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$999 = one bike for the next 5-10 years

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$999 = one bike for the next 5-10 years
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flag full15
Posted: Mar 10, 2014 at 6:47 Quote
I haven't bought a bike since 2005 or so, though I have easily spent over 100 hours on pinkbike buysell since then. This is the year I trade in my Rocky Mountain Spice with 2001 Jr. T and v-brakes from the last century! I have managed to put together a bit of a nest egg that could finally amount to a decent used bicycle. So, this thread amounts to another "one bike to rule them all" question. I have a Specialized Hard Rock from 2008 for child carrying/family biking, so that is not a consideration for this one. This bike is for more serious play. I hcompiled a list of contenders, along with approximate minimum prices that I've seen on pinkbike over the past year. Thoughts on any bike, components, or anything else are welcome. If I've missed a bike that you think is worth considering, please say so.

What the general range of what bike will be used for is implied by the following list:

Giant reign X 750 +
SC bullitt 600+ Slightly heavier
SC Heckler 600+ Slightly XC
Norco six 700+
Specialized sx trail 900+
Transition bottlerocket 900+
SC blur 4x 1000+
Giant reign 1000 +
flag parkourfan
Posted: Mar 10, 2014 at 8:46 Quote
One bike to rule them all....Giant ReignX out of that list. I've had an 08 since last year, and I've been slowly building it up. Weight is in the lower 30's, travel is 170/170, courtesy of a lyrik RC2DH solo air and a Vivid air. Pedals better than some 150mm trailbikes, but certainly goes down and handles big hits as well/better than a heavier bike with more travel like the bullit. If you can put about 1200$ into a reign, you'd be able to get a used frame in excellent condition, and build it up with some great parts that'll last a long time.

The bullit is reliable, but it's a heavy freeride bike...you'd need more parts to build that up if you want to take it uphill. Bottlerocket isn't bad, but the reign pedals better and has more travel. Blur 4x is heavy for what it is, but it's a fun, short-travel bike. The SX trail, like the bullit, is a heavy freeride bike. I wouldn't get any of the others for all-round use.
flag full15
Posted: Mar 10, 2014 at 11:05 Quote
In terms of one bike to rule them all then...

- Reign good, ReignX bad. Got it.
- A sub 35lbs bike is certainly preferable.
- 150/150 is lots. 170 is great, but it all comes down to ease of pedalling.
- $1200 is easier to find what I might want (yeesh)

I am a fan of the short travel full suspension, that's why the 4x was there. I know very little about the Norco 4xxxx. I know I like the yeti a lot, but I also know that the beautiful turqouise is likely always going to be out of my price range.

Good notes, thanks.

I forgot to include the Rocky Mountain Switch SL in my initial list. Seems like a pretty hot bike that can go for as little as 400$.
flag parkourfan
Posted: Mar 10, 2014 at 15:47 Quote
I wouldn't want a bike with that little travel...you could never take on anything other than reallly groomed lines in the park. Honestly, the reignX pedals just as well as the reign, it depends on how much sag you run. A little extra weight from the suspension is worth it when it's saving your ass off of a botched drop or section...that's my opinion though. ReignX comes stock with 160mm up front and 170 out back. The switch isn't a bad bike per se, but bikes have come a long way in terms of progressive geometry and better suspension since then. If you're going into the long run, get the most modern bike possible.
flag full15
Posted: Mar 10, 2014 at 16:24 Quote
That's a good point. I ran into a problem with that on my last bike purchase, granted I was a poor university student, but that's a poor excuse for buying a lack-lustre bike with old technology. I need to get past the idea that anything is newer/better than what I'm currently riding.

Thanks for the wisdom.

I looked up some light builds on bullits in the area. It seems as though that bike hasn't barely changed in 10 years! Wild.
flag parkourfan
Posted: Mar 10, 2014 at 16:35 Quote
Absolutely. With the newer rear triangle design, santa cruz got it right. Stiff, reliable, bombproof single pivot freeride slayer. Doesn't pedal very well, but it'll get you from drop to drop haha. You can run an air shock back there, but unless you run a propedal shock, you still won't be able to pedal too well...and then it doesn't descend too well.
flag full15
Posted: Mar 10, 2014 at 21:29 Quote
The Transition Dirtbag just came across my radar. Any thoughts on that ride? It seems like it would be heavy again, but potentially a better pedalling bike than the Bullit.

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1430380/
flag parkourfan
Posted: Mar 11, 2014 at 5:22 Quote
full15 wrote:
The Transition Dirtbag just came across my radar. Any thoughts on that ride? It seems like it would be heavy again, but potentially a better pedalling bike than the Bullit.

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1430380/

The dirtbag is another cheap, heavy freeride bike. Sure, it'll pedal a little better than a bullit...but honestly, if you plan on pedaling upwards *at all* you want an all mountain bike like a Giant Reign/ReignX, a specialized enduro, santa cruz nomad, transition covert...out of those options, the reign is the cheapest. Pedaling a short travel 4x bike isn't any fun either, as you need to pump the hell out of those shocks to get them firm enough for actual riding...their spring curves aren't exactly meant for the little and medium hits you'll get on most trails, making it a teeth-jarring, not fun ride. The exception to a slopestyle or 4x bike such as a tranny double or a bigger bike like a kona bass would be that santa cruz blur 4x, which is a trailbike with 4x geometry...doesn't excel at 4x, but it's a damn fun ride on the trail.

The spec on the one that you're looking at is fair for the price. I'd definitely replace the fork, and probably sell the shock and get a new one. The derailleur is a standout piece of work, I had one of those older carbon short cage x0's, and it lasted through a season of me hacking and messing up everything...never missed a shift.
flag whitebullit
Posted: Mar 11, 2014 at 8:08 Quote
go bullit. or vp free if you can find one for a good price. santa cruz never dissapoints.
flag parkourfan
Posted: Mar 11, 2014 at 8:31 Quote
whitebullit wrote:
go bullit. or vp free if you can find one for a good price. santa cruz never dissapoints.
Both are great freeride bikes that are very dh capable. However, neither of them going up a hill is particularly good...the vp-free runs about 12-1300$ in the buy/sell for something with decent spec and condition,
flag whitebullit
Posted: Mar 11, 2014 at 8:34 Quote
i wouldnt say pedaling on my bullit is a chore, throw it in a low gear and hammer down baby. i ride it for mostly xc, with freeride hits in between. if you think its not pedal friendly enough you need to do some leg workouts lol.
flag parkourfan
Posted: Mar 11, 2014 at 8:36 Quote
whitebullit wrote:
i wouldnt say pedaling on my bullit is a chore, throw it in a low gear and hammer down baby. i ride it for mostly xc, with freeride hits in between. if you think its not pedal friendly enough you need to do some leg workouts lol.

Seeing as how I've used a 45 pound downhill bike with a 40 tooth ring for road and Xc...dont think this an issue. It's more the fact that the bull it and vp free are much heavier bikes, and bob much more than ones like the reign or blur 4x that OP is looking at.
flag whitebullit
Posted: Mar 11, 2014 at 8:43 Quote
i wouldnt do any jumps or drops on a blur though. yes the bullits heavier than most of the other bikes but mines 11 years old now and still handles everything i throw at it and it looks damn good doin it. the OP also says he needs a bike thats going to last for a long time. my bullits a 2003, with a 2004 z1 fr fork. everything else is stock build except for stem/bars and tires. its seen aggressive xc/enduro/downhill and park usage. not the best for downhill but still do able and durable. for the money you cant beat it. period.
flag parkourfan
Posted: Mar 11, 2014 at 8:48 Quote
whitebullit wrote:
i wouldnt do any jumps or drops on a blur though. yes the bullits heavier than most of the other bikes but mines 11 years old now and still handles everything i throw at it and it looks damn good doin it. the OP also says he needs a bike thats going to last for a long time. my bullits a 2003, with a 2004 z1 fr fork. everything else is stock build except for stem/bars and tires. its seen aggressive xc/enduro/downhill and park usage. not the best for downhill but still do able and durable. for the money you cant beat it. period.

Blur 4x my man, not the newer blur Xc bike. Has more dj friendly geo, pedals and jumps extremely well.

As I said in one of my original posts, the bullit with the newer rear triangle design is an amazing bike. Extremely reliable and runs for years. Having ridden both the bullit and reignX, I'd rather go with the reign...10mm less travel, but pedals much better and it's more playful than the bullit IMO. To each his own I guess...OP can't really go too wrong with either...ones more of a mini dh bike, the other is more of a freeride/all mountain bike.
flag whitebullit
Posted: Mar 11, 2014 at 8:56 Quote
rider weight has a big factor in this as well. i weigh 210 lbs, so the rear shock on my bullit (the stock 5th element) which i have all jacked up with like 150psi, doesnt bob around much at all, just sucks up the big hits for the most part.
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