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Yet another "DHer's Trailbike"

ZHendo

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,661
147
PNW
Hey all,

I'm looking at getting a trail bike that will suffice as my only bike for awhile until I can afford a full on DH bike. I'm selling my SX Trail in the next month with the hope of replacing it with 2 bikes within the year. Trail bike options so far include:

Trek Remedy
Fisher Roscoe
Morewood Mbuzi or Shova
Ibis Mojo
Pivot Mach 5

I'll be riding the bike fairly hard, but I'll set it up appropriately with components that will suit my needs. I'd like something that will be responsive and corner well without being twitchy. Ideally, it'll serve as a very nice ride in Downieville if that gives you any idea of what I'm looking for. As it will be eventually be used for some training purposes, I'd like it to pedal well so I can keep up with buddies on some lighter duty bikes like Trek Fuels, etc.

I have connections with all these companies and only these companies, so my next bike is going to be one from this list. I'd prefer ride experience to speculation, but any sort of input is helpful. This bike will be a do-it-all to start, but will shortly turn into a trail/training rig after my DH bike is made a reality.

Cheers,
Zack
 
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illflip

Monkey
Aug 20, 2007
548
0
Newark, NJ
rode a Mojo with a Fox 36 a couple times at Diablo last season. very capable, even in some of the steepish rocky trails.

ridiculously light. almost scared myself hitting the jumps too fast.

pedals well. dw link is a plus. the bike is my uncle's and he uses it primarily as a XC bike. uses a revelation for xc and puts on the the 36 for diablo days.

can take a beating. had my share of crashes on it. not a mark on it.
 
Thats a nice list.
I'm partial to the Shova over the more mini dh Imbuzi . Been riding the shova for a while and with a new Revelation air fork and Monarch air shock it rips everything and corners like a slalom bike.
And easy to maintain. Once a year $20 in bearings and thats it.
Have fun deciding.................:homer:
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
An Enduro might be another option to consider, all the ones that you listed are great bikes.
Yeah, I would put the new Enduro on your list.

I own a Blur 4X right now, which is a lot of fun on slalom tracks and berms, but the Enduro kills it in loose corners and rougher terrain. I was really impressed with the one I rode.

The new Stumpjumper FSR is pretty cool looking too, but I haven't ridden a 2010. I did have a 2007 (I think) and that bike descended remarkably well for what it was.
 

spocomptonrider

sportin' the CROCS
Nov 30, 2007
1,412
118
spokanistan
Either he edited that one into his original post, or I'm going full retard.
Haha I didn't see that either. I think a Trek Remedy or Fisher Roscoe would be the route I would take. I have ridden a remedy with an adjustable seatpost and it was a surprisingly svelte climber and confidence inspiring on downhills. The Suspension feels great with the DRCV it has a good pedaling platform at about 20-30% sag and ramps up quite nicely on bigger faster hits. That being said it also pedals well and never felt like it was wallowing in its travel.
 
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jon-boy

Monkey
May 26, 2004
799
0
Vancouver BC
I've had my 08 Remedy for the past two seasons and the bike just rips it up. Climbs really well and sits nicely into the travel when coming back down the trail. I'd see if you could up the front fork to a 36 with 160mm travel as the bike definitely works well with that set up in my opinion.

The riding that I do is mostly BC placed, so think long technical climbs, then steep technical DH with some fast flowy stuff thrown in for good measure. Basically a bit of everything. The bike deals with it all really well. Bearings are still running smooth and tight and everything is as it should be.
 

Zark

Hey little girl, do you want some candy?
Oct 18, 2001
6,254
7
Reno 911
The Trek Remedy is on my short list. I recently tried a Fuel EX and it was impressive, made me really want to try the Remedy. The fuel 9.9 was crazy stiff and climbed insanely well. The shock feel was controlled, never blowing through the travel, but not harsh. The braking response under stutter bumps was as good as any FSR bike.
My coworker tested a Remedy the same day I rode the fuel. He is an XC racer and was pretty doubtful about riding it. It turns out it climbed just fine for him ;)

The Enduro is another one, very nice ride. BMCarter is rocking one and loving it. Bicyclist tried his and now has a full on case of upgradeitis. This bike seems like a solid bet for a Dhr's trail bike.

I've tested the Mojo a little, but the build was too xc for my liking. It felt sketchy light and well, just sketchy in general. Also seeing that same bike crack a swing arm in a slow speed stack in the rockgarden made me real doubtful about durability.

I haven't tried any of the others on your list. The Pivot is interesting, but I'd think a Firebird as a better choice for a DH'r at heart. I'd really like to ride one. The Fisher (or any Fisher) doesn't appeal to me at all, custom trail forks? WTF mate? The Morewood and single pivot bikes in general lack the ride I'd be looking for. inchworm feeling in granny, falling rate towards bottom out, too much brake interaction. Yeah, they are simple, but that's not enough for me.
 

al-irl

Turbo Monkey
Dec 9, 2004
1,086
0
A, A
Id go with the shova, but then I'm biased because I own one. The mbuzi is awesome too but the shova descends like a bike with more travel than it has. So your not held back on the descents and it climbs great. The mbuzi rides like a dh bike when pointed downhill and you need to be a good bit fitter/stronger to get away with using it on the ups. The mbuzi is probably the best do everything bike of the two but if there is a plan to get a dh bike down the line it will be a little too close to the dh bike when you get it.
 

blackohio

Generous jaywalker
Mar 12, 2009
2,773
122
Hellafornia. Formerly stumptown.
I have a Remedy as well and what everyone else has said is totally true. climbs excellent, descends excellent, jumps excellent. Done alot of XC, some DH and freeride, even took it to Rays.

Its a great bike for doing alot of stuff and comes with a great build for the money.
 

Natedog

Monkey
Nov 8, 2003
210
0
Ventura, Ca
I don't see a Giant Reign on the list here...It is a valid bike to be added to your list. I'm not going to say much more and open myself up for criticism. But consider it, amazing bike for the money.
 

ZHendo

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,661
147
PNW
I forgot about that offset fork nonsense that Fisher does, knock that one off the list then along with the Mbuzi.

Turns out I may or may not have access to Specialized stuff, I'm just a little lukewarm on the whole FSR design, even after having my SX Trail. Sure it corners well, but I'd like a little more pedaling response out of the bike and I also hate how it deals with square edged bumps. Perhaps this is something they dealt with in designing the Enduro, and if they did that's awesome, but the suspension feel on the SX Trail does not really appeal to me overall.

The Pivot Firebird is something I was going to look into, it's nice and light which is nice but I don't want to be dealing with too much travel. I really like trailbikes with less travel that use their suspension well, and I think that the Firebird might have too much overlap with a DH bike if I get one. I just can't really see myself doing any XC-type training on that thing. I'll try and get a test ride on it though to prove myself wrong.

The Remedy seems like a consistent favorite, except I just spoke with Trek and I'm faced with a minor problem: they only sell the frame-only in the carbon version, not the aluminum. I don't know how I feel about carbon at this point, but the aluminum complete Remedy has a questionable spec in some places. I'm starting to like the look of the Fuel EX9 as well, though I'm really pushing into the XC category at that point...

Just a couple more changes to the list. I think I'm going to have to knock the Mojo off, the pricing I can get on their bikes doesn't compare with what I can get with the other companies. I also can get some Intense stuff, so a Tracer is now in the mix.

Thanks for all the input guys, its super helpful.
 

mulletgawd

Chimp
Apr 16, 2009
10
0
I recently picked up the Scratch 6 Air and it rocks.
very similar to the previous Remedy in terms of geometry, with a bit more bias towards downs as compared to ups.
I've only had it a couple weeks but I've done a couple of XC rides, went to my local skills park, and did some shuttle runs. I love it.
 

spocomptonrider

sportin' the CROCS
Nov 30, 2007
1,412
118
spokanistan
I can't imagine you being anything but happy with the carbon Remedy. I doubt durability will ever come into the picture. How long has Trek been making off road carbon bikes? That is if the price isn't the issue.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
Im not sure about you but Id try to find a bike with a 1.5 ht so for downieville and similar I could run it offset cupped and for regular riding have it in normal position. Nothing beats adjustability.
 

ZHendo

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,661
147
PNW
i think i can pull some strings with making the tracer a reality, we'll see where that ends up. i think the remedy is on top right now.
 

ZHendo

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,661
147
PNW
i'm mostly just looking for a change. it's not optimal for any of the riding i do, it has been a great bike but it's gotten to the point where i'm looking to either have a full fledged DH bike or a bike that is more pedal friendly. most of the riding i do when i'm home is at places like downieville, demonstration forest, santa cruz, etc, and the SX is a bit of bear for most of those spots. i find that i want a shorter travel, lighter, more responsive bike in lots of places. i'll sacrifice my ability to ride big jumps and race downhill for a while if it means getting a bike that will let me train and race some Super Ds maybe.
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
Why can't someone make a 6inch bike with a 64-65 HA, 12.75-13in BB, 12mm rear axle, 6 pounds or less (w/o shock), and 1.5 HT? Or does such a thing exist that I'm not aware of?
 

FCLinder

Turbo Monkey
Mar 6, 2002
4,402
0
Greenville, South Carolina
Been on the new Trek Remedy for over a month now. I have to say its a great do it all bike. I am not as happy with ether shock on the newer frame though. Putting a 160mm fork and a coil over rear shock much like my 2008 setup very soon. My 2008 was a the bomb and sure the 2010 will be once changed out. Will be around the 29lb mark when done.

My 2008 setup:


My new 2010 setup:


I will be doing a big write up on this build very soon when the new fork and rear shock is installed and ridden for a while.

Hope this helps a little.

Cecil
 
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Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,921
borcester rhymes
I'm a big fan of my fuel ex. If I didn't have a sunday for DH, I would consider the remedy as a single bike. The fuel has a more trail/XC feel than I would be comfortable with on a DH course, or even in a park....the remedy should fix that. Construction is great, performance is good. I'm a huge fan of floaters and i can even feel it with the 4.8" of travel on the fuel.
 

ZHendo

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,661
147
PNW
FCLinder, what's up with the rear shock sucking? also, i'm assuming a 36 or lyrik up front is the way to go? are you rocking the alu frame or the carbon? i really wish they sold the alu as a frame only...

i talked to some of my connections, it sounds like trek is going to be the best deal for me price wise so i'm going to end up with either a remedy or a fuel ex at this point. it really comes down to whether the fuel will explode on jumps and in downieville or whether it will just be a robust short travel bike...
 

Banshee Rider

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2003
1,452
10
Why can't someone make a 6inch bike with a 64-65 HA, 12.75-13in BB, 12mm rear axle, 6 pounds or less (w/o shock), and 1.5 HT? Or does such a thing exist that I'm not aware of?
Because it would climb like s*** and no one would buy it? Downhill bikes and bikes actually meant to be pedaled are entirely different. Slapping trendy race angles on a 6" bike will leave you with 6" bike that's only good at going down hills. The biggest setback for a downhiller finding a trailbike is the downhiller mentality IMO.
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
Because it would climb like s*** and no one would buy it? Downhill bikes and bikes actually meant to be pedaled are entirely different. Slapping trendy race angles on a 6" bike will leave you with 6" bike that's only good at going down hills. The biggest setback for a downhiller finding a trailbike is the downhiller mentality IMO.
Ha ha, ya you're probably right. I guess most of our "xc" trails consist of just a long fireroad climb to reach a pure descent. Not really many rolling xc trails around here (at least that I/know about). I doubt that's the case in most places.
 

spocomptonrider

sportin' the CROCS
Nov 30, 2007
1,412
118
spokanistan
FCLinder, what's up with the rear shock sucking? also, i'm assuming a 36 or lyrik up front is the way to go? are you rocking the alu frame or the carbon? i really wish they sold the alu as a frame only...

i talked to some of my connections, it sounds like trek is going to be the best deal for me price wise so i'm going to end up with either a remedy or a fuel ex at this point. it really comes down to whether the fuel will explode on jumps and in downieville or whether it will just be a robust short travel bike...
I don't think it (the Fuel EX) would blow up but that kinda depends on the parts. It would probably be a bit more of a handful in really rough stuff.

FC- Always admired your builds, what don't you like about the 32 up front? Not as smooth as a coil fork?
 

drkenan

anti-dentite
Oct 1, 2006
3,441
1
west asheville
Cecil's 2008 Remedy was one of the sweetest bikes I've seen in person. If you're dead set on Trek, I'd go with that for sure.

Alternately, I can't recommend the Morewood Shova highly enough. It excels as a do-it-all trail bike. I've had mine for several years now with a 36 and a CCDB and it is amazing. :thumb:
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,921
borcester rhymes
Because it would climb like s*** and no one would buy it? Downhill bikes and bikes actually meant to be pedaled are entirely different. Slapping trendy race angles on a 6" bike will leave you with 6" bike that's only good at going down hills. The biggest setback for a downhiller finding a trailbike is the downhiller mentality IMO.
quote for truth...people get real moist about low BBs and slack HAs on trailbikes but forget they go up too.

As far as the fuel, I doubt it would asplode but it might take some adjustment/fitting to get it to feel natural on the downs. Mine is great all around but I haven't gotten very comfortable in the steeps. I bought one with a long TT and the stem is like 70mm, so that certainly explains part, but the overall length is not much different than other bikes i've ridden.
 

FCLinder

Turbo Monkey
Mar 6, 2002
4,402
0
Greenville, South Carolina
FCLinder, what's up with the rear shock sucking? also, i'm assuming a 36 or lyrik up front is the way to go? are you rocking the alu frame or the carbon? i really wish they sold the alu as a frame only...

i talked to some of my connections, it sounds like trek is going to be the best deal for me price wise so i'm going to end up with either a remedy or a fuel ex at this point. it really comes down to whether the fuel will explode on jumps and in downieville or whether it will just be a robust short travel bike...
The rear shock blows through the travel much like the older rear shock on the 08 and 09. No mid range at all!!!!! A DHX 5.0 Air or maybe the new Vivid Air would be nice for most DHers, but I am thinking Cane Creek DB. The big problem is I have to have special spacers machined to make it work. The whole special Fox Air shock on it now makes it very hard to just install a new rear shock. Yes will be going with a 160mm front shock with adjustable travel to help with the long climbs I do. If I go with a different wheelset I should be able get the build in the 27 range. Let’s say should be testing some Carbon Wheels soon.

As for the Carbon frame, I would have gone with it if this wasn’t my do it all build for now. Don’t really know if I will build up another DH bike soon. Really enjoying pushing myself right now with the long rides I have been doing. Would love to have a really light XC (21lbs)bike mainly for this. As for the Remedy, it can handle anything you throw at it and more. I feel very at home on it. It’s like having a 6” DS bike you can just throw around, but also stable at speeds.

Cecil
 

FCLinder

Turbo Monkey
Mar 6, 2002
4,402
0
Greenville, South Carolina
FC- Always admired your builds, what don't you like about the 32 up front? Not as smooth as a coil fork?
Thanks man. Can't do it without all the great support I get from most of my past and present sponsors...... They have all been great to me. As for the Fox 32, its butter. I just need more out of a front fort than it can provide me for the riding I do here in the South East. The replacement will still be an air shock. The rear will be a coil over.

Cecil
 
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slowitdown

Monkey
Mar 30, 2009
553
0
Because it would climb like s*** and no one would buy it? Downhill bikes and bikes actually meant to be pedaled are entirely different. Slapping trendy race angles on a 6" bike will leave you with 6" bike that's only good at going down hills. The biggest setback for a downhiller finding a trailbike is the downhiller mentality IMO.
That's a bullseye layered on top of a prior bullseye. Split arrow! :thumb:

The only reason to have super-slack angles on a 6" travel bike is to stay used to slow steering, even at slow speeds on a small bike.

And it would suck to do anything but descend on it.

But no doubt it's as trendy as a supercharged & nitrous-equipped Audi sports sedan right now to say you want a 30 lbs 6"/6" bike with a 65deg HA.

A good rider can make a normal trail bike haul ass on all sorts of terrain, and doesn't need a super-slack, super-low short-travel bike to do it.
 
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ZHendo

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,661
147
PNW
i'm not looking for a slack head angle really, i'm just looking for something that will handle well. i don't understand the point of getting a shorter travel bike if you don't want quicker handling (including quicker steering), i think that's all the fun of it.

so, in my typical flip-flopping form, i'm now back to the Remedy, but I made MORE calls and I can get a solid price on a Shova. Oh the choices...
 

FCLinder

Turbo Monkey
Mar 6, 2002
4,402
0
Greenville, South Carolina
i'm not looking for a slack head angle really, i'm just looking for something that will handle well. i don't understand the point of getting a shorter travel bike if you don't want quicker handling (including quicker steering), i think that's all the fun of it.

so, in my typical flip-flopping form, i'm now back to the Remedy, but I made MORE calls and I can get a solid price on a Shova. Oh the choices...
Ether way you go Remedy or Shova, you will be getting a great bike.

Cecil
 

jtdcg

Chimp
Aug 15, 2004
69
0
NH
Found this on trekbikes.com

Q:
Would Fox Talas 36 work with the geometry of the bike?

Asked on 1/26/2010 by Mickeytrek from Ireland
Know the answer? Answer this question
1 answer

CUSTOMER CARE

A:
This bike is built around the 150mm travel fork of the 32 version and we do not suggest going with a longer travel fork as it has the potential to void the warranty.

Answered on 1/26/2010 by Chris from Trek HQ in Waterloo, WI
TREK LIMITED WARRANTY

....
■Installation of parts or accessories not originally intended for, or compatible with, the bicycle as sold
■Damage or failure due to accident, misuse, abuse, or neglect
■Labor charges for part replacement or changeover
This warranty is void in its entirety by any modification of the frame, fork, or components. This warranty is expressly limited to the repair or replacement of a defective item and is the sole remedy of the warranty. This warranty extends from the date of purchase, applies only to the original owner, and is not transferable......
 
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FCLinder

Turbo Monkey
Mar 6, 2002
4,402
0
Greenville, South Carolina
Is a Fox 36 with 160 travel allowed per Trek's Warranty requirements?
Yes and no. I have talked this over with the guys at Trek. It will not be covered with a 160mm fork if the Head Tube breaks off. Any other part of the frame failing will be covered. Now this also has a lot to do with your relationship with Trek or a Trek shop. Let’s just say it was a concern I had before hoping back on a Remedy.

Cecil