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December, 2024

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Bike that climbs well and descends awesome

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SnorkBoard
Posts: 311 - Karma: 821
I have an old Transition Vagrant (Freeride/DoItAll HT). It doesn't climb all that well and is pretty heavy for whats basically XC.

I think DH would be the most fun but around here its all XC trails, and all the good DH sections you have to climb first.

I haven't been looking very hard but the Specialized StumpJumper FSR seems nice but really expensive, I think I should probably be looking at used for my price range anyways.

Any other suggestions?


Apr 28 2013 11:48PM
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deathcookie
Posts: 1800 - Karma: 1,196
Santa Cruz Nomads are sick.

Trek Remedy's are pretty cool also.
Apr 29 2013 12:08AM
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Tanner-D
Posts: 2061 - Karma: 4,116
Santa cruz Nomad
Intense Tracer 275

Apr 29 2013 12:22AM
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Beaansss
Posts: 301 - Karma: 985
Giant trance
Apr 29 2013 12:25AM
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Troy.
Posts: 5070 - Karma: 12,549
The new Cannondale Jekyl is what my wet dreams consist of. Consider nothing else.
Apr 29 2013 12:26AM
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steezburgereddie
Posts: 1059 - Karma: 1,945
You can get a locking rear shock. That would make it so much easier to climb.
Apr 29 2013 12:26AM
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Phil-X-
Posts: 7205 - Karma: 14,401
Being able to go hard tail during a climb is fantastic
Apr 29 2013 12:27AM
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Troy.
Posts: 5070 - Karma: 12,549
Protip though: never make the assumption that a locking rear shock fully locks. It still absorbs a fair amount of your momentum.
Apr 29 2013 12:28AM
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steezburgereddie
Posts: 1059 - Karma: 1,945
It's still an improvement over one that doesn't lock.
Apr 29 2013 12:32AM
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No.Quarter
Posts: 5257 - Karma: 16,965
Scott Genius 700
Apr 29 2013 12:36AM
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No.Quarter
Posts: 5257 - Karma: 16,965
Ibis Mojo HD 160
Apr 29 2013 12:38AM
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Brodo_Swaggins
Posts: 136 - Karma: 172
Intense Uzzi. They are fairly expensive though. What's your budget?
Apr 29 2013 12:43AM
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No.Quarter
Posts: 5257 - Karma: 16,965
where do you ride?
Apr 29 2013 12:44AM
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No.Quarter
Posts: 5257 - Karma: 16,965
fuck, I keep accidentally clicking reply before i'm done writing.

anyways if you are riding stuff that is more XC oriented, I would go with a 29er with around 120 to 140mm of travel. just stuff off the top of my heard are the Trek Rumblefish, Specialized Stumpy FSR 29, Ibis Ripley 29, Scott Genius 900, Transition Bandit 29 or Covert 29.

Go to multiple shops and compare different bikes and sizes to see which one fits you and your riding style best.
Apr 29 2013 12:52AM
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Dr.Dickless
Posts: 2620 - Karma: 1,392
specialized Enduro, the Evo version  descends really well, not fantastic for XC but its rideable
Apr 29 2013 12:54AM
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Filmore
Posts: 460 - Karma: 861
diamondback mission. my buddy has one and it slays XC and downhill. plus it does well on jumps
Apr 29 2013 1:27AM
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bighomieflock
Posts: 2040 - Karma: 2,445
Giant reign x
Apr 29 2013 1:32AM
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yalebale
Posts: 94 - Karma: 20
I ride a santa cruz heckler. heavy xc/ all men. lima and can take some serious beatings. I love it
Apr 29 2013 9:00AM
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Petey.
Posts: 5736 - Karma: 4,890
this is hardly a great climbing bike..

Regardless, my FSR stumpjumper is great but I wish it had a bit more girth fr downhill charging. The new Camber looks like it's primetime for both though
Apr 29 2013 9:05AM
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skiierman
Posts: 28699 - Karma: -5,563
Yeah have fun sending your shock out to Colorado every time their "patented" double chamber rear shock starts leaking...
Apr 29 2013 9:09AM
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yalebale
Posts: 94 - Karma: 20
I ride a santa cruz heckler. heavy xc/ all men. climbs and can take some serious beatings. I love it
Apr 29 2013 9:45AM
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MacMahoooon
Posts: 9009 - Karma: 3,305
+1 for the Specialized Enduro. I ride one and love it. Takes on everything and handles a lot of abuse. Not the best thing for climbing but does the trick. Adding a lockout would be ideal. I got a used 2009 model and have ridden it for 3 seasons with no intention to switch and just changed the normal wear and tear bits

There are lots of similar bikes as well
Apr 29 2013 10:31AM
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SamtheEagle
Posts: 1658 - Karma: 713
if you have a well designed rear suspension then you wont even need to lock the rear out. I have a santa cruz tallboy lt and it is awesome in all situations (it is a 29er so less maneuverable than 26ers) but the vpp suspension stiffens up through the middle part of travel so really I only use the first bit of suspension when climing. the VPP suspension also articulates up and then foreword so its great for climbing.
Apr 29 2013 11:08AM
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HappyTreez
Posts: 311 - Karma: 401
I have a Rocky Mountain Slayer 50, which kicks ass at downhill and climbs well too.  Around me we have some Huge rides with lots of vert and the bike does well on everything, and then i can turn around and ride it on the dh course.  its 6+" of travel with a 3 stage pro-pedal in the rear (doesn't lock), nice slack geometry, and with the seat up the climbing angle isn't bad.
I was in Moab last week and put about 50 miles on it in 3 days of riding including a technical 20miler with about 2500' of ups and downs.  I was pretty worked from  the bike and the ride at the end of that one, but my old bike (a Specialized FSR xc pro) couldn't have handled it and I probably would have been hiking a broken bike back to the truck.
Apr 29 2013 1:03PM
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illewminati
Posts: 195 - Karma: 115
this santa cruz bikes are bombproof and the suspension is dialed.
Apr 29 2013 1:06PM
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H8CH
Posts: 2709 - Karma: 218
Fezzari Nebo Peak - Best bang for buck bike out there.

http://www.fezzari.com/full-suspension-all-mountain/nebo-peak

Apr 29 2013 2:44PM
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SnorkBoard
Posts: 311 - Karma: 821
So if I went that route would you recommend the EVO model?
May 1 2013 4:59PM
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grapejuice3000+
Posts: 2132 - Karma: 1,985
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May 1 2013 5:03PM
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fragglemuffin
Posts: 3312 - Karma: 444
This. The Jekyl is incredibly good going up and super nimble on the way down.
May 1 2013 5:28PM
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AngryGramps
Posts: 243 - Karma: 707
Santa Cruz Heclkler. burly and cheap.
May 2 2013 11:37PM
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No.Quarter
Posts: 5257 - Karma: 16,965
They got rid of that except for on the LT models and I am anticipating them redoing that bike in the future.
May 2 2013 11:43PM
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DizzyG
Posts: 698 - Karma: 296
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Mine
Transition Bandit, bigger fork on this one but it's a good bike
May 2 2013 11:44PM
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stupendous-man
Posts: 8637 - Karma: 13,293
Spesh Enduro and Jekyll's are the best all-around bikes i have demoed, both are bundles of fun. Wish I would have spent more than a day on them
May 2 2013 11:53PM
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