High-end vs Entry-level Mountain Bike: Is the Extra Money Worth It? 

Gotta love it when a 4000$ bike is "entry level" haha great review

As a long time very expensive (at the time) carbon bike owner I can clearly say - It is NOT worth it. My next bike is going to be aluminium. Carbon is overrated.

Such a pretty trail, those autumn trees look excellent. Nice review too

I switched from Carbon Trek Slash to Alu Norco Sight. Moved over GX groupset, put a lyrik ultimate on, frame came with Super Deluxe Air Shock. Alu rims (crank brothers) and Alu bars (Chromag) and can say that the Norco, though heavier (pound and a half), is a far better climber (better geo), descender with jumps and all. I think a well spec'd Alu bike can be just as good or better than a carbon bike, also saves you money for the post ride beers with your buds.

Damn. I don’t care about the review. I’ll watch this video just for the pure prettiness of the terrain. 👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️❤️

The best message in this video was at the end - just buy what you can afford, whether its carbon or aluminium as long as you're having fun it's all good. I got into MTB riding last year and bought an entry level Orbea Occam - it's not carbon and doesn't have the highest spec components (apart from bar and flat pedals I upgraded) but I absolutely love it and always have a ton of fun when I hit the trails.

Great vid as always. I'm currently running a Ripmo v1 Fox Factory with XT groupset and Onyx hubs with WTB KOM Light wheels, and a stock Ripley AF Fox Performance with Deore groupset. I discovered climbing and DH performance were near identical (aside from difference in travel). The entire DW Link platform exactly the same on both bikes: very stable climb platform and surprisingly playful. I did not notice the slight weight difference between the 2 (Medium) frames. However the biggest difference I felt were in components. I installed my Ripmo components on to my Ripley AF and added Maxxis Rekon/DHF2 (2.4 tanwall) and noted a huge performance difference. My pedaling efficiency was far smoother with Onyx hubs, lighter WTB KOM Light wheels and a lighter XT setup, and even the DH was incredibly quick because of the zero drag Onyx hubs; and braking was far superior with XT/IceTech compared to the Deore/RT66. Suspension behaved beautifully despite running Fox Performance. I could barely notice the difference between Performance and Factory. The Ripmo with Deore groupset and Ibis 933 wheels/hubs did not feel as smooth and efficient and climbing really dragged more than usual since I run front/rear Assegai on the Ripmo. Braking was terrifying since the Deore isn't as modular as the XT, and the RT66 rotors started howling like a banshee and overheated thus losing brake power (the IceTech never did that). As usual the suspension performed beautifully on the DH. Overall, I noticed both frames behaved nearly identically. The carbon did feel slightly stiffer, and the alloy does not flex so drastically as most people would claim. The average rider will not notice these. I've concluded its not about frame material. My Ripley AF has even broken DH PRs I've set with my Ripmo. If the suspension platform is to your liking, then it doesn't matter what you pick. The biggest factor are your components. Yes there is a vast difference between goupsets both drivetrain and brakes. Hubs are a huge factor in you pedaling efficiency; my Onyx zero drag instant engagement hubs easily out-pace on the DH not only a typical 36 point engagement, but even the likes of high engagement such as I9 and Chris King because there is drag (Chris Kings are still superior to I9s though). I'm only a 150 lbs rider and I can strangely pick up speed quicker than my heavier friends running DT 350s, I9s, and CKs. The are my findings, but ultimately ride what makes you happy. Just be grateful you've got a bike and are able to enjoy this wonderful activity we're luck to have. Keep up the great work.

I'm a 'high value' guy (performance/quality vs price = value) who keeps his stuff for a long time. My wife drives an Accord even though we could afford an Acura. I have Shimano MT520 brakes on my aluminum Chameleon. I use DT 350 hubs. Etc. I don't see myself ever owning a carbon frame because it doesn't fit into my personal wants and needs. I would love to see a true double blind test of the exact same bike, with all exact same components and settings, just the frame material being different, but wrapped so the rider couldn't see it and the rider also doesn't know what the test was even for.... Could 10 out of 10 average trail riders accurately detect the one single difference between the 2 bikes? Me thinks not. Thanks for the great content and test, I really enjoy your stuff!

The colors on that trail are incredible!

GREAT video. Loved it. Have been eyeing the new Transition Patrol and Spires lately.

Appreciate the review, I got the nx alloy build as it's more affordable. Super fun and exciting bike, glad I'm having fun and not getting punished for putting money into dexent components with aluminum frame.

Like you mentioned with the drive train, "when it does fail, upgrade it then." That's my outlook getting into this hobby. I've been looking at some solid entry level kits, I can see lots of potential upgrade points, but I don't have a skill level to need the top of the line. Break things in on the cheaper stuff and then I'll get a good feel of improvement when I do make them. Hell I've been starting out on a $50 bike, after a couple of months I have a pretty good feel for what's terrible about it (Though I've been having a lot of fun riding my local black trials with it, so if you're broke like me, yes you can ride a lot of the trails on a shit bike, just don't expect to be going overly fast or getting much air.) I'm now looking forward to getting a proper entry bike next year and just seeing where it takes me. It'll be nice to have something that doesn't weigh over 60lbs, a fork that doesn't feel like its going to shatter on a drop over 2 feet, brakes that actually work and a drive train that doesn't jump all over the place during a climb.

Another awesome video on a topic that’s rarely covered! Thanks BE!

Thank you very much for comparing the carbon to the aluminum model. It’s a battle I have been thinking in my head for my upgrade from my AL SantaCruz Chameleon. For a full squash bike, i am strongly considering transition now cuz of your channel.

I recently upgraded from a 2016 Trek Fuel EX 7 aluminum with lower end Shimano spec and short travel suspension, to a 2021 Trek Fuel EX 9.8 carbon with higher end mid travel suspension. Strangely, I suspect the older bike climbs better overall, unless on really techy stuff where the new bike has better traction. That could be the steep head tube angle. Big difference on descending. The steeper and gnarlier the trail, the more the new bike eats it up. The stability of the 9.8 is really eye opening and confidence inspiring. Very hard to knock it off line, even though it has carbon wheels.

I recently bought a new Rocky Mountain Altitude A50. Bikes are a bit hard to get these days and I wanted the carbon version. The carbon version has the same components as the alloy version and only 3 lbs. lighter. My shop had my size in the alloy, for $1300 less, so that’s what I got. This enabled me to upgrade a few things that made it perfect. DT Swiss 54 star ratchet, One Up carbon bars and an oval chainring. I may upgrade to carbon rims eventually, but, I’m still on the fence on that. Upgrading from my 2013 Altitude, what a difference, this bike is amazing! It’s really fun and I love it.

Try Speeding up the rebound on the suspension with a heavier build . Brings back the poppy, lively feel.

Yes!! Such a eye opener. Wondered about this for a while. Simple and to the point video. As always!! Top notch stuff 😎🤩

Thanks for another calm, honest, detailed review - especially of this BIG Question that I'm sure so many of us have. I would guess that the majority of bike customers need to be budget-conscious, and the price difference between carbon & aluminum is substantial!

I’m having a propain Tyee alloy build, but speccing certain parts to the top so that I can save where I want, but really go more high end on other things. For example: GX drivetrain, KS dropper, stock wheel-set, bars and headset on the cheaper side, and sram code RSC, lyrik ultimate and super deluxe ultimate on the higher end. I know GX isn’t the cheapest thing available, but it was the cheapest drivetrain when ordering the bike compared to xo1 and axs The total price without any additional taxes or shipping came at about 3200€, but then the shipping to Norway costs 200€ and the taxes are at about 25% of the total price.

That could be a very interesting series, ESPECIALLY for brands that spec out bikes exactly the same, frame material being the only difference like Santa cruze

Great video - really detailed and helpful.

I don't trust carbon during a crash. Carbon is vibration absorbent. a little dang in the frame can turn into a huge problem.

Thanks Conner, curious to have you do the same comparisons with the Ripmo & Ripley carbon / AF. Cheers!

Fantastic job! Would love to see a review like this with the same components; Aluminum frame vs Carbon frame only. Also.......THOSE TREE"S ARE INSANE!!!!!!

Great video! Helped make a decision for my new bike. What did you use to carry an extra tube/tools on your personal Sentinel in the video? Thanks

Thanks for the review. What was your elevation climb on this trail?

many thanks for the review, great !. in my opinion the carbon frame is light to ride but "heavy" on the mind (expensive and worried cracked when accident ). otherwise the aluminum frame is a bit heavy to ride but "light" on mind... so i choosed aluminum series 7.

Video pov quality is sweet. Did you change anything in your setup or is this just the bright fall colors and nailing the exposure that make everything look so awesome? :)

Great review, thank you.

Love the video and the impressions between the frames & build kits. Really love the look of the trail though! Live in the Kansas City metro area and obviously don't get to see that kind of scenery and trail around here. What trail and where is is located?

Awesome Video! I would love to see you do a video Comparing: Carbon Bike with Alloy Wheels VS Alloy Bike with Carbon Wheels. Typically Identical Build Kit's will be $1000 different between Alloy and Carbon. (Sentinel - NX Alloy $3,899 / NX Carbon $4799) With Selling the stock wheels for $500ish that would leave you with around $1500 to purchase a WEO or I9 1/1 S Wheelset. If you are spending the same amount of money which is better? Carbon Frame with Alloy Wheels or Alloy Frame with Carbon Wheels?

Currently ride a mix GX/NX Aluminum Patrol. 35lbs but that thing climbs like a goat and descends like a beast, no complaints!....That being said i have a YT Izzo on order, interested to see how a carbon bike ride & feels.

Another high quality awesome video.... Keep building the channel and soon you'll have loads more subs

Scott spark 960 good bang for your buck on an alloy bike

There would probably be a more noticeable difference if the two bikes were hardtails, or roadbikes, but on a full suspension bike, the frame material is far less important. Even in the MotoGP world, plenty of manufacturers have tried to go all carbon full suspension frames, but invariably all go back to aluminum as the primary frame material (carbon fiber swingarms do appear on occasion). Carbon fiber frames do however, benefit from very effective marketing which has placed them at the top of the perceived desirability pile - that has a huge effect on how one 'thinks' a bike performs (the same thing happened back in the day when aluminum was deemed the 'new' wunder-material, and superseded highly evolved steel tubing as the frame material de'jour.....). I do appreciate you taking the time to do this comparo, but it's not really an apples to apples test. Good brakes make any bike more controllable and feel easier to handle, especially when hard on the anchors , which may have been a factor you perceived. The less powerful brakes (probably heavier calipers too), heavier wheels, hubs, cassette, derailleur - all that extra unsprung extra weight will make it feel heavier - especially far from the center of mass. Had you put the same kit from the Carbon version, on the aluminum version, you'd not be able to tell a difference....Perhaps an idea for a next video - a real apples to apples comparison?

THANKS FOR YOUR HONEST REVIEWS ABOUT THE CARBON VS ALUMINIUM BIKES. I WAS THINKING OF SAVING UP FOR CARBON BUT MAY GO TO THE HIGH END ALUMINIUM BIKE .

Love the honesty.. keep up the great reviews!

Great bikes and all but those bright yellow autumn vibes though. 🤩

The Alloy bike might have been soaking up more of the trail chatter because the shock and fork were at the beginning of their maintenance cycles, being that it was new. Whenever I do a 50 hour service on my suspension I always notice it feeling way smoother for the first few rides. Fresh oil helps it overcome that initial friction in the stroke.

Man.. to be honest your video has the best colour grades and video quality out of all that i've seen when it comes to MTB gopro shots! Would be so appreciative if you could share your settings. Don't worry.. I'm already a subscriber. =)

I think you are feeling the differences in the suspension and not the frame material. Better suspension is going to give you the poppy feeling that you are talking about.

Great video (content, filming, editing). Out of curiosity, what trail are you riding?

nice honest review for people considering, good attitude nice one!

Such beautiful trails and scenery, where were you riding?

Really excellent comparison video!!! Thanks!!! Also, love the views in this area!! What part of the country are you in??

What’s that cool little pack you have mounted to your frame on the GX build?

Great review! When I heard Transition was going to offer more alloy frames, I started to second guess the carbon sentinel I have on order. I think I'll stick with it, but the alloy version sure seems like a nice bike for the price. What gear bag/pouch do you have mounted to your frame? I'd like something similar. Thanks!

I do believe high-end vs entry-level with Orbea Occam H30 vs Occam M-ltd would be a better comparison. Occam M-ltd $10.500,- and Occam H30 $3400,- Your reviews and info on this channel is just top notch! Keep up the good work!

I got a used Carbon 2018 canyon spectral cf8 for an absolute bargain and I don't regret it. The previous owner had hardly ridden her and she had no marks at all on the frame. I was super lucky but there are bargains out there both AL and CF.

Nice review but its still not Apples to Apples. The build of shocks and fork make a big difference in the feel. If you get a chance to ride a Transition AL with the same build as yours, that would be a prime review.

After 30+ years of riding my 26 (see profile pic) hardtail under various forks and brakes configuration, I have bought a very (very!) inexpensive DS 29er. Not mentionning the name as this is not a hidden advertisement… But the « french made big retailer » bike reg price was less than 3000can$ and I got a deal on a customer return at 1800$ taxes included. I had done my research before and compared every single component and feature… Anyway, the bike suited my riding style and I figured the weaker components would get destroyed and replaced eventually, as my experience dictates. Alu Frame is garantied for life, wheels are more than decent… my gripe was weight as is was a tad over 33 pounds. So I decided to dedicate a budget equalling the rebate difference to the regular retail price and got excellent tubeless tires, swapped the dropper post for a lighter rigid I had, and got a Microspline hub body to mount an XT cassette. Bike is now under 30 still at a total cost of much less than 2800$. How does this specific cheap bike ride? It’s brilliant. And when (if) I destroy it or any part, I can repeat and replace for peanuts. Having nothing to prove, all I can say is: I know what I am doing on a bike. I am both experienced and in very good shape. The cheap bike takes is like a champion. Do your homework, don’t believe the hype. Fix your own bike. Keep your money for wise upgrade. Never judge a cyclist by the price of it’s ride, but see if the saddle is worn a bit.

Did you keep the tire pressure the same on both bikes or did you increase the psi accordingly on the aluminum bike to account for the difference in weight? If not, that is likely the case as to why the aluminum felt more planted and slower on turns.

Good comparision! What trail as that btw?

great review - please can you answer me this question as its a big important one to me! - NOISE, is the alloy one lots noisier than the carbon one? rattle more etc?

beautiful scenery

I'd be interested to know what the lap times were if you had a stopwatch going.

You have me curious about the Sentinel. I’d get the Alum NX and upgrade a few things or just buy the Alum GX build. But then that got me thinking about how this bike compares to a Santa Cruz Bronson. That’s a comparison no one is doing. These are considered All Mountain. The two bikes that are available around me. Where I live, my trails seem to have 500-1000ft climbs from the parking lot… so I need something I can pedal all day. No demos available so it makes it a really hard decision

the subject is very relevant and it makes clear that carbon is NOT worth the extra money. But what about those brands that make a certain model in carbon only (canyon strive for instance)?

I bought a bike with NX components and had to replace the shifter within three months and the rear brake within the first year. I’d rather spend more money on quality parts and not have the bike fail while on the trail which is very maddening. That was the last time doing that!

Which trail is this? I wish you guys mentioned some of them (when they aren’t sensitive trails)

First off great video! The thing here for me is components aren’t the same definitely suspension does change a lot of the feel of the bike for the same suspension layout aswell as brakes! So it would have been even better if you compared just frame materials all other things being the same for a more accurate conclusion

After owning a couple of bikes, my prio is geo, suspension, brakes, tires, wheels, drive train, frame material. Ibis did it right with the Ripmo AF, same geo and suspension on entry upto pro.

Here's an idea for another alloy vs carbon comparison. Take the bikes from the all mountain showdown (Ripmo, Hightower, Sentinel) and compare their alloy versions to each other, obviously not the Yeti as they don't make alloy bikes. I do suspect the Ripmo AF will win due to its suspension, but would be interesting to see how the alloy versions of the Hightower and Sentinel compare.

Carbon or alloy? Which one are you riding?

I'm crazy happy with my aluminum 2019 Sentinel and GX build... carbon was out of my price point, but the real reason I chose AL is I'm a big guy, so I've always been scared my fat ass will break a carbon frame. Great review, loved the recent all mtn showdown as well, made me feel great about the decision to go with Transition.

Carbon is light but in a fast racing world, carbon is stiff and rarely has flex in fast corners,etc and is super responsive. Now throw in some carbon wheels on a carbon frame, you now have a bike that responds in fast corners at will!

The difference in shock and fork could be 90% of the ride difference in the two bikes. Slower rebound less lively but feels more grounded. Faster rebound more pop, but not as grounded on the chatter.

I’d like to see this test done with 2 bikes that are a lot more close in spec package. Like the Altitude coil C70/A70 2023. So to compare the carbon/aluminum frame more then components.

I borrowed the carbon equivalent of my bike (Rocky Mountain Element Carbon 70) while visiting my sister. Unfortunately, nobody had a shock pump so it was sitting a little low and I didn't dare hit anything too hard but I still noticed one big difference. The ultra light carbon bike responded shockingly fast to any shift in body weight. "Lively and nimble" describes it really well. There were moments where it felt too lively, or rather, I was throwing my weight harder than I needed to and the bike over-responded. The weight made no difference on the climb. It wouldn't say it was worth it for me. At 210 lbs, any bike frame responds when I throw my weight around (this is also why a brake upgrade was the single biggest performance boost for me) but, for a lighter rider, I could see how it would make a difference.

Aluminum all day with up to date geometry and with good components. (Gx build or slx/xt build) would be great enough. Just my thoughts! 😀

Did you match tire pressure and susp set up?

Wow…that is an AMAZING trail 🫡

Where was this video filmed? Beautiful scenery!!!

I bought a 2022 Sentinel aluminum bike two years ago, but with the higher end GX components - that year, prices were high and it cost me around $5200, about $1500 cheaper than its carbon equivalent. The bike continues to impress me after two years of use. I don't think saving roughly 1.5 lbs. would have justified an extra 1500 bucks.

I'm just saying, this was the smoothest downhill video I've ever seen. If it's the bikes that smoothed it out, i want one lol

7:40 Do you think what you were feeling on the downhill Flow trail might've been more the heavier wheels and not as much the aluminum frame?

Beautiful trail! Where is this trail at?

Alloy for me as I'm keeping the bike longer. Had a Santa Cruz carbon and I had to change it for warranty 2 times. Unless you keep on changing your bike then go for carbon.

What trail was this filmed on? location? look like a ton of fun

My wife is a health nut. She doesn’t understand the “burrito currency”. Ride to earn your right to eat. Thanks for the information, my carbon sentinel is on order.

Are we all going to just ignore how spectacular the location is? WOW!

I bought an $8,000 Mach 6 X01 build. Was it worth it? Absolutely not. The smarter choice would've been to buy a lesser quality build and replace/upgrade as needed. Am I happy with my decision? You bet. Call me shallow, but I like kashima, what can I say? End of the day, it's your money, buy what makes you happy. But make no mistake, 99% of us aren't gonna benefit from top of the line components. Also, I've learned more about what I like. Already replaced my bars and cranks with alloy and realized for my riding style (mostly DH and bike parks) I prefer aluminum on all contact points.

Alloy mondraker superfoxy for me and it’s amazing

I get way too many rock strikes by some big old beasty boy rocks to consider carbon seriously as a daily driver. My alloy bikes look like the lunar surface after a year or so I'm not sure I'd fully trust any carbon frame. Plus some horror stories from the early days of "Plastic Enduros". Don't care about a small amount of weight (you get used to it if the geo's good anyway and it makes for nice stable jumps) I just want a tank that can take a fair few knocks and not need x-raying.

How much does each bike weigh? Thanks for your videos!

Gorgeous Aspen trees !!

When you said the breaks do not "feel as good" what did you mean by that?

Depends on the warranty

Never Carbon again as a hobbybiker!!! Had problems with to different Brands, cracking sound in the bottom bracket. One pressfit and the other BSA threaded where a aluminum ring was glued into the carbon frame. On one frame problems occured after 2 years on the other after 3. Both Enduro Fully. My 10 year old Allmountain aluminum 26" has no problems, threaded BB. My new one is an aluminum Enduro from Last-Bikes again threaded bottombracket and it's still lighter than some carbon Enduros and you don't loose warranty cause it's Bikepark approved. Watch the RU-vid Channel from "hambini" he's an engineer debunks carbon hi quality frames.

Interesting point about wrestling the aluminum bike on the descent. Descending is the whole reason we climb, no? $2K is a lot - if you get a new bike every 2-3 years. If you prorate that over 4-5-6 years, it's not a lot more to get the better bike and kit.

Can you guys do a review on the alloy spire?

what if you had taken every component except the the hadset off the carbon and put it on the alloy bike. would those wheels and brakes have been the golden ticket?

One aspect I have never seen addressed is the long term reliability of aluminum vs carbon fiber.

You're riding amazing hard packed terrain in autumn (fall). I'm riding in 3 inches of mud in southern England 🙈

Iv had a lot bikes over the years but only 2 carbon. Both carbon bikes felt harsher and more chattery. That’s why I ordered an alloy spire. Heavy. Yes. Lol. I just like the way alloy soaks up the chunkier terrain.

where are the trails you are riding?

Exactly!

ive noticed my NX drive train struggles to get from 4th to fifth gear but is like a hot knife through butter with every other shift

Bro……those aspen!!!!!!!!!! Great video