What Do You Guys Think?

[Hatchleader]

After spending past year building my hard tail up into a sexy beast am now considering a full susser for pulling off the big stuff!! Rode a proper full susser for first time on sunday (fishes stab to be precise) and now wondering what one would do to my riding. Can't afford a big expensive thing so am interested in a cheaper end one and then upgrading parts as i go, the same way i have done my HT. Anyway heres the whole point!! There two options that i have found so far. a 24 Seven Dark Angel DH for the princly sum of £999.99 (http://www.24sevenbikes.com/BIKESMAIN.html) or a more tech bike in the mongoose black diamond single for £1099.99 (http://www.mongoose.com/bikes/detail.php?id=347&brandLine=Pro_International&brandID=57) which has a lot lower spec but is probably more along my sorts of riding!! i want something that can pedal to the top but still hit big stuff!!

Basically was wondering if anyone riden any of em or if you know of any alternatives! if i do get one will not be till end of may so plenty of time!!

[jay dh]

dont know how you feel about buying second hand but, why dont you take a look on southerndownhill.com quite an active sales board. usualy some good deals to be had on there.

[Hatchleader]

I'm always worried about second hand from people i don't know. having said that my hard tail was an ex demo!!

[Ben]

I saw the 24/7 for the first time at bringewood,they look pretty nice although this one was built up with boxxer WC and what not. No pictures do the mongoose and GT range justice thay are a really stunning bike and pretty individual, also, pay the £15 membership and you can get a mongoose black diamond from rasen bikes with trailblazer 10% discount bringing the price down to £990 bargain!!

[Hatchleader]

Thats a great price!! am gonna join after easter when student loan comes through!! i down to last £30 at mo!! maybe i shouldn't have bought my pikes for HT??:umm:

Nah!! they worth it!!

[ji_]

That 24/7 has some interesting metal work making up the frame...! Has anyone actually ridden one?

[dave_mawe]

there are quite a few good reviews for the 24/7 but i've seen to many bad reviews of the forks on it, however i think 24/7 are doing an upgrade to manitou travis's for a little bit extra.

[Hatchleader]

I don't think they doing that deal anymore!! was amazing deal when they did tho!! about £1300 as far as i remember!! bargain.

am actually leaning towards mongoose at mo as it bit more pedel friendly and looks more unique with the floating bottom bracket thing!! if you riden one then gi me your opinion!!

[dave_mawe]

At the bottom of the page it says. options: fork upgrade contact us for details, so they probably still do it, and i tihnk it's worth it if you can get a pair of travis's on it.

[Ben]

Hey hatchleader just comfirmed with the boss that £990 is the price we could do it you for, looking at the full spec its pretty impressive for less than a grand, I beam seat and post, sram groupset and hayes sole hydrolics,.. awsome! (click pic for full size)

http://www.mongoose.com/sa/uploads/images/bikes/39.19.M6_GLBL_BLKDIAMOND_SNGL_GRY.jpg

[Hatchleader]

For less than a grand its awsome!!! good for starters!! i pretty hard on parts tho!! After looking at the next model up am concidering saving some more and forking out the extra cash for a Black Diamond Double as it will probably stand up to the sort of abuse i chuck at my bikes a bit better!!

[Hatchleader]

Heres something right up my street!! after seeing this am now deffinatly concidering spending money on getting this frame and shoving my hardcore HT stuff on it!! this bike is Gorgeous!! apparently it flickable as hell and is designed for freeride, 4x and general super quick stylish stuff!! After riding HT for so long this might suit me better than something with loads of travel!!

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h145/hatchleader/TransitionBottlerock.jpg

[Baker]

That is sweet. Very nice design and looks pretty hardcore all round!

[dave_mawe]

Looks an awesome frame. But consider second hand, I got my 05 Kona cowan for £525, most of the components hadn't been used before:D awesome deal

[jack]

damn, if id known you were that poor i would have haggled more on the forks! lol. but seriously, the mongoose looks like a very nice bike, and at the ratz discount price you canny go wrong!

[jack]

ah, didnt see the second page, that transition looks AWESOME, and with the HT components on it (especially those pikes) it will be a beast! I've been a big big fan of transition bikes ever since i first saw one, and theyre sooo cheap too! (compared to other bikes of that standard) i sayget one while their hot, before they get too popular and go up in price (as happened with DeVinci's a while ago!)

[Hatchleader]

I love Transitions!! first saw em in dirt in september and i hooked on their designs now!! They practical but sexy at same time!! gonna try and get a bottle rocket when they first released in july!! then might go for a trail or park for street and dirt! All their bikes beauties tho!!

[jack]

why not buy them all? i hear student loans dont have to be paid back until you're earning these days lol.

[Hatchleader]

wish i could but only got one more student loan and then i'm outta there perminantly!! and i got a clothing business to set up too which aint gonna be cheap!!

[Hatchleader]

ok folks have now deffinatly decided toshift away form big downhill bike stuff and am looking at 7in max rear travel (preferably 6ish) and one which i can fit my Pikes on and will ride ok (the transition seems like it ment for 160mm+:( ) got to be about a grand (upto 1200 if it good and someone riden one). More Freeride than all mountain, thinking giant reign but what you guys think??

Hit me with those ideas folks!!!

[jack]

pikes are 140mm arent they? bummer on the transition. how about a specialized enduro sx '05(150mm. the '06 has 170mm) very cheap too!

http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=5350

kindof all mountain i suppose but the reviews all say that theyre good for downhill with the right shock mount on.

[Hatchleader]

yeah 140 mil but they short for 140mm!! same size axel to crown as my old drop offs which were 10mm shorter!!!! liking that enduro sx and it a bargain for the mullah!! still leaning towards the Reign tho!! 2006 model has a bit more of a freeride geometry to it and suspension system ment to be amazing!! anyone riden them??

[dave_mawe]

I like the look of the reign. If Gee can attempt the huge ski jump on it then i'm sure it's quite freeride, also the frame's faster than a car renault clio to be precise as top gear proved. It looks a very nice frame

[Ben]

I havent ridden one but giants meastro system has basically eliminated all need of a platform shock branding the RP3, SPV etc pointless. Its down to pivot placement or sumin' or other (i never seem to be at work when the giant rep comes :( ) Gee Atherton rode a reign with Pikes when he skyed that ski jump, the from was bent afterwards but i guess your not after it to go alpine sking!

[Hatchleader]

deffinatly not!! i saw that crash and that was one of the reason's for me first looking at the reign. thought it was an xc bike till i saw gee ragging one around wales in dirt the other month then saw the crash!! so far its the only 6 inch bike i know will be great with pikes but thats why i asking if anyone else knows anything good!! everything else seems too xc with pikes on!!

[Hatchleader]

found the top gear vid with Gee and turns out he wa riding a reign!! link below

http://www.skillbikes.com/geevsclio.wmv

[dave_mawe]

You considered a Kona Coilair, Not sure how much the price of the frame is alone and where you can get them but they look quite nice.

[Hatchleader]

an 05 coiler frameset is about £800 at mo with coil shock but i've never really liked konas!! don't know why but just never have!! if any one got one to ride tho and got good feedback on it then let me know!!

[DAN HART]

How about this clubroost XS freeride frame. 5 inches of travel. would look great with your pikes on it. frame seems to be just the right thing for the sort of freeride we do. plus not masses of travel and sag. £660

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/images/clubroost%20xs%20freeride%20frame.jpg

[Hatchleader]

I like it!! it good value and for that sort of maney upgrading the shock dont seem such a big deal!! dunno if i like as much as the reign tho but it a good option!!

[Baker]

http://www.biketechjardins.com.br/web/imagesdb/282/cherrybomb-z-red.jpg
This is slightly like the club roost. They have one in cycle sport on the high street in lincoln with a coil shock for £400 a steal i think. Don't know if you'll like it but it is a Dabomb Cherry Bomb (it was still there last time i was there)

[Hatchleader]

question is how tough is it?? i tend to break things very quickly unless they bomb proof!! how much travel it got as well!! don't look like much!!

[jack]

like that alot actually. especially the bend in the seat tube!

[Ben]

Hatchleader, my suggestion is to hold on for a few weeks and get the new new reign, its a beaut, i think the retail is £899, excluding discount, if your passing by Rasen bikes have the new brochure, 6" of travel Fox RP3 rear shock

[Baker]

http://www.giant-bicycle.com/uk/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?year=2007&model=10382
The '06 reign is beautiful and i think that would be an awesome bike for the knarl!

[Baker]

I think the cherry bomb has 3-5" of travel so it isn't that much really although it is on a fox vanilla RC i think the rest was in a foreign language

[jack]

cherry bomb maybe worth a look, if cyclesport still have that one theyvre had for ages, its only about £499 i think.

[DAN HART]

I think the da bomb is a good value for money frame if your just startin to get into the bigger stuff, sure it would be fine for the hill and anything else thrown at it. that reign is sweet though. looks amazing and has a great linkage but at twice the price!

[Ben]

Thats the one baker ;-

http://www.giant-bicycle.com/images/_upload_uk/bikes/models/zooms/2006/Reign%20Frame%20S.jpg

[Baker]

The cherry bomb is £400 i think. Please could you tell me how to post pics on here ben/someone because i still canny do it!!!!!

[Hatchleader]

Bootiful!!! still the reign i think despite the price difference!! just think it more up my street really!! i quite willing to pay more for a better ride and i never really like 4 bar linkages!! not sure if i like the new shock mounting on the reign tho!! maybe prefer the old one!!

[jack]

WOW, that new reign is the dogs!

Baker: you need to upload them to photobucket (youll need to set up a free account first) then you copy the url code into your reply)
i think :smile:

[Baker]

Nice one i'll try it some time

[ji_]

Pauls Cycles currently have the reign 1 for £2k, and the reign 2 for a more reasonable £1250. Both 06 models.

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk

[dave_mawe]

The reign 2 looks awesome for the price, specially if your going to put the components onto your ged. it depends on what colour you want although i think the green colour looks the best.

[Hatchleader]

yeah green the best looking!! good prices and parts swap would work well!! only problem is that they dont have my size!! gonna shop round abit!! got a couple of months before i can afford one anyway!! good prices on pauls cycles tho!!