[Chompers]

Just wondering what the flavour of the moment is? HT / FS

Have had a Specialized Rockhopper for 10 years which has served very well but is not up to the trails here in NI

All thoughts welcome

[DanDM]

Got a FS Cannondale carbon 2 trigger 26" flavour. Can't recommend it highly enough. Awesome bike. Currently reduced from £3800 to £1750 at Pauls Cycles if you don't mind 2013 colours too. Bargain. Just add a dropper seat and you're ready for anything the trail will dish up.

[JB14]

Hard tail for me. I think as a whole though the mtb world needs to decide on a wheel size standard.

If I was replacing my Orange Evo 3 it would be with a 29er I think.

[Chompers]

Yes, this wheel thing is a bit of a pain currently on a 26" however 29" is what I'm looking at, just concerned it may be a bit cumbersome on the technical bits. Budget wise, looking around the £1k mark

[SkyJawa]

Ht for me! Less wasted energy as I don't do downhill!

[JB14]

Originally Posted by SkyJawa

Ht for me! Less wasted energy as I don't do downhill!

Nout wrong with a hard tail for downhill and no point in going uphill if you ain't gonna go down again

[JB14]

Originally Posted by Chompers

Yes, this wheel thing is a bit of a pain currently on a 26" however 29" is what I'm looking at, just concerned it may be a bit cumbersome on the technical bits. Budget wise, looking around the 1k mark

Most folk I know who have 29" say complete opposite about being a pain on fiddly single track. They love it and say it rides far better. Yet to try one myself as currently funding new road bike.

[Chompers]

Originally Posted by SkyJawa

Ht for me! Less wasted energy as I don't do downhill!

Being on the heavy side HT would be my choice again as I mainly ride flowing trails. However there are too many fab marked custom trails to ride around here that involve drops/jumps that I wondered if FS would be better.

[nordberg]

I've got a Voodoo Bizango 29er and it's great cross country but it's awkward in more technical bits...

Would definitely recommend HT unless your doing some serious terrain...

[Chris Peacock]

Ride a 2010 Specialized Stumpjumper Elite, live a few miles away from Chicksands bike park in Bedfordshire where I rode every weekend for years before it was popular.

Actually ride my Trek Madone road bike more at the moment but I think it's novelty value after years in an mtb.

[Chompers]

Originally Posted by Chris Peacock

Ride a 2010 Specialized Stumpjumper Elite, live a few miles away from Chicksands bike park in Bedfordshire where I rode every weekend for years before it was popular.

Actually ride my Trek Madone road bike more at the moment but I think it's novelty value after years in an mtb.

I know what you mean. I had only ever ridden MTB's until I got a road bike in Oct13. Think the MTB did about 200km last year the RB did over 4000km!!!

[kitster]

Originally Posted by Chompers

Have had a Specialized Rockhopper for 10 years which has served very well but is not up to the trails here in NI

Rockhopper is a smashing HT, had one about 10 years with full XT components. I sold it to a mate who got it stolen 2 weeks later

Currently got a Specialized FSR Elite, if I was to buy again I would look for a Whyte. Currently riding a Whyte Sterling as my daily commute, frame geometry works well for me.

[Beancounter_74]

Got a Cannondale Jekyll 3 here, good all rounder.

Heading to the Alps in July for my first full week of downhill....should be fun.....driving over in the 335 too

[....,,,,..,,..]

Currently boardman HT Pro (fast and light), rockhopper Pro, Kona, stump jumper,

Prefer HT to full sus tbh.

Latest trend looks to be 650's


Had a few full sus, but always went back to HT.

My Boardman is under 9kgs, so is ideal for commuting, trails, heavier stuff as well, just a case of swapping out my wheels.

Some decent sales on with bikes around the place.

[kitster]

Sounds like we need a UK F30Post Megavalanche entry

Had a ticket to do the event a few years back but an injury put an end to that.

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by kitster

Sounds like we need a UK F30Post Megavalanche entry

Had a ticket to do the event a few years back but an injury put an end to that.

Lol don't mention injuries lol.

Back in early 90's doing decent routes, a fall would would be like bit of pain for at most a day.

Now, God, it takes weeks....

Lol.

[magic juan]

Guess it all depends on what you want from a bike Chompers and what you're prepared to spend, you say you're rock hopper isn't up to the trails you're riding - in what way do you think it holds you back? I started off on a rockhopper comp in '99. It's still going strong, albeit like Trigger's broom, only the frame is original but the miles that thing has done is testament to big S's quality.

I know that when I went from my 2005 Stumpjumper HT to an Epic FSR in 2010 it escalated my riding by a big margin. That bike was incredibly fast on the climbs and descended better than a 100mm travel bike with race xc geometry had any right to. One of favourite bikes ever.

This winter I built a Stanton Sherpa for local Clyde Valley trails. I wanted a hard tail for low maintenance during the mud plugging season as the Epic ate FSR bearings throughout winter use, it's my first 29er and I love it.

I also bought a '15 Canyon Spectral AL 7.0ex 27.5" for trail centres and when I just want to get a bit looser in the hills, it too is a great bike and gave me everything I wanted for the particular riding I wanted to do with it, in my mind it's the perfect uk trail centre bike. It has an incredible spec for £2099. Pikes, a monarch debonair, x1 1x11 group, reverb dropper. Pretty chuffed with it.

Took a lot for me to look past specialized's offerings this time, but their bikes are being pounded spec wise by the competition. I really wanted to love the new Stumpy Evo 650b but poor spec for a 2.5k bike plus the fact that it's a bastardised 29er frame running 27.5" wheels made me look elsewhere.

[DTP1980]

20 years riding, and used to enjoy competing at the Dragon DH series in beautiful South Wales.

Now running my 'do it all' Banshee Prime 29er in XL, short stem, 1x11 SRAM with top line shock and forks and Stans Flow rims with tubeless Maxxis (of course). So she's light enough for the ascent, and an animal on the decents (all things being relative).

Love being outdoors and regularly meet some great guys (and more recently, Gals) on the myriad of wonderful trail choices we now have in the UK. Forest of Dean is my favourite haunt and know it like the back of my hand. Best riding for me has been the French/ Swiss Alps though. An awesome rush.

[DTP1980]

20 years riding, and used to enjoy competing at the Dragon DH series in beautiful South Wales.

Now running my 'do it all' Banshee Prime 29er in XL, short stem, 1x11 SRAM with top line shock and forks and Stans Flow rims with tubeless Maxxis (of course). So she's light enough for the ascent, and an animal on the decents (all things being relative).

Love being outdoors and regularly meet some great guys (and more recently, Gals) on the myriad of wonderful trail choices we now have in the UK. Forest of Dean is my favourite haunt and know it like the back of my hand. Best riding for me has been the French/ Swiss Alps though. An awesome rush.

[Chompers]

Thanks for all the feedback guys Going to pop into CRC in Belfast tomorrow to look at Vitus, Cube & Nukeproof. HT still seem to be favoured, lets see what the sales guys have to say

[StuartB]

I've got a 29" Cannondale Trail HT. It's great for the XC riding I normally prefer, but I definitely find it lacks agility on the really twisty technical singletrack sections. By this I mean really twisty, e.g. Labyrinth at Swinley. Superb everywhere else however.

[Chompers]

Originally Posted by StuartB

I've got a 29" Cannondale Trail HT. It's great for the XC riding I normally prefer, but I definitely find it lacks agility on the really twisty technical singletrack sections. By this I mean really twisty, e.g. Labyrinth at Swinley. Superb everywhere else however.

That brings back memories great place to ride