MB (DH) purchase advice please.

Tek81

Tek81

Tek81

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I've recently deciced to get back into downhill following a three year absence, but could do with some pre-purchase advice. I used to do a combination of light downhill, trail and quarry / rough terrain riding using my (now gone) Orange 224, so have made a few bike selections based on that. I just can't decide which of the bunch to go for. I have a budget of about £700, so the bikes I have been looking at are all second hand, five+ year old models but all in good condition. So, I've narrowed it down to the following -

Intense M3 (2005?)- Oldest of the bunch, but supposedly an amazing bike. Possible a little too Intense.....for me though. Cough*.

Norco DH (2011) - I used to own a Norco back in 2000 and it was ok, but I've not had any experience of one since. The DH is very well spec'd though.

Empire AP1 (2010) - Never heard of this maker before, however most of the reviews are positive.

Ancillotti Tomaso DHP (2006) - I always wanted one of these "back in the day", but never found one for sale. I'm not sure how relevent it would be now though.

Commencal Supreme Racing V2 (2010) - Reminds me of my 224, which can't be a bad thing.

Iron Horse Sunday (08/09) - I used to own an IH before the company went down. Seems like a capable bike but bit worried about potential lack of parts

Ideally, I'm looking for something that can stand up to rough terrain riding, but is also light and nimble enough to be enjoyed on more sedate routes such as forest trails. Weight isn't a major issue, I just don't want something that is so lumbering and heavy that it become a chore. I'm open to any other suggestions as well.

Any and all advice is welcomed, especially from people who have experience of the bikes listed
James.
 
I think the difficulty at that price point is, any bike of that age (circa 5 years old or more) is likely to be fairly beaten up.

There might be a good one in amongst them, but almost certainly any bike of that age will potentially need suspension service/brake service etc which adds to the costs.

If it was just a hardtail or something then you'll likely get something decent for £700. However 10 year old DH bike for £700, I just don't see it being anything other than a minefield to find a good one.

Good luck but if I was you i'd seriously consider trying to save a bit more and get something newer further down the line.
 
booyaka said:
I think the difficulty at that price point is, any bike of that age (circa 5 years old or more) is likely to be fairly beaten up.

There might be a good one in amongst them, but almost certainly any bike of that age will potentially need suspension service/brake service etc which adds to the costs.

If it was just a hardtail or something then you'll likely get something decent for £700. However 10 year old DH bike for £700, I just don't see it being anything other than a minefield to find a good one.

Good luck but if I was you i'd seriously consider trying to save a bit more and get something newer further down the line.
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Cheers. True. One of my stipulations is that the suspension front/rear has been serviced within the last few months. Whether or not the seller is being honest when they say that its been done is another issue. The more rudimentary work I can do myself. Definitely a minefield though. It's almost like buying a car:D
 
I wouldnt buy any of those

any £700 second hand dh bike is going to be a disaster, it will be abused to death, and even then would be pretty dated design or geometry
also if you also want " light and nimble enough to be enjoyed on more sedate routes such as forest trails" then you really dont want a dh bike
modern all round bikes are good enough for DH (id argue better than a 10 year old DH bike) but can still be ridden normally as well

you can get a new bike from a direct place (commencal, YT, canyon, CRC/Virtus) for around £1500-£1800 that would a good start
Otherwise a second hand bike from pinkbike or singletrackworld forum (or ebay) for around £1100-£1500 might be ok (if its not knackered)

A good all rounder would be 140-160mm travel front or back, and a dropper seat post
any more travel than that and forget riding it round anywhere other than a DH track

if you really must have a DH bike, something like this is probibly the best value you will find https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1854165/
 
gettothechopper said:
I wouldnt buy any of those

any £700 second hand dh bike is going to be a disaster, it will be abused to death, and even then would be pretty dated design or geometry
also if you also want " light and nimble enough to be enjoyed on more sedate routes such as forest trails" then you really dont want a dh bike
modern all round bikes are good enough for DH (id argue better than a 10 year old DH bike) but can still be ridden normally as well

you can get a new bike from a direct place (commencal, YT, canyon, CRC/Virtus) for around £1500-£1800 that would a good start
Otherwise a second hand bike from pinkbike or singletrackworld forum (or ebay) for around £1100-£1500 might be ok (if its not knackered)

A good all rounder would be 140-160mm travel front or back, and a dropper seat post
any more travel than that and forget riding it round anywhere other than a DH track

if you really must have a DH bike, something like this is probibly the best value you will find https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1854165/
Click to expand...

Cheers. I've been riding for the best part of 25 years; road, off road and everything inbetween, so any mechanical issues that may exist with a second hand bike could be easily remedied by myself. I'd rather find a bike which is free from major issues, which is why most of the ones I have narrowed it down to are all being sold by people I know and trust (exception being the AP1). My 224 and Iron Horse were both DH specific bikes that were fine for forest trails, but If needs arose, I could just swap the forks out for a single crown set-up. I was considering doubling my budget and getting something new, but having spent a fortune on bikes in the past, I'd rather spend less this time around. I'm off to look at a 2012 Trek Session this evening which should do the job.
 
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Sorry I couldn't disagree more


there is no DH bike that is "fine for forest trails" its completely the wrong bike for the job
my friend has a carbon santa cruz v10 that is blinged out that is super light for a dh bike, and it would still be a massive chore to ride anything other than DH, in fact its pretty stupid riding it even on some more tame dh runs

for what you are describing you would be far better off looking for a trek slash (for example) rather than a session

but your life dude so whatevs ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
I'm not sure what you envisaged when I mentioned "forest trails", but I'm not talking about sedately peddling through a wood looking for wildlife. Perhaps I should have said; "sedate in comparrison to hammering it down near a vertical drop", which is what the intended purpose of the bike will predominantly be. My Orange 224 performed the task perfectly until I wrapped it and myself around a tree a few years ago, hence my absense. I'd get another one of those, but I fancy a change. I concede that some bikes, such as the v10, despite being an amazing bit of kit, is a little OTT for my needs, however I am still after something that is DH focussed. And what's with "but your life dude so whatevs"? I was with you right up until that.
 
"but your life dude so whatevs" = "you are of course, free to purchase what ever you like and use it in whichever manner you see fit, and what do I know anyway?"

As I said, seriously try a test ride of a modern long/slack, 650b, 1x11 (or 12) gears, short stem/wide bars dropper posted 150/160 mm travel all rounder and you'll find not only does it ride downhill better than your 224, but you'll be able to ride back up them also

If you just want a dh bike, id say £700 isn't going to buy you anything worth buying
loads of decent stuff on pinkbike between 1100-1500

something like this https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1854165/ is worth the extra £££
 
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I think I'll save a little longer and get something more modern, if not brand new. I'm liking the one you posted. Seems like it would do for what I need, although I'd have to find a smaller frame. I'm not sure if I could get away with large at my height. Cheers for the info.
 
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