out what to do re the fork, whether to upgrade the damper to GRIP X2 or just buy a cheap GRIP2 fork off Merlin and sell the stock fork on... Oh, and need to work out if I can fit a 175/180mm drop post or not, the stock 150 drop possibly isn't enough now that I have got used to more... Will also fit my trusted contact points and super fast rolling rear tyre along with a fairly grippy front.

Christ on a bike! I haven’t looked at the bike forum in years; when did it all get so complicated? 
I’ve got two bikes in the shop being serviced and refurbished to get them back on the road, both are twenty-odd years old! 
One advantage, both are 26ers, so I can get fairly good tubeless tyres for around £40/tyre.

I’m another of the hardtail trail bike collective - to be honest it’s my unpowered do everything bike. Pipedream Moxie, great feeling big fork steel hardtail with what was once extreme geometry but now just seems normal (for a similar full-sus at sag.)

Lyrik RC2 160mm up front, you could go with 150 or 140 but I don’t see any benefit to less travel than that unless the air spring suits it and you like a firmer feel. If you’re lighter you could go down to a Pike / 34 (other brands are available). I like a better / more adjustable damper, I don’t think they’re too hard to dial in if you’re a bit methodical and then you can mostly ignore the extra knobs.

It’s got old Hope Tech 3 E4 brakes on 203/183 discs - 12 years and counting. DT Swiss XM1700 wheels - reliable, quite strong and not heavy. Hillbilly T9 Grid Trail front, Butcher T7 Grid rear with a Rimpact Pro insert. Full 29” btw. I’ve got tired of changing tyres for summer vs winter because if we have a muddy summer ride I need a really toothy rear to singlespeed the climbs and although the soft compound front helps more when it’s cold and wet and slippery it also feels really good being more damped when it’s dry and fast. And we don’t get a long window of hero dirt, it gets loose pretty quickly in the dry.

BikeYoke 185mm dropper (like the brakes, expensive new but good value over its lifespan) - go even longer if you’ve got long legs. Fabric Scoop saddle (I’ve not sat on a saddle I don’t get on with, must be lucky?)

Renthal FatBar Lite because 760mm fits though the trees and has some flex vs a wider bar cut down. Hope 50mm stem because I like Hope things but does it matter if it clamps properly and isn’t bendy? Hope headset and BB because I can ignore them for years and years.

It’s got SLX 165mm cranks and it’s singlespeed. If I lived somewhere flatter or much hillier, or rode more road sections I think I’d need gears, in which case I’d put on the XT 11 speed stuff I took off my ebike (I’ve got a tougher rear wheel coming off that when I mullet it so maybe I’ll set it up for the hardtail so I can put gears on easily - hurrah for external routing!) And DMR DeathGrips and Vaults.

Considering it has no gears and no rear suspension it’s not exactly light but it feels fast and fun!

If I built up a full-sus equivalent it would get much the same parts - maybe a bigger rear disc because the back brake on a hardtail does so little hard braking!

I'm not saying an Orange will be best at everything, but it's still my choice for a trail bike at the mo.

I've had a few in the last couple of years and my favourite is probably the Switch 6 (original version) with a Cane Creek Helm Coil, EXT Storia, Hope/EX471 rear and XM481 front wheels. Shimano 4-pot brakes, Shimano mechanical shifting, 210mm dropper and mid-weight tyres.

“Tyres I’d like to go to 2.5 ish rather than the 2.3s I’m running now.”

Be wary that some 2.5”s are smaller than some 2.3”s! Across the four tyres on my bikes, all on 30mm rims, they all measure closest to 2.4” - but only one says 2.4 on it, two say 2.3 and the fourth says 2.6

I think choosing tyres is probably the most complicated thing in MTBing nowadays - it’s so dependent on where you ride, how you ride and your preferred compromises. I don’t think you can beat the current Specialized tyres for the money though!

Enduro magazine just ran a very extensive test (including rolling resistance and puncture resistance quantitative measurements) in their latest edition (free digital magazine).

I am very confident that I have built the objectively perfect UK trail bike 😉 

On a serious note, the target was 130/140mm, 13kgs (without pedals 🙄), maximum versatility (my only bike) and under £2k.

I obviously cheated by buying a used frame and fork (albeit very lightly used) and had to buy x2 Stif X01 groupsets to end up with a cassette that cost -£100 after selling the bits I didn't need, ie everything appart from one cassette.

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With all these references to 29", I'm beginning to wish I'd opted for that instead of the 27.5" from the CRC sale.

But its pretty much built, though health denotes I'm not going to be the rider.

Built with what I felt was reasonable kit, though it might be more enduro than trail.

The mega275 carbon.

Fox factory 36 160mm

Hope pro5 fortus 30(35 front) wheels

Fox transfer P/E dropper(Hope dropper lever)

Nukeproof flatties

Hope 50mm stem 0d

Fizik something saddle

Sram GX shifter/mech/cranks/cassette

USE 2" carbon risers

Hope T4 V4

Hope 200mm vented F&R

'

All parts I got either in the CRC clearout, or from other sales, as well as price match. I've spent £2k to get it to this(every part bought brand new).

Being a complete bike tart, its the blue frame with orange decals, so the Hope highlights are orange or blue.

Top of the list sounds like a stouter 150mm fork then rather than my 34 Rhythm. 

I've got the very similar Z2.  I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Back in the days if 32mm Pikes the jump to 35mm Lyrics was massive.  The difference between 34 and 35mm isn't worth it unless you need new forks anyway.

As we're posting pics:

There's nothing there that needs upgrading IMO. Compared to the 2010's we're enjoying a golden age of affordable bikes / kit that actually works!  It's all Deore and basic level suspension, WTB wheels, etc.

On paper it's 140/150mm travel but as I said the overly progressive nature of air springs + me being heavy makes that more like 120/130.  If I can solve the fork progression I'll fit a larger air can to match it, otherwise I can live with it. Maybe I'll check out the MRP forks Northwind suggested.

Will I fit XT, carbon rims, DT hubs, hope brakes, etc. Yep if stuff wears out or breaks, but nothing screams out as being below par and needs replacing for the sake of it.

@mboy ... does that orange match Fox orange forks?

I'm a Fan of the Mezzer, mine somewhat flatter the frame it's fitted to at the minute. But it's not a widely considered fork (probably goes for Manitou in general these days).

It's a bit of an oddity, having 37mm stanchions but it's still pretty light (for what it is) and has dual air chambers to help you tweak/adjust progression, travel can be set in 10mm increments from 140 - 180mm. All of that makes it quite versatile, hence moving from a bouncy bike to a HT (or back at a later date?) is not a big concern, the fork can be swapped about and setup to suit the bike and rider.

But if you're thinking about new forks do look beyond Rock Shox and Fox.

Posted by: cookeaa

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I'm a Fan of the Mezzer, mine somewhat flatter the frame it's fitted to at the minute. But it's not a widely considered fork (probably goes for Manitou in general these days).

It's a shame they're not widely available as the Mezzer is a great fork. IIRC Manitou now have a UK distributer in Ison so perhaps that'll change. Got one set at 140mm and they're by far the best-feeling fork I've ridden. Unsure if they've been tweaked internally by previous owner (ex-pro with industry connections) but so far I've not managed to get my second set on another bike feeling as nice at 170mm. Still nicer than other forks but I know there's further room for improvement.

2,030g on my scales with a decent length steerer is decent given the rigidity of the 37mm chassis. 

Reckon my Orange Stage 5 pretty much covers the brief. 135mm frame with 150mm Fox 36, Tech 3 E4 brakes, Fox dropper, Renthal carbon bar, Hope wheels with a Magic Mary / Nobby Nic combo and a load of Hope finishing kit.

I've ridden it from gentle XC to the harder Reds at BPW and everything in-between and it's been spot on. The sweet spot is trail riding though. Soon to be moved on as I've bought a more XC focused bike and plan to get a longer travel enduro thing to widen my options but for an all in one'r it has been hard to beat.

UK

My idea of a trail bike in Scotland is very different from what I've helped a family member in Nottinghamshire build up...

Even then, I'm for shorter travel than most (130/140mm), faster rolling tyres than most (with option to whack on Minions as need), but still some Gert Big brakes as I'm a tubster and like big descents (and I cannot lie), stiff forks for similar reasons, and huge mud clearance.

So Orange Stage Evo with XR4's and 180mm MT5's it is then. 

https://flic.kr/p/2qhrVP8

Posted by: kelvin

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@mboy ... does that orange match Fox orange forks?

I believe it does yes... Certainly if it's not an absolute match, then it's close enough...

And I know what you're thinking, cos I've already thought it too...

Be an expensive upgrade path though, cos then I'd also end up with Kashima uppers which would need a matching shock and seatpost too! 

I've got a Santa Cruz 5010 v4 (the last full 650b version).

Appreciate the manouverability and fun of the little wheels over the speed of a 29er - thats the point of a "trail" bike anyway right, its the category for enjoyment not lap times? Gets a bit overwhelmed in morzine, but other far flung riding destinations (morrocco, california, tenerife, scotland, wales) full of pick-your-line tech it is excellent. Home trails are berkshire and surrey.

Spec (frame up build):

Fork - Lyric 140mm with coil conversion. The coil is excellent and worth the weight and cost. I allegedly chose the lyric over the pike for the stiffness being heavier at 85-90kg... but in reality it was on sale and £150 cheaper.

Shock - 2 shocks - the superdeluxe that came with the frame, pedals excellently, rarely touch the climb switch. Cane creek inline coil with 55mm stroke, ups the travel to 143mm. Smoother over chatter, noticably more sluggish though. Could be the sag point (hard to get right with a coil/preload) sitting too low.

Wheels - 2 sets - my preferred combination is:

- "DH" wheels, EX511 rims on hope hubs. Schwalbe supergravity soft MM and HD

- "trail" wheels, EX511 (I case jumps and often have my weight too far back so I do need a robust rim) on Berd string spokes and hubs; Minions, 3C, exo.

Drivetrain - AXS GX mech (original, not transmission, I much prefer the remote), XX1 chain and cassette. Cranks - Saint 165mm (I was an early adopter of 165, there are better - lighter - options now, could easily save a pound here if I wanted to spend the money)

Brakes - supposedly Hope tech 3 E4. Using my spare set of tech 3 X2 currently as the E4s have been sat needing a service for months. 180mm rotors.

Dropper - one up 210mm with wolftooth lever. Easy and intuitive to service. Still prefer the actuation and feel of my old AXS reverb, but not sure I'd go back to the shorter drop now. Not that I need it, but once you've gone bigger it just feels weird.

Pedals - Hope F20. Silver so they dont show the scars. 

One up EDC, jumbo fidlock bottle, and a custom fit mini frame bag. Honestly packless riding is one of the best upgrade feelings IMO. If you gave me any random modern mid range full suss and asked me to start upgrading it, that would be the place I would start.

My 'big' bike and my 'trail' bike have very similar builds - just the frame rear travel is different (big bike is 160mm and trail bike is 120mm). I'm not fussed about weight too much and means I can easily swap bits around in an emergency.

160mm Lyriks with a Splug.

DT Swiss M1900 wheels. My tiny concession to weight is running WTB Vigilante/Ranger 2.8s instead of the Maxxis DHF 3.0 and Rekon 2.8 on the big bike.

Drivetrain is Microshift Advent 9 speed on a 165mm SRAM SX DUB chainset with a Works 32T oval and RaceFace Chester composite pedals.

Brakes are Magura Trail Sport with proper Magura discs. Ridiculous VFM.

Saddle is a DMR OiOi held up by a bargain Bontrager Line 170mm dropper.

'Cockpit' is as right old jumble - 35mm DMR Defy stem, 780mm BBB Ascension bars and Deathgrips.

More great builds and ideas, thanks.  Nothing wrong with my Rhythm, but I’ve got a hardtail it can go on and do fancy something with a bit more travel and strength up front - the Mezzer sounds interesting. 

My bike as it stands now, only changed the contact points from stock. I’ll look into some of the other recommendations, bonus points if things come in silver. 

And I know what you're thinking, cos I've already thought it too...

naughty thoughts

I'll just leave this here. Commencal are making some damn fine looking bikes at the moment. 

New Meta HT £3k

I am pretty much about to pull the trigger on one of the sale Saracen Ariel30. Seems to tick all the boxes, Singletrack loved the one they reviewed and I'm ok with the weird super boost rear as I don't change bikes often at all.  Only dilemma is the sizing currently as I'm pretty sure I should be on a medium but the chart says large. 505 reach seems a bit mental.

Mboy that's a very nice bike and exactly what my idea of a great UK trail bike is (I have one too). 

Posted by: mboy

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Next to personalise it... First will be swap the GX/NX out for some X01 Eagle I have spare, then work out what I'm doing with the brakes (definitely will fit a 200mm front rotor if nothing else, but debating swapping the G2's to Codes too). As for wheels, well the stock Crossmax XLS's look amazing, but I have a real wheel fetish and have 3 other high end sets to choose from too! So got some decisions to make... 

Adding a 200mm rotor helped a bit on my raze but ended up swapping the G2s on mine for Code RSCs and it's made such a difference. Found the G2s are ok for general riding but there isn't enough power there for when you really need to slow down in a hurry. My crossmax wheels have held up surprisingly well. 

£3k for an aluminium HT. I am out of touch with prices.

Also, unless things have changed, it’s 3k for a brand that has poor warranty and a reputation* (again) for cracking frames….

*source - Pinkbike comments 😂

Posted by: nickfrog

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£3k for an aluminium HT. I am out of touch with prices.

My Big Al CRC build wasn't much shy of £2k and that was with a set of cheap Lyriks. I know yours cost a bit less, but...

I've been speccing up a new bike for a few months now, trail focused but on the burly end - able to handle big days in the Lakes/Scotland etc and some gnarly stuff as well as be fun on the mellow trails.

It's a eMTB (TQ HPR60 based) but ignore that and it's just a trail bike. I'm aiming for around 18kg with the smaller 360Wh battery, if you ignore the battery and motor weight of 3.8kg that leaves it at just over 14kg.

My other bike is a full on enduro sled in a Geometron G1 with 175mm/170mm travel, EXT coil and Mezzer pro, gravity tyres, 220/203mm rotors, full alloy frame, and is about 17kg without pedals.

My new trail bike with be:

150mm rear - Fox Float X

160mm front - Fox 36 Factory Grip X/Grip X2

Newmen Phase 30 Carbon wheels 27.5/29 at 1400g for the pair

Schwalbe radial trail tyres (alberts front & rear)

AXS Transmission with an XO1 cassette

155mm cranks

One up 230mm or Reverb AXS 225mm dropper

Oneup 50mm rise bars

Hope V4 or EVO GR4 brakes, 200mm rotors

I run a Gen 3 FlareMAX with a Manitou Mattoc Pro fork up front - super adjustable, very smooth, light, controlled matched the Cane Creek shock well - Shimano Zee brakes, basically Saint calipers but a less s****y lever, nice and strong, reliable, and DT Swiss 1900 wheels with, most recently, a 2.4 Forekaster up front and a toughish Rock Razor on the back. Also have a set of CrossMax SL wheels with fast tyres, 2.25 I think, but I can't remember what exactly, I think the rear is a Racing Ralph, but I may have swapped them for something else. Oh, and 1x10 Shimano and 165mm cranks. 

Anyway, it works for me and my riding. This stuff is always subjective and depends on your preferences, riding style, location etc. Mostly I hate draggy tyres a lot. 

"Only dilemma is the sizing currently as I'm pretty sure I should be on a medium but the chart says large. 505 reach seems a bit mental."

Depends on how tall you are, and how high the stack is (the higher the stack, the longer the reach will feel). As a long-limbed 5'10.5" person who's either a medium or large, I'm happiest around 470mm and would rather go shorter than longer.