Thread: Sold the Mt Race Bike -- Help me pick out a fun bike!

I know there are a lot of threads out there on new bikes and what to get, but I was wondering if I could get some input from you all based on the type of rider I am and the terrain I ride.

Finally sold the cross-country race bike (Trek Fuel 98) and am looking for a fun bike. I have exclusively been riding my single this summer, and have been so stoked on it. With this in mind, I don't need a cross-country specific full suspension. I'm so glad to be done with SIDs!

I can ride my single on most everything around my house, but want a bigger bike for a plush ride. I'm thinking 5-6 inches of travel. I'm 5'8, 125 lbs, so I don't want to push something super heavy uphill (but know it's a tradeoff). Also, I can't spend 5K on a new bike so don't tempt me.

I ride mainly Ned stuff, but also do Moab/Salida/CB/Colo Trail type riding. I won't be doing BC type stuff.

Thanks for all your input!

Yeti 575.

The best thing you can do is test-ride everything you can get your hands on. Then you can make a decision based on what you like and what you can afford.

Whatever you do, don't get a Yeti 575.

You edit quickly bagtagley! I'll take mine away too.

Yes, I did a search.

I was hoping to get some maggette input on my search as well.

What about something like a Santa Cruz Blur LT? 5.5 inches of travel and only about 28 pounds.

I'm not much of a product geek, so I can't add much. I've got a Santa Cruz Superlight that I'm very happy with, other than that the bike is a bit too big for me, so I'm selling it later on this summer and thinking about getting a small Blur (so also curious what the collective thinks).

I also ride a Kona Coiler, which surprisingly does much better than I expected on the climbs, despite it's 35 pound weight and 6 inches of travel.

I know there's lots of Yeti, Turner, and Specialized fans on here as well, so I'm sure you'll get lots of votes for those.

WSD, I think the Blur is a great bike. I am a big fan of Intenses, especially if you are riding tight twisty singletrack. Those bikes are designed to just rail it. The 5.5 is a good choice.

Rontele: Intense 5.5 or the 575?

Originally Posted by LaBelle23

Rontele: Intense 5.5 or the 575?

I used to have a 575, which was stolen. It was a great bike for the money and did everything very well. I replaced the 575 with an Intense 6.6 and absolutely love it. I think the 6.6 is the single best trail bike out there. I really like the Intense design, attention to detail, and the geometry BEGS to slay tight, turny singletrack. My 6.6 is about 32 pounds and apparently climbs as well as most 5.5s.

But Intenses are more expensive than the 575. So if you don't want to shell out the money, look to the 575 or the comparable Santa Cruzs (Blur LT = 5.5, Nomad = 6.6). Intense licenses their suspension design from Santa Cruz and are a little more expensive (Intense frames are made stateside, SC frames are made overseas).

Have you checked out a Kona Dawg, Spec Enduro, etc...I'll keep an eye out at the shop for you. Its all about how you like your bikes to feel. Definately ride as many as possible.

...I second the Coiler for being a great trail bike. I have the 5" version and it climbs great, the weight isn't too bad(and you did sell your race bike), and it more than makes up for any lack of climbing ability on the way down. A friend built up a Turner 6 pack and kicks ass, but for the money it should. What is your focus with this bike-more climbing or more getting after it on the way down?

Sounds like you're looking for more a trail bike than an XC bike, right? What about something like a Rocky Mountain Slayer or a Transition PrestonFR?

Fun bike??
Like DH or FR?


If FR..


How about this?



Patriot 66


Ridden different Oranges over the years (Patriot,LT,223,224) and i dig them a lot. Very good to pedal,good geometry,lightish,very robust and has a low center
of gravity making them nice to handle.
The frame is virtually impossible to destroy,my old LT is with the 4th person atm. All other parts have been changed several times but the frame just keeps on going.

The problem is that i dont know how expensive they are in the states atm, because of the weak dolares.


Other worthile bikes allready mentioned are the santacruz blur and RM Slayer. Slayer is a good bike,but i personally dislike the high center of gravity. Makes it good to pedal but it is quite nervous and unstable,imho.

I'm looking for more than a trail bike, than a XC bike. Ideally, I want a bike that is kind of between a XC and FR. I say I want a fun bike becuase I'm coming off of my Trek that had 2.75in of travel in the back and a SID fork that was the lightest on the market, and far from plush. When I want to beat myself up, I'll reach for the single.

I haven't done any test rides yet since I just sold the bike today and didn't want to tempt myself. I wanted to figure out what I should be looking at first. I did ride an Intense Spyder in Crested Butte, and had a great time, but want more travel, and a burlier bike.

I'm more concerned with performance on the way down than up. I'd like a bike that looks balanced with 2.45 tires on it. My single has made me able to push pretty well on the way up, so I think I can sacrifice a little on this side. The VPP technology really attracts me though because it seems like the best of both worlds.

I know very little about them, but this thing just looks sexy to me:

Originally Posted by LaBelle23

I'm looking for more than a trail bike, than a XC bike. Ideally, I want a bike that is kind of between a XC and FR. I say I want a fun bike becuase I'm coming off of my Trek that had 2.75in of travel in the back and a SID fork that was the lightest on the market, and far from plush. When I want to beat myself up, I'll reach for the single.

I haven't done any test rides yet since I just sold the bike today and didn't want to tempt myself. I wanted to figure out what I should be looking at first. I did ride an Intense Spyder in Crested Butte, and had a great time, but want more travel, and a burlier bike.

I'm more concerned with performance on the way down than up. I'd like a bike that looks balanced with 2.45 tires on it. My single has made me able to push pretty well on the way up, so I think I can sacrifice a little on this side. The VPP technology really attracts me though because it seems like the best of both worlds.

The 6.6. But I am biased.

I love my yeti 575, and as you're not so big, I think it'd be a good bike for you. It feels like a XC bike with DEEP travel. It's light, responsive, and loves singletrack. It's a super comfortable bike for all day rides.

Also love the SC Blur LT's, but way more expensive.

What about the Titus MotoLite? Or the Spec Stumpjumper 120 (5" stumpy)?

Originally Posted by bagtagley

I know very little about them, but this thing just looks sexy to me:

Agreed, I looked very seriously at the Scott Ransom series. Can't deny it, I've still got a woody for the Motolite. If you can wait until September/October, I will have a like-new Stumpjumper Pro for a very reasonable price.

I made the same transition as you are going through this year. Sold my very light and not plush Trek hardtail race bike, and replaced it with a Trek Liquid (very plush, fivish inches front and back) and I couldn't be happier. I think regardless of what bike you go with in the trail category, any bike in the five to six inch travel range is going to be a blast to ride.

That said, I'd like a 575 one of these days.

Just a thought, but could a 125 # rider get a similar feel from a, say, 4" travel bike as a 180 #er would with 5.5" or 6"?
If so, you could likely save some weight and $ over the currently trendy 5-6 inch trailbikes.

No, I don't think so. Obviously suspension is tuned for rider weight...so a teensy little person is still going to use as much travel as a big fatass.

But, then again, if you're taller and you ride a bigger frame, than proportionally a shorter travel bike should feel similar....

A fun bike implies one that has geometry/slack that makes the bike more forgiving when going DH than your typical XC bike. So a long-travel XC bike isn't going to cut it - I think it needs to be a trail/fr bike like the Blur, PrestonFR, Slayer, 5-spot, Coiler, etc. Personally, I wouldn't get too hung up on amount of suspension travel -- it's not like you're a 350lb jiggly looking to do 12 ft hucks**.

(** If, on the off chance you are... um... good luck with the frame warranty?)

Most of the major manufacturers make great 5-6" trailbikes for not that much money, and at your weight you don't need anything specially burly.

Specialized Enduro
Kona Dawg or Coiler
Giant (Reign? Trance? I forget which is which)
Iron Horse Hollowpoint

The VPP bikes (Santa Cruz, Intense) are nice but will cost more. Worth looking at if they're in the budget.

They all have different philosophies about geometry and suspension, and will come with different parts, so the best thing is to demo. Make sure you're comparing bikes of similar cost: the typical Intense demo will probably feel better than a base model Kona Dawg, but a big part of that is because it uses high-end parts that cost over twice as much.

Don't be swayed by propaganda that says "Our suspension design is fully active and doesn't bob." This is physically impossible. All designs have tradeoffs, and what's important is how they feel when *you* ride them.

At your size you'll be worried about standover. The more technical terrain you ride, the more you'll need to make sure you can stand up without nutting yourself (or whatever the equivalent is for girls).

I'd like to put in a good word for the Trek Remedy. If you were already on a fuel, switching over to a remedy might be an easy transition. I haven't ridden a lot of different bikes, so I can't really compare, but I love the way my remedy handles, and it actually climbs really well for a 31ish pound bike. Probably quite a bit cheaper than some of the other options posted here.

Personally, if I was in your situation (a light, tall, strong female rider trying to get a good bang for the buck on a freerideish-trail bike), I would look at a SC Heckler w/ Fox DHX Air and maybe a Z1 light or Pike Air up front. The Heckler will cost less than a Blur LT or 5.5, simple maintenance w/ single pivot, and will pedal well w/ the DHX Air. Throw on some trailbike rims, some 2.5 tires - badass on the downhills but still will only weigh in the low-mid thirties.

Originally Posted by LaBelle23

I'd like a bike that looks balanced with 2.45 tires on it.

Wtfck??
.
.