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I think what I want is 'aggressive trail' or 'light Enduro' but by eck it's an expensive category. Needs to be able to ride out to the good downhills and up to the tops.
Needs to have plenty of travel, and not discounting 27.5 wheels, as they tend to look like they'd be a bit more manoeuvrable in twisty bits.
£2-3k, is that reasonable? Wouldn't be for many months yet so not worried about current stock. Something from Calibre perhaps.
YT Izzo or Raaw Jibb
Have a look at the Vitus Escarpe (you might have to wait many months for one anyway).
I'd stick with 29in myself for that kind of bike. Much more versatile IME.
The new Vitus Escarpe and sommets look great but you need to be quick when they do come in stock
https://vitusbikes.com/pages/2021-vitus-bikes-stock-availability
Commencal Meta TR or AM and the alu Nukeproof Mega are within that budget but the spec wouldn't be as good as the Vitus.
There's also YT and Canyon, but they're not quite as good value with the extra post Brexit costs.
Privateer 141? Definitely aggressive trail territory in my eyes
YT Jeffsy, Bird AM9, there's loads of choice at that price range.
150-160mm if 29er, maybe with a coil rear shock, 64-66 HA, nice steep SA, job done.
I’d stick with 29in myself for that kind of bike. Much more versatile IME.
Hmm but we do have lots of tight twisty steep woodland stuff. Long travel 29ers look huuge.
Am I just not seeing much at the lower price range because they're all out of stock and not listed? £2.5k is about right, but it'd be nice to be upgradeable later. I normally do rolling upgrades but my current long travel bike is so old that nothing is re-usable besides drivetrain and brakes.
saracen ariel. Will have a better spec for the cash than most stuff.
If you'd consider a hardtail then Ragley Mmmbop or Blue Pig would be great choices. I have an Mmmbop and it's a riot.
Sounds like you probably want something in the 130-150mm travel range but with enduro ish geometry:
Bird Aether 9a or AM9 with a lighter build for 29ers. Bird Aether 7 for 650b.
Vitus Escarpe looks decent if you can get one in stock - they’ve fitted a carbon fibre front end in for a decent price on the 2021 models.
Marin Alpine Trail 7 at the longer end of things
Sonder Evol might have ticked a box at the budget but it looks like their order book doesn’t open until October now 🤷♂️
I'd look for 130mm to 140mm rear travel and 150mm-ish fork personally.
Mid-travel rather than long-travel, in the current market.
29in bikes are totally fine on twisty trails. Yeah 650b wheels can be a bit easier - but the big wheels bring benefits in so many other ways that it's an easy win for me.
e.g. I'd inferred from your OP that covering ground is a big part of the brief.
I'm after this kind of bike and I'm more keen on 27.5 wheels. I've never ridden a 29er that I really like. I prefer chucking bikes side to side and hitting jumps than counting the miles.
I keep looking at the new Bird Aether 7 but I forgot about the Vitus Escarpe. That looks like a wicked bike for the money and I love the stealth black frame.
This is lovely
Sounds like you probably want something in the 130-150mm travel range but with enduro ish geometry:
My current old long travel bike is 170mm and I like the way that you only have to brake for corners, rather than rocky terrain. No matter how fast I went on rocks it just didn't care. Obviously bigger wheels and frankly better suspension tech will help balance less travel, but I don't want to lose out on too much hooliganism.
To be honest I've never ridden modern long travel so I'm not exactly sure what it'll be like.
The Vitus looks remarkable value for money.
I’d inferred from your OP that covering ground is a big part of the brief.
It is. Down here things are organised valley by valley so if you've got the time (and legs) to ride over to the next valley you get a load more stuff to do - and I'd like to be able to hit the bigger trails without a car and not have it take all day.
I think the sweet spot on the Escarpe is probably the middle one - CRS. For £2700 they fitted in the carbon front triangle, SLX 12 speed, Pike Select, DT Swiss wheels, 4 pot brakes and decent Maxxis tyres. The next one up goes Fox 36 so you’re probably gaining a bit of weight and getting a bit more towards enduro.
I went from a 170f/160r enduro bike to an Aether 7 with 140f/130r and love it. Still confidence inspiring in the harder stuff and uplift days but pedals on the flat and uphill better and feels more lively. I think the shorter chainstays and how the suspension curve goes have made it more engaging on easier trails.
The Privateer 141 is a great bike. Awesome geometry and a decent price.
Based on my limited experience of my Aether 9C, either a 7 or a 9 in AL is going to fit the bill and meet your budget.
What you ought to do is find someone with a spare Remedy 29er what you're describing is right where it sits. Can't think who might have one of them though 🤔.
Bird Aether would be ideal I would suggest or if you need more travel and fancy a mullet bike how about a Specialised Status?? If you can find one in stock of course.
"I’d stick with 29in myself for that kind of bike. Much more versatile IME."
Hmm but we do have lots of tight twisty steep woodland stuff. Long travel 29ers look huuge.
big travel and slack bikes are long wheel base regardless of wheelsize, but unless you are doing 360s the bit that overhangs the contact patch front and rear won't affect its ability to go between trees
the smaller wheels would still be beneficial for this use though.
An Airdrop Edit? Ticks most of the boxes and you can change the spec to tweek it even more towards what you need. The lux model was just under the 3k mark when in stock... https://www.airdropbikes.com/collections/airdrop-edit/products/edit-v4-luxe
Calibre Triple B with a few upgrades.
YT, Saracen Ariel, Privateer 141.
Something from Calibre perhaps.
The sentry is more than what you are looking for, definitely more enduro than trail with 160/150 travel and omg 16kg weight.
As above the BBB would leave spare change for lighter wheels etc.
I’d be tempted by the vitus mythique
Can’t think who might have one of them though
Is this a stealth ad? 🙂
I don't think I could handle a mullet bike tbh.
I haven't saved up yet. Step away from the classifieds!
I went out on my Ibis Ripmo AF last night for what seems like the first time in a while (I've been using my HT for the majority of winter riding). It just reminded me what a bloody awesome bike it is. Mine was £2800 when I bought it in May last year, I don't know if you can get one for that price now, but it definitely fits the bill of what you are after.
Is this a stealth ad?
I hope not, I'd no intention of it being stealthy.
Bird AM9. We just recommend our own bike to reassure ourselves we made the right decision- is that right? But also, fabulous bike made by good people. Which is why they are so heavily recommended in this thread.
Only had a couple of rides on my AM9 but it pedals very well for a 150mm 29" trail/enduro bike. And Bird are great to deal with.
It's nice being able to spec it all too, they'll even mix and match the groupset too. Outstanding value, well regarded and great to deal with.
Win win win 👍
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBTILMGX/titus-loco-moto-sram-gx-titanium-mountain-bike
Titanium hardtail?
Agressive
Can ride up to the tops
Plenty of travel
I like my hello Dave in the twisty bits and love it on the DH.
It climbs steep technical ups better than my geometron- which was a surprise.
I don't want a hardtail. I don't think I'd enjoy it on the rough stuff we have, having listened to the things people have said on here.
Favourites so far are the AM9 and the Vitus Escarpe CR.
The Aether and the Aeris seem to have the same geo but less travel. I think if I'm going to have a heavy long slack bike it might as well have all the travel.
I absolutely love my Sentry, just an awesome bike. Even just riding local stuff, my On One Scandal was getting left in the shed, so much so I’ve stuck some “gravel” type tyres on it so it might actually get used for something 🙂
The Sentry is fun for tootling, great at going up and is pretty epic at places like Revs and Dyffi.
It is quite a bit under your budget but I have changed the crank, tyres and cassette so it’s a chunk lighter too. The tyres it comes with are grippy, tough and suited to pretty gnarly terrain, but they are also heavy and not the fastest rolling so it now has a Minion DHF and HD on the rear. Triple B is well worth a look too...
what cassette/cranks did you change to? I just got a sentry (although its a rebadged version sold by Polygon called the Vander N7).
love the bike but by god its a beast! looking to bring the weight down with some upgrades, but not sure where to start other than going tubeless.