full sus recommendations please (lightweight for xc use)

[brocklanders023]

Don't be blinded by the xtr as condition is king. That period xtr is very nice, especially if it's rapid rise but modern slx or xt is very close in terms of function. The improvements in suspension on a more modern bike will make much more of a difference than the group set.

 

[greencat]

Yes, I would not necessarily be won over by XTR. It was not always as robust as XT or Deore, will be considerably more to replace any parts if you need to and will be more likely to attract thieves (although anything with Deore on it will do that).

 

[02gf74]

Re:

Wait until new year. Expect to find lots of bargain priced bikes that are sold to pay for Christmas or sold as replaced by Chistmas present bikes.

Its a matter of being patient.

 

[Canopy]

^ Yes, that was my original thinking. I'm going to wait.

A newer Epic will have the Brain with IQ, or Brain with Brainfade depending up on the year. (and some of the other colours are kinda nice..)

A Stumpjumper with brain would also suit what I'm after.

The reasoning for this is kinda funny. As well as wanting to no lose anything climbing. I tend to do up around 20 mile rides and when that involve hills/climbs. I drink a lot. So I want to be able to fit two bottle cages. Very few full sus bikes have mounts for two, but the epic does.

Sadly, am unlikely to see a Santa Cruz Superlight or Blur in my price range, and don't come up often.

I must link http://www.findthatbike.co.uk again as it is helpful it seeing what models come up in the secondhand market. However, it doesn't support Santa Cruz.

 

[davidj]

Re:

Camelback would solve the drink issue.

 

[Canopy]

Yeah I know. Not sure how I'll get on with one. But looks like I may get down to being a one bottle + camelback, or pure camelback guy. i usually ride with a little pack with tools/OS map/phone running mapmyride so it woudn't be a huge shift.

todays update.

Guy had a look at the dodgy freehub, made it far worse and we couldn't meet in the middle on a 'as is' or 'minus the wheels' deal.
So the Epic is out of the picture.

i'm over the brain thing as long as the rear shock can lockout

mrs is saying "wait til after xmas".. and thats fair enough.

There's this stumpjumper elite just over an hour away
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Specialized-S ... 6016.l4276
Rear mech has been downgraded to alivio from the stock xtr!? and there's something i don't recognise on the back wheel the other side from the cassette.

this santa cruz superlight is about 1.5 hrs drive (about my max)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262199974939? ... EBIDX%3AIT
any ideas on the year?

i quite liked this one (stumpjumper expert, with brain) but its a little over budget. however being a business they might be able to move some. but it looks like its gone now. (can't find it on their main site either)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252198921164? ... EBIDX%3AIT

 

[Canopy]

white SJ - mount is for childs trailer and will be gone on sale, mech is because that's all LBS had when he needed one.

 

[brocklanders023]

Pretty sure the forks on the SC are 2006.

 

[Canopy]

Thanks. I had the main frame pegged as at oldest an '06/ '07 because of the slimmer swing arm design so that's in the right ball park.

Currently this is the only bike on my radar as the others keep being eliminated..

for example, I noticed that the rear QR skewer on the white stumpy has been replaced with a very odl one too. I'd want to reinstate the XTR mech and fix that.. I don't mind changes, but when there are multiple poorly executed ones confidence wanes.

Seems like should just buy a working, clean bike like the SC. Come on xmas!

 

[brocklanders023]

The reason I think that about the fork is tha I bought an Orange 5 at the back end of the 2006 model year that was meant to have these forks but they had run out so I got the 2007 floats!