UKC

I haven't had mountain bike since I sold my old trusty Kona before leaving Finland. I do have a cross bike which I use both as a commuter and for some offroad riding, including bikepacking. But last week I was riding it on bridleways just south of Mam Tor in the Peak and decided that they were too rough for it. Some friendly mountainbikers, all on full sus bikes, waiting at the top of Pin Dale actually asked me if I had taken the wrong turn as I arrived part pushing at the top - just too rocky for me to be able to ride. Even when it was downhill again some of the trails were too rocky to be much fun on my CX and I'm not bad at technical riding on it.

So I think it's time to buy myself a new mountain bike - the question is though what type? I've really enjoyed bikepacking over the last few years and that will be a main aim for the bike. Then secondly it will be riding offroad around Sheffield/Peak for day rides when its too wet to climb etc. I don't have a huge amount of money to spend, definitely not over 1000 but preferably less. I've never been to a trail centre, I'm sure they are fun, but that's not what I'm likely to do with the bike. I'm far more interested in say trying to ride to Scotland along the Pennine bridleway for instance.

I do really like the look of the new Alpkit/Sonder Transmitter, but a mate who is very seasoned MTBer and who has seen all the fashions come and go over the last 20 years has really been trying to sell me on a fully rigid bike using 650+ tyres. He has a Surly which he claims he enjoys to ride more than his American full sus beauty. Evans have recently released one of their own Pinnacle range, the Ramin 3+, which is very clearly focused on bikepackers and it looks great. No suspension, big wheels which you can convert to tubeless, and covered in bottle bosses for all your bikepacking needs. At 750 its both affordable and seems to be good value for money. I've very nearly settled on one (local shop is getting one in for me to try for size), but I'm still wondering if I will miss not having front suspension when bouncing around on local trails?

I'm interested what the MTB contingent of UKC reckon - particularly those of you who ride around the Peak/Sheffield area. Cheers all.

In reply to TobyA:
I have a Ramin One. I bought the frameset for peanuts (£99) to take the kit that I had upgraded on my hardtail (9 speed drivetrain mostly). Typically I now use the Ramin more than my 130mm hardtail and have also started exploring a lot more as a result! It covers longer distances very easily and I don't feel any more rattled than usual, bigger tyres at lower pressures make all the difference and B+ would be even squidgier. I can't really be bothered driving to trail centres any more so the HT will probably be going at some point.

Evans seem to be on to a winner with Pinnacle, IIRC the guy who designs them used to design for Genesis. I can only speak for my frameset but it is very well made. The spec on the B+ is cracking for the money - WTB Scraper rims, Deore brakes (I swear by these) and gearing.

In reply to TobyA:

Did have a very brief go on 650 b+ and think it would be worth a second look, didn't spend enough time on it to see what it was like on the trail/bridal ways ,my next bike will be something similar to what you describe, or a gravel bike (or both . )

In reply to TobyA:

I'd certainly consider front suspension rather than rigid. Most reasonable sus forks have external controls that allow you to lock out or just stiffen up the fork for less bumpy stuff and the weight penalty is not massive and certainly doesn't outweigh the extra comfort and control gained from a sus fork.

In reply to gethin_allen:


But does it fit with the bearded, IPA-sipping, sleeve-tattooed, soul merchant-hipster image that I'm obviously going for?

(Should add, while I do like IPAs, I have neither tattoos or a beard currently...)

In reply to jethro kiernan:

My Boardman CX is basically a gravel bike for me, although I have done a few CX races on it in the past. Did 100 kms mainly on gravel on it linking sustrans routes and other trails a few weeks ago through S. Yorks, Derbyshire and Notts - perfect for that sort of thing, but when I bikepacked on it last summer using bits of the Pennine Bridleway it was reaching the limits of what it could do even with slightly bigger treaded tyres on it. http://lightfromthenorth.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/bikepacking-around-peak-dis...

I've actually been pondering about changing my Boardman CX as well recently! It's a great bike and I have been wanting to put better brakes on it for ages, but I think if I spend 160 quid on them, and then start adding up the price of other parts on it which will need replacing sooner rather than later if I keep using it, suddenly a completely new bike doesn't look so bad. SRAM have just brought out their 1x Apex groupset with full hydro brakes, so One One are now doing their carbon fibre Bish Bash Bosh with that groupset for a penny under a 1000 and it looks very attractive! But anyways, back to mountain bikes.

In reply to TobyA:

I've always figured that the most important component in choosing what bike to buy next should be whether it lets you do stuff that your current bike/s can't. No point having a stable full of completely overlapping bikes that are all suited to the same types of riding.

If I had a CX bike, I probably wouldn't be getting another rigid. I can see that it would expand your options a bit but something with a bit of bounce would surely give you more options with less overlap.

In reply to TobyA:


Hey Toby - finally got my wonder bike - cotic escapade, the new version. I've been riding it for a few weeks now and have to say it's awesome. Really nice steel ride. I got the Cotic Components wheels which have WTB i19 rims and their own hubs - very nice kit. Then I put a sun race 11-42 cassette on the back, shimano XT clutch mech, my trusty middleburn RS2 cranks with Superstar components io 40 thin thick chain ring. Also cable discs (which I plan to upgrade to Juin cable hydro's when I have the cash) and On One Midge Bars (which I want to get rid of for salsa cowchippers). Its honestly as much fun as I've had on a bike so far - if their other frames are as good I wouldn't hesitate to have one of them. At the moment I'm struggling to see when I might need something different other than on big descents and more technical terrain... should message you some pics some time...

In reply to Luke90:

Take your point, although my mate says that the + sized tyres, especially when used tubeless at a low pressure basically are your suspension. Hmmm....

In an effort to justify the impending savings account raid, I just went out and rode the Stanage Causeway, Burbage Valley and Houndkirk Tor road on my CX (with my 28 mm tyres pumped up hard). I really do need a mountain bike of some description!

In reply to TobyA:

Anyone else riding a semifat-wheel bike? With or without suspension?

In reply to TobyA:

http://bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/pinnacle-go-plus-ramin-f...

In reply to Herdwickmatt:

Yep, seen that - where I got the idea from in the first place!

In reply to TobyA:

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/news/article/marins-back-to-basics-plus-bike-i...
This is what I had a spin on

In reply to TobyA:
Imo under inflated fat tyres are going to slow you down more than a full sus forx which can be dialed out will do. I really like front suspension, my full susser sees little action though now a days.

In reply to TobyA:

My experience FWIW is a fully rigid carbon 29er. When I was trying to work out what new bike I wanted to replace a 15 year old, scary to ride, XC race MTB I had a go on a mate's pimped Cube Reaction 29er. He had rigid forks, carbon bits and bobs on it, 1 x 10 drivetrain, XTR bits and it was just a smidge over 9kgs. With the grip of the 29er wheels and the lightweight it was utterly astonishing over medium rough ground. Like the difference between riding an 80's steel roadbike and a modern carbon equivalent. Night and day.

Carbon Reaction 29ers can be had for around a grand from various places if you get an older model, e.g. http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s155p5502/CUBE-REACTION-GTC-PRO-29-2014

I've not got a Whyte 29 CS 29er with On-one carbon forks and a dropper post and it rides like a an uber CX bike, with tubeless tyres and low pressures it flies over medium rough ground and goes down gnarly-ish stuff way quicker than a crosser. It isn't as fast on the road but it's not bad, and climbs exceptionally well. My set up is quite a bit more than a grand but the Cube will get yo most of the way there. I've ridden not so hard black trails like at Glentress on it, it was a bit rough but fine. I have a full susser for more gnarly stuff but it's amazing what the 29er soaks up even without suspension. And it is a 15 minute job to swap over the forks if I want to have the front suspension back on.

So for your grand you could get a couple of years old but new lightweight carbon 29er that will be suitable for lots of applications especially if you have rigid and suspension forks to swap in and out. NB. most front suspension forks are 15 thru axle and most carbon rigid forks are 9mm quick release, so I have a front wheel built with a Hope Pro evo hub that comes with different end caps meaning I can swap between thru axle and 9mm depending on what I need to do, but to be honest it's fine 99% of the time with the rigids on.