canyon nerve al 6 or grand canyon slx 7.9

Cyclewizard

hey,
looking to get one of the canyons mentioned above, the nerve is 100 euro more expensive at 1400 but im wondering what people would recommend between the two.

i am coming from road bikes but am looking to get a mtb for a bit of variety and tackling some off road x-country and the odd trail. no serious downhill stuff so was thinking of going for a decent enough hardtail in an around the 1300 quoted for the grand canyon.

looking online and watching some videos etc it seems that full suspension is a lot more popular so i looked at the nerve. i dont want to spend over 1500 as im more into my road bikes and not even sure how much use id be getting out of it but on the other hand i want something capable enough so that if i do get into the mtbing im not going to regret going for the hardtail.

the nerve is 27.5 and hardtails a 29er, the nerve is 12.9kg v 11.4 for the grand canyon. do any roadies or mountain bikers on here have any sugestions as to what i need to consider? im a bit worried im going to miss the speed of the road bike but i like to explore aswell so at this stage iv decided im definitely going to take the plunge but just cant decide which one to go for!

thanks in advance!

fat bloke

I'm in the same boat and the consensus is that a higher end hardtail beats an entry level dual suss. Makes sense to me tbh.

ford2600

http://madmtb.com/forums/forum/general-category/mtb-forum/11817-mtb-purchase

Tenzor07

Just get the Hardtail, lighter, less maintenance, no worries about suspension setups...

Viper_JB

If you would consider buying second hand (and you have some experience with bikes) that money would get a pretty damn good full sus bike, I got a Giant Trance last year for less then 1k on adverts, been just a fantastic bike since I got it - I did start on a hard tail though and I would say it's probably a better platform for starting on, but if you like it then probably like me it won't be too long before you'll want to upgrade so might be worth starting on a full sus as the money is there now. There are trade offs either way and you'd want to do some research as to what would suit you best, I would advise a dual pivot suspension setup though (if going for a full sus bike) as they have must less peddle bob then the alternatives. Some good video's on youtube with benefits and negatives of each.

Cyclewizard

thanks everyone for the advice. like fat bloke i always thought a good hardtail was better than a basic full sus but the few reviews of the nerve 6.0 i read were very positive. i have been watching you tube but to be honest the trouble is im nowhere near clued up enough on the lingo and the different types of bikes and disciplines.

The thing is I have a few road bikes and dont want to buy a bike now then in 6 months be looking for a full suspension. iv no room or the cash for that! however if the 29er hardtail is indeed a higher end frame (i dont even know how to compare them iv used the tool on canyon site but it dosnt appear as clear cut as road bikes) and can handle some more serious trails ets should i get into it then id happily go for that. iv about a week to decide so will continue my research!

any owners of either id love to know what your experiences of them are!

thanks again

Cyclewizard

ford2600 wrote: »

http://madmtb.com/forums/forum/general-category/mtb-forum/11817-mtb-purchase

good read that thanks

Tenzor07

Viper_JB wrote: »

If you would consider buying second hand (and you have some experience with bikes) that money would get a pretty damn good full sus bike, I got a Giant Trance last year for less then 1k on adverts, been just a fantastic bike since I got it -

Good to hear, can be a minefield buying used full sus bikes.

You could be stung with having to replace the pivot bearings as well as servicing the front and rear suspension which could leave you with a €200 repair bill.

The HT is like the Swiss army knife, will go anywhere apart from the really gnarly stuff...

fat bloke

Well, whatever about going down hill you'll know from road bikes the difference weight can make when the road points up. If your figure above for the nerve (12.9)kg os correct, it's shockingly heavy. I wouldn't fancy lumbering that up too many ramps or hills.

ADW1

If its your first mountain bike stick with a hardtail. Full suspension require a lot more maintenance and higher service cost. I have a 2013 Canyon Al 8.9 and find it great. Have about 2600km of hard trail use and never had any problems. Canyon are well spec'd and great value.

Cyclewizard

ADW1 wrote: »

If its your first mountain bike stick with a hardtail. Full suspension require a lot more maintenance and higher service cost. I have a 2013 Canyon Al 8.9 and find it great. Have about 2600km of hard trail use and never had any problems. Canyon are well spec'd and great value.

i have an old 26 hard tail but havnt used it on proper trails for a few years and its a big heavy old thing. im leaning towards the hardtail after what iv read on here and the link to the other forum.

my only worry is if theres a lot of different terrain that the nerve would be able for that the grand canyon wouldnt be able to manage and so limit me a bit as I cant buy another bike after this for a good while

Tenzor07

Cyclewizard wrote: »

my only worry is if theres a lot of different terrain that the nerve would be able for that the grand canyon wouldnt be able to manage and so limit me a bit as I cant buy another bike after this for a good while

Your skill will run out before the off-road ability of the hardtail!

ADW1

A hardtail can be ridden pretty much anywhere although it won't be as fast or comfortable down rocky/rough trails. If you're going to be doing longer spins including xc, fireroads, trailcentres spins including decent climbs you'll benefit with the lighter hardtail. I'd have no hesitation taken my 29er hardtail on the road to do up to 100km. Less expense servicing a hardtail also.

Cyclewizard

thanks guys you've sold me on the hardtail