MisterK

This season I spent a good bit on some upgrades and had some fun, but almost feel that my ride is a little bit too light duty for just how I ride in general. Bent a couple axles this year, I don't know if that has to do with the 8spd freewheel but that's besides the point.
I just don't know if I should sell and find a used gem. But I'm not sure what direction to go in.
I still love riding xc but also enjoy light urban (hopping curbs, all around city advventuring) and don't feel that a dj will do the job I need done.
I sat on a norco shinobi and felt suuuuper comfy, man that's a cool bike but the price whew!
I just want maybe a lil input of some of you guys' riding habits and how you've adapted your cycles or what kind of cycle you came to fine good for your "all round I like this"bike.
Because the ony option I'm seeing is stepping up to an allmountain.

Dannihilator

Your needs scream out Jamis Komodo.

Zephyr11

^Fun bike.



Better pedaling platform than a DJ, but stout as hell. Cheap, so that leaves more money for a good fork (I'd probably recommend a 140mm or so...the one in that picture is a 160mm because I found one for $75, and it's really not the best climber with that particular fork). It's pretty heavy though, but that's true of most burly bikes that don't cost a mint.

Daspydyr 

Good debate to have! Ride hard!

Norco is a great choice, ride what you like.

MisterK

A lil soul searching (ok ok window shopping lol) and I found if I step down a couple years that maybe I can get my hands on a nice sasquatch or bigfoot. I like norco and they seem to be the only brand (unless I'm not looking right) that make a hardcore hardtail without jumping over to a dj/streetpark style bike.
Never really thought of jamis, and komodos are def abit older so should fall around the same price as a nice bigfoot or sasquatch (600-700 used)
Will probably shine up the mtb nice over winter and sell in spring early summer

Grimlock

You're bending axles because you're running a freewheel instead of a freehub on the rear. If the only problem you had with the bike was bending axles, buy a new rear wheel and cassette; you'll be right as rain. If there are many other things you don't like about your current bike, find something like the Komodo or 2010 Kona 5-0 or Norco Sasquatch.

Zephyr11

Sasquatch and Bigfoot are from an AMHT/FRHT line? Because I used to have a Norco One25 that, despite being a 1x9, aluminum, and looking a heckuva lot more like a trail bike than the obviously-a-DJ-current-One25, it still definitely had DJ geometry. Komodo is a much better pedaling platform than the One25 was.

There should be other options out there too, besides the couple that were listed. Kona makes a few. Cove, Chromag, Cotic, and Santa Cruz have options but are pricier and some might only be available as frames. If you're lucky maybe you might be able to find a NOS or used-but-not-thrashed Brodie Holeshot or Banshee Scirocco/Morphine or something. DMR, Identiti, and NS are known more for their DJs, but they have some AMHT stuff. I'm sure there are more, but those are off the top of my head. Komodo is great for what I paid for it though. Expect to change the fork though.

MisterK

I kinda wish my top tube had some more slope to it, perhaps an17- 18" frame would fix that.
I wonder if a solid chromo axle swap would fix the bent axle problem.
I'd also like a higher end frame, this bike I'd definatly geared more toward trail and xc style riding and I'd like something that I can throw more at abuse wise. The headtube is also reaaaaaaaally long.

roccobike

A solid axle will not fix your axle problem. An LBS should be able to get you into a higher strength axle, but to the best of my knowledge, it will be a quick release axle. The recommendation above to replace your freewheel with a new wheel that has a freehub 8 speed design is the way to go. That's assuming you're correct that you have a freewheel. Most of the 8 speeds I've come across are freehub design. But there are 8 speed freewheels out there.
EDIT: For what it's worth, I bent a couple of 6 speed freewheel axles with 130mm spread. I've never bent a freehub designed axle and, of course, they are all larger at 135mm between the dropouts.

ed 

I don't know of Dan was joking around or being serious but this kind of thread usually causes me to say what he said. I'm a big fan of the Komodo. I still have two of them. My 2005 has never been lighter than 26.5#, so if the OP spends most of his time riding XC, then maybe not the greatest suggestion.

But...if you're version of XC leans more toward All Mountain...jumping...small to medium drops...carving and grooving sweet singletrack...then the Komodo is a versatile tool to get the job done.


There's a shop online that's selling 2011 & 2013 Jamis Komodo's for $449.



I'd say depending on the OP's resources...save a buck, buy the 2011 Komodo (because it has a longer top tube) use the leftover money to buy some Stans flow wheels for $550 for trail riding and keep the original wheelset for urban.


Another way to go would be to get the Komodo, snag a Pike, Sektor, or the like...and build some half way decent wheels for $250 or so.


I don't know if there's one bike for the OP. It takes some cash to bring a low spec Komodo up to XC efficiency. The original fork is meh...but pottery much everything else can be replaced as it wears out.




Edit: that guy selling them is in Ontario, sorry.

Dannihilator

Being dead serious.

ed 

My initial build was a freeride hardtail around 34#


Slimmed it down to a 26.5# for XC trail riding:


Settled right in between as an All Mountain hardtail at 28# (probably the best iteration of the frame)





Just for kicks...Rigid works like a champ too!






I guess the main point is that its tough enough for whatever you want to throw at it, but versatile geometry enough for XC to freeride.



Here's the newest rendition:





FYI...if you can find a pre 2013, they have a rifled top tube like Zephyr's.