This intro was the best thing I've seen in any bike review. Thanks for not just throwing up a bunch of bikes and confusing us with technical jargon. I've watched dozens of videos to help me select a new bike and this is perfect for a newbie like me. I knew what a hardtail was but I didn't appreciate the different styles within that category.
Got a bobcat trail 4, been doing upgrades as per your vids, dropper installed, new air fork on the way. Been an excellent riding bike with even just the dropper. Appreciate the knowledge my dude!
@@downtoridemtb Can confirm putting the Judy on the Bobcat is a worthy upgrade. Makes miles of difference, thanks again for the useful info and commentary!
Just bought a Bobcat. Love the bike! Ride Road & Trail. Put a Schwalbe G-one Speed on the rear & a Hurricane on the front. Ergon grips & Shimano Flat pedals. 75 yr old Aussie . Champy.
Great video Brian. This will be very helpful for folks looking to get into our sport. Maybe the next video should be, best upgrades to take your $900 bike to the next level. Any of these bike come with thru axles? My vote is for the Rocky Mountain.
Thanks! I didn’t come across any with a thru axle. I think you gotta be at $1000+ for that unfortunately. There are three things that come to mind for upgrades so I may do just that. Thanks for the idea!
Have the Talon 1 myself. I purchased it from Pedal Power and have really enjoyed upgrading it. Only drawback I've found was the crank and bottom bracket.
On the Talon 2 I just got, the left crank loosens itself. Is that what yours is doing? And if so, did you find a fix? I was thinking some locktite and maybe a lock washer.
@@downtoridemtb I had the pedal on the drive side crank strip out and the bottom bracket was creaking. Giant covered everything but I swapped a deore 5100 crank and hollowtech bottom bracket in and it feels much better. Gave it a good test run at Pocahontas today.
Oh gotcha, yeah I don’t think the crank has rounded out on mine so hopefully my cheap fix will do the trick. If not, I’ll be getting one of those $40 IXF crank and bb combos from Amazon that seem to actually be well made
Rocky Mountain Fusion 10 originally came with Shimano hydraulic brakes but they had supply chain issues so had to change to the Clarks. I actually bought the 2022 Fusion 10 this summer and luckily mine came with the Shimano brakes. So far I'm very happy with the Fusion 10. The frame is very upgrade worthy. So far I've upgraded the pedals and front tire. In a couple weeks I will be switching to the Advent X 10 speed 11-48 for the extra climbing gear (The Fusion 30 comes with the Advent X 10 speed but they were out of stock).Next year will be keeping an eye out for a deal on some Fox 34 forks and dropper post.
I have this bike too and mine came with Clarks, but the bike shop switched them out with Shimano's because they felt bad for me. I kid you not. They wanted me to go home with Shimano's on my new Fusion 10, and I did and I couldn't be happier. The Fusion 10 is a terrific bike, fyi! I got the black and gray one.
@@lambertj.2892 Awesome, I'm glad to hear your enjoying your Fusion 10 as well. Mine is the same color. I also recently upgraded the 160mm front caliper to a 180mm. It made a noticeable difference in braking power. The tires have made the biggest difference for me. I'm running Maxxis DHR ll front and back with the double down casing in the back. Much better pinch flat resistance and handling.
Based on the specs, I feel like I really got a steal on my GT avalanche for $400. It’s spec’d very similarly to these bikes, and because of the purchase price I’m not afraid to throw $500 at it and upgrades.
Looking forward to your Talon 2 video. I own a Talon 2 and trying mountain biking. At age 72 I love the rush I get and am considering an upgrade to dropper post and air fork. This next video will be interesting will be exactly what I need.
Dropper post will be a game changer, even if you only use it for getting on and off the big it helps a lot. PNW Loam dropper is the best bang for your Buck, and the travel is adjustable. I got mine on sale for under $200, and it came with the cables. You do have to buy a lever tho, and the PNW loam lever is great.
I have at least one other video in the works before I can get to the Talon so it might be a bit. Dropper post will be good but it does take some getting used to. And just like you said, air fork is the other big thing. Just be sure to get a straight steerer tube and qr axle dropouts. Good luck!
I have one hardtail, I bild may bike part, by part, oll components, is highly quality,,1 bay 12 speed etc.. its amazing better than full suspension, for many reasons,,😂❤
I'm looking at the Xtrada 7 the sale price is $999. Comes with an air fork and through axles the one by 12 drivetrain. The only problem I have is I need an extra large frame because I'm a 6 ft 3 female and it's hard to see if it fits buying it online what's your suggestions the only spend total of $1,048
That’s a good price for that bike! XL should fit. Biggest thing is the stand over and if it fits with your inseam. Reach can kind of be adjusted by moving the seat and getting a different length stem if you have to. Good luck and enjoy the new bike!
hi! BOBCAT TRAIL 5 vs Polygon XTRADA 6? in my country the trail 5 sell for 922$ and the Xtrada 6 for 972$, i cant decise for one of the two, my plan is to climb hills and stuff, also a lot of city and some dirt terrain a lot of times.
one bike that comes to mind that could have been in this video is the vitus nucleus vr or vrs. im in england so dont know the prices in $. the vr i think would have been right in the price range. it has an air fork and a 1x8 drivetrain
Yeah it is definitely a good one and was in most of the previous videos like this. At the time of making this video all I could find was a model that, with shipping to the US factored in, pushed it over $1000. I’ll definitely be doing a 2013 version of this video though and it will be interesting to see how the prices stabilize and possibly start coming back down to reality.
@@timothycole9232 nice, that’s a steal at that price! I had one that I got when CRC had excess frames so I built it from the ground up. Was a great bike but I had to move on to full suspension cuz of my bad back. Anyway enjoy the bike!
@@timothycole9232 it was somewhere around $150. I really don’t remember because it was back in probably 2018. Some of the first videos on this channel were me building it up. They’re not great videos, I was kind of leaning about bike stuff as I went. I actually was browsing CRC yesterday but right now all I really need to do are some maintenance items which I already have parts for.
Yeah I think that is pretty hard to find in this price range. It is becoming more and more of a standard though and definitely important if you ever want to upgrade your hub or wheel set.
NO SUNTOUR COIL FORK IS DESIGNED FOR TRAILS. They all have plastic bushings inside instead of metal. They will fail. The XCR air fork has one metal bushing and one plastic bushing. This is the lowest level fork Suntour rates as trail capable. Next up is the Raidon air with two metal bushings. All the other X forks are for bike paths and smooth trails only. DO NOT BUY BIKES WITH SUNTOUR X FORKS FOR TRAIL RIDING.
@ericdolby1622 Marin Bobcat Trail 4 and Polygon Xtrada 6 both have better forks and are less expensive. But still the Trek is nice and you’ll get local bike shop setup and support.
I didn't like that comment about rim brakes. How about anything that is less than 12 speed don't look at it. How about anything that is not carbon and weighs more than 21 lbs don't waste your time How about anything that is over $901 don't look at it How about all of those recommendations 😠😡
![ARGENTINA vs. BOLIVIA [6-0] | RESUMEN | ELIMINATORIAS SUDAMERICANAS | FECHA 10](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/C3wPtKNbAOA/mqdefault.jpg)
This intro was the best thing I've seen in any bike review. Thanks for not just throwing up a bunch of bikes and confusing us with technical jargon. I've watched dozens of videos to help me select a new bike and this is perfect for a newbie like me. I knew what a hardtail was but I didn't appreciate the different styles within that category.
Glad it was helpful. Tried to think of it as what I should have learned before buying my first bike.
Got a bobcat trail 4, been doing upgrades as per your vids, dropper installed, new air fork on the way. Been an excellent riding bike with even just the dropper. Appreciate the knowledge my dude!
Glad to spread the good word and glad you’re enjoying the bike. What air fork did you order?
@@downtoridemtb went with a Rockshox Judy silver tk. Straight steerer and got the 9mm quick release, 120 mm version. Can't wait to see the difference
Thats awesome! Same fork I plan on getting for this Giant Talon. I hope for both of us that it is solid!
@@downtoridemtb looking forward to seeing that coming up, keep up the good work!
@@downtoridemtb Can confirm putting the Judy on the Bobcat is a worthy upgrade. Makes miles of difference, thanks again for the useful info and commentary!
Just bought a Bobcat. Love the bike! Ride Road & Trail. Put a Schwalbe G-one Speed on the rear & a Hurricane on the front. Ergon grips & Shimano Flat pedals. 75 yr old Aussie . Champy.
Man I can only hope to still be riding when I’m 75! Seems like things started falling apart on me at 35. Anyway enjoy that Bobcat!
Sounds amazing
Great video Brian. This will be very helpful for folks looking to get into our sport. Maybe the next video should be, best upgrades to take your $900 bike to the next level. Any of these bike come with thru axles? My vote is for the Rocky Mountain.
Thanks! I didn’t come across any with a thru axle. I think you gotta be at $1000+ for that unfortunately. There are three things that come to mind for upgrades so I may do just that. Thanks for the idea!
Great vid, very informational. Was just passing by after buying a budget hardtail to upgrade and add to the fleet.
Thanks. What bike did you get?
Was leaning towards a Marin but this video definitely has me considering the polygon with the value it brings for the price. Great video
Thanks Andrew. I don’t think you can go wrong with either of them.
Check out Specialized Rockhopper Elite, better components.
I just got my Bobcat Trail 4 for 800 shipped from Jenson USA
That’s a really good deal!!! Enjoy it!
I paid my 700 euros. Normal price is 900 euros. Perfect bike for that money.
Polygon xtrada 7 has air fork too + 12 speed deore
Yeah I think at the time I filmed this it was over $1000 but the current $899 price is good.
Have the Talon 1 myself. I purchased it from Pedal Power and have really enjoyed upgrading it. Only drawback I've found was the crank and bottom bracket.
On the Talon 2 I just got, the left crank loosens itself. Is that what yours is doing? And if so, did you find a fix? I was thinking some locktite and maybe a lock washer.
@@downtoridemtb I had the pedal on the drive side crank strip out and the bottom bracket was creaking. Giant covered everything but I swapped a deore 5100 crank and hollowtech bottom bracket in and it feels much better. Gave it a good test run at Pocahontas today.
Oh gotcha, yeah I don’t think the crank has rounded out on mine so hopefully my cheap fix will do the trick. If not, I’ll be getting one of those $40 IXF crank and bb combos from Amazon that seem to actually be well made
@@downtoridemtb ixf cranks are great. I ran one on my Trek. Seriously underrated for the money.
I have bought Marin few days ago. Really nice bike!
It’s a good one! Enjoy!
I'm looking forward for giant and marin comparison, I'm curious whether 1,4 degree in head tube angle makes any diference
I am too! I can say just in the quick test ride around the block, there is at least one thing I like more about it than the Bobcat
Looking forward to this review as well!
Rocky Mountain Fusion 10 originally came with Shimano hydraulic brakes but they had supply chain issues so had to change to the Clarks. I actually bought the 2022 Fusion 10 this summer and luckily mine came with the Shimano brakes. So far I'm very happy with the Fusion 10. The frame is very upgrade worthy. So far I've upgraded the pedals and front tire. In a couple weeks I will be switching to the Advent X 10 speed 11-48 for the extra climbing gear (The Fusion 30 comes with the Advent X 10 speed but they were out of stock).Next year will be keeping an eye out for a deal on some Fox 34 forks and dropper post.
Right on, the Advent X is a good setup. A tip from experience, try an 11 speed chain with it. Seems to run smoother and quieter.
I have this bike too and mine came with Clarks, but the bike shop switched them out with Shimano's because they felt bad for me. I kid you not. They wanted me to go home with Shimano's on my new Fusion 10, and I did and I couldn't be happier. The Fusion 10 is a terrific bike, fyi! I got the black and gray one.
@@lambertj.2892 Awesome, I'm glad to hear your enjoying your Fusion 10 as well. Mine is the same color. I also recently upgraded the 160mm front caliper to a 180mm. It made a noticeable difference in braking power. The tires have made the biggest difference for me. I'm running Maxxis DHR ll front and back with the double down casing in the back. Much better pinch flat resistance and handling.
Got the Shimano Brakes too. Just bought the bike too, so maybe there are some left.
Based on the specs, I feel like I really got a steal on my GT avalanche for $400. It’s spec’d very similarly to these bikes, and because of the purchase price I’m not afraid to throw $500 at it and upgrades.
Nice! $500 spent wisely would make it a very capable bike.
Looking forward to your Talon 2 video. I own a Talon 2 and trying mountain biking. At age 72 I love the rush I get and am considering an upgrade to dropper post and air fork. This next video will be interesting will be exactly what I need.
Dropper post will be a game changer, even if you only use it for getting on and off the big it helps a lot. PNW Loam dropper is the best bang for your Buck, and the travel is adjustable. I got mine on sale for under $200, and it came with the cables. You do have to buy a lever tho, and the PNW loam lever is great.
I have at least one other video in the works before I can get to the Talon so it might be a bit. Dropper post will be good but it does take some getting used to. And just like you said, air fork is the other big thing. Just be sure to get a straight steerer tube and qr axle dropouts. Good luck!
@@Bpf1893 Thanks. I have had my eye on the Loam dropper
Managed to get a lava dome in nz for under 800 nzd quite happy with the bike
I have no idea the conversion of USD to NZD but it sounds like a sold deal! Cheers and enjoy those New Zealand trails!
Man those bikes look so sweet, good score!
Thanks for the education.
You’re welcome. Class dismissed!
I have one hardtail, I bild may bike part, by part, oll components, is highly quality,,1 bay 12 speed etc.. its amazing better than full suspension, for many reasons,,😂❤
Great and helpful video my guy. Awesome.
Thanks! Good luck on the bike purchase!
I'm looking at the Xtrada 7 the sale price is $999. Comes with an air fork and through axles the one by 12 drivetrain.
The only problem I have is I need an extra large frame because I'm a 6 ft 3 female and it's hard to see if it fits buying it online what's your suggestions the only spend total of $1,048
That’s a good price for that bike! XL should fit. Biggest thing is the stand over and if it fits with your inseam. Reach can kind of be adjusted by moving the seat and getting a different length stem if you have to. Good luck and enjoy the new bike!
What should I get Kona lava dome or Cannondale trail 5 the price is basically the same they are both on sale please help
They are both good choices. Without actually riding them back to back, I couldn’t say.
hi! BOBCAT TRAIL 5 vs Polygon XTRADA 6? in my country the trail 5 sell for 922$ and the Xtrada 6 for 972$, i cant decise for one of the two, my plan is to climb hills and stuff, also a lot of city and some dirt terrain a lot of times.
The Polygon is slightly better on paper. But I’ve never ridden one so I can’t say for sure. I don’t think you can go wrong with either.
@@downtoridemtb I can't decide, I like them both :c. Because the strada is a little bit better? thanks a lot for your quick answer bro!
Good informational video
Thanks Omer!!!
Just commented on an old video of yours. Lets see what I can learn from this one :)
Yep, same format pretty much, just up to date info
Bobcat trail 4 or cannondale trail 5?
Nice . very helpful.
Glad to hear it!
one bike that comes to mind that could have been in this video is the vitus nucleus vr or vrs. im in england so dont know the prices in $. the vr i think would have been right in the price range. it has an air fork and a 1x8 drivetrain
Yeah it is definitely a good one and was in most of the previous videos like this. At the time of making this video all I could find was a model that, with shipping to the US factored in, pushed it over $1000. I’ll definitely be doing a 2013 version of this video though and it will be interesting to see how the prices stabilize and possibly start coming back down to reality.
@@downtoridemtb oh ok. just thought it would be worth mentioning as i just got 1 for £500 (abt 600 usd i think)
@@timothycole9232 nice, that’s a steal at that price! I had one that I got when CRC had excess frames so I built it from the ground up. Was a great bike but I had to move on to full suspension cuz of my bad back. Anyway enjoy the bike!
@@downtoridemtb oh cool. How much was it for the frame? Also they have some huge sales atm so might be worth taking a look if you want anything.
@@timothycole9232 it was somewhere around $150. I really don’t remember because it was back in probably 2018. Some of the first videos on this channel were me building it up. They’re not great videos, I was kind of leaning about bike stuff as I went. I actually was browsing CRC yesterday but right now all I really need to do are some maintenance items which I already have parts for.
Does the marin bobcat come with a tappered headtube?
It does not
If you can make video aboit hardtail mtb with thro axel noone is talking about that in youtube or web
Yeah I think that is pretty hard to find in this price range. It is becoming more and more of a standard though and definitely important if you ever want to upgrade your hub or wheel set.
Why not go with the bobcat 5
When I recorded this it was over $1000. Good that bike prices are coming back down a bit.
NO SUNTOUR COIL FORK IS DESIGNED FOR TRAILS. They all have plastic bushings inside instead of metal. They will fail. The XCR air fork has one metal bushing and one plastic bushing. This is the lowest level fork Suntour rates as trail capable. Next up is the Raidon air with two metal bushings. All the other X forks are for bike paths and smooth trails only. DO NOT BUY BIKES WITH SUNTOUR X FORKS FOR TRAIL RIDING.
Check out the e11even 29inch wheels $900
Good components but I can’t get past that 70.5 degree head tube angle
Bikes affected by inflation? What about overproduction of bikes after the ending of the pandemic?
Supply and Demand rules!
Yep the pendulum is swinging back now!
Look at Merida BIG.NINE 300
Yeah I just don’t like the geo. Such a steep head angle.
Trek Marlin 6 Gen 3????? $899
Whoa! They have finally given it a decent head tube angle! $899 seems a little steep compared to other similar bikes but still not bad.
@@downtoridemtb do a comparison because I am not seeing it. The gen 3 seems in line with all the $900 competition
@ericdolby1622 Marin Bobcat Trail 4 and Polygon Xtrada 6 both have better forks and are less expensive. But still the Trek is nice and you’ll get local bike shop setup and support.
@@downtoridemtb thank you. And where would the Talon 1 or 2 fit into this equation??
Oh nevermind. Xtrada 6 is down to $699, bobcat trail 4 $599 and Talon 2 $730. All 2023 models. Huge decision now.
I didn't like that comment about rim brakes.
How about anything that is less than 12 speed don't look at it.
How about anything that is not carbon and weighs more than 21 lbs don't waste your time
How about anything that is over $901 don't look at it
How about all of those recommendations 😠😡
got the Giant Talon 0, the 1 by 12 drivetrain is just crazy and that air fork ufff 🫶
That looks awesome! Sadly it isn’t available here in the US.