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If you were to get a new FS Trail bike - what would your short list look like?

SuspectDevice

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,174
383
Roanoke, VA
The blur 4x is the only bike with good geometry for Trail riding on the market that i can see. Too bad about it having such bizaare feeling suspension travel.
 
E

EastCoaster

Monkey
Mar 30, 2002
403
0
Southeastern PA
MMcG said:
Here are a few more that came to my mind:

1. Ibis Mojo - dw_link and carbon goodness
2. One of the more trail oriented offerings from Corsair Bikes
3. A New Old Stock 2004 era Balfa 2Step FR! Long Live Balfa!! :)
4. The new Cannondale Rize I saw at a local shop - 5" of travel and only 26 friggin pounds! Insane
5. Santa Cruz Nomad - cuz that's what all the Bikerag guys are riding ;)
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MMcG...I dig it! The Balfa 2-Step! WORD!!! I'd love one!
Sinister Gruitr
Knolly Endorphin
Something new, Split-Pivot that will be out this year at Interbike? (Small builder preferred!)
Morewood Mbuzi
 
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Zark

Zark

Hey little girl, do you want some candy?
Oct 18, 2001
6,254
7
Reno 911
Ha, funny this thread has reemerged.
My trailbike situation has just had a shakeup. I sold my '06 Stumpy FSR expert and got an Intense 6.6 The Intense seems like too much for some areas, but for Santa Barbara Its perfect. I've got it at 33.5lbs and plan on doing a high buck wheelset to get it closer to 30.
 
E

EastCoaster

Monkey
Mar 30, 2002
403
0
Southeastern PA
I was looking into 'em right around the time that Balfa went "under" (I guess that they're still being sold in the UK. Wishing for the geo/travel of the FR with the shorter chainstay length of the 4X model.
I'm a short(er) rider (5' 6" with a SHORT inseam/long torso) so the toptube & lower standover design was something that I was looking at as well. Dug the sage green color too!
 
syadasti

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Jeremy R said:
What do you think of it?
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Specs compared to my RFX are pretty similar but about 1/2 lbs lighter and this has dual 2.35 UST DTC Nevegals instead of 2.35 F, 2.1 R DTC and an XT wheelset rather than a i9 Enduro wheelset.

Compared to RFX it bobs less (though it is 140 vs. 160mm), accelerates better, carries speed better, fits better (I am between sizes in Turner), and takes square edge hits better. The rear seems to have a linear start and then becomes more progressive at the end were as the RFX is linear for more of its stroke. Its slightly steeper than the RFX at the same front travel and the BB is slightly lower. You can't notice the kick back at all in this SC VPP iteration while pedaling but a few times I can hear noise/feel it ever so slightly when unweighting the rear to hop sometimes. Both the RFX and the BLT2 are both really awesome bikes but so far the BLT2 seems like a better ride. I haven't hit any super rocky technical trails yet since its so wet/muddy with day after day of rain so I'll have to see how it feels there. Haven't ridden any runs with long downhills/lots of braking, so its hard to say if its more or less active than the RFX while braking but the RFX brakes fine anyways.
 
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Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,688
4,929
North Van
No votes for a Cove Hustler?

I really like my MKIII Expert, but I haven't really compared it to anything. At first I thought is was crap up hills, but it turns out I was just a flabby weakling.
 
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Acadian

Acadian

Born Again Newbie
Sep 5, 2001
714
2
Blah Blah and Blah
SkaredShtles said:
Mmm... nice bikey. How you likee?
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this past winter I've been going through bikes like MMike hate threads -finally found a winner. I like it a lot - although I have to run a 140mm fork + bottom headset cup to get the head angle I prefer.

it's got all the tings I look for in a trail bike:
1) good geo with slack head angle
2) pedals well
3) suspension works well on square edge hits and it supple on smaller ones
4) simple design that requires very little maintenance
5) pretty stiff rear end with 10mm thru axle
6) Giant has great Customer Service
 
Acadian

Acadian

Born Again Newbie
Sep 5, 2001
714
2
Blah Blah and Blah
Rockland said:
Didn't I see you post pics of a Spec & a Nomad in the past few months? Changing bikes like socks!
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This winter I went through (and rode extensively) an Enduro SL, Stumpjumper FSR and Nomad.

I still have the Nomad - Many people ask me what I think about that bike. After owning one of the first V10’s, I held off as long as I could before buying another VPP bike. After hearing/reading all the rave reviews about them, I decided to get one. And you know what…I really like that bike! yeah it’s not perfect – like it doesn’t pedal that great in the lower granny gears, but man do I ever like the geometry of that bike. Even if it doesn’t pedal that great in the granny gears, it still pedals much better than my Enduro SL did – that bike was horrible (unless you used the pro-pedal or lockout, which I HATE using. I’m the set-and-forget kindda guy).

I’m a big fan of slack head angles (like mentioned above), longer wheelbases and longer stays and the Nomad literally handles like a mini DH bike and the is super stiff! Love it. One of those bike that isn’t perfect, but the pros overshadows the cons. The Nomad is probably the bike I feel the most confident on right now. And on my FIRST ride on the bike I was faster than any other bike I’ve ever owned. So surprisingly enough, I like that bike.

The Enduro SL and Stumpjumper have left my stable...
 
Rockland

Rockland

Turbo Monkey
Apr 24, 2003
1,871
265
Left hand path
Acadian said:
This winter I went through (and rode extensively) an Enduro SL, Stumpjumper FSR and Nomad.

I still have the Nomad - Many people ask me what I think about that bike. After owning one of the first V10’s, I held off as long as I could before buying another VPP bike. After hearing/reading all the rave reviews about them, I decided to get one. And you know what…I really like that bike! yeah it’s not perfect – like it doesn’t pedal that great in the lower granny gears, but man do I ever like the geometry of that bike. Even if it doesn’t pedal that great in the granny gears, it still pedals much better than my Enduro SL did – that bike was horrible (unless you used the pro-pedal or lockout, which I HATE using. I’m the set-and-forget kindda guy).

I’m a big fan of slack head angles (like mentioned above), longer wheelbases and longer stays and the Nomad literally handles like a mini DH bike and the is super stiff! Love it. One of those bike that isn’t perfect, but the pros overshadows the cons. The Nomad is probably the bike I feel the most confident on right now. And on my FIRST ride on the bike I was faster than any other bike I’ve ever owned. So surprisingly enough, I like that bike.

The Enduro SL and Stumpjumper have left my stable...
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Fess up. You just throw 'em out hwen they get dirty! :D

I kid. Def understand the hunt for just right. I've had a nomad for the past month, and I'm not completely sold yet.
 
MMcG

MMcG

Ride till you puke!
Dec 10, 2002
15,457
12
Burlington, Connecticut
Acadian said:
This winter I went through (and rode extensively) an Enduro SL, Stumpjumper FSR and Nomad.

I still have the Nomad - Many people ask me what I think about that bike. After owning one of the first V10’s, I held off as long as I could before buying another VPP bike. After hearing/reading all the rave reviews about them, I decided to get one. And you know what…I really like that bike! yeah it’s not perfect – like it doesn’t pedal that great in the lower granny gears, but man do I ever like the geometry of that bike. Even if it doesn’t pedal that great in the granny gears, it still pedals much better than my Enduro SL did – that bike was horrible (unless you used the pro-pedal or lockout, which I HATE using. I’m the set-and-forget kindda guy).

I’m a big fan of slack head angles (like mentioned above), longer wheelbases and longer stays and the Nomad literally handles like a mini DH bike and the is super stiff! Love it. One of those bike that isn’t perfect, but the pros overshadows the cons. The Nomad is probably the bike I feel the most confident on right now. And on my FIRST ride on the bike I was faster than any other bike I’ve ever owned. So surprisingly enough, I like that bike.

The Enduro SL and Stumpjumper have left my stable...
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How come you parted ways with your Iron Horse dw_link bikes? Couldn't get the right headtube angle you like?
 
MMcG

MMcG

Ride till you puke!
Dec 10, 2002
15,457
12
Burlington, Connecticut
Saw some news on the new 2009 SX Trail............not digging it from the looks dept at all



It reminds me of those 2008 Rocky Mountains that look like they've already been slammed into the garage door while still sitting on someone's roof rack.
 
Acadian

Acadian

Born Again Newbie
Sep 5, 2001
714
2
Blah Blah and Blah
Rockland said:
Fess up. You just throw 'em out hwen they get dirty! :D
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busted!! ;)

Rockland said:
I kid. Def understand the hunt for just right. I've had a nomad for the past month, and I'm not completely sold yet.
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it all depends on the trails you ride...This is Nomad breeding ground, many trails around here are meant for that bike, like D-Ville and some gnarlier trails down in SC, but even those trails I can easily ride on the Trance X. I might not be as fast, but being a smaller more nimbler bike, it feels like I'm faster.

The more I ride the Trance X, the less I want to ride the Nomad - but every now again I get the "Nomad" bug and bust that bike out, which make me happy I have it in my stable.

MMcG said:
How come you parted ways with your Iron Horse dw_link bikes? Couldn't get the right headtube angle you like?
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I like experiment with new components/bikes and I've owned i-Drives, Horst links, VPP's and for the past 2-3 years I've been on dw*link. decided it was time to try something else...
 
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