Help a noobie decide on a bike.

norbar · Jun 13, 2010

The newer stinkys are quite nice for that price. The 09 deluxe seems like a very nice deal. What year that giant faith is? 2009 or 2010? If 2010 Id think hard what I want to do. Faith has better susp but newer stinkys have a very downhilly geo and the 09 deluxe has a pretty nice setup on it. I would forget about the bullit though.

PepperJester · Jun 13, 2010

Is the stinky new or used? Warranty is your friend so if it's use I would skip and go for the Faith. One of the guys I ride with has a 2010 Faith and seems to like allot.

zdubyadubya · Jun 13, 2010

Another vote for the Faith. Sick bike.

rigidhack · Jun 13, 2010

The Stinky's have a reputation of being good beginner bikes, but under bigger guys there have been an awful lot of broken ones, at least around here. If I was looking for a first bike, the Bullit would be on my list because they are reliable and simple. The Faith is a really cool bike. The Transition Blindside is a good option too.

Basically, I would stay with something not overly complicated. A Bullit or a Blindside with a Totem would be a good call and do really well under a bigger rider.

I have also heard some pretty good things about the new Mongoose bikes (Pinn'r/Boot'r). Nice builds for (comparatively) cheap.

acair422 · Jun 13, 2010

what about any of the specialized sx bikes? those things can be ridden in a number of ways and everything i've heard about their warranty department has been pretty good

Victor · Jun 13, 2010

What about the wierd kid of the family, the YT "Do It" >>click<< is also in your price range and with great setup for that kinda money I might say?

demo 9 · Jun 13, 2010

I vote spesh

rigidhack · Jun 14, 2010

The Bighit is pretty average. The SX Trail is a fantastic bike that will do most things well. Not great, but not bad either. A good compromise, but perhaps a better second bike, for when you get the skills up and need less bike to achieve more. I'd own an SX over a Demo 7 any day, personally.

I did see a YT Tuesday at Whistler this weekend. Great build kit on it, but I have no idea how the frame rides or what its durability is like.

The big downside to the Bullit used to be flex, but since they went with the big outboard pivot bearings, this seems to be less of an issue. The other "problem" (which is not really a problem, but just the way the suspension works) is that the rear end will stiffen up considerably under hard braking. All single pivot bikes do it to some degree. I heard a lot about this before I got my bike, which is a single pivot as well. Honestly, I never paid much attention to it. I never really notice it all that much. The trick is to learn to brake properly. If you tend to drag your brakes all the time, you may like the FSR on the Bighit, or the Maestro on the Faith better. Then again, if you drag your brakes all the time, you probably need to learn how to brake better anyway, so the single pivot will be a blessing. It will force you to learn in very short order. Once you figure out the braking, you can use it to your advantage. The Bullit will pop really nicely off lips and such and will feel super predictable.

Victor · Jun 14, 2010

In the interview guy at YT says they give out 2 year warranty for frame and parts, even when used for racing... so I guess that sounds ok?

Oh and btw, I don't think its Tuesday its "Tues / Tu es = Do it" in German ?

norbar · Jun 14, 2010

Victor said:
What about the wierd kid of the family, the YT "Do It" >>click<< is also in your price range and with great setup for that kinda money I might say?

Do the ship to the us? When Ive seen an interview with the guys before the season they did not.

rigidhack · Jun 14, 2010

Victor said:
Oh and btw, I don't think its Tuesday its "Tues / Tu es = Do it" in German ?

My bad.

(Also means "you are" in Latin.)

Tayrob · Jun 14, 2010

Everyone's said everything that can be said about the Bullit.One thing i'd add on is for a guy your size i'd make sure to get the 12x150mm drop outs on the Bullit.Oddly enough,i've had some time on most of the bikes you're thinking about right now,and being roughly 235lbs. we're close enough in size.I demo'd a Faith last year at Northstar and liked it...def. not very similar to my Commencal Supreme DH,but for a mini-DH/freeride bike it felt really good,no complaints.SX tail i'd say exactly the same thing...can't really go wrong with either of those.And I rode my friend's Scythe and wasn't really into it.Geo. felt ok,same with the suspension,but some rear end flex was def. noticable.Also,68mm BB shell with a 150mm rear end makes for a funky chainline and chainguide set-up.Never ridden the Kona,so I couldn't say.I'd give my vote for the Faith or the SX,good warranties and tons of bike shops that sell both.

rigidhack · Jun 14, 2010

Not the greatest build. Shifters and derailleur and brakes would have to go pretty much right away. X7 is OK, but X9 is where its at. If you were to stick with Hayes brakes, I'd say go with Stroker Aces. Personally I'd get Avid Elixer 5's (at least), or go all out and get Saints. I can't understate how important your brakes are. Good ones can make the ride SO much better. I think you can do better.

rigidhack · Jun 14, 2010

clamber said:
A really cool guy at a LBS just kinda talked me into a Stinky.

I know I know, they might not be good for me seeing as Im pretty big, but the guy was really convincing and he could give me a good price that would leave money for upgrades.

Still thinking about the Bullit, Faith 1, SX Trail and Scythe though.

I almost bought a Ford Pinto once. The salesman was great. Just saying...

LOOnatic · Jun 14, 2010

The Blindside is more beef than the Bullit,Faith or SX so its kinda weird to include that bike.
Look, the Bullit, Faith and SX really are all pretty close and you cant go wrong with either.Just get the one that is the best value and ride it like you stole it.
I'm partial to the Bullit with the 150 rear spacing but all of them are proven rippers.

rigidhack · Jun 14, 2010

More beef as in burlier, more travel, possibly heavier.

How about this:
Frame:Bullit 150mm
Fork: RS Totem ($$$) or Domain ($) 180mm
Wheels: Azonic Outlaw
Brakes: Avid Elixir 5 ($), Code 5 ($$) or Saint($$$$$$$$$$$$), 203mm rotors
Cranks: Saint Trust (me, they are worth it)
Shifters/Derailleur: X9
No need to go super bling on the headset, post or saddle
Bars and stem to your liking (Azonic does some decent and not too expensive stuff, pedals too)
Tires: debatable, but I have been running Bontrager Big Earls for a while with good results

A build like this should keep you happy for a long time.

LOOnatic · Jun 14, 2010

clamber said:
More beef?

In your 1st post you said you wanted a bike to go UP and down.
A blindside is NOT that bike. The other other bikes are more so.
Whatever model you can get the best deal on should be the one :rockout:

Hesh To Steel · Jun 14, 2010

rigidhack said:
Not the greatest build. Shifters and derailleur and brakes would have to go pretty much right away. X7 is OK, but X9 is where its at. If you were to stick with Hayes brakes, I'd say go with Stroker Aces. Personally I'd get Avid Elixer 5's (at least), or go all out and get Saints. I can't understate how important your brakes are. Good ones can make the ride SO much better. I think you can do better.

Haha, it's been a while since you've been a beginner, hasn't it?

He'll be fine on those components, especially starting out. My ride buddy has been on stroker trails for a season and a half now, and he weighs around what the OP weighs if not more. I don't think how good a drivetrain is matters at all when you're a beginner. I bought a used DH bike in 2008 and I've been using the same ancient XTR drivetrain that the bike came with, and it hasn't bothered me yet. Granted, if he wants to go UP with the bike as well, it might matter a bit more, but the X7 will probably suit him fine for that.

Now, I'm not saying that there aren't better deals to be had. There are a lot of bikes and a lot of component spec being thrown around in this thread and I'm not going to bother trying to keep them straight in my head. If a better spec can be had for less, then sure, it makes sense. My point is just that a beginner doesn't necessarily need the "make up milliseconds on my race run" upgrades. At this stage, paying attention to frame design and quality of suspension is probably more important than finer details like drivetrain.

rigidhack · Jun 15, 2010

I hear you. I'm basing my comments on what I see holding up (or not) on the Shore/Whistler. Brakes are one of the biggest things that change the feel of any ride. I used to run Hayes Mag DHs, and thought they were fine, until they blew up and I put
Juicy 7s on. THEN I understood what a decent set of brakes can do for you.

X7 is very serviceable. Its just not X9. Stroker Aces are great, but the Trails don't seem to cut it under big guys in rough terrain. The way I see it, why spend the $ if the stuff won't cut it? You dont need the most expensive stuff, just dependable stuff.

rigidhack · Jun 15, 2010

A custom build is tempting, but I'd wait until you are more familiar with everything. When you get to it, pretty much the only thing you need to worry about is the bottom bracket sizing and the diameter of the rear axle (generally either 10mm or 12mm). Generally with 150mm rear spacing, a frame will have an 83mm bb. All the details will be on the frame manufacturers web site.

As for the fork, stick to the Rock Shox Totem or Domain, the Fox 36RC2 or maybe the Marzocchi 66. Each one does things differently and will have a different feel on the trail. I am a huge fan of the Totem personally. It is really adjustable and feels fantastic when set right. You do have to service it more than the 66 though. The Domain gets a ton of very positive reviews, and it is pretty simple. Not a bad choice at all, especially given the fact that it is so cheap. Some people swear by Marzocchi, but I don't really like the feel of them. Fox makes great stuff, but it can be very pricey.

On the Santa Cruz site, there is a full build option for the Bullit (RFR) that seems reasonable. (Price is here.) The only thing I would change would be the rear shock. Go with a Fox DHX5 or a Rock Shox Vivid 5.1.

zdubyadubya · Jun 15, 2010

rigidhack said:
Go with a Fox DHX5 or a Rock Shox Vivid 5.1.

I think the build refers to the NEW fox van rc shock. which for a beginner is an excellent shock. no need for the increased adjustability of a dhx or 5.1 IMO.

I am confused on one point though. Is the BUILD (not including frame) $2499? If thats the case, then I think the OP is better off with the Faith.

Edit: wait so upon further inspection, the complete bike with a domain fork and RC shock is only $2656, but on sale right now for $2499? Thats a pretty good deal. :thumb:

Is there any way to see what other components are included in the "kit"?

The only thing I see now is that the bullit doesnt pedal very well and the OP expressed interest in needed to be able to go up....

zdubyadubya · Jun 15, 2010

found the "kits".

i don't think the price of that "package deal" can be beat right now.

personally, i would spend the little extra on the faith to get a lighter/more pedalling friendly bike.

but good luck with your decision. it really sounds like you are down to the giant and the santa cruz. i think you should take the faith for a test ride. and also test ride a single pivot bike. the behavior differences will probably make up your mind on which you prefer.

rigidhack · Jun 15, 2010

Single pivot bikes will tend to "bob" more when pedaled. A decent platform shock (like a DHX 5) will pretty much eliminate the problem.

Help a noobie decide on a bike.

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