Any Mountain Bike Riders Here? Trail / Light Enduro

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  TheBilly on 02/02/2021 - 20:32

  +1

  I believe that once you hit the $3.5k purchase price on duallies and enduros. You have to be a pro rider or competitor to start seeing benefits in the higher price tag range of bikes. But for a regular weekend warrior you just won’t get the cost / benefit. It might be difficult where you are located but trail test a known brands alloy version versus a carbon version - for example a alloy trance versus carbon trance and you won’t feel the benefit or justify it versus cost… from there your only decision left is group set. I also believe this is not worth spending huge on, because you can always upgrade individual parts as needed if they are not satisfactory but most entry level high end bikes, trance, reign, stump jumper, strive, capra, remedy, fuel have a really good entry level group set suitable for even the most keen weekend warrior. I vote for entry level frame and group set on a top tier bike, such as the ones listed above.

  • 

    Pelicannn on 02/02/2021 - 21:02

    I rode a trance in aluminium prior to my trance in carbon, I can't really go back and there is a noticeable difference that might only apply to some people I guess. I had an accident a few years ago that left me with pretty bad arthritis in my left hand. The carbon frame definitely helps to minimise the vibrations and keep my hand less fatigued. I ride 2-3 times a week, not a competitor, so I'm not going to be caring about shaving seconds off my lap time but I do like a quality bike with good parts. As the saying goes, buy once, cry once. I agree with you on components and upgrading individually, however my current Trance has GX eagle, mid tier and i've had nothing but problems with it and it's got that classic SRAM noise which is just part of the game but I hate it. I've tried adjusting the B screw and limits myself, not much luck. Two different LBSs also couldnt do much better however i did have one of the very early iterations of 1x12 so I presume they have adjusted/fixed some things. So i've kinda been put off GX (and SRAM in general), would consider X01 but much prefer to go back to XT.

    Cost wise, my current Trance was 6k retail, but picked it up for about 4.5k from memory, if I spend that again, i'm not going to complain, especially with the use I get out of it, I am also more inclined to take better care of things when I pay a little more for them, which helps down the track with resale (though unfortunately my previous Trance was stolen… but insurance paid it out).

    So, I guess carbon is kinda a must (or I go stupid on plush suspension to smooth out the ride, but then can't climb to save my life). I should also mention I ride 27.5, just not a fan of 29 which I know would smooth out the ride as well.

    • 

      TheBilly on 02/02/2021 - 21:50

      +1

      If carbon is a must I would go higher frame and lower group set to save coin and upgrade parts, you can’t upgrade a frame as easily.

      One thing I would say is the technology in 10 years has changed a lot. So the comparisons might not be as accurate with your trance. For example; I ride really gnarly trails almost weekly, big drops, gaps, gnarly high speed rock gardens and 80% down hill. I was hesitant at first with my components - but I do all this on a 34mm Rockshox Yari where I thought I needed a 36 Pike or Fox or even higher a purpose built downhill bike. I have had my bike for a couple of years and not a single problem and minimal servicing with what I thought were inadequate parts.

      Bikes have come a LONG way. My only long term comparison is my 2006 giant glory versus my 2019 giant reign. The glory with 200mm + suspension travel does not compare to the modern 160mm reign that you can smash up and down gnarly trails all day long.

      Ride before you buy is the best outcome.

      • 

        Pelicannn on 02/02/2021 - 22:02

        Yeah I can agree, I had a solid 3 months of no bike between the two trances, old was 2010 Trance and the new is a 2018 but it was definitely night and day.

        Ride before you buy is the best outcome

        I would really like to, but riding a YT or Nuke in Australia seems near on impossible to find from a LBS as a rental. Plenty of SC and Yeti but as they are more popular on the custom builds.

• 

  Drakesy on 02/02/2021 - 21:42

  I have a carbon Anthem Advanced for xc and a 2020 stance for trail.
  Honestly Giants are being ridden at world cup level not just because of sponsorship but because they churn out great quality frames, the price is an added bonus. You're on a great wicket and the old if it ain't broke don't fix it would apply here.

  However if you do want to go down the specialist brands then Santa Cruz and Yeti are my 2 go to brands, although Nukeproof would be a great option as well, Canyon is much the same as Giant IMHO.

  Trek, Specialized and Cannondale would all make frames a step up from giant, so don't be too quick to write them off. I used to work in a bike shop that sold Trek and Cannondale and can say they're both amazing bikes with Cannondale probably being the best of the lot.

  • 

    Pelicannn on 02/02/2021 - 22:37

    Honestly Giants are being ridden at world cup level not just because of sponsorship but because they churn out great quality frames, the price is an added bonus.

    I guess my argument now is that, the price isn't an added bonus anymore.

    My current Giant translates to roughly this model (https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/trance-advanced-pro-29-1). 27.5 vs 29, and XT vs GX Eagle, but forks, wheels, shock etc is very similar. That means in 3 years they've jumped over $1300 on a similar model. At $7300, would you still say there is value when https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/au/en/nukeproof-reactor-… is at the same pricepoint?

    • 

      Pelicannn on 02/02/2021 - 22:39

      I guess I will caveat that with nobody pays retail on Giant. 15-20% off at my LBS is easily attainable. So… can i find the nuke at a comparable discount? Probably not.

    • 

      Drakesy on 02/02/2021 - 22:47

      Yeah fair point, Giant is getting a bit ahead of itself in terms of pricing, but then again the AUD hasn't been the strongest lately and i think most bike brands have flown up in price.

      But it's much over muchness at that level the Nukeproof might be a bit more unique but they'll both ride incredibly. I'd be wary of the warranty given it's a mtb and you're buying from Chainies.

      I feel if you can buy local it'll be worth it in the long run.

      If you've got the money to burn go for it. If you're upgrading from a 4+ year old bike you might find a difference in riding style due to geometry changes and the like, but i feel anything newer and the gains will be harder to discern.

      • 

        Pelicannn on 02/02/2021 - 22:53

        but then again the AUD hasn't been the strongest lately

        Interesting you mention this, the thing that has really struck me with the Nuke is that it retails at 5300GBP where they are made, doing the conversion puts it at 9.5k AUD, so I really can't explain why the retail is so much less when they land in Australia. Literally everything else no matter what the item we get screwed with the Australia Tax.

        https://www.wiggle.co.uk/nukeproof-reactor-275-factory-carbo…
        https://www.wiggle.com.au/nukeproof-reactor-275-factory-carb…

        you're buying from Chainies

        Never dealt with before, somewhere to read reviews on I suppose?

        I feel if you can buy local it'll be worth it in the long run.

        Shop on the sunshine coast sells Nuke so I will try get up there for a look and ride but not sure if they do test rides. Will need to call and ask. In any case, nuke are basically out of stock until April from what I have read.

        • 

          Drakesy on 02/02/2021 - 23:28

          +1

          @Pelicannn: Yeah stock everywhere has been pretty much cooked.
          Went back last lock down last year for a 2 month stint after being made redundant and the wholesalers were clean out.

          Literally had people taking bikes off our floor and wheeling them to the counter because someone else was looking at it.
          If you can ride a nuke locally then that would be a great start.

          Hopefully you can find some :)

          • 

            Pelicannn on 02/02/2021 - 23:42

            @Drakesy: Weird, cause my local trails don't seem any busier. Wonder where they are all riding haha! YT are in stock, but definitely not on the Nukes right now :(

        • 

          [Deactivated] on 02/02/2021 - 23:46

          @Pelicannn: 20% VAT vs 10% GST is the price difference.

          • 

            Pelicannn on 02/02/2021 - 23:56

            @[Deactivated]: Somewhat but not completely. If you do the math, it's still significantly cheaper when you factor in tax differences.

            5,300GBP = 4400GBP without VAT

            4,400GBP = 7,900AUD not including our 10% tax which would push it up to 8,700AUD.

            edit… screwed the math soz.

          • 

            Pelicannn on 03/02/2021 - 00:03

            @[Deactivated]: Maybe Nuke love Sam Hill so much us downunders get a sweet discount because of his riding ability.

• 

  Tee Rex Arms on 02/02/2021 - 23:20

  +2

  Your next problem will be finding one in stock in your size without a lengthy delay

  • 

    Pelicannn on 02/02/2021 - 23:40

    Yep, that's why I have started looking now. Seems a lot of stuff is getting snapped up quick meaning discounts will be less realistic too.

    • 

      Kangal on 02/02/2021 - 23:47

      Which trails are you heading at?

      Interested as I might hit them too. If you're concerned to post it here, PM me. Honestly, need more excuses to get out and ride mine. Fitness sadly has gone down over the holiday break :(

      • 

        Pelicannn on 02/02/2021 - 23:51

        I live about 8 minutes from Gap Creek so the majority of my time is spent there. Generally why I am chasing a trail bike, as I ride up just as much as down there. Grandchester if I am bothered but I leave that for the weekend, otherwise Samford and Daisy hill if me and my mates are feeling something different.

        Grandchester does shuttles for $50-60 if you're too lazy to ride up. Depending which trails you hit, you can get 25km of not too technical downhill with a fun lift to the top in a Polaris.

• 

  Randiculous on 04/02/2021 - 17:19

  Similar situation so i'll jump on this thread, thinking more of a mid range budget, upgrading from hardtail 29er.

  Where's the value sweet spot for a trail bike? components to look for? Deore, SLX or XT? Drivetrain component numerical names make sense but the variety of Fox / RockShox suspension names is much harder to get my head around and qualitize.

  Trail (130mm) vs All mountain (150mm+)? All the hype and 'Trail' Bike of the year awards tend to favour All Mountain / mini Enduro bikes which seem like overkill yet feel like better value? is buying a less capable bike wasteful even if it's more optimal for 95% of my riding.

  Background:
  My local trail is Lysterfield and i've been surviving on a 2018 Polygon Xtrada 6.0 29er Hardtail, steep geometry makes it pretty sketchy down hill but awesome efficiency climbing, there's YouTube vids of guys on XC bikes absolutely flying at Lysterfield which makes me think a XC focus trail bike would be ideal. After doing a bunch of research the Merida One Twenty 700 seems to be best option for a CX focused trail bike at current pricing, Geometry seems ok and spec for spec it beats most consumer direct brands (they seem to have inflated prices a lot more than Aus stores are allowed), Vitus Mythique VRX for $3k + $200 shipping looks good but I think a want a higher spec now. The enthusiasts bikes like Nukeproof reactor, Commencal Meta TR 29 & YT IZZO/Jeffsy look awesome and get great reviews but there base model spec for around ~$4k+ usually isn't great and I'm not sure the value is really there to spec them out properly ($5.5k+) when I really just need a trail bike, I started doing this for fitness so most of the people I ride with arnt that extreme.

  Any Suggestions?

• 

  Euphemistic on 04/02/2021 - 19:08

  Get the best frame, fork and shock you can. The rest of the drivetrain is cheap in comparison.

  • 

    Pelicannn on 04/02/2021 - 21:01

    mmm yeah, but i really value a nice working drivetrain, and my current GX eagle has been nothing but headache so I want to go back to XT which was on my previous.

    • 

      Euphemistic on 04/02/2021 - 22:01

      Totally agree that a nice drivetrain is important, but nice shocks are equally, if not more important and a lot more expensive to upgrade. You can pick up a mini group set for a lot cheaper. Add some brakes and you still will not be at the price of a set of forks.

      • 

        Pelicannn on 04/02/2021 - 22:02

        True dat

        • 

          Euphemistic on 04/02/2021 - 22:04

          @Pelicannn: FWIW my bike came with Deore brakes despite a $3500 price tag. I was surprised they worked really well, but I had a set of XT brakes from my previous broken bike and upgraded because I could. Biggest improvement was bling factor! Braking didn’t improve significantly