# Slopestyle that climbs?



## PaintPeelinPbody (Feb 3, 2004)

Looking for a slopestyle bike that can handle the occasional DH run, is at home on dirt jumps and still can function as a trail bike with the seat post jacked. 

Likely it'll still have a really low standover, but a seat post or seat-tube that will accommodate a 5'11" rider.

Something not overly long, with shorter chainstays. Thinking of 160mm front fork. 

Scott Voltage comes to mind, but its also a bit pricey. Not that saving for something quality is a bad thing, but I'd like to see what else is out there.


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## amish_matt (Aug 18, 2006)

How about a Morewood Ndiza: http://www.ridemonkey.com/classifieds/cat-2/ad-17272/ or Santa Cruz Blur 4x: http://www.ridemonkey.com/classifieds/cat-2/ad-17221/.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

Not a slope style but will get the job done....Intense Uzzi.......or look into the old Intense SoCom


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## b-kul (Sep 20, 2009)

if it takes a 160 fork it probably not a slope style bike. how about a banshee wildcard?


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## Norcoshore1 (Apr 28, 2010)

Rocky Mountain Slayer SS. Low standover, short chainstays, and 160mm fork. Throw a 180 on it and it would be a perfect mini dh bike.


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## OffCamber (May 29, 2005)

160mm Talas up front rides like a short travel DH bike, just need some finess in the steep techy stuff.


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## gregmazo (Aug 31, 2007)

amish_matt said:


> How about a Morewood Ndiza: http://www.ridemonkey.com/classifieds/cat-2/ad-17272/ or Santa Cruz Blur 4x: http://www.ridemonkey.com/classifieds/cat-2/ad-17221/.


I used to ride a morewood ndiza, really loved this little ripper.
However this bike had a really stiff acting suspension, not on the plusher side.
I also had a '08 Specialized SX, and this bike is definitly one of the best I had. Way plusher than the morewood, and it pedaled pretty well.

You mentionned the blur 4x, I never rode one, but I guess it must be a really brilliant bike. The reviews kill it.


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## Krout (May 17, 2007)

GT Distortion looks good.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=639690


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## washingtonripper13 (Jan 23, 2011)

banshee bottlerocket, jumps super well, and is good on an occasional dh run climbs OK


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## Jason B (Aug 15, 2008)

washingtonripper13 said:


> banshee bottlerocket, jumps super well, and is good on an occasional dh run climbs OK


Do you mean Transition Bottlerocket...


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## washingtonripper13 (Jan 23, 2011)

ya sorry thats what i meant


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## CharacterZero (May 19, 2004)

Scott Voltage FR.


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## wolfman00 (Jun 18, 2008)

if you can put aside the chainstay issue- jamis parker. I use mine for everything. Avoid the '08s unless they have newer chainstays.


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## ronnyg801 (Oct 4, 2008)

OffCamber said:


> 160mm Talas up front rides like a short travel DH bike, just need some finess in the steep techy stuff.


How much experience do you have pedalling that up hill? Whats your review on this beast overall? I've had similar visions but not enough feedback to follow through. and have a hard time searching "SX" here


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## Moosey (May 18, 2010)

SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:


> Not a slope style but will get the job done....Intense Uzzi.......or look into the old Intense SoCom


sticking with intense, look for an intense slopestyle. Looks like just what you need.


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## ryan_daugherty (Oct 8, 2006)

Banshee Wildcard


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## OffCamber (May 29, 2005)

ronnyg801 said:


> How much experience do you have pedalling that up hill? Whats your review on this beast overall? I've had similar visions but not enough feedback to follow through. and have a hard time searching "SX" here


It is what I use for my trail bike. I'm in south Florida but I've used it in NC, GA, and WV, both up and down. It pedals really well and still feels great on the big hits. I was on an 06 SX before this and the suspension appeared to be less plush until I had it PUSHed. This bike, with only 1.5" of stroke, really feels like a 5-6" travel bike when it needs to. Yet it pedals stiff. I love it.


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## Hellav8ted (Aug 26, 2009)

OffCamber said:


> Great looking bike. I was wondering how much seat post you run, and if there is room in the seat tube to drop the seat post for descents. Thanks


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## juanbeegas (Oct 1, 2007)

The Banshee Wildcard with a Cane Creek Angleset might be perfect for you. Really fun bike when I had it. Could handle anything thrown its way, but was a little bit over built for my ability.
I'm 5'11" and was on a medium.


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## DeanH (Jan 9, 2008)

1+ for the banshee wildcard.

i even know a guy that rode a 24h XC race on one.. so i should pedal decent

and it goes downhill (same guy won a DH race on it)


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## PaintPeelinPbody (Feb 3, 2004)

It needs to be stiff in suspension travel. 

I also want something with a air shock that can be pumped up for dirt jumps and street riding.

Which of the previously mentioned bikes are the cheapest?


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## b-kul (Sep 20, 2009)

wolfman00 said:


> if you can put aside the chainstay issue- jamis parker. I use mine for everything. Avoid the '08s unless they have newer chainstays.


i am an avid jamis fan and alway stuck up for them but the chainstay on my dads parker just snapped. granted i rode it for a year and he rode it for half a year but only on tech single track. it was an 08 but had the redesigned rear end. to their credit jamis has already sent out a new rear triangle but there is definitely an issue there. otherwise its a great bike but thats a fairly serious issue.


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## Norcoshore1 (Apr 28, 2010)

PaintPeelinPbody said:


> It needs to be stiff in suspension travel.
> 
> I also want something with a air shock that can be pumped up for dirt jumps and street riding.
> 
> Which of the previously mentioned bikes are the cheapest?


Well my little bro got this one right here BRAND NEW in the box for $1000 in December.

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/5954548/

Its an XS, for your reference. Amazing bike for the price


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## OffCamber (May 29, 2005)

Hellav8ted said:


> OffCamber said:
> 
> 
> > Great looking bike. I was wondering how much seat post you run, and if there is room in the seat tube to drop the seat post for descents. Thanks
> ...


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## blue109 (Jun 21, 2009)

just took my FR/SS/DH/AM bike out for some climbing today. lord knows its not the easiest thing to get a 66deg HA 39lb 7" bike up a steep section of slickrock, but it got the job done....and all the "big boy" lines were much more fun on this than my 6" bike. id like to thank hammerschmidt and joplin for making this bike awesome
09 commencal furious


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## wolfman00 (Jun 18, 2008)

b-kul said:


> i am an avid jamis fan and alway stuck up for them but the chainstay on my dads parker just snapped. granted i rode it for a year and he rode it for half a year but only on tech single track. it was an 08 but had the redesigned rear end. to their credit jamis has already sent out a new rear triangle but there is definitely an issue there. otherwise its a great bike but thats a fairly serious issue.


Yeah, it definitely is an issue. Flawed design that could have been perfect with a few well placed gussets.

Next bike is either a banshee rune or transition covert. I am leaning towards the covert as everyone says the transitions are absolute bomber.


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## washingtonripper13 (Jan 23, 2011)

nice bike blue 109 whered you get it im also interested in buying a bike


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## b-kul (Sep 20, 2009)

wolfman00 said:


> Yeah, it definitely is an issue. Flawed design that could have been perfect with a few well placed gussets.
> 
> Next bike is either a banshee rune or transition covert. I am leaning towards the covert as everyone says the transitions are absolute bomber.


yeah, i really like my xam but wish it was a little slacker. if that goes (by all reports it sounds like it eventually will) i'll try and hop on an intense tracer.

btw nice bike blue, good to see you put a reasonable saddle on there :thumbsup:


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## blue109 (Jun 21, 2009)

frame/handlebars/seatpost from chainlove. brakes/shifters/stem from older bike. rest from LBS. 

thx B lol. actually building a DH sled too..and on a stupid cheap budget. pics in the commencal forum.


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## mtnryder56 (Sep 13, 2008)

*Check the Truax*

Norco just released it. Looks like a pretty cool freeride bike


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## Pedal Shop (Dec 14, 2006)

these thing climb like a goat on crack...


one of these days l'll video how well they climb.


l sold tons of different bikes in the same class. none of comes close


Note -- the little oreo is not mine... that's my buds kid


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## blue109 (Jun 21, 2009)

cant decide if i love or hate the way those marin bikes look. either way i feel very strongly about my opinion.


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## Pedal Shop (Dec 14, 2006)

blue109 said:


> cant decide if i love or hate the way those marin bikes look. either way i feel very strongly about my opinion.


you need to PM me... l can ship you anything that is on close-out.

super sale those floor/demo's or big discount on what's left of 09's and 10's -- 2011's you gotta pick up in person.

Side note: they look waaaaaay cooler in person. that's pretty common with bikes in general. photos never do these bikes justice. Marin never takes great pics of their products.

l sell/sold tons of different freeride bikes. Cove, Ellsworth, Santa Cruz, Kona, KHS, TBC, Banshee.. the Marin Quake climbs -- get over the looks -- good-bad-indifferent. they also do all the other freeridey stuff extremely well. send if off the biggest huck, you'll never feel it bottom out. technically, it'll might go through all it's travel but you won't feel that jolt of the suspension being max'd out. dices and slices very nicely - l speak very highly of the bike design (from someone who has sold plenty of different brands with the same amount of travel). :thumbsup:

P.S. from my signature link below -- l'll drop the price of the AL7 to $1150 ---


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## atenciole (Jan 28, 2007)

The Wild card or Rampant is a good choice. I have been riding my Transition Double almost everywhere, so that's a good choice too.

The Haro porter is a good choice on the cheap. http://www.harobikes.com/mtb/bikes/Freestyle-MTB/25/


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## Pedal Shop (Dec 14, 2006)

atenciole said:


> The Wild card or Rampant is a good choice. I have been riding my Transition Double almost everywhere, so that's a good choice too.
> 
> The Haro porter is a good choice on the cheap. http://www.harobikes.com/mtb/bikes/Freestyle-MTB/25/


sell TBC Doubles... they don't climb nearly as well as the Quake -- know this first hand. Bottle Rockets climb better than Doubles, neither can come close to the Quake.

Haro Porter = super old skool design. had lots of bikes like it ---_20 years ago_. that's a POS!!!


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## Pedal Shop (Dec 14, 2006)

keep in mind --- l'm talking about shorter climbs, less than let's say 3/4 mile.

after that, you're dealing with weight.

of course a twinky XC bike that is 12 to 15 pounds lighter is going to climb a 4 miler better than the Quake but, in general. they climb fantastic.

if you're doing a ride where you have a long a$$ climb to the top of the mountain, it'll get you there well but with the weight range being around 35 to 42lbs, the distance will start to add up over time but once you reach the top, your buds with their twinky XC's & all mountains won't be able to keep up with you.

enclosed is a photo very steep hill where we test ride bikes...
l can climb this hill on a good day, most of the l almost reach the top and l'll spin out or run out of juice. you can't tell by the photo but, it's a very steep climb. the Quake is the only freeride bike l have been able to nail that whole hill with. l also tried it with a number of different XC bikes too, including 29ers (which l can climb pretty well with)... made it but l almost ran out of juice. on the Quake, l not only made it to the top, l had more juice in the tank to keep riding.

drivetrain set up on the Quake:
stock Navigal tires (2.5's) -- normal PSI
11/32 9spd cassette
medium cage rear D
29/38 ring combo up front _(yes, that's not a typo, 29 tooth small ring)_
180mm Totem (no travel reduction)

yeah, l know, tough to tell how steep it is in the photo -- but on the Quake, l can peg that hill.
_
the hill now has 6 ramps -- but there's cheater lines going around each ramp_

not sure how long the hill is, guessing about 250 yards -- gets a little steeper the closer you get to the top


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## PaintPeelinPbody (Feb 3, 2004)

I don't forsee the Quake being an overly good dirt jump or pump track bike. It think its a little too long with fairly active suspension.


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## big_slacker (Feb 16, 2004)

I was in the market for the same type of thing and came to the conclusion that an Intense SS is a good fit. Although its called a slopestyle look at the geo. 66.5 HA, not too slack for trails, 16.75 CS length, short enough for quick accel, long enough for some high speed stability. Standover shouldn't be an issue for 5'11"

I'm also 5'11", you could go either M or L and I guess that depends on your preference. 

Either way, all you really need to make something climb is enough seatpost and a small enough gear for your legs. You can trail ride about anything. So focus on geometry and components that can handle jumps without being TOO heavy to lug up a hill.


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## lokomonkey (Jun 18, 2005)

or something like this.....


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## Airbourne (Sep 8, 2010)

I'm also looking for a 4x/slopestyle frame that I can ride trails on as well as jump. I'm especially interested in the Ndiza.

I've ridden a Transition Boottlerocket on trails abit.
They climb quite well with an adjustable travel fork, and are very versatile bikes.
Sicklines had one built down to 32 lbs, with freeride parts too.


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## MoreThanARep (Oct 2, 2009)

It is not as "plush" because it is made to go...but I have ridden this on trails all over North America. Love this thing!


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## b-kul (Sep 20, 2009)

blue109 said:


> cant decide if i love or hate the way those marin bikes look. either way i feel very strongly about my opinion.


same here. i think they look cool in black with a big fork like a totem, but other colors... rft:


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## Cheez1ts (Jun 18, 2010)

Banshee Rampant! It's light, has a full seat-tube, low stand-over, and pedals pretty good. It's definitely designed for slope-style and has handled every DH trail I've thrown at it (17 days of Whistler included). Just make sure it fit's you; since it only comes in two sizes it might not work for ya'.

As for a 160 fork, I'm not sure the bike will take it. But I've been running mine at 140 and it goes great.


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## ban (Jul 24, 2004)

wow, nice!!:thumbsup: :thumbsup: which WTB saddle is this? Silverado?


MoreThanARep said:


> It is not as "plush" because it is made to go...but I have ridden this on trails all over North America. Love this thing!


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## MoreThanARep (Oct 2, 2009)

ban said:


> wow, nice!!:thumbsup: :thumbsup: which WTB saddle is this? Silverado?


Yeah, Silverado. It's the steel railed version from the "Demo" program. I had a bunch lying around.


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## Chuckie (Dec 26, 2006)

MoreThanaRep, whats that Ndiza like on the pump tracks and DJ's?


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## MoreThanARep (Oct 2, 2009)

Chuckie said:


> MoreThanaRep, whats that Ndiza like on the pump tracks and DJ's?


It rips on both. Mine is a small...I used it on pump tracks and jumps throughout CO and at Whistler.

Looks like Fanatik has a yellow one on sale. Same size.


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## doesyourchainhanglow (Sep 27, 2010)

maybe a kona stinky six or a kona bass?


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## monstertiki (Jun 1, 2009)

The spitfire is a superfun and versatile bike. I've overcharged my rear shock and tried it on the 4x track, it handled it really well and felt very nimble. This is what it looked like after I first built it up.


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## climbingbubba (Jan 10, 2007)

I have also been looking for this mythical bike and so far I haven't found anything. If I (and you) were shorter it wouldn't be as big of a problem but most slopestyle/4x bikes have short seat tubes.

Many of the bikes listed above would work great though. 

My favorites would be these (in order)

banshee rampant
GT distortion (has best seat tube length for the large)
banshee wildcard (in 5" mode for DJ's and 6.5 for DH)
new transition bottlerocket (again 5" mode for DH's and 6 for DH)

and for cheap you could try to find an old santa cruz blur 4x.


I think your main problem is saying you want a 160 fork. Any frame that will accept up to a 160 won't be good on pumptracks or lippy DJ's. Your best bet would be to get something with 100-120 rear travel and get an adjustable fork like a pike, talas, or revelation. That way you can drop it to 100 or so for the pumptrack and DJ's and then back up to 140 or so for DH.


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## hampstead bandit (Feb 9, 2009)

Banshee Rampant, no doubt!

my 1st Rampant










my 2nd and current Rampant (I was too lazy to raw the red/white so sold it and bought a raw)










I also had one of these..Wildcard, too heavy (34lb at lightest build) and not much taller in seatube, with more crude suspension (no platform and no active braking)










for dirt jump, slopestyle, pump tracks, 4X and Dual racing, with some trail riding thrown in...the Rampant is awesome

I've done 30 miles rides on the road (to get home when the train network has failed) and its not a problem, its a very efficient pedaller with a great platform

granted the seat tube is a little low for seated pedalling - I ride the "short" Rampant and with a 410mm Thomson Elite seatpost the saddle was 1-2" too low for correct pedalling extension - acceptable but not as efficient as full height pedalling

however, the low seat tube / cluster is part of what makes the Rampant so awesome for play riding, its a tiny little bike (I can step over the back wheel as the frame is so low...) and the frame is sub 7lb with Fox RP2 air shock and all hardwear

the raw bike in the photo above is 28lb run tubeless with the SBC Fast Trak Control tires, with knobbly 1-ply Maxxis Minions run tubeless its 30lb

its taken this kind of abuse without flinching!


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## climbingbubba (Jan 10, 2007)

hampstead bandit said:


> granted the seat tube is a little low for seated pedalling - I ride the "short" Rampant and with a 410mm Thomson Elite seatpost the saddle was 1-2" too low for correct pedalling extension - acceptable but not as efficient as full height pedalling


I love rampants!!! I am going to try to get one in the future.

You said you were running the short with a 410 and didn't get enough extension. Out of curiosity, how tall are you?


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## hampstead bandit (Feb 9, 2009)

I am 5'10" with 32 inside leg

my buddy is 6'1" with 34 inside leg and rides the long Rampant with 14" seat tube

neither of us can get proper seat tube extension, so we ditched the Thomson post and XC saddle and just run Pivotal BMX post / saddle and ride standing up

here is my old Rampant in winter XC setup with Thomson 410mm seatpost


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## climbingbubba (Jan 10, 2007)

hampstead bandit said:


> I am 5'10" with 32 inside leg
> 
> my buddy is 6'1" with 34 inside leg and rides the long Rampant with 14" seat tube
> 
> ...


Nice!

I used to ride a transition bottlerocket with a 15" seat tube and according to banshee the long rampant is 14.9" I was running a 400 post on the BR. I was thinking maybe that with a 420 reverb post for XC days would be pretty sick.

I am very skeptical that, even if i could get full extension, it wouldn't be great for XC though. Its the main thing holding me back


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## Wiewior (Aug 15, 2008)

Scott Voltage FR all the way! 
most versatile gravity bike ever


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## Pedal Shop (Dec 14, 2006)

wow... the thread's still alive...

did the original guy who started the thread buy anything?



l know first hand, these puppies climb!!!


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## casca noir (Aug 16, 2007)

+1 for the Voltage. Did a 6 mile run on mine last night, plenty of steep uphills. I managed to keep up with my mate on his Lapierre Spicy without too much effort. It,s surprising how well they climb considering there supposed use.


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