Suggestions for ~170mm bikes for park / lift riding?

[Monique]

My thoughts are drifting toward the Dirt Series camp at Angel Fire in September, and consequently I'm thinking of trying to replace my massive downhill rig with something a little more appropriate to the lift-serviced trails I ride and how I ride them.

It's going to be tricky to demo a bike in this "enduro" category, especially in an appropriate size for me (eg, a small, MAYBE a medium). I may have to fly blind ...

Realistically, my SB5 would probably do just fine for what I ride - but I'd rather be on a bike with a bit more travel. And I know that a plusher bike makes rock gardens less intimidating. But I won't be riding this bike as much as my SB5, and I'm not so concerned about weight, so I don't think I'll mind saving money by going with a lower-end build.

As always, a big deal for me is standover height. I wouldn't want to go over 28".

A bike that's high on my list is the Santa Cruz Nomad. It has good standover clearance, and the lowest end build is $4500. That's with a 1x setup and 27.5 (not plus) wheels.

Then there's the Pivot Firebird, but on the Pivot site, I can't find any builds that seem "reasonably" (hah) priced.

The Specialized Enduro Comp 650b is a nice price, but the standover height is a deal breaker.

The Intense Tracer's standover is also a deal breaker.

Then there's the intriguing Radon Swoop 170, which I think I'd have to import. It has an impressively low standover height, but I've never heard of them. The price is right. https://dirtmountainbike.com/bike-reviews/trail-enduro-bikes/radon-swoop-170-top-dog.html

And the YT Capra, which has a nice price point, but I can't find anything about its standover height. Hmmm.

So, to recap, I'm looking for a bike that's significantly more travel than my 130mm SB5, but significantly less travel than my current 230mm DH rig. It will only be used for lift-serviced or shuttle riding, and I'm much more price sensitive for this bike than I was for my SB5. Standover must be no more than 28" on a size small. Thoughts on the bikes above, or others you'd suggest?

 

[Ken_R]

I would check out THIS one if 29" wheels are ok for you. Also its is not only the increased travel that helps but the slacker geometry up front.

A friend of mine has THIS one and he loves it. He comes from a freeride background and is NOT easy on the bikes (jumps a lot!).

These bikes are good, simple designs, that work very very well.

 

[Monique]

I would check out THIS one if 29" wheels are ok for you. Also its is not only the increased travel that helps but the slacker geometry up front.

A friend of mine has THIS one and he loves it. He comes from a freeride background and is NOT easy on the bikes (jumps a lot!).

These bikes are good, simple designs, that work very very well.

Thanks - unfortunately, Trek's standover heights are taller than I want. Otherwise, I'd definitely consider a Slash.

 

[Ken_R]

Thanks - unfortunately, Trek's standover heights are taller than I want. Otherwise, I'd definitely consider a Slash.

Its weird, their specs online regarding standover height seem too high. Maybe they measured it further up the top tube. The Remedy I saw and handled looked really low slung.

 

[Monique]

Its weird, their specs online regarding standover height seem too high. Maybe they measured it further up the top tube. The Remedy I saw and handled looked really low slung.

This season? I put my leg over a Remedy at a bike shop, and it was definitely getting a little frisky.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Well I loved the Capra, but don't know anything about stand over on it. Giant Reign comes to mind. Evil Insurgent has a ton of stand over and even at a mere 150 is a super fun park bike. The Santa Cruz looks great. I'd look at Commencal too!

 

[Monique]

I wonder if I can call SC and find some way to demo the Nomad. It seems like a great value for the low end build.

 

[Monique]

It's possible that I'm overly hung up on the 170 number. It's just because it feels far enough away from 130 to not seem silly to get a second bike. I would imagine anything in the enduro category should be good, and more travel doesn't necessarily mean it will handle my weight any better. So far my drops and jumps have been pretty small. I doubt I'll ever truly go big.

 

[Monique]

This is interesting - not sure about standover, but the price is right - discounted to $4k: https://www.rei.com/product/111781/ghost-framr-8-lc-275-bike-2017

It turns out there's a Pivot demo in Lyons this weekend, and the Firebird has a cheaper lowest end build kit than I'd thought, so I'll see if I can check that out. I can't quite read my husband on whether he's just bemused or truly annoyed that I'm looking around. But demos of big travel bikes aren't that easy to find, so I might as well check it out, even if I can't act on it yet.

While neither Firebird nor Nomad are stocked at my LBS, shop guys have ridden both and suggested that the FIrebird was better, especially as the lowest end Nomad has a Yari fork vs a Fox 36 on the Firebird, and the price difference is only $300. (Those "only $X" tradeoffs are always what gets me in trouble.)

 

[Monique]

And this: http://www.pivotcycles.com/demo-bike-sale/

A size small Mach6 - nicely equipped - $4k. I think I might just have to stop there and take the slightly shorter travel. It's a beast of a bike, anyway.

 

[Mike Thomas]

I really don't understand your desire to ditch your dh bike. You talk as if "confidence" is a fundamental issue in your riding, nothing in the enduro catagory is going to provide the confidence that a true dh bike does. Just because you aren't riding at dh pace on dh terrain doesn't mean a dh bike isn't the best option for you. In my opinion you are making a mistake, I mean, n+1 and all... but... why?

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Well, I dunno Mike, a newer endure bike could be slacker than an older DH bike. Could be longer and lower too. Besides, n=1.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Oh, btw, Devinci Spartan, Rocky Mountain Slayer. Have fun.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

And this: http://www.pivotcycles.com/demo-bike-sale/

A size small Mach6 - nicely equipped - $4k. I think I might just have to stop there and take the slightly shorter travel. It's a beast of a bike, anyway.

FWIW - I did not enjoy my Mach 6 demo. I had high expectations for it, but IMHO it is much more a 6" travel XC bike than a lift-served/shuttle bike.

 

[Monique]

FWIW - I did not enjoy my Mach 6 demo. I had high expectations for it, but IMHO it is much more a 6" travel XC bike than a lift-served/shuttle bike.

Yeah, I called my LBS and chatted with Fred, who will be at the Pivot demo Sunday. He said the same - he hesitated and said that I should ride it before considering it as a gravity-oriented rig.

I really don't understand your desire to ditch your dh bike. You talk as if "confidence" is a fundamental issue in your riding, nothing in the enduro catagory is going to provide the confidence that a true dh bike does. Just because you aren't riding at dh pace on dh terrain doesn't mean a dh bike isn't the best option for you. In my opinion you are making a mistake, I mean, n+1 and all... but... why?

Maybe I'm foolishly chasing an imaginary perfect bike, but the Dare isn't all upside for my kind of riding. Yes, it's confidence inspiring on rock gardens and small drops - but as I gain in skill, that's less of a factor. The slack geometry makes it comfortable to ride down steep sections, but as Epic noted, a lot of modern mountain bikes are slack without the huge travel. And for that matter, a modern 27.5 would roll down rowdy rock gardens much more easily than this 26.

On the other hand, the bike is a beast, meaning that just pedaling it from here to there is still a lot of work - and even with lift-serviced, you can't avoid all pedaling. The seat tube isn't long enough for a dropper post (I'm pretty sure I looked into that), so it's all seated or standing, which was hard on my knees even before my injury. It's not nimble enough to be fun in tight woodsie turns, like you see on greens. It's rare that I get to ride with someone who will go beyond greens and blues, and for that type of riding, the DH rig is overkill to the point of being less fun than an XC bike. But I do enjoy going out and riding more intense runs when I can find someone to join me - runs where a burlier bike is helpful, though probably not necessary. And for the bikes parks like we have at Valmont, it's just no fun to push up the hill - I won't take the Dare there.

The more I think about it, the more I think that I will sell the DH rig no matter what. If I don't replace it, I would still rather take the SB5 for the kind of riding I'm likely to do. But if I had all the choice in the world, I'd rather have a 160+ travel bike for park/gravity days - just because I would never think, "Huh, I'd like to go harder, but I'm worried about my bike." I had that thought a lot when I first started riding the lifts and was riding down on my 100mm XC bike.

 

[JsNeagle]

I ride a 2016 Scott Genius LT 730 with a Fox Float X2, Fox 36 Factory Fit 4, Stans Flow Mk3 laced to Hope Pro 4 Hubs, super short stem, wider carbon bars, and some other minor stuff. It was a "budget" oriented enduro bike from the start, but even after those upgrades it was far cheaper than trying to buy both a trail bike and a DH bike. It's a 170 travel bike and it far exceeds my abilities riding DH in the New England area, so I'm very happy with it. I'm not necessarily recommending a Genius LT, but I have a 170 travel bike that is my DH bike (and my everything else bike) and it works just fine.

 

[Mike Thomas]

Jeff, you are a talented athlete- a pro level park skier who was a competitive nordic racer... your background kind of puts you in a different space when it comes to riding bikes aggressively. You are strong and fit enough to enjoy your bike trail riding and talented enough to enjoy it lift access. It makes sense as a 'compromise' bike for you. You also don't already own a top-end trail bike and a dh bike.

Anyway, obviously my advice to run the dh bike is misplaced. That is totally OK. In the end it really shouldn't matter what I think, only what Monique wants. If a new whip makes her happy, it is worth it (and it ain't my money!). More bikes = good.

I'd take a long hard look at the Commencal Supreme SX: https://www.commencalusa.com/PBCPPlayer.asp?ID=1875930

I have a good friend ripping around in the Alps on a Pivot Firebird and he loves it, that is a heck of a bike also.

 

[Monique]

Anyway, obviously my advice to run the dh bike is misplaced.

I'm not saying that necessarily, but I think there are reasons to downsize.

 

[Monique]

I'd take a long hard look at the Commencal Supreme SX: https://www.commencalusa.com/PBCPPlayer.asp?ID=1875930

Oooh. Check out that standover height. (One issue voter here, apparently!)

 

[JsNeagle]

The more I think about it, the more I think that I will sell the DH rig no matter what. If I don't replace it, I would still rather take the SB5 for the kind of riding I'm likely to do. But if I had all the choice in the world, I'd rather have a 160+ travel bike for park/gravity days - just because I would never think, "Huh, I'd like to go harder, but I'm worried about my bike." I had that thought a lot when I first started riding the lifts and was riding down on my 100mm XC bike.

Jeff, you are a talented athlete- a pro level park skier who was a competitive nordic racer... your background kind of puts you in a different space when it comes to riding bikes aggressively.

Gosh, Thanks @Mike Thomas! I don't even give myself those accolades, except maybe the "was a competitive nordic skier" part...

I was mostly responding to @Monique's comment that she had already decided to sell her DH bike. To me it sounds like a 160-170 travel bike would be plenty for her, and maybe even better (?) than a full DH bike. Don't get me wrong, I would love to own a DH bike. Although like you said, "nothing in the enduro category is going to provide the confidence that a true dh bike does," and sometimes more confidence is the last thing I need... (I get hurt a lot...)