Let's offroad / mountain bike / mtb / ride dirt

Thirded

But cost is a major factor, especially when you start considering the impact of a decent suspension set up and quality brakes potentially making a bigger difference at the lower end of the scale.

Carbon has the stiffness and weight advantage, but if you aren’t racing, is that so important?

My anecdotal experience is carbon is more robust, with aluminium being prone to denting (rendering it broken). Yes carbon can snap, but i think it's less occurring than denting aluminium, and can also be repaired.

Sure, cost is a factor. And if it is the factor, then an aluminium bike will be great.

I’d rather have better spec forks, shock, wheels and brakes on an Alu frame than lesser components on Carbon one any day of the week

Put some semi slicks on it. Tyres make a massive differnece. Barzo/Mezcal combo is great and they come in 2.6.

Alu is fine. Can even be recycled!

Plenty of hybrid carbon front alu rear FS bikes around.

Get in touch with Pedal and spoke in peaslake, they have demos, but not sure if they are available at the moment. They also do 0% on new bikes.

True to form, I’m going to disagree with everyone. But then again I lived in Camberwell for a long time and rode lots of MTB from my doorstep, most enjoyably to Epping, round Epping, and back.

A steel hardtail is the right bike for 90% of riding in England unless you are a professional. I would avoid buying a complete build secondhand as most of the components will be worn out, even if it doesn’t seem so at first glance. I would highly recommend buying the frame secondhand, something by Cotic or Stanton or Genesis or similar, some second hand wheels with Hope hubs, secondhand Shimano 10spd groupset with new 42t cassette and chain obviously, then some new Magura brakes, a dropper, and a fork. All in all for £1k you can build a banging bike that will ride a lot nicer than a needlessly expensive Santa Cruz.

^ Sensible.

Apologies for NDS, I bought a cheap Alu frame from CRC, second hand everything else. Manitou 140mm fork, rockshox dropper post, Hope pro4 wheels, Sram x0 10 speed inc carbon cranks
All for about 600 quid and it's done me fine

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I bought a genesis, picked up a Shimano 10 sp groupset, a secondhand Hope front hub (ended up buying the rear new), made some brake mistakes but settled for Shimano Deore, got the brand X dropper and a secondhand fork.

Conclusion - its great.

Do I still want a full suss? yeah probably. Do I still want something with Santa Cruz written on the side? Of course. Should I have bought a fork with less travel? yes.

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I was tempted for a moment by the Canyon lux, which is 10% off at the moment but apparently the geo's a little old school?

There's a carbon SC chameleon for sale close to me and if it ends at an okay price I might go for it! If not I'll look for something with more up to date geometry.

what an awful picture, I thought you were a photographer

I thought you were a photographer

I gave up that dream a long time ago

You and @PhilDAS get the platypus seal of approval for nice bikes and happy riders

full time framebuilder now?

Full time pen pusher

I would highly recommend buying the frame secondhand, something by
Cotic or Stanton or Genesis or similar, some second hand wheels with
Hope hubs, secondhand Shimano 10spd groupset with new 42t cassette and
chain obviously, then some new Magura brakes, a dropper, and a fork.
All in all for £1k you can build a banging bike that will ride a lot
nicer than a needlessly expensive Santa Cruz.

Haha, that's exactly what I've done recently apart from brakes - I went for Shimano ones. Couldn't be more happy!

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@amey @aroogah how do you find Lake shoes in terms of the sole fouling on pedals.

The instructions state a spacer should be used with Time pedals or the sole should be cut away to provide clearance.

Even with a spacer installed when disengaging from my ATACs the sole is deforming considerably.

What’s your set up?

You don't even need suspension!

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how do you find Lake shoes in terms of the sole fouling on pedals.

not happened even once

either look keo or shimano SPD is what I use

To be honest, @platypus suggestion is very good.

Can I have a #platypusapproved sticker too please?

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I need to get a shift on, and apply for a #platypusapproved for the Ritchey too! Need more rim tape and it'll finally be ready to go - I did cheat and buy new wheels and a new saddle though...

I bought myself a brand new cotic solaris max last September and it's a wicked bike, more than I'll ever need, however coming from mainly xc i find it very slack and hard work for more local xc type stuff. So much so that I am searching for an xc frame on and off. That said as soon as the travel restrictions are lifted I'm moving either back to Ireland or up north, where a slack 140mm hardtail will be more use. I think the predecessor to my frame is not as slack though.

I went with basic slx groupset, but upgraded wheels and headset to hope, and upgraded the fork to McQueen rough cut hlr.

Good shout. Seem good value as well, £13.99 a pop.

https://www.bikeinn.com/bike/vittoria-barzo/137108578/p

https://www.bikeinn.com/bike/vittoria-mezcal-iii/137108579/p

The Minion / Rekon combo was super draggy. Ended up pumping them up fairly hard, which kind of defeated the object of the tread pattern and having plus tyres in the first place. Never had a slip or sketchy moment with the minion up front at Afan and winter Leigh Woods, but that just makes up 10% of the riding I do.