What's the best 4-5 inch travel steed?

hosssbosss

hosssbosss

Likes Dirt
Okay all, if it was your own cash-ola, what would you spend it on in the 4-5" sector? Something that can be ridden all day if needed, yet can dominate the decents as well!
Opinions?
 
C

climbo

Likes Dirt
opinions, hell yeah, you'll get every one here !!

I finally have that ride, an Ellsworth Truth, just my opinion :)
 
ACNRS

ACNRS

Likes Dirt
scott spark is a racie bike with 4 inch rear travel (i think its 4 or 4.5), it can also be used as an all day cruisy bike. and they are still quite lite and hadle realy well and have a huge range off prices.
just my oppinion.
 
Pizzaz

Pizzaz

Likes Dirt
I'll bite... Cannondale Rise. I borrowed one recently for a 115km epic with over 3000m of climbing and loved it - bombed through the descents and was efficient enough with the monster climbs we were doing.

Of course its not a 29er...

So if you don't want to ride kiddy wheels so I'd probably be looking at something like the Pivot 429... mmmm squishy....
 
S

spudatm

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Budget will dictate responses. However Im very happy with My Giant Trance X1 and ive never met anyone who has a bad thing to say about the Trance X range
 
jaseh

jaseh

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I have not ridden one yet, but if I was in the market for a bike in that travel range, first test ride would be on a Trek Fuel EX8 or 9.
 
M

milux

Likes Dirt
I'll bite as well,

Build your own, BMC fourstroke or Trailfox frame Will ride all day with comfort and climbing & decending is what they are built for (the swiss do have a hill or 2), fox or reba 100-120mm forks with a lockout, XT gears and drivetrain and brakes, and a top wheelset, Mavic or Fulcrums were my choice, i've got a set of Fulcrums and everyone i know want them. A top stem, seatpost, and handle bars and a must is the Gobi seat comfart plus. All this make a light and fast all day tourer.

Or The off the shelf BMC's go alright too.
 
Bermshot

Bermshot

Banned
+ 1 what milux said

Trailfox 01, and this week will add a set of TWE's/Schwalbe rr's, ust.

Point being I commited to BMC....So maybe a close second would be???? A 575! ;)
 
Dan76

Dan76

Likes Dirt
Cannondale Rise is the go.

I use a Cannondale Rise as my 5inch travel trail rig and wouldn't use anything else there are 5 different models to meet any pricepoint you require and its one of those bikes once you've ridden one you'll wonder why you rode anything else. Not that I'm bias or anything.:D
 
'Ross

'Ross

Eats Squid
What are those Marin frames like? The funny looking ones, forget the model, wonder if they are any good.
 
Bodin

Bodin

GMBC
Pivot

Pivot bikes own everything out there at the moment. Light, super-stiff and quality suspension going up or down the mountain. You can get 'em in 4", 5", 6.7" and 29er flavours and if I had the money, I'd buy one of each.

In answer to the original question in this thread, the Pivot Mach 5 is the go for an all day ride that can descend well. Can be built super light, but has 5 quality inches of suspension that makes descending a dream. The 429 (the 29er) would be the same for taller riders.
 
BT180

BT180

Max Pfaff
^^ My mate just picked up a brand new Pivot Mach 5 on the weekend. Very nice in the flesh. He can't stop raving about how it rides, but then again he's come from a Kona Dawg. :)
 
I

iconic

Likes Dirt
I prefer a ventana el ciclon compared to 07 yeti 575. The yeti is lighter though the centre of gravity is higher so decents aren't as fun. Haven't tried/owned any other bikes in this category
 
PDogg

PDogg

Manly Warringah MTB Club
Suprsied no-one has gone here yet. How about an ibis Mojo?

I was a hater, never really got over the form over function arguement that my left and right brain were having, but rode one for a bit and that was the clincher :)

Light, stable, far better than me on descents and lighter than my old 4 inch travel boutique XC bike. Bonus is it pedals great; it's gotten me thru several 100km back country adventures in fine form.

Great bike, worth considering.
 
sasfish

sasfish

Likes Dirt
re

Many good sleds out there but my money is on my Titus racer x or maybe a ellsworth truth. Rocky mountain is worthy of note. If your have won the lotto then go the moots
 
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