One bike quiver: is 160mm too much for a general trail bike for a beater?

[toast2266]

On another note, if you're interested in a 2013 Specialized Enduro Expert, I'm selling mine. It'd probably fit you, it's all carbon and fancy, it's in good shape, and I could probably deliver it to you. Same price ballpark as the bikes you're looking at (exact price tbd depending on some variables - I could sell it with a couple different forks). Lemme know.

[grinch]

Sounds like op is looking for 140mm frame. All throw one in the mix I'm looking at. Bottom of the line devinci Troy carbon. There carbon frames are only $500 more than aluminium equivalent as opposed to 1g for most companies. Lifetime warrantee. Bottom of the line still comes w pike and debonair. 160mm fork. Not the lightest but sensibly light. 3500can$ so that like $10 usd

[intheways]

I'd say Heckler. It's enough for Deadman's and stilly pedally enough for the 'snake.

[markcjr]

Travel is just for the bangdiddybangbang. I actually miss my last 140mm bike a little around Tahoe. It was noticeably faster for a lot of the riding around here.

Not sure what jumps have to do with 20mm of travel really........


Either way it sounds like a shorter travel option would be fine for Missoula.

And you can trust me, I rode there for two days.

20mm travel is for casing the jumps....duh. No, but i weigh 200lbs and am a not so smooth rider and find a 160 bike to be more fun on the downs, especially rocky and rooty style stuff. Most everyone I know around here rides a 160 enduro, nomad, mojo etc. I just think it's the happy medium if you can't own a quiver of bikes, and you like to do a bit of everything, with a bias on the downs over the ups. I'd love to own a fast, responsive blur trc (or whatever is fast and responsive) and a dh bike, but I can only have one bike so I have a tracer. Even in places like Oakridge, OR where it's buff as shit, I still like the caddy ride of 160/160 for when I'm spent and let the bike do all the work.

[grinch]

New crop of slack head angled long top tubed 120-140 bikes has blurred the lines of what bike to buy for a "trail" bike that still rips on the downs. Endorphin, process134 andtransition scout also come to mind and now even 29ers like the 111, banshee phantom and evil following look like a lot of fun to rip some downs(never thought I'd say that)

[toast2266]

I think it's also just that suspension has gotten a lot better. You used to need an extra bit of travel in rough stuff to make up for the less than stellar damping that most suspension had. Dampers are getting better, so you can do more with less suspension. These days, for 90% of the trails out there, a good rider can go just as fast (or faster) on a shorter travel bike. But extra travel still comes in handy when mistakes are made - there's no substitute for another 20mm when smacking into a rock at high speed while off balance.

[jm2e]

I think those last two post sum up what I've been trying to say and can't articulate. "New" geometries really do blur the "travel" distinction to where something like a 650 Endorphin or a 29er Evil Following will crush tech-y trails harder than fancy long travel bike from a more main stream brand.
But then again, I'm a total hack, and that extra insurance has really paid off over and over again....

[mcski]

A buddy just got an HD3 and loves it. Not cheap but he says very versatile.

[kidwoo]

I think those last two post sum up what I've been trying to say and can't articulate. "New" geometries really do blur the "travel" distinction to where something like a 650 Endorphin or a 29er Evil Following will crush tech-y trails harder than fancy long travel bike from a more main stream brand.
But then again, I'm a total hack, and that extra insurance has really paid off over and over again....

No one makes 120-140mm travel bikes with the geo found on longer travel ones. I'm still waiting for those. Like a 130mm travel bike with a 65 degree heandangle and a 13" bb. Grrrrrr

[backcountry1pr]

No one makes 120-140mm travel bikes with the geo found on longer travel ones. I'm still waiting for those. Like a 130mm travel bike with a 65 degree heandangle and a 13" bb. Grrrrrr

Commencal Hip Hop is pretty close. 66/13

[grinch]

Commencal Hip Hop is pretty close. 66/13

Might b a steal of a deal too. Ordering direct and w a high usd and euro tanking

[jm2e]

Not even a lot of the 150-160mm bikes out there have 65 deg head angles and 13" BB heights. These changes are not happening quickly.

edit:
Totally not what you're shopping for, but YT Bikes now available to buy in the US and Canadia. Carbon frame 170mm travel with BOS suspension for $5500us!!! Fucking Game Changer. Or totally hit the $3K budget and get a really well spec'd Al version!!! FKNA

[xyz]

160 mm is 160 mm of overkill. You live in the USA. Anything beyond a hardtail is overkill.

Get a 29er hardtail with a 120-140 mm fork. Your trails don't need anything more.

And for the record I lived in SW Montana for three years.

Flame away....

[kidwoo]

^^Ah the bubble......

Commencal Hip Hop is pretty close. 66/13

I've never even heard of those.

They do look pretty good........ They don't show up on the US website though, just the frenchy one. They're cheap though! Is that an old dropped one, or something that's not really out yet? Thanks!

Not even a lot of the 150-160mm bikes out there have 65 deg head angles and 13" BB heights. These changes are not happening quickly.

Enough do though. And (other than that commencal), all of them are longer travel.

[backcountry1pr]

They do look pretty good........ They don't show up on the US website though, just the frenchy one. They're cheap though! Is that an old dropped one, or something that's not really out yet? Thanks!

PB did a review. Kinda interesting read , and a bit surprising if accurate. Looks like a 14/15 model.
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/commenc...view-2014.html

[kidwoo]

I saw that. Their complaints are absurd. It's supposed to be a burly bike. Up until recently I've been riding 30lb + trail bikes for about 10 years. Stiff and burly aluminum has a trade off, one I'm cool with. If it had 160mm of travel they'd wouldn't be griping. But that's the kind of thing I was referring to.........no one builds a tough 5" travel bike. And griping about 'bar height?'. Jeesh. I don't listen to reviews.....numbers tend to tell me enough.

I think I've got enough in parts to build one up. I gotta see what's involved in getting one in the US. Thanks a bunch for the heads up on those. They look rad. I really have been looking for something like that for a while.

[Chugachjed]

Doesn't Turner have Burners on sale now? That's what I eventually went with.

[beaterdit]

Enough do though. And (other than that commencal), all of them are longer travel.

Banshee spitfire is pretty close at 66*/13.4 in the low setting with 27.5 wheels, 13.0" with 26. Cool bike, heavy like you like.

The GT Distortion (now discontinued) was way ahead of it's time when it came out like four years ago with a 66.5* HA and 13.75" BB. Dubious brand but cool bike at the time. 114mm travel, also heavy like you like.

[Finstah]

The GT Distortion (now discontinued) was way ahead of it's time when it came out like four years ago with a 66.5* HA and 13.75" BB. Dubious brand but cool bike at the time. 114mm travel, also heavy like you like.

Yes. And if we're talking ahead of it's time, the Cannondale Prophet MX was released in 2005 and had a 65.5* head angle, 13.5" BB height, and 140mm of travel.

[backcountry1pr]

Banshee spitfire is pretty close at 66*/13.4 in the low setting with 27.5 wheels, 13.0" with 26. Cool bike, heavy like you like.

I had a spitfire. Really liked that frame. Prob even better now that they don't use bushings. I never did, (dry climate), but I guess people had issues with them. Rear end would not be what I would call stiff, though.

Kidwoo- I moved on to a Mojo HD in 140mm mode, with a 160mm fork, and -1 deg headset, and its ~66/13. Stiff, efficient, fast. You might look into one since people are flipping them like crazy right now. I know you like DW, too.

I have an HDR now, and trying to figure out if I can run it in 140mm mode with 26in, or if I have to run it at 160mm. IDK if the old 140mm limbo chips will work, or not.

[kidwoo]

Just to be clear, I HAVE a 28lb 6" travel norco range that I don't want to get rid of. I've just been looking for a shorter travel just as tough (maybe tougher) something something with similar geo, to start riding trails that aren't balls out fast and rough a little more. Spitfires and mojo HDs don't really fit that bill. That hiphop does.....kind of exactly on the mark.

I appreciate the input though. Especially on the commencal.

And sorry to hijack.......an off handed comment made me to it.