Bike recommendations...

"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

So, what do *you* think the right bike for me is?

Thanks for the opinions.

I'd like to help, but I don't know you from Adam.

"TM" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

So, what do *you* think the right bike for me is?

Thanks for the opinions.

I'd like to help, but I don't know you from Adam.

Why thank you, TM, for taking the time to post that!

I don't know why people say usenet is a low signal-to-noise-ratio medium...

Adam...

"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

You may remember that I asked for some advice a while back in sorting
out a new bike for my partner, Polly. I haven't yet fulfilled my
promise to get her a new bike - redundancy delayed those plans - but
I'm about to rectify that. Can anyone give me any recommendations?
Budget is hopefully around £1000 but I won't rule out anything.

Giant full sussers are pretty good value and I certainly wouldn't want to go
back to Glentress on my hardtail. I've ridden it a few times this year on a
VT1 and enjoyed it so much more. The VT2 can be found at the moment for
about a grand. Only gripes are crappy seat post shim (replace with correct
size seat post or use a non-QR seat clamp to eliminate slip), oversized bars
and stem restrict your replacement options, and a Variable Travel system
which I never see fit to take out of long travel (not really a gripe at
all). The Hutchinson UST stock tyres on the VT1 are fast, light and great
for the hardpack and rocky sponsored trails in Scotland and Wales.
Unfortunately they are too fragile for long term use and no good at all in
mud. I ruptured the front quite quickly but Giant very kindly replaced it
with a more mud-friendly tyre declaring my failure a manufacturing defect.
I also upgraded the brakes to Hope monos although the Hayes really aren't
that bad at all once bedded in.

The NRS models are usually heavily discounted at this time of year too. See
if you can get a demo ride from your LBS.

Regards, Dave

"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi All,

[Part one]:

You may remember that I asked for some advice a while back in sorting
out a new bike for my partner, Polly. I haven't yet fulfilled my
promise to get her a new bike - redundancy delayed those plans - but
I'm about to rectify that. Can anyone give me any recommendations?
Budget is hopefully around £1000 but I won't rule out anything.

It would be indelicate of me to say how much she weighs, so suffice to
say she's pretty slight, about 1m62 tall (5'4"😉 and the bike will get
used for cross-country - her standard is up to Glentress Black Run
(for those that know it), but taken pretty carefully with a fair bit
of walking.

[Part two]:

It's also getting time for me to get a new bike. Originally, I was
looking for a hardtail (probably Ti) - now I'm considering going
full-suspension too. One of the reasons for choosing a hardtail was
that I'm essentially quite luddite (although I haven't been bitten by
the single-speed bug - I don't think my knees could take it). Budget
is not yet a consideration.

I ride cross country, often with more enthusiasm than skill (as
witnessed by not one but two spectacular wipe-outs in one outing on
Saturday). I like riding prepared trails like
Glentress/Traquair/Coed-y-brenin (when I can get to the latter), but I
also like just heading out with the bike, a compass and an OS map and
seeing where that takes me. I don't do "freeriding" (I don't think),
although the man-made courses I ride regularly are becoming
increasingly agressive with big drops and more jumps. I'm still not
sure what "hucking" is. I tend to try to ride, rather than fly, over
drops, although I have been known to occasionally loft the front wheel
a little!

So, what do *you* think the right bike for me is?

Thanks for the opinions.

Adam...

Too many choices really. If you want to try full suspension possibilities I
would include would be a simple single pivot design like an Orange, one of
the well-proven Marin full sus bikes or full more £££ a Turner 5 Spot. For
hardtails I would be looking at a cotic frame which would take a 100mm+
travel fork and shine on the technical trails you have mentioned as well as
standing up to repeated crashing better than an ali frame (Thicker tubing).

Steve.

Fleagle said:

"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

You may remember that I asked for some advice a while back in sorting
out a new bike for my partner, Polly. I haven't yet fulfilled my
promise to get her a new bike - redundancy delayed those plans - but
I'm about to rectify that. Can anyone give me any recommendations?
Budget is hopefully around £1000 but I won't rule out anything.

Giant full sussers are pretty good value

Sounds like the bike world is your oyster with the type of riding that
you do and the budget that you have.

I'll just throw a bit more in about the Giants and add to what Dave said
because I've mostly ridden Giants myself. They are pretty good value
and are readily available everywhere too. Looking at them would be a
good starting point for you. If you want hardtail I'll let some of the
other guys suggest something. Of course the BEST bike is the one that
feels really good under you and handles the riding that you do
regardless of the brand or model.

For you the VT1 would probably be a pretty good bike. Strong enough to
take a few knocks and drops but versatile enough to go everywhere. It
is very good at soaking up the downhills too.

The U turn feature on the Rockshox forks is novel but I only seem to use
it in one setting or the other. There are plenty of forks out there
that offer adjustable travel with two settings. Don't think that the
infinitely variable ability of the Uturn is any great advantage. I tend
to use either full-travel over the bumps or reduced travel for roads and
nothing in between. The lockout is a nice feature for hill climbs or
the road because it keeps the forks stiff and you don't loose energy to
movement in the suspension. The VT2 is very good value at the moment
too. Only negative about the VT1 that I have is that the Crossmax SL
wheelset won't last long if you are a bigger guy doing drops. I think
that the lastest model has the Crossmax XL's on it though.

If you want something lighter that you won't be doing any great drops on
- like larger than 18" or so, then the NRS series are pretty good. They
are more of a lightweight full-suss cross country bike that is good for
longer distances. You could look at one of those for your partner.

The other Giant bikes like the AT are more heavily built and good for
jumps and drops but they are heavy and not really a very versatile bike.

Other brands? Specialized. One of the flavours of the Enduro would be
good for you. Great little bike that one. The Epic might be one to
consider but it's more like the NRS - good for long distances and
smaller bumps but plenty of guys take some big hits on it too.

Trek? Well. Several people here have an extreme dislike for Trek
quoting low build quality and reliability. Your call. They have
several models that would be suitable for you though.

I could type more because there are hundreds of excellent bikes out
there. Have a look and test ride some bikes and see how you feel about
them and get back to us.
--
Westie

Fleagle said:

"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

You may remember that I asked for some advice a while back in sorting
out a new bike for my partner, Polly. I haven't yet fulfilled my
promise to get her a new bike - redundancy delayed those plans - but
I'm about to rectify that. Can anyone give me any recommendations?
Budget is hopefully around £1000 but I won't rule out anything.

Giant full sussers are pretty good value

Sounds like the bike world is your oyster with the type of riding that
you do and the budget that you have.

I'll just throw a bit more in about the Giants and add to what Dave said
because I've mostly ridden Giants myself. They are pretty good value
and are readily available everywhere too. Looking at them would be a
good starting point for you. If you want hardtail I'll let some of the
other guys suggest something. Of course the BEST bike is the one that
feels really good under you and handles the riding that you do
regardless of the brand or model.

For you the VT1 would probably be a pretty good bike. Strong enough to
take a few knocks and drops but versatile enough to go everywhere. It
is very good at soaking up the downhills too.

The U turn feature on the Rockshox forks is novel but I only seem to use
it in one setting or the other. There are plenty of forks out there
that offer adjustable travel with two settings. Don't think that the
infinitely variable ability of the Uturn is any great advantage. I tend
to use either full-travel over the bumps or reduced travel for roads and
nothing in between. The lockout is a nice feature for hill climbs or
the road because it keeps the forks stiff and you don't loose energy to
movement in the suspension. The VT2 is very good value at the moment
too. Only negative about the VT1 that I have is that the Crossmax SL
wheelset won't last long if you are a bigger guy doing drops. I think
that the lastest model has the Crossmax XL's on it though.

If you want something lighter that you won't be doing any great drops on
- like larger than 18" or so, then the NRS series are pretty good. They
are more of a lightweight full-suss cross country bike that is good for
longer distances. You could look at one of those for your partner.

The other Giant bikes like the AT are more heavily built and good for
jumps and drops but they are heavy and not really a very versatile bike.

Other brands? Specialized. One of the flavours of the Enduro would be
good for you. Great little bike that one. The Epic might be one to
consider but it's more like the NRS - good for long distances and
smaller bumps but plenty of guys take some big hits on it too.

Trek? Well. Several people here have an extreme dislike for Trek
quoting low build quality and reliability. Your call. They have
several models that would be suitable for you though.

I could type more because there are hundreds of excellent bikes out
there. Have a look and test ride some bikes and see how you feel about
them and get back to us.
--
Westie

"Fleagle" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
-8<- snip ->8-

Quoted message said:

Giant full sussers are pretty good value and I certainly wouldn't want to go
back to Glentress on my hardtail. I've ridden it a few times this year on a
VT1 and enjoyed it so much more. The VT2 can be found at the moment for
about a grand. Only gripes are crappy seat post shim (replace with correct
size seat post or use a non-QR seat clamp to eliminate slip), oversized bars
and stem restrict your replacement options, and a Variable Travel system
which I never see fit to take out of long travel (not really a gripe at
all). The Hutchinson UST stock tyres on the VT1 are fast, light and great
for the hardpack and rocky sponsored trails in Scotland and Wales.
Unfortunately they are too fragile for long term use and no good at all in
mud. I ruptured the front quite quickly but Giant very kindly replaced it
with a more mud-friendly tyre declaring my failure a manufacturing defect.
I also upgraded the brakes to Hope monos although the Hayes really aren't
that bad at all once bedded in.

The NRS models are usually heavily discounted at this time of year too. See
if you can get a demo ride from your LBS.

Thanks Dave. I hadn't yet considered the VT1/VT2, but I'll give them a
test ride after this. The thing that worries me about the NRS (and
other multi-pivot designs) is resistance to the abuse I'll give it.
I'm not into huge, sick drops or anything like that but I have just
trashed my second mavic 618 (on a hand-built wheel, too) in a year.

Out of interest, why wouldn't you back to Glentress on a hardtail?

Thanks again for the advice - Adam...

"spademan o---[\) *" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

-8<- snip ->8-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So, what do *you* think the right bike for me is?

Thanks for the opinions.

Adam...

Too many choices really. If you want to try full suspension possibilities I
would include would be a simple single pivot design like an Orange, one of
the well-proven Marin full sus bikes or full more £££ a Turner 5 Spot. For
hardtails I would be looking at a cotic frame which would take a 100mm+
travel fork and shine on the technical trails you have mentioned as well as
standing up to repeated crashing better than an ali frame (Thicker tubing).

Hi Steve,

I know there are loads of choices, I was just hoping to narrow the
field a little based on personal experience of folks on AMB.

As you may remember, I was considering the On-one inbred Ti - I'm
still thinking about it, and I'll add the Cotic soul to the hardtail
list. I'm just starting to think that a full-susser might extend my
skills on stuff like Traquair (which, if you haven't visited it
recently, is superb) while still satisfying my need to find
less-trodden Highland trails.

Thanks for the suggestions. Lots of people seem to be inpressed with
the 5-spot, so I'll definitely give it a try. Will look closely at
your other suggestions, too...

Cheers - Adam...

Westie <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
-8<- snip ->8-

Quoted message said:

I could type more because there are hundreds of excellent bikes out
there. Have a look and test ride some bikes and see how you feel about
them and get back to us.

Thanks Westie. It is precisely because there seems to be such a huge
market that I was hoping to enlist the help of the good people on AMB
to narrow the field a little. I will, of course, be test riding
everything I consider - to be honest, I was looking as much for "Don't
go anywhere near <bike_x>..>" advice as raves.

I'll certainly look at those Giants, and I suspect the NRS might be a
very good choice for my partner.

Cheers - Adam...

"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi Steve,

I know there are loads of choices, I was just hoping to narrow the
field a little based on personal experience of folks on AMB.

As you may remember, I was considering the On-one inbred Ti - I'm
still thinking about it, and I'll add the Cotic soul to the hardtail
list. I'm just starting to think that a full-susser might extend my
skills on stuff like Traquair (which, if you haven't visited it
recently, is superb) while still satisfying my need to find
less-trodden Highland trails.

Thanks for the suggestions. Lots of people seem to be inpressed with
the 5-spot, so I'll definitely give it a try. Will look closely at
your other suggestions, too...

Cheers - Adam...

Personal experience - Turners are great, can't fault the handling or build
quality of mine at all. I haven't ridden a 5-spot but I would have no
trouble recommending Turner as a 'brand'. The Inbred is also a very nice
frame, I owned one for a short while and found it to be a good frame but a
bit too long for my riding style. Again I could not fault the build quality
etc.

Cheers,

Steve.

"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thanks Dave. I hadn't yet considered the VT1/VT2, but I'll give them a
test ride after this. The thing that worries me about the NRS (and
other multi-pivot designs) is resistance to the abuse I'll give it.
I'm not into huge, sick drops or anything like that but I have just
trashed my second mavic 618 (on a hand-built wheel, too) in a year.

Out of interest, why wouldn't you back to Glentress on a hardtail?

Comfort! In particular, I think it's the Shane McGowan section that really
shakes you to bits. Even on a full susser it's hard work, but a hardtail is
just painful! I'm no regular, but I've ridden Glentress several times on
both hardtail and full suss. First time on a full suss I thought the climbs
would be hard work, particularly the long drag to the hut. The VT isn't a
particularly light bike, but you really don't notice any significant weight
penalty over a hardtail when pedalling uphill. So, plenty of good points
with none of the bad.

In terms of durability, the cheap RaceFace bottom bracket didn't last long
and the headset is starting to go. However, the essentials are holding up
surprisingly well (I'm 6`2" 14+ stone) - even the wheels. I've also got a
great Giant dealer locally who so far hasn't failed to sneak all repairs
through FOC.

I've not tried the NRS. It's not the best looking bike out there, but for
the cash you really can't go far wrong.

Hope that helps, Dave