new enduro duallie

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el nico

Squid
Hi
I need some advice re a new duallie. I ride for fun but do the scott/mont 24 hr races in teams of 4 and have got the capital punishment 100 coming up soon. Im 6ft and 80kg and my current medium trance 1 '08 is too small and a bit twitchy on descents for my liking. My previous bike was an '05 xtc hardtail. Have got an opportunity to buy a new 09 pivot mach 5 XT for 5000 (my absolute upper limit) but can't test ride it. I am considering a trek fuel ex 9 for the same amount which I can test ride in a couple of weeks . I test rode a 2010 stumpy expert which felt quite spongy on the climbs and a medium mach 4 which was an awesome pedaller but a little twitchy and small. I live in Canberra so mostly ride at stromlo but also majura and sparrow.
Having never owned a bike with more than 100mm travel I'm feeling like the 140mm pivot may be overkill, but the rear dW link works so well on the mach 4 that I'm seriously considering the mach 5.
What do y'all think about the trade off in handling moving up from a 4inch to 5 inch bike. Any thoughts on the trek vs pivot? What do thoise with 100k experience think about each of these bikes for enduro racing?

Would be grateful for all comments!:)
 
orchie

orchie

Likes Dirt
Mach 5 is nice, I test rode one around Stromlo. Any reason you can't throw a leg over one?

Grant
 
DarrenHunt

DarrenHunt

Likes Dirt
Try and get a test ride on the trek. They are awesome bikes, bomb proof, handle fantastically but can still climb. Best trail bike i've ever ridden.
 
E

el nico

Squid
No test mach 5 bike available in ACT according to shop.

Just got a phone call to say there's a stumpy2010 elite this weekend down from 4999 to 3450. Wasnt impressed with the rear Brain on the expert but elite comes with fox triad rear
any thoughts?
 
fergo

fergo

Likes Dirt
I like riding up hills, but wanted a little bit of travel for descending/enduros. I was drooling over the trek fuel EX9 for ages and was not even considering other bikes. Then the Pivot came along and changed my ideas. It was the reviews of the pedalling and climbing efficiency that have swayed me over. People say it rides like a hardtail. In the end, due to cash restrictions, I bought a kona 120 supreme.

What I SHOULD have bought was the Pivot. If I could, I'd trade the Kona in tomorrow for the Pivot. If its a hilly course I'm riding, I take the hardtail.

Another option may be the Felt Virtue 1 (around $4400). The Felt equilink system is basically the same as Pivot, except it attaches to the fram at pivot points where as the Pivot bike is welded and fixed. Same concept to keep the top and bottom stays moving together to prevent pedal bob etc

Giant trance X1 with maestro may also work.
 
akashra

akashra

Eats Squid
At 6ft/80kg yeah, I'd agree you should definitely give the Felt Virtue a look. If I were a heavier rider, it's definitely the frame I'd go for.
 
spikenet

spikenet

Likes Dirt
el nico said:
I test rode a 2010 stumpy expert which felt quite spongy on the climbs

What do thoise with 100k experience think about each of these bikes for enduro racing?
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Sounds like the stumpy wasnt setup properly. I have the 09 Stumpy Pro and its an amazing ride. Dial the brain in and you have one of the best pedal platforms out with minimal weight.

If I was to buy again I'd probably get an Epic as they are slightly lighter and have less travel. Depends if you want speed or comfort. :)
 
Hugor

Hugor

Likes Dirt
The hype about the DWL is no lie. I own a firebird and that could match most XC bikes for climbing ability.
You won't regret buying the mach 5 but you will probably forever wonder how much better your ride was on anything else; especially when your at the 80k mark of your marathon.
 
Jackstack

Jackstack

Likes Dirt
The Fuel EX9 is a sweet ride but couldn't compare it to the others as I haven't ridden any of them. I am 6ft and 90kegs and the Trek works good for me. Did the Scott solo on it last year and loved every minute of it, climbs well and absolutely loves going down the hill.
Mind you dont think i've ever heard a bad word about the Pivot.
 
Megahead

Megahead

Likes Bikes
I've got a 2009 Trek 9 and it's a great bike. Climbs well, descends better. Just a great bike to ride long distances on. If you want a bike that you can ride all day the Fuel is terrific. Just recently though I've been wondering if a 4 inch bike would be better suited to the riding I do. I've found the Fuel can be a little sluggish when you want to ride a bit harder. I wonder if there's room in my garage for another bike?
 
crank1979

crank1979

Likes Bikes and Dirt
The Mach 5 is a brilliant bike. The pedalling performance is better than the 3.5" travel Anthem that it replaced and the handling is much better. I find the Firebird is a better bike for technical stuff, but for my weekend warrior style the Mach 5 is the perfect bike for the endurance events. Active suspension all the time, no ProPedal needed, no feedback though the chain that i've felt and no influence on the suspension from braking that i can feel. I've progressed through bikes with FSR --> Maestro --> VPP --> DW link and each system has performed better than the last.:)
 
E

el nico

Squid
Thanks for all the tips. It s down to trek vs pivot, I m testing the trek in a week or two.

I test rode a santacruz tall boy 29er on the weekend.. definitely an interesting ride, would be awesome for long climbs, rubbly stuff, but I wasn't a massive fan on tight rocky descents..could have been the small block 8 tyres or the hard sus setup though.

Have just put some cane creek ergo barends with some ritchey neoprene grips and a gobi xm seat on my trance which has helped massively with comfort (ergo bar ends have to be the most comfortable single item...now have about 6 different hand positions instead of one on long rides..good bye hand cramps!)
 
rearviewmirror

rearviewmirror

Likes Dirt
Titus Racer X 29er.... best XC bike I've ridden/raced. (The 26er version is amazing too.) If you're near Melbourne you're more than welcome to give mine a go, I have the both the 26er and 29er.
 
Misplaced

Misplaced

Formerly Unfit
el nico said:
Thanks for all the tips. It s down to trek vs pivot,
Click to expand...
Nice Dilemma, enjoy the test rides!

My only issue with the Pivot is the super wide BBshell and what it does to the chainline? Maybe some Pivot owners can comment.

That plus the press in BB cups, not a fan of that on any MTB and I cant see it lasting long as a 'standard'
 
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crank1979

crank1979

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Misplaced said:
Nice Dilemma, enjoy the test rides!

My only issue with the Pivot is the super wide BBshell and what it does to the chainline? Maybe some Pivot owners can comment.

That plus the press in BB cups, not a fan of that on any MTB and I cant see it lasting long as a 'standard'
Click to expand...
I haven't even thought about the bb after buying it. It was definitely something i worried about before buying but it's a non issue.

As for Trek vs Pivot, is that even fair for the Trek?:p
 
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el nico

Squid
pivot BB

Interesting chat re bottom bracket on the pivot, I notice the bike mags seem impressed with the pivot BB design,
Riding round the carpark, the BB is much higher on the pivot than on my Trance, apart from the obvious benfefits of not smashing pedals on every rock , do you notice the higher position in stability??
 
crank1979

crank1979

Likes Bikes and Dirt
el nico said:
Interesting chat re bottom bracket on the pivot, I notice the bike mags seem impressed with the pivot BB design,
Riding round the carpark, the BB is much higher on the pivot than on my Trance, apart from the obvious benfefits of not smashing pedals on every rock , do you notice the higher position in stability??
Click to expand...
The higher bottom bracket was one reason i bought the Mach 5. Stability is fine. :)
 
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