Recent content by asambell

Yeah, it does read from a group of people who hated it. I'm just not a fan of using timed runs as a focus for how a bike rides. The guys at Bike Mag http://www.bikemag.com/gear/mountain-bikes/review-intense-recluse/ saw it differently. So hard to tell who to believe.

HAHAHAHAHAHA. When you're putting down the better part of $5-6k, it'd be nice to ride more than a car park. I'll suss out if there's are any demo days or demo bikes to test. I appreciate your advice and input.

Couldn't agree more! Happy to close off this thread now. If anyone's interested, when I purchase my new bike I will put up a thread of the experiences (purchasing, building/adjusting, riding, and any after sales service if required). Thanks guys.

A great big handful of salt being taken here. Quite a harsh writeup, this is why so many people are asking so many questions when buying a new bike. Such contrasting reviews make this so much harder. Of course I'd love to be able to test ride one first, but which ones should I test ride?

Anyone able to comment on the following: - Evil Insurgent - Intense Recluse - Canyon Spectral Think I've narrowed it down to these three.

Hehehe...yeah sorry mate. I'm recovering from a knee reconstruction, hence so many questions. Also, won't be able to ride/buy it until summer-ish. Apologies, but I'm loving the discussions so far.

Evil Insurgent with the 150mm forks. Sweet looking rig, sick rear suspension design, fun fun fun. Throwing a spanner in the works. Thoughts?

Quite like the Trek, especially since I'll be supporting my LBS. The proprietary parts don't really bother me so much, as I've owned a Specialized where cable mounts cost $25 each, though I got around that myself. Love the rear suspension design of the Trek, but haven't ridden one yet.

I'm quite tempted. Have read a lot of glowing reviews about them, but am not sure about their after sales service in Oz. Canyon has a service centre 20 mins from my place, which is reassuring (except for JT's experience, what a ride [pardon the pun]). The YT is quite appealing.

Not to want to sound like a 'yes' man, but I do agree with the above statements. I'm not after that elusive enduro monster of a bike, and will be much happier and more suited to a bike with around 140-150mm of travel. More than that is a waste. Would I then be right in saying that the following...

Cheers Spike. Had a mate snap his rear triangle after hitting a relatively small jump. Somehow these things stick with you, so Norco hasn't been on my radar. I understand that these things can happen with any bike, but not too familiar with Norco either.

I'm probably being a bit pedantic with this, as you're probably right. Going from my 2010 Stumpy, anything from the 2017-2018 range (within reason) will likely blow the Stumpy away. The YT was right up on my list earlier, though a (and yes it was the only one) review questioned the longevity of...

Yeah, the Spectral is definitely on the list...now. Particularly with the specs, weight, and as much as i like the idea of the Shapeshifter, it's just another thing to worry about/service/etc. I bought my Stumpjumper which had (and I say 'had') the BRAIN which was a piece of shite! This has me...

Seems like the Canyon is leading at this stage. I do wonder if I'm overlooking any other bikes in this category. Again, around the $5-6k Mark and 150mm of travel front and rear. Based on my riding as per opening statement.

Thank you. Read a lot of good things about the Strive. How'd you like the SB6? If only money wasn't an issue, I'd probably look at a SB5 or alike.