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What's your opinions on the new breed short travel 4X frames offered?

Steel frames built by Cove (Hooker), Nukeproof (mega) and DMR (bolt) with travel of around 120-140mm.

Is that enough for the uk rides? Most stuff is rideable on a hardtail, does this just give you the extra reserve but give you the pedal up more than a big rig?

Ugly little fads or newbie break through to chase the big boys?

I love the robustness of the steel and hardcore bearings- and the thought of viably chasing that shiny demo 8 and more!

The Bolt is for Slopestyle, the Mega for the Megavalanche and other endure type events and I think the Hooker is for Freeride. They're all fairly robust short travel full sussers but I don't think any of them would be suitable for 4X.

I like them though I had a Blur 4X and it was brilliant as a little trail rocket, only got rid as it was just a bit small biggest size 17.2" and I'm 6'2". I think they give confidence to hit a lot bigger things than a similar short travel xc bike like a Stumpjumper or Anthem and the like.

I've got a 130 bike now in a similar vein to these it's a Mythic Spitfire.

What sort of stuff are u looking to ride?

These bikes can so be ridden of other stuff. The mega is slacker than than the bolt so maybe a bit more DH, but the bolt has the same head angle and sizing as my DH designed DMR exalt HT.

To limit the bikes to what they are marketed as very limiting in view.

The kind of stuff I do now- Danbury, chicksands and really want to get to Woburn and other places when they have the uplift going.

After riding as much as possible and developing my flow and line choice there isn't much you can't tackle on a HT. It just depends on how much pressure your body can take when you land or how much faith you have in your bike.

The thing what interests me is the added traction given to the rear over roots, braking bumps and the added absorption in the landing.

None of those would be good for 4X, 4X is all hardtails, but maybe the yeti 4X?

Or the Mythic rampant, currently on freeborn cycles for less than 1k

Same vein as the above bikes.

When some long travel frames cost similar money it certainly opens the question of how much travel is enough travel here in the uk...

A steel strong full build will be about 35-40lb. How much does your FS beast weigh?

The only one that is steel is the DMR, the others are alu
The Mega is a aggressive all mountain/enduro frame with 150mm travel built around 160/170mm forks. Nukeproof do a 4x frame - but that's a hardtail and and also alu.
Don't know much about the others, but they wouldn't be the lightest 4x bikes.

The new breed of enduro (or whatever the marketing people are calling them) bikes - Mega, Covert, Meta AM etc.. are pretty sweet for as a general do everything bike - tough and enough travel to rag down a DH track, but still light enough and right geo to pedal around all day.

These new Ragleys shown at Eurobike look pretty cool too, big forks with less travel frames, could also be sweet UK rides: http://www.singletrackworld.com/2011/08/eurobike-2011-ragley-bikes-goes-big-wheeled/

Those ragleys look awesome. My current ride is mismatched, it's a Mythic Spitfire but ice got Pikes on it atm. I'm trying to keep an eye out for some decent 36's or Lyriks to butch it up a bit more for uplifts and hopefully to do the Mega next year.

I ride a hardtail jump bike, but the rampant is a great little bike that started out as a 4x bike but gradually got used for slopestyle, its great in the air and its bloody quick, but not so good for pedalling up the hills

There is also the dartmoor shine and the transition double to consider.
the shine seems more geared towards slopestyle but i reckon it would make a great little rag-it-about bike for the places you ride (its got 100mm travel) pump up the air shock hard and you could use it for 4x/dirt jumps too i reckon.

It's singlespeed only as has no mech hanger

you can buy a mech hanger for it from dartmoor cycles/slam 69. if i had the cash i would buy a shine, but cant really justfy it as i have a hardtail and a dh bike