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If anyone has any experience or advice is appreciated it. I currently have a 2015 cube 160 Hpa race no dropper 11-42 30t gearing, I do like it but the bike is pretty warn out. I have recently started riding technical steep trails and really notice the cubes straight geometry on the down hills 160 pikes seem very strong. I have a budget of around £2k and have found 3 aly bikes which I am considering. I am 6ft1 and 110kg
All 2017 models
Giant reign 27.5
Specialized enduro 29er
Commencal meta 4.2 27.5
Thanks
Don't own any of the bikes you picked.
Like the Commencal so.
Options to check as well:
YT Capra AL
2 k
https://www.yt-industries.com/en/detail/index/sArticle/1263
but sold out?
or 2.4 k
https://www.yt-industries.com/en/detail/index/sArticle/1262/sCategory/77
available only in M right now
But if you have an Enduro bike right now there might be time ...
The YT Capra hasn't got hugely modern geometry for an Enduro bike so I have a few other suggestions. £2k is quite tight for a really good enduro bike - upping to £2.5k probably would make a really big difference to what fork / brakes you get. I wouldn't worry too much about a bling drivetrain - in my experience doerience Sram GX or Shimano Slx are both more than capable.
Radon Swoop
£2022 and has a Yari / mixture of XT and Slx / Magyar MT5 brakes / Dt Swiss e1900 spline wheels.
All solid stuff and decent geometry - the next model up in the range won an enduro bike test back in the summer in one of the magazines. That costs £2390 and the main upgrade is to a Lyrik and a full Sram GX 11 speed drivetrain - that would be my pick of the Swoops.
Nukeproof Mega 275 - you may find a discounted model from 2017 but I haven't really looked. New 2018 model is £2400. You only get a Yari / Slx etc st that price but it's meant to be a good bike.
The bike I bought earlier in the year - Bird Aeris 145. Proper long geometry but only 160/145 front and back travel if thats an issue for you. A new 160mm rear linkage is coming out soon though so it will have the same rear travel as most enduro bikes. You can get a spare 145mm travel linkage and it's a 10
Min job to swap it out apparently (I'm going to pre order the longer linkage for uplift days)
https://www.bird.bike/product/aeris-145-lt-nx-11-speed/#configuration
Starts at £2069 and you can customise each part of the bike on their online bike builder.....
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I have last years base spec Meta
https://www.commencal-store.com.au/meta-am-v42-origin-650b-black-2018-c2x23864576
Swapped out the Brakes for my Hope e4's and the bars/stem along with adding a dropper.
Pleased overall but it's a lot of bike, did a few days in the bike parks this summer and it was immense there felt really sorted, planted and stable. It doesn't like going slow though just doesn't feel right but the Nomad 3 I tried was the same.
Round the local trails it's more than I need most of the time but it goes well. Coming back to the UK with it and it's definitely staying but I might end up complimenting it with something for longer less "enduro" rides.
I have a Reign and whilst its great for the downs its a bit of a pig on the ups if your fitness isn't up to scratch. I wouldn't pick it if trails figure highly.
buy a frame not a bike and transfer stuff over. I've seen 2017 transition patrol frames go for 1400
Just to add the Bird Aeris goes uphill ok - a lot of my riding is on stuff like the Cwmcarn Cafell trail or flat pedally stuff like Ashton Court in Bristol. As with any enduro bike it doesn't excel on the flat stuff but technical uphills it polished off better than my previous 130mm trail bike that was a couple of lbs lighter.
The only bits that are a drag are road sections and long draggy fireroads.
Think the Swoop is meant to pedal ok too.
Whyte T130.
What’s worn out about the bike?
If it rides well, get it serviced and keep riding it!
chiefgrooveguru - MemberWhat’s worn out about the bike?
If it rides well, get it serviced and keep riding it!
😉
Yes. Sounds like a good idea...
Some stuff is worn out after 1/2 year, others after 2 years. But the overall bike should be still good?
Also possible to play a bit with certain settings - like stems - to create a different "feel"...
It really comes down to personal preference. What gives confidence to one person may not provide confidence for another rider.
For example some people like short chainstay because it makes a bike more nimble and easier change direction while others might like longer chainstay because it provides stability enabling them to push a bike harder in the corners.
Another example is front stack height some people like a lot of stack to help them tackle steep stuff others like a low stack so they can really weight the front wheel in the corners.
Rear suspension linkage is another thing that can change the feel of the bike massively.
Wheelsize some people especially smaller people do not like 29er wheels because they make it more difficult to move the bike around the benefits are that they carry speed very well and get you of situations where you deserve to be going over the bars.
Bottom bracket height some people people like a really low bb height for that feel of stability others like a high BB to reduce pedal strikes.
When you next go riding on steep techy things try and have a think about the characteristics that you prefer.
Very on trend to say the geometry on the Stereo is outdated, doesn't seem to hold Greg callaghan back he has won EWS events, i have a Stereo 140 and ride the steeps, in fact i prefer it to the Enduro i also ride, seems better when it gets steep and tight.
There's no such thing as "modern geometry", only what the current crop of media and manufacturers decide they want to sell you!
Eldest_oab now has (last model) Radon Swoop. It's as long as my Marin, despite being a size smaller. He is chuffing fast on it, and today was doing 5' to flat landings on it....
Pick something random then convince yourself you love it and that everyone else is an idiot. I can highly recommend an old Remedy 29 rammed with angle adjusting bullshit and extra fork, as long as I never ride anything else it'll be the best bike I've ever ridden. This is all most people really do.
from joebristol bloke:
Radon Swoop
> https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/radon-swoop-170-7.0-583108?currency=3&delivery_country=190&varid=583112&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsMLT_tWf2AIV77DtCh2-UgBYEAQYBCABEgI-kPD_BwE£2022 and has a Yari / mixture of XT and Slx / Magyar MT5 brakes / Dt Swiss e1900 spline wheels.
Swoop 170 would be to much travel for my riding right now.
But above link: impressive what 2 k can buy in "winter sale time".
Commencal Meta AM from mikewsmith-bloke, picture above:
great bike as well...
Possible to "pimp up" the
from stm2017-bloke?2015 cube 160 Hpa
New rims, new drive train, new stem/bar...? Fun also to upgrade such a sled.
Guess the cube 160 has a PIKE fork?
Hard to improve there...
Possible also: the fork needs some service?
A new serviced pike might change thinks...a fork which wasn't in service for 2 years might feel like a piece of brick...?
Get a dropper fitted sharpish, smash the downs and the ups!! 😆