Getting the itch for a new MTB… something nice

[TronnyJenkins]

I posted about two years ago right after I moved to Arvada, CO about mountain bike recommendations. Fast forward… I’ve been riding the 2015 Anthem X shown below (weight confirmed at 26lbs). The friends I mostly ride with have taught me some good technique and I’ve gotten decent at some of the harder rides around here (Apex, Longhorn @White Ranch, Golden Gate, Bitterbrush @ Hall). I don’t necessarily think that my bike is “holding me back” per se (dropper and proper technique are game changers), but I’ve seen some KILLER deals on bikes lately, both new and used.

I’d like to remain under 30lbs for sure. Preferably 26-28.
No real budget.
Something that climbs well.
My very observant friend suggested I don’t want anything too enduro based on my riding style. Like 130/120 or 140/130 travel. He’s probably right. (Side note he just got a sick new Pivot 429). He suggested I look at Yeti sb120s, Revel (I think he said Ranger?), Trail 429, Spot (they’re local, cool).
Just curious what other brands I might be on the lookout for deals on.

[old fat man]

Ibis Ripley v4 or v4s (the newest v5 has moved more downhill focused and sacrificed some of the uphill magic the Ripley is known for)

Ibis Exie if you really want to stick with xc geometry and ride characteristics

Getting any of those bikes under 28lbs is gonna cost ya. My Ripley v4s with Ibis carbon wheelset and mostly stock Shimano SLX build is 29.5lbs.

Based on what you're currently riding, I'd focus on finding the bike you like best at a price you like and then consider upgrading/replacing parts down the road, or when they wear out/break to drop weight.

[Bob Ross]

I'm just subbed to see the responses

...and jealous of any answers that aren't "Specialized" or "Trek" because that's all the local shops here carry.

[EB]

There are so many good bikes out there and you are in for a treat as mountain bikes have taken several leaps in quality and capability since your Giant 29er was released 9 years ago.

For Front Range riding, I do think the amount of travel you need and the bike you will want depends partly on your height and weight.

The weight range you are citing is worth discussing. Mountain bikes in general have gotten a lot heavier since 2015, as they have focused more on capability and less on weight. Most trail bikes in the 130+ travel range are north of 30 pounds now. Personally I am in favor of this trend - for my riding style, delicate light components and frames are not the thing. I am not going to try to argue you out of your view as everyone has their own preferences, but do note that at 26 to 28 pounds you are increasingly restricted to short-travel machines from certain manufacturers.

One bike that I think you should strongly consider - assuming you want to stick with 29ers - is the Transition Spur, which is a 120/120 bike on a Horst link platform that comes in a 27.1 pounds fully built up. That bike is probably the most fun and capable in this travel bracket that I know that fits your weight requirement. Despite being a 4 year old platform, Transition have kept it fresh with new Fox suspension and a UDH rear triangle - still going strong.

My only hesitation on Transition is that they sometimes have QC issues and the paint isn't very durable, but you can mitigate the QC issues by doing a full tear-down and reassembly on your brand new bike and putting grease in all the places they forgot to put it (yes, including the pivots and the headset). Ridewrap also recommended and can help with the fragile paint.

Bikers Edge has a good review here of the refreshed version: https://bebikes.com/the-hub/2024-tra...n-spur-review/

Normally my go-to recommendation for this is the Santa Cruz Tallboy, but it doesn't meet your weight requirement as the fancy builds come in at 29 pounds or so.

[floxy1]

I’m a big pivot fan. The Mach 4 SL / Trail is a great bike depending on how much travel you want. They climb great, dual pivot, fun to ride. I’ve had a couple different iterations and like it much better than Epics I’ve owned.

[Gggross]

Love my Pivot Trail 429. Does everything I want it to do. If you more into cross country racing, I’d go with the Pivot Mach 4.

Pivots are not cheap but they are extremely well built.

[steelrimbrake]

Revel or Canfield - their CBF suspension works great - both on the techy ups and the rowdy downs - although not the lightest.

[.RJ]

I've been down this rabbit hole as i just sold my hardtail and looking for something else and reading a lot of reviews....

If climbing is a priority and not just an afterthought, these seem like the top choices

- Trek Top Fuel
- Specialized Epic Evo
- Rocky Mountain Element
- Santa Cruz Blur TR
- BMC Fourstroke LT

All are available with light enough build kits. It does seem like the bikes that are the best climbers on technical trails all give something up coming back down, mostly due to shorter wheelbases or their shock tunes.

[EB]

There is more to climbing than efficiency, since highly efficient suspension designs sometimes give up a lot in traction. If you're doing a lot of tech climbing, a suspension with less anti-squat may end up being better. It's not simply a tradeoff between efficiency and descending capability.

For example - my extremely efficient hardtail often climbs much worse than my 165mm travel bike, in that on some routes it will simply spin out and fail on climbs that the enduro bike happily monster-trucks through.

[p nut]

10 year old full suspension mountain bike is ancient. So much improvement over the last decade.

I’d look at a Spec Epic Evo. Climbs well, well under 30lbs, and takes on the chunky stuff pretty well.

[Jcgill]

Santa Cruz Blur
Yeti 120
Specialized Epic Evo

The local Yeti dealer here in Indiana has crazy discounts on bikes.

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by Jcgill

The local Yeti dealer here in Indiana has crazy discounts on bikes.

the whole bike industry is 30% off right now its pretty bonkers

[jm714]

I had an Ibis Exie and it went 26.45 pounds with carbon wheels and a SRAM mechanical group in a XL size. It was 120/100 for travel and it was perfect for my riding style but just a bit short in the top tube for my 6’5” build. So i sold the frame and used the components to build up a XXL Santa Cruz Tallboy CC frame. With pedals it weighs in at 28.25 on the scale at my shop. It has 130/120 worth of travel.

The extra travel is nice and the slacker head tube makes descending much more confidence inspiring for me, but….

The climbing versus the Exie leaves something to be desired. I only have 100 miles on it so Im still playing around, but I wish it climbed a bit better.

I also had a XL Blur TR before the Exie. While it climbed better than the Exie the Exie was a better all round bike for me.

[TronnyJenkins]

Appreciate all the responses so far. I will chew on these the rest of day in my mind.

I won't obsess over weight for sure. I just don't want a tank of a bike and I don't mind shelling out some extra for carbon wheels, etc. I had a 2021 Trance 29 and the thing was just too heavy for me to enjoy riding it which is why I am riding the Anthem for the moment. I would 100% agree with those who say my geo is ancient- lol. I agree and it always cracks my friends up. But (probably no surprise) when I was still getting my lean the heck back technique nailed down, I did a couple of ENDO falls and that is not cool. I told my wife I need a new bike for safety reasons!!!

[HowardCosellsPR]

I ride an Element. It had the geo I wanted and a reputable suspension design. Built it up from the frame. After some tinkering it's amazing. That said, Im sure I'd say the same thing if I had chosen a Blur, or a Spur, or a Ripley, or Epic Evo, or a Stumpy, or.... or... or....

Maybe I'm in the minority... but... modern xc and trail bikes are so good that it's really hard to get a bad one unless you really try. The hard part is just setting them up well (suspension settings, tire choice, and tire pressure) for your use case. But, that's just fun.

As such, just go ride/demo some bikes. See which ones just feel right to you out of the gate and remember... and find one that's on sale so you have so extra cash to swap tires/wheels. They'll all be amazing once you make it yours.

Case in point. I borrowed my buddy's Tallboy before I picked up my Element. First couple rides, I hated it.... but when he gave me permission to swap my wheels/tires onto it (more xc/trail) and tweak the suspensions settings it came alive. I loved it! Only reason I didn't go with Tallboy was it wasn't on sale.