[Closed] What Full Suspension bike for a seasoned Hardtail rider?

P.S.: ahh, forgot to add 2-3 things
- longer travel on Cotic Soul than 100mm made it feel to me like a wheel-barrow (slow steering somewhere to far in front of me)
- my bikes need to be agile, I want to flic-flac them through the twisties even if they are FS
- I kind of like: 1) the Rocket because it's a Cotic 😉 2) Liteville 301 3) Whyte M-109 tests were an inspiring read 3) Whyte S-129 too though... 4) Bionicon Golden Willow anyone?

Giant Anthem 29er. 100mm of travel, still feels capable. Easy to drop on from a hardtail and will probably be as light as the soul. Mind I dont like 4bar suspension as it relies on shocks to reduce bob!

Jay

[i]I will try to avoid asking a question too open to make any sense:
- I've been riding hardtails for years on end and love them
- I fancy having a 2nd proper bike[/i]

Well there's a contradiction in terms straight off. What do you mean by a 'proper bike'?

& what's all that crap about, [i]- I sat on a Cotic Rocket today, it felt plush like a sofa, riding position like a 30s motorbike (wide, long, low) and I had mixed feelings about it a) whoah that's really different b) arrgh, that might be too different[/i]?

What a pile of crap. For such a 'seasoned' rider you don't seem to have a clue of what your on about.

EDIT, bugger, you got me to bite didn't ya??

Don't really have much by way of particular recommendations, but I moved from hardtail to FS recently.

My only bike was an Evil Sovereign, which I absolutely loved - was pretty much my first 'proper' mountain bike, having ridden old Konas and stuff in the past.
I basically learned how to ride and what to ride on the Evil and it definitely made me the relatively rounded, experienced and confident rider I am today, having ridden everything from 24hr XC races to the Mega on it.

Eventually, I got to the point where I felt ready to progress to a suspension bike to move forward with my riding, which sort of coincided with putting a decent crack into the Evil, so I retired it and got myself an Orange Five. Bit of an obvious choice, but the right one for me for various reasons.

The Five's been my only bike for about 5 months now and I'm getting on with it really well. It's used for all the same duties as the Evil - from DH to XC and lots of in between. Basically I can do all the same stuff, but harder, faster and for longer. As much as I loved to Evil and hardtails in general, the Five is superior in almost every respect - super keen to skip, pop, manual and rear wheel steer everywhere even more than the HT as well as obviously quicker in the rough stuff.

The main difference I notice is that, the harder you lean on it, the lower and slacker the bike gets as the suspension is compressed, so you can get away with pretty much anything in a way that a HT simply doesn't encourage or allow.

That's been my experience anyway - I tend to ride steep/loose/generally 'rad' stuff, so it makes sense for me in that context. FWIW, I hope to resurrect the Evil when funds allow, 'cos I still love it.

I'm moving from a cromo long travel hard tail to a mojo hd. I was in no rush to go fs for the same reasons as you, heavy, sofa like, poor power transfer.

The mojo has none of these traits and a huge list of benefits. 'cept the outlay 😯

General stuff...

The first full sus you ride, unless it's a right heap o'crap will feel great plush and fun.

Contrary to popular belief FS can be just as flicky as HT on the right bike.
Try whatever you can get you hands on, have a look at some 140mm stuff just to see, get on your mates bikes

@fortunateson: thanks, that was helpful indeed! Because I like the "you can lean on it and get away with it"-aspect as that would be one of the things that would actually motivate me to buy into something new and different - but a Five? :-/ I don't know, they look so [i]crude[/i]. But I will take your word for it and have a closer look at one of them. Cheers!

@grumpyfuttock: I kind of see what you mean - let me explain:
- a proper 2nd bike was meant to mean: I currently have about 4-6 bikes, but the Soul is the only bike I choose for a proper 3h bike tour, the others are toys (Trailstar, BMX) or retro bikes (Breezer, DEER) which I only use for short stints, ride with the kids, pump-track. The Soul is my only 'proper' do-it-all bike and I would love to have a second 'proper' do-it-all bike, just different enough to justify having a 2nd one.
- my verdict on the Rocket is somewhat crap because I only sat on it for 3 minutes tooling around on a car park - mentioning it was meant to confirm that I am intrigued on the one hand side and kind of scared on the other because it is so different that I can't really tell whether I would like it or not - go figure! 😉
- finally I might not seem to have a clue of what I am on about because I have no clue of FS bikes, I mean do the have to be plush sofas to be any good or is there something like a responsive springy FS bike which I think would be more to my liking but is possibly totally pointless as a FS bike to start with
- what I liked about the Rocket was that it had a round steering feel to it despite that mega-slack head angle

@Jason: Anthem, hm?! I am reading good things about them all the time - I will have a closer look again

you can generally tune the shock to make a bike feel as plush or as harsh as you like, there aren't really any bad designs anymore as the shocks have gotten to the point where they can mask any shortcomings of the frames design.
some people like VP systems some like horst link bikes i'm a big fan of single pivots.
the only way to know is to try a few.

Specialized Camber 29er.

I have both and love both but they are both low n slack with plenty of travel because that's what I like.

Am I right in presuming that at 100mm a Soul is low but not slack? Maybe that's what you like so what you should be looking for?

I reckon you might like the new Scott genius... they are a great bike to be honest, and the ability to lock out the suspension from the bars is very useful in my opinion, it makes it feel like a hard tail.

@Mugboo:
- yes, a Medium Soul with 100mm fork, 70mm stem and low-rise bars for a 6ft guy is rather low and not very slack, probably even on the steep side of things by "today's standards" (will check Cotic HA calculator, but I reckon it's +/- 70°)
- I like the agility of a steep headangle and found too slack a headangle slow and somewhat isolated doing its own thing somewhere to far in front of me
- then again it might be a riding-style topic, too which I might/want to/will have to adjust to with a different bike
- hence the question should I go proper different or will I hate it
- I mean, seasoned as I am an new bike is also a chance to re-learn, which is good I guess
- am I right that you have to "lean" slack bikes more, lean like: commit more to the corner?!
- I will test a few bikes (thx for the Scott Genius and Spesh Camber hints!)

Sounds like only you can answer your own questions by riding a few.

Hi mate,

I always rode a hardtail, anything from quite racey treks to the orange R8 I have now, probably not hugely different to the cotic, I run 120mm rebas, haven risers and cinder tires so it's a decent all round trail hardtail.

Three weeks ago (after asking advice on here) I bought an Orange Gyro 29er, and it's been great. It's much more capable, fun and stable on rocky and steep descents and it climbs brilliantly. It's no heavier than my hardtail either.

I originally thought I'd keep my hardtail for rides where I'd need to do road sections, or anything with lots of fire roads that I might have to do with the mrs but to be honest with the shock settings and 29er wheels the gyro is quicker on that terrain too. Definitely gets my vote but if you don't like orange then I guess anything 29" with 100-120mm travel.

Oh, and the rocket sounds like a good place to start, by all accounts it feels nice and firm till you hit something big. Pretty sure I read the same about the Yeti SB66.

Complete opposites to your bike. And then the Anthem as suggested.

Good luck.

Specialized Epic Carbon 29er range.
I borrowed one from the bike shop for a week whilst my Enduro was in for a week. Incredible bike! It is the fastest bike I have ever ridden on flat, uphill and tamer downhill. I kept thinking that for a XC race bike it just feels inspiring, fast and playful. The rear end with the bolt through was really noticeable. I ended up selling my Enduro to get a 29er (couldn't afford the Epic at the time). I'd love to have one.

I went from xc hardtails to whyte T129s and totally love it..

So you want a similar style bike to your HT and not a slacked out long winch plumet bike. Anthem 29er. Fast pedalling fast handling responsive and light. And it won't beat you up when you ride on rougher trails.

Anthem 26/29 but put some 120mm forks on the front.

I wouldn't bother with the Five. Great bikes but, with your history, if you liked it you'd be bound to like the Rocket more. The Gyro is a bit closer to what you are after, but is still more XC/Trail than the sort of Race/XC that might suit you better. More T129/Trance than M109/Anthem, which is where I'd start if I were you.

It might also be worth waiting to see what the forthcoming shorter travel Rocket is like.

I changed from a 26 HT to a FS purely because of my knackered lower back.

I was worried at first about the "energy sapping" and pedal bob related issues that FS can have but have found that my Turner Flux is excellent and doesn't suffer from said problems.

I briefly rode an Anthem & Trance before the Turner. For me they didnt even come close to the Turner. In fact I like the Flux that much that im buying the longer travel Turner 5 spot this week for more knarlier stuff

Stu

First of all, I think you need to be clearer about what it is you intend to ride with the new bike. More technical stuff, faster, bigger jumps?

Until you have more of an idea of what you would like to do with the bike, you will get people recommending you all sorts of different stuff that you might not get on with.

3) Whyte M-109 tests were an inspiring read 3) Whyte S-129 too though..

The M-109 overlaps a lot with your HT in terms of functionality, the T-129S is a bigger gap. If you're going to have > 1 bike, make them as different as possible.

What I would do (& did) first in your situation though is dump the Soul and buy a 29er HT. Ride that for a bit then come back to the process.

I've recently made the jump to fs having ridden santacruz chameleons for the last 15 years.

Picked up a 2008 intense 5.5evp frame for bugger all money and in all honesty it feels just like the chameleon but it's faster with more control and far more comfortable. Granted it's a fair bit heavier but I haven't started paring the component weights down yet, total build is a touch over 32lbs but it isn't noticeably heavy.

For me the vpp system works incredibly well, it doesn't bob, accelerates almost as quick as the chameleon did and will find traction where the chameleon couldn't. On the whole is a whole lot more capable 🙂

First of all, I think you need to be clearer about what it is you intend to ride with the new bike.

Fair enough:
I do ride Singletracks enthusiastically, but not too technical, not too steep, no rock-gardens, only minor jumps, no drops. Once or twice a year I go to the Alps. And coped fine on the Soul. I wouldn't mind going to Bike Parks more often.

Then again, one man's technical is another man's boring, isn't it?
I ride with guys who ride all-mountain full sussers a lot and am at least as quick as they are but what does that tell you? :-/ They might be slow by your standards anyway.

My point is in a way, that I might not know what I will be riding as soon as I have a different bike. I might start feeling more confident, do more jumps etc.

Thus all the shared experience here, especially from those who did the move themselves, is valuable forme. I'm not after the definite answer to my question anyway as I know that ultimately only I can answer my own questions by riding a few bikes.

So keep it coming!
Did someone for example move from Soul to Rocket?
What was it like? Initially awkward, ultimately perfect and the Soul was never used again?

On the 29er topic: I had an Inbred29 before the Soul. I'm still missing the traction in corners but I didn't like the comparatively slow steering. Then again 29er might have moved on and I could do two things in one step: from 26HT to 29FS.

By the way: the thing that currently annoys me most about the Soul is lack of front-end stiffness. So I'm thinking of getting a stiffer fork, through axle, stiff front-wheel for the Soul anyway (currently running DT Swiss M1600 with QR in Magura Durin). But that's another topic.

If you're worried you wont like it just get a few test rides. Plenty of nice efficient light FS bikes out there to choose from, but I can only personally recommend the Anthem X 26er - light efficient good value for money.

I had an Inbred29 before the Soul. I'm still missing the traction in corners but I didn't like the comparatively slow steering.

Look at Canfield Yelli Screamy, upcoming Singular Buzzard, anything with similar geometry especially the short chainstays. Kona Honzo is one I've seen mentioned.

I bought a Yelli Screamy a couple of weeks ago (my third 29er HT) I assure you the steering is anything but slow, in fact it's near telepathic.

The Whyte T129S is as short as they go on a rear boinger, but they're still longer than the HTs of course because the wheel has to move somewhere.

Try a Solaris. You might reconsider the need for a FS. Probably find FS is a step too far on the squishy side... 😕
29er HT (for me), has a foot in both camps as long as its specc'ed right. A lot of off-the-peg 29er HT's have a XC race bike type slant to them. Keep the Solaris at 100mm & I reckon you'd be a happy chap.
(I dont have a Solaris by the way).

If you don't really know what you want then a series of test rides and/or a trawl through the classifieds for something used where you can experiment without too big an outlay / financial re-sale risk. A decent new FS is going to be at least £1,000 more than equivalent Soul - that could be an expensive lesson in "what I have is fine" especially as you don't intend to ride it anywhere particularly different.

Ok so it sounds like you want something that can let you get away with a bit more, while not being too barge like or smoothing everything out and feeling like a sofa.

A 29'er will feel like a barge compared to a bmx and will take more effort in the tight twisty stuff compared to a 26'er, so I'd discount that option.

Anything long travel will feel a bit disconnected compared to what you are used to so I'd discount that also.

That leaves short(ish) travel 26'ers as a possible option.

Have a gander at the whyte 120 and giant trance x. Both amazingly good fun and great to ride if you have come from a hardtail.

My two cents, I think you could go two ways, either get a big full sus, which is markedly different from the soul, something like an alpine, rocket, or nomad, big forks up front, and use that for bigger stuff...

Or go for a fairly light, poppy full sus with about 120-140mm travel. I just got a Genesis Grapil, yes new bike syndrome, but I do absolutely love it. Very stiff, 120mm on the rear so feels poppy and responsive, 140mm up front and you can even put a longer stroked shock if you want to take it to the alps...it really flies when you start putting the pedal strokes in. Cotic has a similar idea coming out soon, and theres always a Blur tr, if you can aford it!

Probably not your kinda bike but I really love my Scott Voltage. It's not as plush and wallowy as other fs bikes I've ridden so it still feels pretty nimble but can soak up bigger hits if you need to. I suspect the fairly "dead" feeling manitou shock may play a big part in that as well, though. Effortless to jump and whip, I love it 😀 Maybe a bit heavy duty for the kind of riding you seem to do though.

I'm going to resist responding to that chap saying "29er = barge" and just say try a few for yourself.

I'm going to resist responding to that chap saying "29er = barge" and just say try a few for yourself.

The guy rides bmx. A 29'er will feel like a barge in comparison.

the short Rocket starts to make more and more sense
Anthem will definitely get further investigation
Blur? yes, but costly as you say

I wouldn't mind a 29er HT as a do it all "bah, I don't need full suspension"-bike. I actually have a soft-spot for fun Trail 29er as a concept BUT I guess I'm ripe to give FS a go, so a 29er HT got to wait until I return to HT as the only way to go (if I will return that is)

By the way: I don't really get the difference in concept between Giant Trance and Anthem. Trance has a little more travel and a little slacker HA. It seems to be only a little different is that right?

Trance is slightly heavier, longer travel with better standover design - more "Trail" orientated.
Anthem is an XC race bike that feels "OK" on the trails - more likely to feel like a HT!

Both are good for long days in the saddle, but then I like the Maestro suspension so I would say that!

Horses for Courses...

Trance is slightly heavier, longer travel with better standover design - more "Trail" orientated.
Anthem is an XC race bike that feels "OK" on the trails - more likely to feel like a HT!

and while I read that something says "Go [i]TRAIL![/i] If you do FS don't try to stick to XC too much." 🙂

The anthem is snappier. The Trance is more MOR/adaptable ( you can turn it into a lighter Reign or a heavier Anthem)

Turner 5 spot - I've just moved to this from a Blur LT

DW link is really stiff - like a vpp you get no bob, like a horst link you get no brake jack.

Bit spendy mind - I managed to pick up an ex display frame for a good price though.

Not particularly slack so doesn't feel like a barge

Homework for tonight: read that droplink thesis by Cy again
(and finally try to make sense of it all)

try to find some similar text on DW links

somehow I thought '4-bar' is the only way to go,
then again I havn't really tried to understand FS until very recently

The anthem is a light cross country machine. The trance is a trail bike which happens to be pretty damn capable at lots of other riding.

I think you will love it, but then I am biast as I have just built one up.

I've ridden loads of hardtails and full sussers and the trance is one of the best. Especially coming from a steep short travel hardtail.

At the risk of sounding like a cheesy magazine review, a Yeti ASR5 is light, responsive and flickable. Pedals well (there is a little pedal bob, but not much) and accelerates fast for a full suss and corners incredibly well.

Obviously as I'm singing it's praises that means I have one. Mine has 140mm forks, and it feels great on steeper, more technical stuff. Great fun to ride and I seem to gun it absolutely everywhere now, which is fine for fitness, but not so good for my creaking knees

somehow I thought '4-bar' is the only way to go,

Well Horst links, VPP's, DW links, Maestro's etc are all "4 bars" they are just different ways of implementing a multi-link design.

None are perfect, they are all trying to balance different elements.

FWIW I've owned a Horst Link (Stumpjumper FSR) a VPP (Blur LT) and a DW Link (5 Spot) and a single pivot (Superlight)

The FSR had the smoothest suspension but suffered from a lot of bob when pedalling.

Blur LT had brilliant traction and didn't really bob, it suffered a bit from brake jack but it wasn't too bad TBH I was really happy with it, but changing the bearings every year was a PITA

The 5 spot sits between the two other designs. Its really neutral and supple like the FSR but you can stand up and pedal on it like the VPP

There's talk of a 29er version of the Rocket coming BTW. Had I not bought a Whyte I'd probably have held on for one of those.

One can get over scientific on these processes, pick one you fancy at the end of the day. It's hard to make a bad decision,

ah, OK, I somehow thought only those with a link in the chainstays are actual 4-bars

[u]again while reading your words - and that's how helpful forum questions/answers can be - something became clearer to me:[/u]
- I certainly want to be able to stand up and pedal uphill
- and I definitely want to be able to sprint out of corners and on flat sections

For climbing out of the saddle, any boinger becomes near rigid with the shock locked.

- I certainly want to be able to stand up and pedal uphill
- and I definitely want to be able to sprint out of corners and on flat sections

That would be a hardtail then! 😉

That would be a hardtail then!

Damn! 😉

"That would be a hardtail then!"

Damn! 😉

Which one do you fancy? You know really.

Get that one.

sod the 29inch wheels, get a meta4x and be happy, like I was. Its a hardtail that bails you out when it all goes wrong 🙂

http://wideopenmag.co.uk/news/18448/commencal-announce-the-2013-meta-4x

http://wideopenmag.co.uk/news/18448/commencal-announce-the-2013-meta-4x

Want!

the Meta 4X looks like A LOT of fun for going into the nearest neck of woods and let it rip
but would you take into the Alps for epic day-trips?

Which one do you fancy? You know really.

and that's the thing: I don't!
I would be so much easier to say: sod the good advise - deep in my heart I want [i]that[/i] one anyway! Just because it looks right! And just because I like the brand or something.

And with hardtails it would be easy: I could list at least five 26 and 29 hardtails I really would love to have! [this is where takisawa2 would say: Easy, forget FS, go Solaris! 🙂 ]

But with FS bikes I am pretty much clueless (and somewhat want-less). While I am still struggling to define what I [i]need[/i] I don't even know what I would [i]want[/i]. Poor me! 😉

Look, as a Cotice fan-boy I kind of like the idea of getting a Cotic Rocket, but I am not sure if it's the right bike for me (too much travel, weight, slack). So I kind of wait for the short-travel one. But it's also expensive just to find out that I might not like it.

Anyway: it's probably one of the best problems to have and an exciting phase where you think about getting a new bike and are still searching.

🙂

takisawa2 would say get a Niner SIR9.

It's fun talking about it, yeah.

I do think you should be looking at a trailsy bike, otherwise you're not getting anything your Soul can't do anyway. Well your Soul can do it, but I mean something different.

I decided in Feb to get a 29er FS trail bike to replace my 9 year old Blur, as soon as I walked away from stupid money carbon a whole world of choice opened up in the 1500 to 3 grand price bracket.

Current version of WhatMTB has their 'trail bike of the year' feature, it covers about 30 bikes. Worth a dig maybe.

takisawa2 would say get a Niner SIR9.

-> which would be on my dream hardtail list (and a Pace RC129, a Solaris, a Canfield Nimble9, current Soul...)

Current version of WhatMTB has their 'trail bike of the year'

-> which I have right at the side of my bed 🙂

Norco, Whyte, Santa Cruz, Giant...
the answers in this thread have been more helpful though

how much are you actually looking to spend though? that will limit options considerably. On a personal note i went from a 2001 GT Zaskar to a 2013 Whyte 146 and have found it awesome, still use the GT, but only for flatter trails/long days in the saddle, the Whyte is perfect when it requires more ups and downs.

Like you I wanted to go from HT (Indian Fire Trail - fairly light and quick) to a full suss. I tried briefly a Trek Fuel Ex9 in the LBS, and had pretty much decided on it, even though it felt a bit 'soft'. Mu wife wanted an anthem and so we went to Rutland and hired a couple. As soon as I started riding one I knew it was for me. It just made me want to nail everything - standing up to climb - yep, sprint out of corners - yep. I also tried a trance (car park only), but it felt like the Fuel.

I tried the X2 and bought an X1 (2011). And I ride it on the road lots. My poor IFT has been used a couple of times since I got it.

I think that the moral of the story is try a few, but I'd say include an Anthem.

Too much choice.

Nice problem to have.

You need to make an honest list of what's important to you, which is actually harder than it sounds. I've been going through a similar process. I started by thinking it was obvious; of course what I wanted was the best bike for the type of riding I do. So I spent some time thinking about the type of riding I do and the type of riding I'd like to do, before realizing that I was the wrong track. In fact it turns out that I don't want the best bike for xyz at all. It has to be a capable bike of course (as most options are), but after that I have a long list of wants, most of which have very little to do with how the bike rides if I'm honest.

You clearly like Cotic for whatever reason. So, maybe start by thinking about why you like Cotic bikes and whether you are ever going to feel the same way about a bike from another manufacturer. If not, then it's pretty easy; you either buy a Rocket or wait and see what Cy brings out over the summer. If other brands would float your boat just as well then you've got more options, but at least then you'll know a bit more about what you want in a bike.

Thanks for still being with me in this thread! I do appreciate it!

how much are you actually looking to spend though?

but after that I have a long list of wants

I clearly have a soft spot for none-mainstream brands. Like Cotic, maybe Kona, Salsa but also some Genesis bikes. Then there are brands I don't know very well yet, so I am more open. Like Whyte. And I wouldn't want to be seen on a Canyon even though/because it might be the perfect bike.

With Whyte it's the reviews and the "looks right"-looks combined with that 430mm chainstay (by the way: I want a low frame, long top tube, short chainstay).

Side note:
my wife asked if I would be any safer on a FS compared to my current HT

Good question, eh?

Would I? Initially maybe. Ultimately I might start doing things at speeds I shouldn't do at all no matter at which speed.

But that's only a side note.

You could argue that an FS bike is safer. It will let you get away with some mistakes that you'd be punished for on an HT. But due to [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_compensation ]risk compensation[/url] you'd almost certainly just ride it harder. In practice a more capable bike often just means higher speed crashes.

Good to see that you are being honest about your brand loyalties. Many people seem reluctant to admit to this, preferring to pretend that their decision is entirely rational. Maybe it is for some people, but I bet most of us have preferred brands if we are honest.

You need to test ride a few to get to know what you like. Try different suspension linkage as well. Deffo try the BMC four stroke 29er really nice bike iv test rode the top end carbon one and it rode really well, it was the first 29er I'd rode and thought yea that was fun it didn't feel much different than an 26.

http://m.bikeradar.com/mtb/news/article/bmc-fourstroke-fs01-29-first-look-36286/

[u]risk compensation[/u]

!that was the term I was looking for 🙂
well, I guess I won't tell my wife about it

[there might be a parallel to cars here, a low-tech car can be a lot of fun at relative low speed whereas a perfect modern car can be boring at insane speeds]

concerning brands and image: it's not all marketing bullshit, brands do have an important role of being an orientation in any market where the number of product variants/makes/modells and the perceived product variety is huge while actual product differentiation is pretty low

brands do have an important role of being an orientation in any market where the number of product variants/makes/modells and the perceived product variety is huge while actual product differentiation is pretty low

I like that. Not sure I understand it, but I like it 🙂 The last bit certainly seems to apply to mountain bikes in my experience. In practice, for most of us, most of the time, there is bugger all difference between lots of them and it's only bike geeks with too much time on their hands who pretend that there is.

I think there's an easy way of showing that brand is not just hot air but an actual part of the product experience:
- imagine you would have hundreds of bike brands like today, but legal regulations would ban any branding, e.g. bikes would all come in white and instead of the brand there would be numbers and instead of modells letters
- for sure the genius of some companies would shine through and the "357 K" would still be a cult bike for those who know, just like the "427 N"
- but we would still miss something, wouldn't we?

Now we have those who de-decal their bikes and components. What about them? Well, it only works for them, because most bikes are branded. It wouldn't be very cool in a world with unbranded bikes. People would probably invent their own branding.

🙂

but I am digressing slightly...

Whyte, Whyte, Norco, Rocket, Whyte, Whyte, Norco, Rocket. Whyte, Whyte, Norco, Rocket, Whyte, Whyte, Norco, Rocket, Anthem? Whyte, Whyte, Norco, Rocket, Whyte, Whyte, Norco, Rocket. Whyte, Whyte, Norco, Rocket, Whyte, Whyte, Norco, Rocket... (to be continued)

Work out a drum sequence, hire some dancers and I reckon you've got the makings of the next Youtube hit there 🙂

Part of what appealed to me re the Whyte was it's a bit quirky and British, I also liked the attention to detail such as the seat clamp and the bearing covers. (It also helped that I bought it from a local dealer so have service backup, whereas a HT I can do myself).

Branding is part of how something is, no point denying it.

Ps I didn't ride the Giants but it's rare to find someone who has and doesn't like them. The silly stem size put me off a bit, I can see that being a b**lache. I prefer interchangeable parts.

Get a few test rides sorted & give the bikes a decent test on terrain that you like to ride on.It's much better than listening to people tell you about their own,their mates,or the bike they'd like to buy....Which is about as useful as a biased MTB mag review,it's probably worse thinking about it...........

I am currently trying to get test-rides for the weekend sorted. Not so easy to get hold of the exact bikes though. Whytes not available at all.

Might have to start with testing any available full suspension bike. But that should give me at least an initial idea whether I might like it or not and I can take things from there.

Many thanks for all the advise - I'll keep you posted!

Has someone suggested a Santa Cruz Superlight yet?

Santa Cruz Superlight

well, I am aware of it but somehow assumed that it would be not very sophisticated in the way it reacts to impacts etc. I read a review somewhere that wasn't too enthusiastic.

do you reckon it could fit?

I have a Superlight 29er which I am enjoying. I come from a hardtail background. I'm sure it's not as sophisticated as more modern designs but it does the job and I am very happy. It climbs well, will little bob even out of the saddle climbing. With 120mm fork it descends well too.

Not a very good pic. Now has Reverb.
[img] [/img]

it looks ace on that pic - that's for sure!

Why thankyou! Mate has just bought a SC LT Carbon Tallboy - now that is VERY nice!

I think they look good, would be a candidate if I wanted a XC boinger. Simple is good.

Simple is good.

😕 I will grab that review when I'm home
brand-wise it would fit 😉

I was a die hard HT rider, but last year I went for a Scott Spark 35 to ease my aching old bones. Love it. Good allrounder I think.

But then I'm a crap rider so I wouldn't know anything. }:8)