Dirt Treaders :: View topic - Time for a new sled

Here's what I had come up with at that time. They are mostly 160mm bikes with new school geo.

Evil Insurgent Fun - Poppy and low (great in corners)- recommended
Giant Reign Advanced Maybe less expensive? Mass market brand but I still likey.
Ibis Mojo 3 Maybe a little better at pedaling and a little more challenging at DH fun
Intense Tracer 275C Local, but I'm not very informed.
Guerilla Gravity Megatrail Not carbon, but good reviews and less expensive
Santa Cruz Bronson Maybe a little better at pedaling and a little more challenging at DH fun
Santa Cruz HighTower Less travel, but looks killer - 27.5+ wide tires or 29r
Santa Cruz Nomad Lots of travel - not so poppy but a DH killer - maybe recommended
Specialized Enduro Expert Carbon Mass market brand and kind of ugly
Transition Carbon Patrol recommended
Turner RFX 4.0 Local - recommended
Yeti SB6C expensive
YT Capra Mail order. Less expensive - recommended

Must Haves:
27.5
Wide Bars (start 780mm and cut to size)
Wide Rims: at least 30mm internal diameter - allows low pressure
Tubeless setup
1x11 Single-Ring only
Remote seat post

Author:	chuckanado [ Tue Mar 28, 2017 10:33 pm ]
Post subject:	Time for a new sled
Hey y'all, I haven't been around on these boards much lately since I moved up here to Seattle. But I know a lot of you and trust your input. It's time to retire my trusty old Haro and get something newer and nicer. Right now I've got my eyes on a couple of rigs on PinkBike up here near me: 2016 Banshee Rune (Aluminum frame, Fox 36RC2 fork, CCDB shock, 27.5 wheels) 2015 Norco Sight c7.2 (Carbon frame, Pike RC fork, CCDB Inline, 27.5 wheels) Both have similar specs: SRAM X1 drivetrains w/1x11spd 10-42 cassettes), RS Reverb droppers, etc. and both are right around $3k which fits my budget. Thoughts? Keeping in mind I'm not in SoCal anymore, but up here in the wet rooty loamy forests of Western Washington.

Author:	chuckanado [ Tue Mar 28, 2017 10:45 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Time for a new sled
I'm also seeing a lot of Intense Tracers and Kona Processes for sale up here, just haven't seen a build spec I like. If you have any insights on any of those I'd love to hear your ideas. As you can tell, I'm looking at mid-travel do-it-all type of trail bike. Not interested in going hardtail or SS or any of that, I still need me some gears and some squish.

Author:	avidtest [ Wed Mar 29, 2017 4:51 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Time for a new sled
If those are the only two choices, I'd say Rune for the win. The geometry is way more in the realm of what I prefer personally - slacker (65 and change vs. 67.5 if not mistaken), more travel (Rune is 160mm vs. 140mm on the Sight), threaded BB (Norco is PF), and short'ish chainstays. *disclosure; I'm unable to find chainstay length on the Sight. Sure, I'd prefer a carbon frame, and I suppose I prefer the shock position on the Sight (lower center of gravity). A better apples to apples might be the Norco Range instead of the Sight. I guess you'll need to decide which basic geometry spec is to your liking though. Probably not in the $3K range yet, but another brand near you (in BC) that could be a strong contender is the Knolly Warden. Yum. And my personal favorite (with strong bias) - Evil Insurgent (based in Seattle). Probably not in the $3K range yet either though, but both are worth checking to see if you can find a deal. I love the anticipation of a pending new bike. Enjoy the process!

Author:	chuckanado [ Wed Mar 29, 2017 7:55 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Time for a new sled
Thanks Shannon. On the HT angle, I've seen a lot of Sight owners saying they've swapped the 140mm forks for 150 and it slackens it out a little (but 160 is too much because you get higher BB etc). And I was surprised to see a press-fit BB, but is that just a personal preference issue (my understanding is they're more prone to squeeks but is there anything else?) I'll tweak my search parameters on PB and see if any Wardens or Evils come up. Some others that have come up that I might check out: a really nice '15 Trek Slash 9.8 carbon; a nice '17 alloy SC Bronson; a few Devinci* Troys (alloy and carbon); a few Giant Trances; etc... *I'd never even heard of Devinci, it's a Canadian brand out of Quebec. Don't see many on the west coast, I guess. But they look like quality bikes.

Author:	Ray Dolor [ Wed Mar 29, 2017 8:03 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Time for a new sled
There was a guy on another forum who seemed pretty coherent and he really loved his Banchee Rune. He lived and rode around the Portland area.

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Author:	avidtest [ Wed Mar 29, 2017 8:30 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Time for a new sled
I put together a little spreadsheet 10 months ago for my bro'n'law who was considering a new bike at the time. I spec'ed all the parts for an Evil Insurgent with recommended vendors, and even a sheet with a calculator where you just plug in the values and get a total. As part of the process, I came up with a list of bikes that I thought were worthy contenders with some brief notes (although certainly not comprehensive). And while there have been some newer bikes introduced since then, I reckon it doesn't matter since they're not likely to fit the budget anyway. Here's what I had come up with at that time. They are mostly 160mm bikes with new school geo. Evil Insurgent Fun - Poppy and low (great in corners)- recommended Giant Reign Advanced Maybe less expensive? Mass market brand but I still likey. Ibis Mojo 3 Maybe a little better at pedaling and a little more challenging at DH fun Intense Tracer 275C Local, but I'm not very informed. Guerilla Gravity Megatrail Not carbon, but good reviews and less expensive Santa Cruz Bronson Maybe a little better at pedaling and a little more challenging at DH fun Santa Cruz HighTower Less travel, but looks killer - 27.5+ wide tires or 29r Santa Cruz Nomad Lots of travel - not so poppy but a DH killer - maybe recommended Specialized Enduro Expert Carbon Mass market brand and kind of ugly Transition Carbon Patrol recommended Turner RFX 4.0 Local - recommended Yeti SB6C expensive YT Capra Mail order. Less expensive - recommended Must Haves: 27.5 Wide Bars (start 780mm and cut to size) Wide Rims: at least 30mm internal diameter - allows low pressure Tubeless setup 1x11 Single-Ring only Remote seat post

Author:	chuckanado [ Wed Mar 29, 2017 9:20 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Time for a new sled
Ray Dolor wrote: There was a guy on another forum who seemed pretty coherent and he really loved his Banchee Rune. He lived and rode around the Portland area. Thanks, Ray. I guess when you're seeking knowledge and proficiency, coherence is sometimes the best you can hope for

Author:	chuckanado [ Wed Mar 29, 2017 9:32 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Time for a new sled
avidtest wrote: I put together a little spreadsheet 10 months ago I'd love to get a copy of that if you're willing to share! (my email addy is see-eee-dee-gee-eye-inn AT gmail.com) avidtest wrote: Here's what I had come up with at that time. They are mostly 160mm bikes with new school geo. Evil Insurgent Fun - Poppy and low (great in corners)- recommended Giant Reign Advanced Maybe less expensive? Mass market brand but I still likey. Ibis Mojo 3 Maybe a little better at pedaling and a little more challenging at DH fun Intense Tracer 275C Local, but I'm not very informed. Guerilla Gravity Megatrail Not carbon, but good reviews and less expensive Santa Cruz Bronson Maybe a little better at pedaling and a little more challenging at DH fun Santa Cruz HighTower Less travel, but looks killer - 27.5+ wide tires or 29r Santa Cruz Nomad Lots of travel - not so poppy but a DH killer - maybe recommended Specialized Enduro Expert Carbon Mass market brand and kind of ugly Transition Carbon Patrol recommended Turner RFX 4.0 Local - recommended Yeti SB6C expensive YT Capra Mail order. Less expensive - recommended Must Haves: 27.5 Wide Bars (start 780mm and cut to size) Wide Rims: at least 30mm internal diameter - allows low pressure Tubeless setup 1x11 Single-Ring only Remote seat post This is most excellent, THANK YOU! Your must-haves ring pretty true for me, although I'm still running a fairly narrow bar (680mm, I think) so I'll have to get used to a wider one. For my purposes, I'm ok going with less than 160mm travel and maybe even a steeper HA since I'm not trying to slay any big, fast DH runs at my age. So a 140-150 would be ok, more toward the XC side of Trail vs. AM. I do need something with a fair bit of climbing efficiency (the "Climb" setting on the CCDB appeals to me).

Author:	avidtest [ Wed Mar 29, 2017 9:46 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Time for a new sled
email sent Chuck. Before you discount the slacker head-angle and go more xc, demo something with slacker, longer, lower geo first. You may wonder how you've gone without for so long. It was a game-changer for me, and that was coming from an Ibis Mojo HD.

Author:	bajamtnbkr [ Wed Mar 29, 2017 10:31 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Time for a new sled
Hey Chuck, any $3K bike would be awesome. Just buy it and get out there!! BTW miss those sunset BLT and Cuyamaca shots

Author:	chuckanado [ Wed Mar 29, 2017 10:35 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Time for a new sled
bajamtnbkr wrote: Hey Chuck, any $3K bike would be awesome. Just buy it and get out there!! BTW miss those sunset BLT and Cuyamaca shots Yeah, you're right Jose. I miss riding with you and the gang down there but at least I get to enjoy YOUR pictures. Hmmm, maybe I'll get a red Turner. Don't see many of those up here.

Author:	evdog [ Wed Mar 29, 2017 10:56 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Time for a new sled
avidtest wrote: The geometry is way more in the realm of what I prefer personally - slacker (65 and change vs. 67.5 if not mistaken), I know slack, low, long is all the rage these days, but try before you buy especially if you're on a bike that is older and doesn't have this style geometry. It's not for everyone. Personally I think a lot of people these days are buying more bike than they need, and would probably be better off with something a bit less slack, a bit less low, and a bit less long based on what trails they actually ride. But there is a lot of hype to be bought into these days. You will have a hard time going wrong with most bikes these days, so try a bunch of different bikes out and buy what best fits YOUR riding style, body and budget.

Author:	chuckanado [ Wed Mar 29, 2017 10:59 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Time for a new sled
Shannon, here's a sweet deal on an Insurgent (about 2 hours north of me), but it's only a Medium frame - probably too small for my semi-lanky 6'0" bod (I've got long-ish arms n legs relative to torso, so I should be firmly in the Large frame size) https://bellingham.craigslist.org/bik/5985213308.html Plus it's got a Shimano drivetrain, and for some reason I really like the SRAM stuff.

Author:	n10sive [ Wed Mar 29, 2017 11:33 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Time for a new sled
I have only heard good things about the norco sight. Seems like a decent price for the specs. Also look to canada, with the exchange rate you might be able to get a little more bang for your buck. https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/215295 ... firstphoto https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2153149/ https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2150709/ I agree with evdogs statement. Most of the new bikes are a bit much for the majority of trails I ride. Coming from an older nomad to the RFX the only real big difference was the descending prowess. I felt the nomad pedaled better(possibly due to the older geo, I haven't ridden a new nomad) and was an all around better bike for the EVERYDAY riding I do. The RFX offered the new geo though and a 65 deg HA option. Got rid of my DH rig a while ago and haven't looked back. It is a good compromise for an all around bike and for those select days I ride true DH runs it can handle most of the time(else I rent a DH bike). I would like to have something on the lines of a Thunderbolt BC edition bike for my everyday rig, but the N+1 rule does not apply to me right now.

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Author:	avidtest [ Wed Mar 29, 2017 11:53 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Time for a new sled
The Insurgent is 160mm front and 150mm rear. You definitely could not get away with a medium unfortunately Chuck. You would need a large. Nice to see the price point on a used one though (that is until it comes time to sell mine). $3K or $7K. It's an investment in your 'fun-future'. I think it merits some thought before just jumping into the first 'good deal' that pops up. Take your time. And regarding evedog's statement; you gotta get what feels right, but with the new crop, unless you're xc racing, there really aren't any great reasons not to go long low and slack. Long nowadays typically refers to the top tube, with correspondingly shorter CS's, so the overall length is not too dissimilar and it makes things fun. Slack no longer equates to wandering steering on a climb. And low, especially with a slightly shorter crank (say 170mm), just means it's likely to rail berms. And as for travel, no, you probably won't need 160mm all the time, but when you do, it sure is nice to have. But he's right; everyone is different and not everyone will enjoy the new geo as much as the old. Again though; it was a game-changer for me.