Dreaming of an aggressive 29er for the North Shore and PNW

I'm betting with the good help of the board here you could zero in on the perfect frame, but finding 29er wheels that will meet the light weight/heavy plow requirement might be tricky…?

IMO rims today can be built lighter and be strong enough too take abuse that rims years back would not do . My low 400 gram rims and 28h wheels take the same abuse my old DH wheel set did and they survive .

and Jokester that Prime is sweet looking all murdered out .

don't be under any false impressions on what it will take to make a 30 pound 'ish' long travel 29er that can handle hard riding on the shore. i doubt you will be able to get under the 7 grand mark (more like 8+) with that weight goal in mind. their are probably a few builds and models that will fit that bill round the corner (new E29, new Range, Slash, and a few more i'm sure). hope you make Vancouver money and have an understanding Vangroovy wife.

maybe Craw will chime in with his experience. size xl wagon wheelers, big guy, rides a Wreckoning.

don't be under any false impressions on what it will take to make a 30 pound 'ish' long travel 29er that can handle hard riding on the shore. i doubt you will be able to get under the 7 grand mark (more like 8+) with that weight goal in mind. their are probably a few builds and models that will fit that bill round the corner (new E29, new Range, Slash, and a few more i'm sure). hope you make Vancouver money and have an understanding Vangroovy wife.

Yeah, burly 29er wheels could put me over that 30lbs or so, especially if I go procore again. I'll definitely need to look at things closely to stay in that range.

Like I said, there is an element of dreaming and no fixed timeline on this dream but as long as Donald Trump doesn't rip up NAFTA I should be getting in a fair bit of overtime this next year so who knows.

Each of these bikes has a very particular fit. Definitely worth comparing the numbers.

Does anyone have a Yeti SB5.5c? Other than the price, this is probably at the top of my list due to the absolutely glowing reviews I've read about its balance of up and downhill performance. My three reservations are: Price, durability of the switch infinity link for North Shore winter riding, and if the rear 140mm of travel is progressive enough to keep me from bottoming out too often due to my 'bull in a china shop' riding style - or lack of style:(

I haven't tried the SB5.5 yet, but I've ridden the SB6 through all last winter, hosed it off after every ride (which I usually never do, it's convenient but harsh on the bike, but my air compressor was broken) The Switch Infinity link is still perfect on it. I've also been riding the SB4.5 since the summer and I'm super impressed by how nimble and lively the 29s feel and how capable it is on rougher lines, steeps, etc.

The SB5.5 will be my next bike for sure, thinking it will be the perfect blend of the 2.

I've heard something about Different Bikes in WEst Van selling some, and you could also check out Arbutus Routes in Whistler.

Banshee Prime loves to plow through the shit….such a good bike. Not a light frame and I have my XL down to 32-33 lbs. I am 6'4" and 250lbs though….so not trying to build a light bike. With that said I am running CK hubs to LB carbon rims with a 31mm ID and friggin love that setup. Add in some SixC cranks and bars and it helps keep the weight down but still be tough.

i've had a few rides on the 5.5c as well as the slash. both great bikes, different character, certainly. unsurprisingly, with it's steeper h/a and shorter travel rear, the yeti is a bit sharper, more playful trail bike, whereas the slash is a bit more plush [HTML_REMOVED] plow. the trek will certainly work on the shore, i just found the yeti a bit better fit. that said, if racing and a bit of park (ab)use were also on the agenda, i'd tend towards the trek. it loves speed [HTML_REMOVED] chunk.

Yeah, burly 29er wheels could put me over that 30lbs or so, especially if I go procore again. I'll definitely need to look at things closely to stay in that range.

Id leave a little extra in the budget for carbon rims. Thats the first place id put carbon on a 29er. Solves the wheel flex and weight issue in one swoop.

And maybe one of those huck norris things instead of procore

http://www.ninerbikes.com/rip9
29x2.5 or 27.5+ and threaded BB, but no frame-only.

don't be under any false impressions on what it will take to make a 30 pound 'ish' long travel 29er that can handle hard riding on the shore. i doubt you will be able to get under the 7 grand mark (more like 8+) with that weight goal in mind. their are probably a few builds and models that will fit that bill round the corner (new E29, new Range, Slash, and a few more i'm sure). hope you make Vancouver money and have an understanding Vangroovy wife.

maybe Craw will chime in with his experience. size xl wagon wheelers, big guy, rides a Wreckoning.

You rang?

@Xorrox didn't mention his height/weight?

I love the Wreck and have had nothing but great luck with it. I weigh around 6'6", 230 geared up and my bike at fighting weight is around 32lbs (EXO tires, 170mm dropper, carbon rims). If you're in this size class I don't think you'll get to 27lbs without sacrificing some toughness or reliability.

I've been on 29ers on the Shore for a while and destroyed lots of wheels. Went to Derby wide carbon rims two years and haven't looked back. I haven't tried the new generation of Flows or Easton ARCs, which might be awesome.

The trick with new completes is figuring out if it makes sense to buy the top of the line one or the middle of the road one and upgrade some stuff on it.

Evils are on sale right now, $500 off complete bikes on the Evil site, BTW.

Banshee Prime loves to plow through the shit….such a good bike. Not a light frame and I have my XL down to 32-33 lbs. I am 6'4" and 250lbs though….so not trying to build a light bike. With that said I am running CK hubs to LB carbon rims with a 31mm ID and friggin love that setup. Add in some SixC cranks and bars and it helps keep the weight down but still be tough.

new tube set has dropped the frame weight by 1lb for 2017 if I read the write-up correctly , not to mention the new tubing really changed the look in a positive way IMO. they are back on my radar for a new bike frame .

You rang?

@Xorrox didn't mention his height/weight?

I love the Wreck and have had nothing but great luck with it. I weigh around 6'6", 230 geared up and my bike at fighting weight is around 32lbs (EXO tires, 170mm dropper, carbon rims). If you're in this size class I don't think you'll get to 27lbs without sacrificing some toughness or reliability.

I've been on 29ers on the Shore for a while and destroyed lots of wheels. Went to Derby wide carbon rims two years and haven't looked back. I haven't tried the new generation of Flows or Easton ARCs, which might be awesome.

The trick with new completes is figuring out if it makes sense to buy the top of the line one or the middle of the road one and upgrade some stuff on it.

Evils are on sale right now, $500 off complete bikes on the Evil site, BTW.

I'm roughly the same weight as you but more dwarf like - 5'9" 30.5" inseam. My short 'football player' legs do not offer much bump absorption. :(

I trashed my first rear carbon rim on Ned's running around 28 psi tubeless. Have since been running procore on the warranty replacement with good results (the valve stem is just long enough and they have not exploded yet) until just last Friday when I pinch flatted even with procore. Probably would have broken my rim without it though.

I certainly don't expect to get anywhere near 27 lbs but it would be nice to stay below 31. I suspect I would be on a smaller frame than you ([HTML_REMOVED][HTML_REMOVED] understatement) so that would help a little with the weight as well.

How is the Wreckoning to pedal up hill on the shore? That, sizing and frame durability are my main questions for that bike - it sure is a beauty.

I'll definitely have to see if I can demo a Slash in the next year. I'm a little concerned about how the new single pivot arrangement affects pedaling performance though and the proprietary knock block headset arrangement is a little annoying. Other than these two questions / annoyances it seems pretty much a perfect spec.

Does anyone have a Yeti SB5.5c? Other than the price, this is probably at the top of my list due to the absolutely glowing reviews I've read about its balance of up and downhill performance. My three reservations are: Price, durability of the switch infinity link for North Shore winter riding, and if the rear 140mm of travel is progressive enough to keep me from bottoming out too often due to my 'bull in a china shop' riding style - or lack of style:(

Banshee also have a great rep for durability but 135 mm rear travel on the Prime seems just a little too short to me and they are a little on the heavy side. Ideally I'd like to keep my build around the 30ish lbs my current bike is.

I got the 5.5 in the summer. I've had a few issues with parts around the bike (for whatever reason), so I haven't had as much time on it as I'd like. No issues with the frame or the infinity link. I pulled it apart a week ago to clean and re-grease it and there was no noticeable signs of wear.

I haven't ridden the other bikes in your list, so it's a little hard for me to compare. Anyway, the Yeti is the best pedalling bike I have owned in a long time (Nomad, Ibis HD3, Knolly Endorphin, etc.). And it's been the best companion for long days and I would say it's the best all around bike I've ridden in a long time. Right now, I'm running a Push 11/6 on there and it feels like the rear end is calmed just a bit, which I really like. I was surprised how well it still pedalled with the coil. My only note or criticism is that bike feels very racey. If I'm out pushing it hard, the bike feels just awesome. But I find when I back off a bit, it can feel like the bike is riding me. Maybe I don't have the perfect set up yet though.

Last thing, I found it pretty hard to bottom the bike even with the stock Fox set up. Even the Push is very difficult to bottom. But if you're looking to plow down Ned's, then probably check out one of the bigger bikes on your list.

Mike

new tube set has dropped the frame weight by 1lb for 2017 if I read the write-up correctly , not to mention the new tubing really changed the look in a positive way IMO. they are back on my radar for a new bike frame .

Yep, I guess that's another option I'll have to look at. Does Banshee ever do demo days on the North Shore? I just wish it had a little more travel in the back or maybe the 2017 does if they have made changes. Even with the Yeti SB5.5c (140 mm rear travel) I'm a little concerned about either bottoming out regularly or having to set the rear really progressive or high pressure.