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Torrent 1, Vapour 2 or Trance X3
I'm just getting into mtbing and went for a ride up at Kalamunda the other week and loved it. I used a friends Giant xtc and found that I felt to far forward on the bike especially going downhill. I have come to the conclusion that I want a good alround bike that is going to be good on the trails but will also allow me to do a little XC if I need to.
I have done a bit of research and narrowed it down to 3 bikes. The Torrent1 and Vapour2 are last years models on runout for $1250 and $1500 respectively and the Trance X3 is a 2012 for $1600. I am 6'1" and 100kg so will need something that can handle some weight.
The Vapour2 is the highest spec but my only concern is the limited travel(100mm).
The Torrent1 is middle on spec but has the most travel(140mm). It also has a slacker head angle(67 compared to 69 on the others) which I'm concerned may make it a little to laid back for xc.
The Trance is in the middle on travel(120mm) but is the lowest spec and most expensive.
So basically it boils down to travel vs head angle vs spec.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
P.S. I know I probably should go and test ride them but, I work away and am a little impatient and want my new toy when I get home.
Cheers!
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The most important thing will be how the bike fits you. A test ride is really a must do imho. Even if it's out front of the shop jumping some gutters.
As for the travel, I'm the same height and weight and would probably lean towards the longer travel if you want a do it all bike. Really depends on your riding style. I have none and therefore need all 6" of travel
Thanks for the feed back.
I would like to test but I'm offshore at the moment and both the Avanti bikes are from Melbourne anyway.
But from what you are saying the Torrent would probably be the way to go.
There are massive deals to be had at present as the 2013 models are hitting the shops and LBS's are moving out the 2012 models to make room. I just picked up a Trance X Advanced 2012 for $2500, rrp $4000. It comes down to what suits you best. I settled on the Trance as a good compromise between a full XC 100mm set up and something more suited to bombng down hills with 140mm travel. At the end of the day your call.
You may want to check out the Merida's as well. Only reason I didn't get one, apart from the unreal price from Cycleworld at Burwood on the Trance, was they didn't have any XL's in what I was looking for. You could probably drive a hard bargain with stockists at present, they had their 2013 launch this week in Brisbane.
Yes i went through all this over a year back and settled on the Torrent 2. Ride XC each weekend, race XC in local club and AM events around the place, on this bike and haven't looked back since. I'm a heavy weight and came off a 100mm xc machine to this and the change for myself was remarkable.
Find some more cash and get an X2 Trance....
If you are just getting into MTBing can I urge you to be patient and ride a couple first, at least that way you can maybe make a choice based on some feeling for the bike. Could I also suggest that no matter which bike you choose, after awhile you will want to upgrade.
My suggestion would be to get the best frame and maybe suspension (shock & fork) you can get and don't worry too much about the running gear as long as it is solid. It will wear out whatever you do. How long that takes depends on where and how much you ride.
I assume you are looking at 26r's. If you do manage to ride a couple try a 29r. At over 6' they may fit you better than a 26r, especially if you are only going to do "a little XC" (not suggesting 29r better than 26r but a 29r MAY suit you better). The scuttlebut has it that a 29r needs less travel than a 26r - but that is a matter of opinion.
So FWIW ride a couple of different bikes.
As stated above there are good deals to get at this time of year. I personally got the trance x3, and i paid $1400, with a quick set up and free servicing for a year. Also when you buy locally if something goes wrong, you can easily contact your LBS and get it fixed, compared to buying from over east. As everyone has stated try take it out for a little ride even if its around the car park. Best of luck in your decision though.
I completely agree with your theory of upgrading in the future (Oldernslower). That is why I'm probably being a bit hasty here with my rush to buy. I just want to get something adequate(and cheap) that I can start on so that I can learn what it is that I like and don't like and then use this knowledge to upgrade when I am better informed in a year or so.
I also like the idea of assembling the bike myself so that I can learn a bit more about the set up.
Way to many giants in the world.
Good luck
Were'nt they being promoted during some bike race in July by a pommy bloke who said mountain biking shouldn't be an olympic sport?
I'm heading too Narrabeen tomorrow to try these both out in a 29er dually , I will be letting go my trusty 29er hardtail go as soon as I pick out the one i'm after . Will hopefully be at the Dam tomorrow for a spin on either bike brand .
I rode the dam on the vapour 29er with 120 mm travel & rode the 14.1kg bike thru it's paces then went back to the shop & tried the Scott spark 29er , I have my fav picked out just waiting for money too come thru soon & I will have a new 29er dually .
What level Scott Spark was it?
..it was the spark elite model