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....And you realise it's probably a better bike for you than your own bike.
I have a canyon spectral. Good all rounder. 27.5 version. CF 9 so decent spec.
Mate has a nomad c custom build, current gen frame. Similar ish spec to me.
My riding is becoming more dh focused and the spectral, whilst very nimble, quick in turns and poppy, really beats me up on the rough stuff at triscombe and the Welsh valleys. As more of my riding is becoming this, I instantly felt the need to want one.
Problem is, holy cow they are expensive.
So, now I need to consider either alternatives more realistically priced, or sell everything I own and buy a Nomad.
It just ate up the rough stuff and was surprisingly poppy. I got a pb on a track I've ridden dozens of times and I felt I could have given it much more. Very stable. Even the climb back to the top was no harder than my spectral. Very surprising.
Damn, why did I ride it?
It just ate up the rough stuff and was surprisingly poppy. I got a pb on a track I’ve ridden dozens of times and I felt I could have given it much more.
Reminds me of a thread recently about hardtails. Do you ride to go FAST or ride for the CHALLENGE? I mean, if you're racing, sure FAST. Otherwise, squeeze more out of your current bike for the CHALLENGE.
Buy another Enduro bike that doesn’t come with a Santa Cruz price tag?
There's nothing special about a Nomad from my admittedly limited experience. Lots of other options without the added layer of expense that comes from paying Minnarr and Peaty's wages.
jimmy
Full Member
It just ate up the rough stuff and was surprisingly poppy. I got a pb on a track I’ve ridden dozens of times and I felt I could have given it much more.Reminds me of a thread recently about hardtails. Do you ride to go FAST or ride for the CHALLENGE? I mean, if you’re racing, sure FAST. Otherwise, squeeze more out of your current bike for the CHALLENGE
My Spectral is easily capable of riding the trails I ride, it's still a 150mm bike. I just find I have to hold it back a little before it starts getting too choppy. And I've been riding same speeds as my friends on longer travel bikes. But it was an eye opener for me how much quicker I could go on the Nomad. I guess for me I enjoy the challenge of a trail, but speed is fun.
With regards to getting another enduro bike but not a Santa Cruz. My last bike was a strive and apart from the constant faults I was getting with it, I just couldn't get comfortable with it. The Nomad felt instantly comfortable to me. Probably a geometry thing.
sell everything, buy a nomad, have fun and get it out of your system.
YOLO!
Check your suspension settings?
Yup, go shopping. Life's too short buddy.
The Nomad felt instantly comfortable to me. Probably a geometry thing.
Have a look at the Nomad geometry, see what else matches it. iirc there’s nothing particularly ground breaking. Alternatively just get the bike you want if it’s a Santa Cruz
I try as many bikes as I can and always try my mates bikes as it's good to get a jist of what you may or may not want next time you're in the market. It can also help you spot where your current setup/components could be improved. Sometimes there worse, sometimes better. Sometimes that better is marginal/one or two things that have come at considerable cost. It's not often my bike is trounced in all areas.
Because I switch between FS and HT on a regular basis I can go back to a less capable bike and not cry myself to sleep.
If you can afford it (and find stock), get it bought.
Does anyone do custom geo on fs frames?
And if they do, how does the cost compare to a SC bike?
Or can you replicate the riding position on your bike?
Online geometry charts should be easy to find, it’s not as if it’s a mullet eh.
I used to have a nomad
I rode a sorted 29er. I now have one of them.
Take the shortcut and buy a long travel 29er with good geo..
..
You know where your mate lives don't you ?
You need that bike more than him, if he can afford one Nomad he can afford another one 🙂
Does anyone do custom geo on fs frames
Off the top of my head...
Atherton
Marino
Curtis
Carbon Wasp
Only one of those is of any real saving over a Nomad, mind.
Could be worse, at least your mate isn't Bubba the Love Sponge.
But it was an eye opener for me how much quicker I could go on the Nomad
If SPEED is the main reason for buying a new bike
Take the shortcut and buy a long travel 29er with good geo.
This would be my advice ^^^^^^^^
Back in 2002 I had a TRX850 which I was happy with until I rode my mates new Gixxer 6. The day after I owned a Gxxer 6! The lesson for me was not to ride my mates bikes...
I have solved this problem by not having any mates
I second/third/etc the suggestions to go straight to a long travel 29er for maximum speed and minimum being beaten up by the rough stuff, whilst also climbing back up without any problems.
29er enduro bike is probably the answer here - from one of the brands that doesn’t have the Santa Cruz tax.
Privateer
Bird AM9
Commencal meta AM29
Marin Alpine Trail XR
Vitus Sommet
Nukeproof Mega / Giga (unless prices are going up on these)
Etc etc
Yeah I hear the hype around the long travel 29er. Two other friends have recently got (suprise suprise) Santa Cruz megatowers. So when we're allowed to meet up next I'll grab a go on those too.
Out of 5 riding friends 3 are already on s.c. so it would be a little embarrassing for more of us to be on them.
Nukeproof giga does look very tempting.
TBH the real question is always, do you want to be happy on your bike regardless of if it's good or bad or best or could be better? Or do you want whatever bike you're riding to be as good as it can be, or to know if something else can be better? Knowing that is always more important than any of the other things.
If the Nomad's shown you something you want, remember it's almost certainly not just the nomad that has it. And it still might not even be the best option for that thing you want, maybe some other bike you've not ridden would feel better still. Maybe you'd ride that the day after you got a Nomad 😉
But the odds of getting the Most Perfect Bike are essentially zero,and the chances of knowing it if you do are absolutely zero, so, it's not worth stressing about. But if there's always something better is it worth changing at all? Yes of course. And that's worth stressing about...
Do you think you could tweak your current bike to deliver what the Nomad has?
Buy second hand! It has saved me a small fortune over the years!
Add the Yeti SB150 to the list. Not going to save you money over the SC, though!
Check your suspension settings?
This would be my suggestion.
Get your shock and fork tuned, by someone who knows what they are doing. it makes a staggering difference.
Reminds me of a thread recently about hardtails. Do you ride to go FAST or ride for the CHALLENGE? I mean, if you’re racing, sure FAST. Otherwise, squeeze more out of your current bike for the CHALLENGE.
I get the argument but really it's not nice getting beaten up and if you just wanted to hit the trails, you'd walk or run. The whole point is to make it easier and more fun, and faster just is more fun. Unless you need to go out and find trickier trails in which case do it!
For the OP, I've just set up a Kona dealership. Got myself a Process X DL with a bit of my redundancy pay from the last job, and it's great although not really that much less than a similar sc. I do have a couple of Process 153s that are a fraction of the price and 99% as good though, and seriously thought of just taking one of them as it was in stock first. A little less travel than he nomad but costs less for the bike than the nomad frame.
Edit in case it comes across too salesman - it's my day off after all - the other non SC models suggested also make a lot of sense. SC bikes are nice, as are all super pricey bikes, but you don't need to spend all that money.