[meattray]

I have been riding downhill and 4X for the pass year.
I swore I would never ride up hill but now I've tried it and really into it. I have tried a transition Covert and hated it ,also a commencal meta 5.5 seem really short . I tried A Maverick Durance liked it a lot but seems like an old design.
the lower BBs appeal to me and my riding style so I was thinking 120 might be better for me but will this be harder for climbing?
climbing is my weakness for sure.
I'm looking at the tomac automatic 120.
but would love some other thoughts and suggestions
or I might just pull the trigger on the Maverick
will 120 make me a better climber than a 140 bike?
thanks

 

[godfather]

It will be more about the overall geometry of the bike and efficiency of the suspension and how it performs under pedalling forces than the travel. Weight will play some role, as a lighter bike will climb with less effort if all other factors are equal.

The other question I would ask is, what kind of terrain will you be riding? Does it necessitate 140mm of travel, or would 120mm take care of the rough bits you most commonly see?

Do you ride 4x on a hardtail or FS? If you ride rough tracks an a HT, you likely have the bike skills to deal with rough terrain on a shorter travel bike if there was an advantage.

IMHO, I think something in the 140mm range is extremely versatile given you find the appropriate bike for your riding style and terrain. They can be built light enough to race on or burly enough for serious all-mountain duties. They are typically comfortable without being overly plush and modern designs pedal and climb very well generally. At the end of the day it's really personal preference though. Ride as many bikes as you have access to. It will help you narrow down what you like and what you don't in suspension design, travel, sizing, geometry, etc..

Good luck with your search.

 

[HAB]

Depends how you see yourself using the bike. There are a bunch of great options out there for what kind of amounts to a DH'ers trail bike- I have a Banshee Spitfire to do exactly that, and I LOVE it. But there are a bunch of cool bikes in that niche- Yeti ASR 5, Transition Bandit, etc. More on intended use would help a lot.

 

[golgiaparatus]

I like specialized bikes for climbing. Many of them come with a brain shock. Best thing for efficient climbing with suspension IMHO.

 

[ZoRo]

As a previous poster said, if you ride a HT or 100mm dual susp. for 4x, you should be fine with 130 or even 120. Transition Bandit looks mighty fine. Also take a look at the Banshee's spitfire. It's getting good reviews and from what people seem to say, a good "downhiller" trail bike.

 

[Sandwich]

I like specialized bikes for climbing. Many of them come with a brain shock. Best thing for efficient climbing with suspension IMHO.

hmmm...I rode an FSR XC for a day and it was one of the worst climbing bikes I've ever ridden. Felt like it was moving "up" in its travel with every stroke.

The difference between 120 and 140 is pretty slim nowadays...you just have to decide what's more important to you. For me, I ride a nice little 120mm Trek Fuel...It's a great ride for a trail bike, but if you're more focused on DH or jumping, the extra squish might help. I prefer my DH bikes ultra plush, but I don't find the 5" lacking.

 

[golgiaparatus]

hmmm...I rode an FSR XC for a day and it was one of the worst climbing bikes I've ever ridden. Felt like it was moving "up" in its travel with every stroke.

The difference between 120 and 140 is pretty slim nowadays...you just have to decide what's more important to you. For me, I ride a nice little 120mm Trek Fuel...It's a great ride for a trail bike, but if you're more focused on DH or jumping, the extra squish might help. I prefer my DH bikes ultra plush, but I don't find the 5" lacking.

Did it have a brain? If so sounds like the brain needed to be dialed to be more firm, and the shock probably could have used a fair amount more rebound damping. Mine climbs like it's locked out... almost zero movement in either direction.

 

[Sandwich]

nerp, it had the triad shock. It was the bottom of the barrel spesh XC frame, so I'm not suprised it wasn't exceptional, but I mean it really felt poor on technical sections, and this was compared to some pretty bad bikes for climbing...

 

[golgiaparatus]

nerp, it had the triad shock. It was the bottom of the barrel spesh XC frame, so I'm not suprised it wasn't exceptional, but I mean it really felt poor on technical sections, and this was compared to some pretty bad bikes for climbing...

The fox brain shock is the key feature. Without that it's just your typical Horst Link frame. I believe the Stump Jumper is the only longish (140mm) travel bike that has the brain, the Elite and above all have the brain shock, the cheaper ones don't.