Man of Honour
Hello,
I've been reading bike reviews and now I'm even more unsure what to spend money on.
Bikes I've been looking at
Giant Trance 2 (or better)
Cube Stereo 140 (of some description)
Orange 5 (of some description)
Trek Remedy 9
Santa Cruz Bronson (of some description)
Nukeproof Mega (of some description)
Commencal Meta AM V4 (of some description)
I currently have a 2011 Specialized Camber Comp. It's had its rear shock replaced (I think with a fox float), and brakes changed for avid something or other by the friend I bought it from.
I was originally looking at the Trance 2 because that's about what I wanted to spend; I could get it for about £1800 with a reverb dropper post from westbrooks if I paid it all in one go.
I've now decided I can go higher than that, up to possibly £3k and maybe a bit, but would prefer to be under that if I can.
I've sat on the Trance, Remedy and 5... but have only ridden round a car park and over a grassy hill on them. I've tried a Scott Genius for a day and hated it. I'm not sure if it was the nobby nic tyres, or the suspension setup, but it just kinda clattered over everything and didn't feel at all good/comfortable over anything. Brakes were awful too. It was a hire bike.
Mostly I'll be riding it around trails like Hamsterley, Dalby, Sutton Bank, Kielder etc, because they're closest, but I would also like to take it to the Alps/Scotland etc, so it should be able to handle a bit more adventurous things.
Reading about forks, it seems that a Pike RTC is the way to go? I really would like a reverb post in there because I find I'm constantly having to change my seat height - mostly I ride my road bike and like having a higher saddle to get up hills/fire roads between trails.
Ideally I'd like to demo a bike for a weekend/at least a few hours on the type of things I'll be riding on, but I can't seem to find anywhere that will allow that. Except a place in Pickering I need to go back to. They stock Trek and Orange, but availability seems to be something of an issue for both those brands at the moment.
Any thoughts?
I've been reading bike reviews and now I'm even more unsure what to spend money on.
Bikes I've been looking at
Giant Trance 2 (or better)
Cube Stereo 140 (of some description)
Orange 5 (of some description)
Trek Remedy 9
Santa Cruz Bronson (of some description)
Nukeproof Mega (of some description)
Commencal Meta AM V4 (of some description)
I currently have a 2011 Specialized Camber Comp. It's had its rear shock replaced (I think with a fox float), and brakes changed for avid something or other by the friend I bought it from.
I was originally looking at the Trance 2 because that's about what I wanted to spend; I could get it for about £1800 with a reverb dropper post from westbrooks if I paid it all in one go.
I've now decided I can go higher than that, up to possibly £3k and maybe a bit, but would prefer to be under that if I can.
I've sat on the Trance, Remedy and 5... but have only ridden round a car park and over a grassy hill on them. I've tried a Scott Genius for a day and hated it. I'm not sure if it was the nobby nic tyres, or the suspension setup, but it just kinda clattered over everything and didn't feel at all good/comfortable over anything. Brakes were awful too. It was a hire bike.
Mostly I'll be riding it around trails like Hamsterley, Dalby, Sutton Bank, Kielder etc, because they're closest, but I would also like to take it to the Alps/Scotland etc, so it should be able to handle a bit more adventurous things.
Reading about forks, it seems that a Pike RTC is the way to go? I really would like a reverb post in there because I find I'm constantly having to change my seat height - mostly I ride my road bike and like having a higher saddle to get up hills/fire roads between trails.
Ideally I'd like to demo a bike for a weekend/at least a few hours on the type of things I'll be riding on, but I can't seem to find anywhere that will allow that. Except a place in Pickering I need to go back to. They stock Trek and Orange, but availability seems to be something of an issue for both those brands at the moment.
Any thoughts?
?