What trail bike…

[AdventureAndy]

Hi guys. Newbie here. (New to the forum, not to cycling)

 

I am about to pull the trigger on a new bike, and with stock availability being a bit of an issue, and having minimum time to actually shop around, and go look at the offerings that are available, I think I have settled on the 2021 Stumpjumper Alloy. It’s been reserved for me at on of the shops, and I will be picking it up on Tuesday afternoon. 
 

but I just want to check if there is something I have maybe missed….. or something else I should be looking at. From my basic search, the stumpie seems a good value proposition all around. The brakes are rubbish, but I have a set of SLX twin pots in the garage, and they will go straight on. Other than that, it seems a good set up at the price. (R42k). But if I was willing to stretch the budget to R50k, what other options have I missed out on?
 

criteria:

- Must be new (personal preference - I know I can get some bargains used - potentially, but I don’t like second hand bikes, and I want warranty) 

- must be an actual trail bike, not a XC bike with hiking boots on…… min 130mm travel.

beyond that, I am willing to look at anything, but I can’t see anything else fitting the budget? Am I missing something?
 

All the other bikes in that price range are beefed up XC/marathon bikes. I would have preferred a better group set (the Spaz has SX), but if I get half a year from it, then I can upgrade. Probably to XT or GX
 

 

[dasilvarsa]

Good Choice

Enjoy your New Bike.

 

[BikingYoda]

Was in the same position a few months ago, decided on the GT Sensor Carbon Elite over the Spaz. 

The final call for me was the carbon frame and a few of the components were a bit better for a small increase on price. 

Edited June 26, 2021 by BikingYoda

[AdventureAndy]

6 minutes ago, BikingYoda said:

Was in the same position a few months ago, decided on the GT Sensor Carbon Elite over the Spaz. 

The final call for me was the carbon frame and a few of the components were a bit better for a small increase on price. 

Where from? I haven’t been able to find GT in stock anywhere in my search. I have always had a soft spot for them, since my first Zaskar I’m high school…

 

must say, carbon to me, on this type of bike is not really a selling point. Carbon makes sense on ultralight XC bikes, but for trail bikes the difference in frame weight is negligible, and the risks with carbon so so much higher. But frame aside, the 10k price difference is worth it for the rear shock and decent brakes alone. 

[MajG]

GT is excellent bike, for some reason not big seller in SA but over the seas its well liked.

Scott spark 970 about same spec as stumpy. But with new design out might impact resale or even allow better bargaining power at lbs.

Giant  stance comes with 130mm travel infront and it's like R34k.

Giant trance, 150mm travel and flipchip but that's just over R50k

 

Stumpy is good bike tho

[AdventureAndy]

1 hour ago, MajG said:

GT is excellent bike, for some reason not big seller in SA but over the seas its well liked.

Scott spark 970 about same spec as stumpy. But with new design out might impact resale or even allow better bargaining power at lbs.

Giant  stance comes with 130mm travel infront and it's like R34k.

Giant trance, 150mm travel and flipchip but that's just over R50k

 

Stumpy is good bike tho

Spark 970 is, in my mind not even almost on par. The geometry sucks compared to the stumpy. It’s a great XC/marathon setup, but not a proper trail bike. The Judy fork it comes with is a twig compared to the 35 on the stumpy. I do wish the stump came with a gold 35, but the silver is okay…

 

spark is also only a 120mm front and rear…. So automatically disqualified from my search. I do own a spark 950, which I will keep for my more XC style riding…. (Self edit… I see the new one is 130up front…. Which in my opinion is way too much travel for a 30mm entry level fork….)

 

the stance is not a bike I would consider. The linkage on that isn’t great. It’s basically a trance without the maestro linkage, and a bike I think giant should rather not have made.

Trance is an amazing trail bike, but I would be looking at the trance 3 in this price bracket, and there just aren’t any available.

Edited June 26, 2021 by AdventureAndy

[justinafrika]

1 hour ago, AdventureAndy said:

the stance is not a bike I would consider. The linkage on that isn’t great. It’s basically a trance without the maestro linkage, and a bike I think giant should rather not have made.

"A racy choice for an entry level full susser" is a Flow Mountain Bike comment in their very positive review of the Stance. A simpler linkage, easier setup, easier and less costly maintenance. The Stance 29 2 made Bicycling UK's list of Best Bikes of the year.

"On this bike, everything works well together. It’s some kind of alchemy, because individually, the parts choices on this bike all fall into the “fine but nothing special” category. It’s only when you mash them all together that you get something amazing." ~ Bicycling

Perhaps not the choice for those choosing more setup refinement, but it's mostdef a great FS choice for those on a budget.

They've had great sales figures in North America and Europe and I see Olympic's site has stock.

Edited June 26, 2021 by justinafrika
added quote

[AdventureAndy]

This new bike is replacing a Trance 29er, that was an awesome trail bike, and I think the meastro pivot from giant is a work of art. If I could get another Trance the Stumpjumper wouldn’t even be on my radar. But I have ridden the stance and the trance back to back, and I would not put my money into a stance. If they brought it out with the meastro pivot, but went cheaper on the shock, like Spaz has done on the entry level Stumpjumper, sure, but having ridden one, I wasn’t impressed with the stance. It was a 2019 model, but not sure much has changed there since…

 

Also. The stance is 120 at the back, disqualifying it from my list from the get go, and it has a press fit BB…. That doesn’t belong anywhere near anything meant for going any where near dirt. In fact I don’t even know why the use those on road bikes. Worst idea in cycling…

Edited June 26, 2021 by AdventureAndy

[MajG]

2 hours ago, AdventureAndy said:

Spark 970 is, in my mind not even almost on par. The geometry sucks compared to the stumpy. It’s a great XC/marathon setup, but not a proper trail bike. The Judy fork it comes with is a twig compared to the 35 on the stumpy. I do wish the stump came with a gold 35, but the silver is okay…

 

spark is also only a 120mm front and rear…. So automatically disqualified from my search. I do own a spark 950, which I will keep for my more XC style riding…. (Self edit… I see the new one is 130up front…. Which in my opinion is way too much travel for a 30mm entry level fork….)

 

the stance is not a bike I would consider. The linkage on that isn’t great. It’s basically a trance without the maestro linkage, and a bike I think giant should rather not have made.

Trance is an amazing trail bike, but I would be looking at the trance 3 in this price bracket, and there just aren’t any available.

Fair point on the scott. 

Perhaps try Norco fluid fs1 2020 goes for R40k , Mello vello stocks them and good bikes

Rockshox pike

Shimano slx 1 x 12 and 4 piston brakes.

 

I ride a fluid, a tad heavy but it's a tank downhill

Edited June 26, 2021 by MajG

[Chadvdw67]

Ridgeway Cycles has some stock of the GT Sensor, they have the Carbon and Ally version in store

 

The Norco Fluid is also an amazing bike, but I dont think you will find any stock anywhere

[AdventureAndy]

That Norco looks like a machine, especially at the price point, Will phone around a little on Monday for both that and the GT (hoping the ally spec is similar to the carbon, if I can get one…. Before pulling the trigger on the stumpy

 

thanks for the inputs so far 

[justinafrika]

AA, I get how that bike is below your skill level yet it's a stretch to simply dismiss it with a "rather should not have been made". I drive low-slung Italian sports cars and it'd be ridiculous and a bit cranially evacuated for me to say that they "rather should not have made" BMWs or VWs. Just saying.

Edited June 26, 2021 by justinafrika

[Razor1972]

4 hours ago, AdventureAndy said:

Where from? I haven’t been able to find GT in stock anywhere in my search. I have always had a soft spot for them, since my first Zaskar I’m high school…

 

must say, carbon to me, on this type of bike is not really a selling point. Carbon makes sense on ultralight XC bikes, but for trail bikes the difference in frame weight is negligible, and the risks with carbon so so much higher. But frame aside, the 10k price difference is worth it for the rear shock and decent brakes alone. 

Carbon is not only about weight. To me it handles better for enduro riding. I recently switched to carbon and the difference is notable. I’d rather buy a used carbon than a new aluminum.

[Chadvdw67]

29 minutes ago, AdventureAndy said:

That Norco looks like a machine, especially at the price point, Will phone around a little on Monday for both that and the GT (hoping the ally spec is similar to the carbon, if I can get one…. Before pulling the trigger on the stumpy

 

thanks for the inputs so far 

The Ally Sensor has the same fork, shock and wheels, the brakes and drivetrain are not as good

 

Carbon has NX mix and TRP Gspec brakes

 

Ally has SX and Tektro M7somerhing (4 pot) brakes

 

If you can find a Norco Fluid or Giant Trance/Trance X, that would be 1st prize

 

Just sold my Norco Fluid and I am actually regretting it ????

[MajG]

50 minutes ago, Chadvdw67 said:

The Ally Sensor has the same fork, shock and wheels, the brakes and drivetrain are not as good

 

Carbon has NX mix and TRP Gspec brakes

 

Ally has SX and Tektro M7somerhing (4 pot) brakes

 

If you can find a Norco Fluid or Giant Trance/Trance X, that would be 1st prize

 

Just sold my Norco Fluid and I am actually regretting it ????

What did you buy? Or looking to buy 

And why did you sell the fluid ?

@Andy Contact cycles united group, they have many stores and they are the Norco distributors in SA

[Jewbacca]

1 hour ago, justinafrika said:

AA, I get how that bike is below your skill level yet it's a stretch to simply dismiss it with a "rather should not have been made". I drive low-slung Italian sports cars and it'd be ridiculous and a bit cranially evacuated for me to say that they "rather should not have made" BMWs or VWs. Just saying.

I completely disagree.

I firmly believe that we as humans have completely failed when I see and hear cars and motorbikes that are super loud, absolutely comsume too much fossil fuel, are built to exceed the legal speed limit and have such low profile tires and suspension they struggle to go over speed bumps.

So, realistically, I believe sports cars 'shouldn't' be made. In this day and age, with climate change and general acceptance and assistance in overpopulated areas, noisy cars and bikes spluttering around at 27000 revs in a residential neighbourhood are an indictment of how badly humans continue to fail.

So by saying 'GIANT have a platform that works, but they built a new one that doesn't, they shouldn't have built it' is by no means ridiculous.

It kind of makes sense in the context of the conversation. 

Edited June 26, 2021 by Jewbacca