cream.soda

i've been looking at do-it-all fully frames lately, and originally i wanted a specialized enduro - the classic one that birthed the sx, not the new sl. basically an all-mountain xc-able yet huckable bike. from what i've seen, the specialized enduro, enduro sx/sxtrail, santa cruz 4x, nomad and heckler all fit my needs.

however, i have a budget, which negates the enduros, all the blurs and the nomad. i've tried to convince myself that vpp isn't necessarily better, because of maintenance (bearings to replace/service) and lateral stiffness issues i've looked through on other forums. so the heckler would be something i'd be very interested in right now. time tested and durable, i've seen hecklers in marathon races and even 20 foot drops. if i do purchase that, then it would be in black anodized, with a fox rp23 shock. that would run me around 1400 cdn plus tax. i would stick everything from my rockhopper on that frame and slowly turn it into an AM rig, starting with the wheels.

so here's the question: i haven't really looked at other non-mainstream manufacturers, are there many affordable fully frames in the same category as the heckler that i should look into? i sort of like the transition bottlerocket that a buddy of mine has, but it wouldn't nearly be as good as a heckler on climbs.

kandnhome

I don't know how "budget" your budget is, or what size you're looking for, but there are 2 deals at wheel world that have me wishing I had $300-$500 to burn. The Kikapu and the Coiler are both pretty sweet bikes in my opinion.

Kikapu: https://wheelworld.com/itemdetails.cf...gId=39&id=4213

Coiler: https://wheelworld.com/itemdetails.cf...gId=39&id=4212

The Kikapu is a 4" rear travel bike, the Coiler is 6", both are pretty much near the middle of "all-mountain" as far as I understand it, although some might call the Kikapu more XC -- Kona does.

Here are the Kona site pages for the bikes (2006 models):

Kikapu: https://www.konaworld.com/bikes/2006/kikapu.htm

Coiler: https://www.konaworld.com/bikes/2006/coiler.htm

Although if money was far less of an object, this bike is near the top of my list:

Dawg: https://www.konaworld.com/bikes/2k7/DAWG/index.html

At $1799 Canadian, that might not be totally out of your price range, and you'd still have your Rockhopper.

But then there's Norco, Ibex, hell, even the Woodstock is worth a look.

Good luck finding a bike. Don't forget to post pics up once you decide and build it up.

mtnbiker66

I love the Heckler, I'm a big fan of single pivot bikes. I have never really liked the VPP bikes. What is it about the Bottlerocket that causes it not to climb well?

cream.soda

well the bottlerocket is much more of a freeride/slopestyle bike. beefier frame. heckler's more trail-oriented and a skinnier, lighter frame.

dminor 

Yeti 575

mtnbiker66

My bullit is a freeride frame and it climbs just fine,not like a XC hartail but fine for me.. Don't limit yourself, you can spin to the top of the mountain on about anything.

Flak

Yeti 575....when i finally upgrade frames, that'll be mine.

cream.soda

i looked at the yeti 575... it's really good, i'd probably get it over the heckler frame but it's too expensive. and it's a newish frame, not as time-tested as the heckler. plus i don't know of any yeti dealers in my area. i already know of 2 santa cruz dealers in my area (one about 3 km away) so problems can be serviced pretty quickly.

thanks for all the frame suggestions too, kandnhome, i actually like the coilair but it's kinda bulky for my tastes. i'll stick with the heckler.

Flak

I dont think you can go wrong with a heckler frame. Great bang for buck.

C Law

Rocky Mountain Slayer? Banshee Chap?

Yeti 575 is pretty time tested, in my opinion.

Quick_Torch C5

I recently almost bidded on a black Yeti 575 w/ fox RP3, but let it go for an 06 Heckler w/ a DHX 5.0 air. It was a very hard decision. Both bikes have had great reviews!

gravyface

Necroing this thread, but would you buy a mint 2006 Specialized Rockhopper Comp with 26" wheels in 2020, for ~$350 USD?

c_m_shooter

No, but someone may given the demand now. I would expect to pay about $250, because it needs new tires no matter what the seller says. Rubber doesn't age well.

gravyface

That's interesting. So say the tires had like 50 miles on them, but sat for years in a garage or basement. Are you saying the tire compound starts to deteriorate?

Kapusta

Depends. I've had some in storage last that long and be fine.

70sSanO

The only questions are if you can find a better bike for the same and if you can service it.

$350 is pretty cheap these days for a basically unused mtb that doesn’t need anything replaced.

John