Top-end trail bike - options?

I like going up as much as down, my 26" / 100mm XC bike really starts to show its limitations at trail centres. So what are my options?

I'd like:

+5" travel
27.5" wheels (29 looks wrong)
<27 lbs in weight so I can still do XC races on it

Yeti SB5c looks awesome but the price is more than entire collection of bikes!

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http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b65s183p ... -27-5-2015

These are getting a lot of attention on STW at the moment..

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That's pricey for a bike with only one fork! :shock: :facepalm:

Do you mean top end? Or best vfm?

Top end is unfortunately more expensive than even the SB5C.......

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Trigger's are perfect, iv got the 26" carbon one and its superb.

The lefty is better than pretty much any sus fork iv ever owned, good call.

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Canyon Nerve?
Ridiculous value for money

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Thanks for the replies.

A trail bike with a single-sided fork looks wrong! However - that price is amazing :shock:

Canyon are good value for money but the Strive (140mm travel) gets quite poor reviews. Also it doesn't have the special look of the Yeti.

I think if I spend lots of cash - and clear a lot of Konas too it's got to be really something, a true do all bike.

SP

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I have a friend who is looking to sell a yeti SB66, if that's of interest?
26" wheels though

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A friend has a radon slide which he says is very good.

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I'm going to see if I can improve my current bike first by fitting longer forks and going for a 15mm through axle up from 9mm quick release. Currently the head angle is 70 degrees, changing to a 120mm fork (up from 100) reduces this to 69 degrees. I'm going to see if I can get a set of Fox F-series and use my existing CSU with a longer damper and spring-stack. I'll see what comes up, but going to 130mm shouldn't be a problem in terms of geometry. If this doesn't happen then some Floats or TALAS.

The 70 degree head angle explains the twitchy handling! I've been running 20% static sag front and 30% rear, as when it uses up the travel it gets very front loaded. I think sinking £300 ish into a bike that has already cost thousands is better than selling it for peanuts and shelling out significantly more money. It mostly gets used for XC though a couple of times a year I go off to Wales for a bit of gnarly stuff, which is when it struggles.

SP