[underground]

Before I make an impulsive eBay purchase on a Specialized Enduro, I'd like some knowledge in options for a full sus mountain bike, can't see me wanting to do proper DH or anything line that, just wouldn't mind a little versatility in case I fancied a day at moelfre maybe. I do want a shit hot bike but one that by virtue of being used and a bit less than new will be lots less cash than a new one, £500 ideal, a grand tops.

[Bubba]

Give Jon a ring Jim, he's a walking-talking bikipedia

IMO you have to be brutally honest about it's use - an Enduro is overkill if you'll be doing 90% XC.  Mark has got a Pitch (sort of cheapo Enduro) and happily rode Moelfre but it's still a compromise both there and for the XC.

I've got a Specialized Stumpjumper for XC and whilst not perfect (slow, steep climbs on very rough terrain are a bit of a trial) it's a solid XC bike and generlly lovely to ride. It'll come downhill fast but we're talking XC downhill; I wouldn't take it to Moelfre and Moelfre is a very mild DH course. Don'g get me wrong, it could be ridden there no problem (I've seen hardtails there) but it'd be slow and not that much fun compared to a bigger bike. Loads of 2nd hand Stumpys about...

I would say get something more like that then borrow a bike for Moelfre. It's not worth having a load of extra weight and travel just for the 2 times a year you'd use it. If you're buying 2nd hand then if you find out in 6 months that you need something burlier then it's easy to change whilst losing minimal cash.

tl;dr If you're going to be doing 99% XC then buy an XC bike, not an All-Mountain bike.

[gingerninja]

id rather have a bit of a struggle up the hills on a pitch or remedy for the reward of the fun on the downhills.
i love my 2008 trek remedy8, its good for most stuff, peak, trail centers and jumpy freeride stuff. did an uplift day at bringewood and a mate took his trek remedy and was faster than all the guys on dh bikes. he still regrets getting rid of it and describes it as best bike ever, and he has ridden loads of bikes.
id say see if you can borrow a bike from a mate and see how they ride, the bike not the mate. will give you an idea of what that kind of bike will feel like.

[Bubba]

Aye, but ninja you're a very experienced mountain-biker who knows exactly what he wants and where to compromise. For somebody who's not been doing it long, the "struggle up the hills" bit might put them off ...

[underground]

Thanks for the replies chaps - I must admit I thought an Enduro was kinda XC rather than DH (one of the few modern bikes I know of really cos FBSF had one)

So a Stmpjumper looks like a good possibility - and I do remember a Marin Rock Springs looking like a great option when I looked a few years ago.

This is realistically going to be ridden locally in the woods and stuff, and probably not super often, so in some ways I don't mind a bit of compromise on something that wouldn't be best suited to the coast to coast etc. - but Mike's reasoning makes good sense. Definitely don't need a big travel DH bike, didn't realise 'all mountain' meant heavy and hard to ride uphill though. Is that the same as 'freeride'?

I guess it'd be good to get a XC bike that's just a bit better at absorbing big drops, just because I really enjoyed the one time I went riding the big drops on the old Mam Tor road (that was on Jon & Luce's Kona Stinkys though)

[BB]

In my experience, all but the most horrendously technical tracks can be ridden on hardtails and doing so will improve bike handling skills immensely. That said, it's much easier to go quicker on full suss, so the fun factor is higher, right at the start. Go carefully though, again, in my experience, it's much easier to exceed your skill/experience level and on a full suss bike and the result can be messy!

An XC orientated bouncer will see you right on almost all singletrack without causing too much pain on the uphill.

For second hand bargains stick to big brands. The Spesh Stumpjumer, Giant Anthem, Scott genius or spark, Trek fuel. Don't know much about Kona bikes so can't really comment. Alternatively, Chain Reaction do some great deals on new Cubes from time to time.

[ianv]

For second hand bargains stick to big brands. The Spesh Stumpjumer, Giant Anthem, Scott genius or spark, Trek fuel.

Dont go near the scott spark, its shit (voice of experience speaking). Have a look for an old Santa Cruz Heckler, light enough to ride everywhere and tough enough to abuse.

[neil h]

just sold a mint heckler cheap To replace it I bought a giant anthem as my all mountain bike, you can get these at last years model for a grand new

[underground]

Lots of choice; I also now recall thinking the Kona 'Coiler' was a good one a few years ago - any opinions?

Also since ebay seems to be a bit thin on the ground for any of the ones so far suggested, any other places to look?

(plus I'd rather do at least some research and avoid the possibility of a late night bay regret)

[Bubba]

Seriously, wait for Fatdoc to see this topic before you buy anything...

[underground]

Don't worry bubbsy, i will At present I can't se the wood for the trees anyway!

[BB]

Also since ebay seems to be a bit thin on the ground for any of the ones so far suggested, any other places to look?

You're kidding right? A quick search came up with 56 hits for trek fuel, 29 for giant anthem and 32 for stumpjumper FSR. Thin on the ground?! 

[Bubba]

Also see:

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/list/?region=5&category=2
http://www.southerndownhill.com/forum/index.php
http://bikemagic.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?53-Classifieds

etc.

[BB]

Orange sub 5 for retro cool factor?

[underground]

Also since ebay seems to be a bit thin on the ground for any of the ones so far suggested, any other places to look?

You're kidding right? A quick search came up with 56 hits for trek fuel, 29 for giant anthem and 32 for stumpjumper FSR. Thin on the ground?! 

No not really
Take out frames, bearings, swing arm and rear mech hangers and there are fewer.

[stom]

Also see:

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/list/?region=5&category=2
http://www.southerndownhill.com/forum/index.php
http://bikemagic.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?53-Classifieds

etc.

Not forgetting www.singletrackworld.co.uk

[Bubba]

I think we've lost Fatdoc to the world of Skyrim...

[stom]

I think we've lost Fatdoc to the world of Skyrim...

No he's aware and will make some suggestions shortly, no doubt!

[fatdoc]

OK....

actually lost to the world of tryin to hammer a bearing into a crown race to make it fit into an integrated bottom bracket frame [ new build time] and being literally saved by Stom coming round....  when I get round to it  he gets the fatdoc star award of the year from the biking sub section of this forum for savin my arse in terms of bearings / facing and suchlike all year... back on topic..

Great suggestions on here & and realistic expectations.


first thing - fuck off hardtails.... I wont rant on - just forget them.

next thing set yr budget   -  tightly -  to incl... a good helmet, gloves, knee pads [yes... really] a little sack with a mini tool and a pump.

still only got £500?

probs no issue...

here's my bias...

i do not buy bikes off ebay - it's clearly a den of thieves in this respect and more factually unlike forums u do not have the upper hand as the buyer.

as for the machine...

just like cars... u shouldnt take " buy one of these, the others are shit' type of advice, most global brands have great bikes, the decision is in the detail.

I havnt looked on PB etc... but will do asap.

my gut feelin short list is for bikes that are common.. so there is a bigger market selling..

so I would consider no more than 5 inches travel max  with focus on  trances, ( anthems too tight geo), stumipies, fuels, old good enduros, 140 to 150mm quads [marin or whyte], I'm not a fan of the single pivot - though as norton on here will delight I do ride such for FR ATM... but with  shit loads of sag.... IMO for AM / XC technology is your friend.


Summery:

DONT buy anything unless the bikin UKB fraternity have an online gander.... I'm more than happy to be very involved  -  and just like cars.. u think you "must" have one u see.. but actually there will one just round the corner next week just as good so wait for the good deal.

[fatdoc]

initial search suggest you need £700...

for PB forum....

wil continue to look.

[fatdoc]

this is as good as what you can expect in yr price range on a forum - usual practice is to but it for about 10% less than offer price.

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/969890/

it's a good XC bike, no harm in that and a good beginners bike ideal for the trails in the peak, which is it's intended purpose... and trail centres etc..... with a retail value if you change direction ( i.e: get more into FR) as Bubba says near on what you will pay it...

I think that as a beginner u will be best served with a bike like this in the first instance.

[fatdoc]

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/968263/

more burly....

I like this one.

[underground]

Cool, cheers Jon

I need to get sized up....

[fatdoc]

medium on all mainstream manufacters with a 60mm stem maximum.

[neil h]

one thing with the trance and anthem, you really have to be carefull which model it is, the come in X1,2,3,4 4 being the shittest and 1 being the best, you can get a brand new X4 for under a grand, and this years 3 for a grand