Looking for a new bike around 2000$

what about a coiler from kona?

 

Not sure I'd consider the Coiler all that light. Isn't it like 36lbs?

I think the Stumpy would be a good choice. Some other bikes to look at (not sure about MSRPs, so advanced apologies if they are out of your price range):
- Santa Cruz Blur LT
- Jamis Dakar XLT
- Cannondale Prophet

 

if you can afford it the new slayer is pretty sick

 

true but it is a perfect bike if you are looking to really get into DH, FR, its a perfect transition bike

 

Coilers are really nice. They are more bike than you might have been looking for, but they will not hold you back from hitting the bigger stuff when you come to it.

The standby bike in this category is still an SC Heckler. Single pivot simplicity. Do one up with a Pike and Avid BB7's and you'd have a sweet, tough bike for about the right price.

You might also consider the Iron Horse MK III or the Giant Reign. There are tons of good bikes out there at around $2K.

 

Kona Dawg dee-luxe?

 

I only have second hand knowledge, so take it for what it is worth, but a guy I ride with every now and again rides a Cake (older model) and is on his third rear triangle as he keeps cracking the chainstays.

 

On the dawg, look at it this way. Kona's got great quality on their side. If you don't like the fork, you can always swap it in the future without a problem. It certainly isn't the worst thing out there. It's not fox good, but it's good enough.

 

yeti 575

 

Sell you my IH MKIII expert for 1600 shipped.

 

if coiler is to much bike then definatley look at the kona dowg line

 

Don't forget about the Cannondale Prophet 800. An amazing frame and a great fork, if you can get used to one leg.

 

Kona King Kikapu

 

I would say a Specialized enduro 03-04, you can get them in good condition set up well for $2000 or under or look for a deal on a Prophet 800 or even a 1000.

 

ask rpk1988 about his prophet he LOVES that thing

 

that specialized looks nice, also kona dawg, giant vt?

 

there are still some 05 Specialized Enduro 130s left over also. Which can be had for under $2000. You can pick one up new with lifetime waranty, can't beat Specialized warranty. They are 5" rear travel but BETD from england makes a 6" linkage or you can use a longer shock to get close to 6" of travel

 

Hey, there are a lot of nice new bikes in that price range. You may also consider buying a used bike. Buying used you should be able find an awesome bike for $2000.

Mountain Bike Action did a 5 bike shout out review for the best trailbike for $2000 a couple of months ago. The bikes all ranked closely but the best of the 5 was the Giant Reign 2 followed closely by the Marin Rock Springs.

I personally ride a Santa Cruz Heckler with a Rock Shox Pike fork and it is awesome. Since the prices have come down on the Santa Cruz Hecklers you could just about build one for $2000. If you were willing to use some used parts then there is no question you could build a sweet Hecker for that price and end up with a nicer bike than using all new parts. The suspension fork, cranks and brakes are items where you can save at least 50% by buying slightly used but nice parts if you shop the classified ads on here, mtbr.com, ebay.com etc....

If you want a brand new bike then take a look at the two listed above. This is a good time of year to buy a bike if you put some effort into it because a lot of shops are heavilly discounting their 2005 bikes to make room for the 2006's.

 

hey both the cake and the stump jumper are nice bikes. 1 more that i would consider would be the Giant Trance or the Giant Reign. The trance is the lighter of the two and it has less travel. the Reign has 6 inches of travel so you can do some bigger stuff and it is definitely light enough and agile enought for some rippin trail riding.

You should really look into these. they are good bikes for a great price. *Also the trance was voted bike of the year in mountain bike magazine for it catagory.

Good luck

 

Let us know how the Kona is

And you shouldn't just go on mags. Try them all out for yourself

 

I know cakes have had problems with chain suck in the past, has that been fixed on the new models?

 

The guy I know who keeps braeking his CAKE is not a big guy. He rides XC style, no big hucks or anything. He has been pretty disappointed with it (even though warranty keeps taking care of it for him).

I think the best sugestion here so far was the Heckler with a Pike. Simple, adjustable, tough, not too expensive. Hard to beat at the price, I think.

 

I have a buddy with a cake w/swinger air in back and 130mm manitou black in front. He's had it for a while and I've seen him hit some gnarly stuff on it. Seems to be a decent ride.