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Thread: What bike now?

  1. #1
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    What bike now?

    My Reign is in its 3rd season and starting to show its age so it's time for a new bike. My past 4 bikes were Rocky Mt Slayer, Devinci Frantic, Marin Quad 4 xlt and a Giant Reign. I've moved out of the Kootenays and now ride the gentle slopes of the Okanagan so I'm thinking I'll buy something a bit more pedally in a 29" wheel.

    I don't tend to give a fuck about what the latest greatest "innovation" is in mt bikes so I'm outta the loop. What should I look for? What should I avoid? Are there any big changes on the horizon that might make it a good idea to postpone my purchase until the 2019s hit the floor? It looks like lots of bike come in multiple built levels in aluminum or carbon fibre, is carbon fibre worth it? How about wheels, is CF worth it?

    Any recommendations appreciated.
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  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Beaver View Post
    I don't tend to give a fuck about what the latest greatest "innovation" is in mt bikes so I'm outta the loop. What should I look for? What should I avoid? Are there any big changes on the horizon that might make it a good idea to postpone my purchase until the 2019s hit the floor? It looks like lots of bike come in multiple built levels in aluminum or carbon fibre, is carbon fibre worth it? How about wheels, is CF worth it?

    Any recommendations appreciated.
    You'll have to decide between rear axle spacings. Some companies are sticking with boost (148 mm). Some companies are going to super boost (157 mm). Arguments can be made for the superiority of either, but as far as you're concerned, you're just gambling on which one will take the longest befor it's outdated. I'd say either one is probably fine.

    Carbon fiber frames are lighter, arguably stronger, and they tend to be stiffer and damper. For me it mostly comes down to weight: how much do you care about a light bike vs. how much you're willing to spend.

    Carbon wheels are noticeably stiffer. Sometimes that's good, sometimes it just makes them feel harsh. While I wouldn't drop the coin for the seriously expensive options, I also wouldn't go with the cheap options. Those rims take a beating.

    Based on the bikes you've been riding in the past, if you're looking to go wagon wheels with a bit less travel, I'd look at a Santa Cruz Hightower, yt jeffsy, devinci troy 29, pivot switchblade, and maybe a trek fuel ex.


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  3. #3
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    ^^^Yah. Damn. Pretty much perfect.

    [/end thread]?
    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    the situation strikes me as WAY too much drama at this point

  4. #4
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    I’d maybe add a Knolly Fugitive to the list, but mostly because I’m a total fanboi and only look for rigs that I think will last a long time.
    I avoid carbon unless it comes with a reliable warranty. And I’m usually in an alloy budget anyway.


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    However many are in a shit ton.

  5. #5
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    Obviously an E-bike and of course the red one.

  6. #6
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    If you go CF wheels, check out Santa Cruz's reserve. They won't win any weight weenie awards. But they are reasonably priced and their warranty is pretty insane.

    Guerilla Gravity is making some pretty rad bikes for the money if you're into utilitarian and decide to go with an Alu frame. But their distribution is pretty small, so probably only able to demo at select locations.

  7. #7
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    Lots of great options out there for do all 29er trail bikes. I would stick to something 120-140 mm travel range, carbon frame with Boost spacing. Toast nailed it about carbon wheels and also they're damn pricey to boot. I've been on a 29" 135 mm travel carbon SC Hightower for the past 3 seasons and couldn't be happier plus Santa Cruz has a lifetime warranty on their frames and bearings. I've also got riding buddies that are on the Evil Following and YT Jeffsy who are pleased with them. I'd try to find some demo events around you to get a feel for what's out there.

  8. #8
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    If you get a chance, demo a Rocky Mountain Instinct.
    It checks all of your boxes.
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  9. #9
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    What's your budget?

    Commencal is doing some really nice bikes, if you're down with alu only and linkage-d single pivots. Their take on that is pretty good, IMO.

    What do your local (if any) places sell? Demo opps?
    Florence Nightingale's Stormtrooper

  10. #10
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    What bike now?

    ^^this. I was going to say Commencal or yt. They’re both in Squamish so quick ship and cs if it takes more than a phone call
    Also, Canfield had/has a great deal on their 29er full sus. It was called the riot(I think it’s called toir now). Really like the numbers on that bike. Good options for builds too. Their parts are great and I’d recommend their dvo suspension options. The sale price probably brings it on a touch more than Commencal or yt but their customer service is well established . Not sure how yt Commencal are doing in Squamish with cs but I have friends on both brands and they’re very happy with their bikes. Sales are starting on their ‘18 bikes as the ‘19 are trickling out

  11. #11
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    Canfield is in a little bit of limbo right now.
    Just be aware of that.
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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by rideit View Post
    Canfield is in a little bit of limbo right now.
    Just be aware of that.
    Oh shit, didn’t realize. That’d be a shame . Always liked what they’re doing on all their bikes. I’ve only had their pedals and they’re my fave pedals. They were ez to deal with too

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by grinch View Post
    Also, Canfield had/has a great deal on their 29er full sus. It was called the riot(I think it’s called toir now). Really like the numbers on that bike. Good options for builds too. Their parts are great and I’d recommend their dvo suspension options. The sale price probably brings it on a touch more than Commencal or yt but their customer service is well established.
    I have a Canfield Riot/Toir. Unfortunately I haven't demoed many bikes, so can't compare it to anything but a Yeti SB5.5, which isn't on your list (but maybe should be). Biggest negatives with the Canfield are:

    (1) Weight -- mine is around 31lbs, but then again you could probably build one under 30lbs if you wanted to. I think the weight is in line with other overbuilt aluminum long-travel 29ers.
    (2) Low BB -- sure this is awesome for cornering, but I get a lot of pedal strikes even with a 160mm fork (geo based on 140mm fork).
    (3) No water bottle mount inside front triangle -- not super important to me but some people don't like this.

    and a quirk that might be a negative is:

    (4) Very large reach:ETT ratio -- the seat tube is offset forward of the BB to make room for big wheels with short (414mm!) chainstays, and the seat tube angle is kept fairly upright. The result is a short effective top tube compared to reach, aka compact/upright/cramped seated pedaling position compared to standing riding position. Not entirely sure what to make of it yet. Maybe size up?

    It's very nice for the Western WA trails I've done so far. Never ridden in the Okanagan, but if it's more biased towards big mileage than big ups and downs, maybe you will want something lighter and more pedal-oriented.

    And yes, the frames are on sale for cheap right now but it looks like not much has happened there in the last year....
    Last edited by Toddball; 07-17-2018 at 06:51 PM. Reason: spelling

  14. #14
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    ^^id prefer a water bottke mount(not underneath the dt). The rest of your points I like. All of it . I’d put a 160 fork. Stand over isn’t great for me but I have a short inseam

  15. #15
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    I'm going to have to take a trip back to the Kootenays where I know the owners of 3 bike shops. Around here if I want to demo a bike its $80/day but it comes off the purchase price. Fuck that, I know 3 shops that will and have sent me out the door with multiple bikes in the Kootenays. The Rocky Mt Instinct is high on my list, I'm a RM fan.

    I just checked out YT, they're priced really competitively.
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  16. #16
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    and apparently the YT are pretty good bikes but there are threads out there about people ordering the YT on-line and it shows up > 2 months later, I even heard of shops refusing to work on assemblies that had come on a YT even for money

    the ideal YT customer will have the skilz to service anything on his YT, will have a stock of spare parts to keep him riding and a spare bike to ride while his new bike shows up late ... so you don't count on anything you might normaly get from an LBS
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  17. #17
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    Sounds like I'm the ideal YT rider. I buy a bike from my LBS and very rarely does it ever see the store again. Except the time I separated the steer tube from the crown on my Devinci, Sacred Ride (LBS Nelson) gave me a loaner bike and had my fork sent out repaired and returned in 3 days for free. That is an excellent reason to buy at LBS. Sacred Ride sells Rocky Mt so i might have to go talk to them soon.
    You are what you eat.
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    There's no such thing as bad snow, just shitty skiers.

  18. #18
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    What bike now?

    I spent last winter demoing long-travel 29ers. I ended up getting one I hadn’t demoed but got a good deal on. My takeaway from that exercise was that, although each of the bikes had their own character, I could have owned any of them and, after getting them set up to my preference, would have been equally happy.

    So I think a good approach is to pick the category of bike you’d like, in terms of wheel size, travel and angles (demoing could be useful here), then go for the combination of price and after-sale support you’re comfortable with.

    Having ridden in the Okanagan, there is some rowdy stuff to be found, but a mid-travel 29er would likely do you well.

    For direct sale bikes, my previous bike was a Commencal. The support and availability of spare frame parts out of their Squamish operation was excellent. That new Meta TR 29 looks great.

  19. #19
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    I'd rather buy an excellent quality alloy frame than a cheap carbon frame. Likewise for wheels. Usually an apples to apples frame upgrade from alloy to carbon is about $1k. I think you can still get Chinese carbon rims for about $100 more per rim than good alloy rims. So if I was on a budget, I'd rather get an awesome alloy frame and put that $1.2k towards better quality components - better brakes, good hubs, a dropper that isn't a Reverb, Eagle drivetrain, more adjustable suspension, etc.

    That said, I own a carbon everything Nomad 3 CC with LB carbon wheels, RF Next carbon cranks, and RF Sixc carbon bars, plus an aluminum Chameleon hardtail with Arc alloy wheels, Aeffect alloy cranks, and a Next R carbon bar. I almost always reach for the Nomad when I'm going out for a ride. As others have said, the carbon frames are nice in that they seem to slightly dampen trail vibrations. I like not-overly-stiff carbon bars for that reason as well.

    No idea what the riding is like where you're at now, but for some short-mid travel 29ers, that have alloy frame options, take a look at:
    Transition Smuggler (120 rear, 140 front)
    Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol (120 or 130 rear, 120-140 front)
    Knolly Fugitive (120 rear, 140 front)
    Guerrilla Gravity The Smash (140 rear, 140-160 front)
    Transition Sentinel (140 rear, 160 front)

    The YT Capra & Commencal Meta AM 29 are more on the long travel (160mm) end of the spectrum.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by D(C) View Post
    I spent last winter demoing long-travel 29ers. I ended up getting one I hadn’t demoed but got a good deal on. My takeaway from that exercise was that, although each of the bikes had their own character, I could have owned any of them and, after getting them set up to my preference, would have been equally happy.

    So I think a good approach is to pick the category of bike you’d like, in terms of wheel size, travel and angles (demoing could be useful here), then go for the combination of price and after-sale support you’re comfortable with.

    Having ridden in the Okanagan, there is some rowdy stuff to be found, but a mid-travel 29er would likely do you well.

    For direct sale bikes, my previous bike was a Commencal. The support and availability of spare frame parts out of their Squamish operation was excellent. That new Meta TR 29 looks great.
    I have also had great experiences with my commencals. Customer service is great and fast. They all ride really well, and their aluminum frames are burly. I have had 3, and never had any issues. I think I’m going to get a Commie Clash this fall/winter.

    If I had the cash for a carbon 29er, I’d hands down get an Orbea Rallon. Everyone says how versatile they are. Big travel 29er, but fairly capable at easy going trail riding too. Hit the gas and it feels like a 150mm 29er should.


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  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Beaver View Post
    Sounds like I'm the ideal YT rider. I buy a bike from my LBS and very rarely does it ever see the store again. Except the time I separated the steer tube from the crown on my Devinci, Sacred Ride (LBS Nelson) gave me a loaner bike and had my fork sent out repaired and returned in 3 days for free. That is an excellent reason to buy at LBS. .
    I took a boo at their site , some models are sold out some were sposed to be available 08/08 some 8/15 both dates are past but not updated, OR what does that mean, Just so as long as you realize up front what you might be in for.

    I picked up a yeti 5.5, the all fox suspension/seatpost,/ shimano drive train & brakes/ maxxis /DTswiss were a good spec and the bike works well the only negative is they are on the pricey side
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  22. #22
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    beav given that you're in Vernon - get that Instinct especially because it'd be the best deal. You can get up Kal Lake loop, and go down something more mellow or Ed if you want to get all steeps. You can pedal over to Ellison if you want to chill. You can hit Noble if you want to try to break something. The Instinct isn't necessarily the bike to do it all but it'd be close.

    IIRC Olympia had Rockys. Get the Instinct from your Kootenay shops and get rocky parts if you need it from Olympia. All the Vernon shops support trailwork so you won't go wrong there

    You could look at the Slayer but IMO its a bit much for the cruisy chill trails.

    You're also pretty experienced so you'll be able to get over any of the bike's limitations

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by LeeLau View Post
    You could look at the Slayer but IMO its a bit much for the cruisy chill trails.
    I didnt want to say it, but I absolutely love my slayer on every kind of trail, save the ones that are flatish and very rolley where you are constantly pumping, and sprinting out of the seat to keep speed. For those kind of trails i just ride a fully rigid.

    But the slayer is light enough and spry going uphill for big back country rides, whether that is grinding in the seat or technical climbing. Full carbon frame standard makes a big difference in weight (especially in XL). And in the steep setting is super poppy and playful on buff mellow trails to single black trails... and is plenty stable and capable on gnarlier stuff as well. coming off a 29er enduro the slayer is super quick turn to turn and really easy to place the bike right were i want it in turns. I set it in the slack setting for shuttling and bike park and it totally changes the feel of the bike to a mini DH bike which is perfect for that purpose (but sucks for trail riding).

    I got a crazy good deal on a last model year slayer over the winter and had to pull the trigger even though i was ONLY looking at slacker 29er trail bikes at the time. Im really happy with the slayer.

    I find it to be a perfect bike for what i do: 70% normal trail riding on blues and blacks. 20% shuttling legit DH and bike parks, 10% big long backcountry rides. But, you have to be honest with yourself and not overestimate how often you will be riding trails on which you will be severely underbiked on a "trail bike".

  24. #24
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    Bicycle quivers. I can die now.
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  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by wooley12 View Post
    Bicycle quivers. I can die now.
    You're gonna commute on your dh/shuttle bike?
    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    the situation strikes me as WAY too much drama at this point

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