The Siskiu T that I bought is my first MTB purchase since the early 2000s. It has really sparked my enthusiasm and ride time for mountain biking. I once associated trail riding with a garaunteed otb. No longer! I love that bike.
You need to find a trustworthy reseller that takes pre-orders, is willing to give estimates and ensures you that the bike you ordered is actually in backorder at the factory. People often avoid pre-orders, so often those are still available :)
Love the series, well done. Two very accomplished knowledgeable riders giving honest feed back is great to see. Also confirms my recent purchase of the T8 🤙
Im the one who judge the bike by its look too, yeah and I think the marin is so beautiful until i see the close up footage from the siskiu T8, dude that paint job is really on the next level, and the fact that marin and polygon is made in the same factory is amaze me to lol
I've bought the Rift Zone 3 in 2020 back when it was a bit under $2600. (Getting it dialed in cost another $350). Between the price increase which were not accompanied by single upgrade for 2021 and the competition from the likes of Ibis etc, I don't see why you would buy one today. Don't get me wrong, I like the bike and it does everything I want, but it's good, not great. If you are on a more limited budget go with the Rift Zone 2 and upgrade later as needed. That said, their description of the Rift Zone did not match my experience with it. It feels very planted descending. It's not plush but stable. However it is a heavy bike and it doesn't feel like an efficient climber until you flick the lockout. The one thing I agree with completely is that when climbing it doesn't have the kind of ground hugging suspension that creates endless traction. It has lot's of antisquat and you need to stand to let the rear move up and over sharper edged obstacles on the way up.
As a 200lb SoCal high desert rider, I will only use Shimano 4 piston resin pads (although I have XT rotors) due to how they feel. A ton of power, bite and best of all..... they're freaking quite as a church mouse. If I rode in the wet then it might be different.
You guys need to make a special exemption and add "Status" MTB - 140 by Specialized. For 2600$, you get a Fox Rhythm 36, DPX2 rear shock, 140mm of travel - albeit it's a mullet. Additionally, would be nice if these were compared to last years budget line up. For example - the Mythique VRX (albeit, that model didn't change much this year) but the others did (e.g. Meta TR).
It's always weird watching these in the UK. The Marin they said wasn't quite as good as the ibis... But in the UK the Marin rift zone 2 is £2,550 ($3300 USD ) and the ibis is £3599 ($4694 USD ) that's a huge price difference
I’m very happy with my Devinci Marshall! I wish it wasn’t as heavy as it is… but perhaps a few upgrades like fork and wheels would put it in a lighter weight class. Overall it has handled everything well
This is a great test for lots of people, I think right around $2750 is where you start seeing the benefits of a full sus over a hardtail for the same price
Next bike probably going to be the Ripley AF or (presumably new this August) Giant Trance 29 (the original 115mm travel one). If the price and spec of the current Trance 29 carries over to a modern frame for next year it'll be a very tough choice.
I totally agree with Levy's complaint about Brakes! I bought a NX V1 Ripmo to save some money and hated the Level T's so much, I went out and bought SLX 4 piston brakes. Although, SLX are good, they don't seem to bite consistently as Levy explained. It would be great if you guys could do a Brake review. I'm curious about Magura. As I mentioned previously, I went from a Ripley to a Ripmo. I still miss my Ripley, and may get a used one as a backup bike. Very fun bike!!
From other reviews, magura mt5s are very well reviewed. I would say they're comparable to Shimano XT 4 piston brakes. Both systems use mineral oil, which I consider a plus (less messy than dot fluid). You could also go "shi-gura" since most Shimano levers are compatible with magura calipers. Double check on some forums before you go shi-gura!
@@EcologicTwinkie I just spoke to my LBS about them and they mentioned while they are good Magura has some issues, such as oil leaks. He suggested that I get XTR. If I decide to do that I would sell my SLX set first.
Can you explain what it is EXACTLY you didn't like about the Rockshox Gold RL fork? It came stock on my current bike and this being my first bike in close to twenty years, I'm just curious what it is about that fork that does not gel for you
I never heard of them before and just googled them. They seem to be pretty good and the pricing starts pretty low with decent parts, but also can get up really high. I’d like to try one, but I’ve never seen on in Germany. Not in a store, neither online.
I don't understand the problem with mixing Shimano and SRAM. I prefer Shimano brakes and SRAM drivetrains and haven't noticed any ergonomic issues with the levers.
I have had bikes with the same problem where you can really reach the SRAM shifter with the Shimano break but since the Shimano brake levers are long on the cheap stuff you can just put on the break lever first then slide n the shifter. BAM problem solved.
I just started MTB riding 6 months ago. I've started on a Polygon Extrada 5 (2x10 hardtail). My plan is to have it for at least a year then buy the Siskiu T8. Polygon is well made using premium components for very competitive prices.
Pink Bike: "Let's make a video on things trail builders hate which includes skidding." Also Pink Bike: "Let's film ourselves testing bikes which include skidding." Be consistent Pink Bike.
Yeah, as someone who spends heaps of time building trails, seeing back wheels locked up is so uncool. Heaps of people watch these videos, let's show them how to ride in a manner that doesn't wreck our tracks. Please.
Love your Channel! Newbie here of 4 months just purchased an Orbea H30 looking to upgrade the brakes, any options I should be looking at? I appreciate any opinions
In Canada the Devinci is by far the cheapest one. Like the polygon you have to pay shipping and taxes and a 13% duty and that would put it right around $3000
The Devincis are a tad more expensive down here in the lower 48, but not terribly so. The idea that I can get Weagle suspension, 148 spacing, a threaded BB, in an alloy frame is good, (That's why the Ripley AF and Ripmo AF are on my list.) But the North American manufacture of the Devinci *is* a selling point for me. If that Marshall becomes available frame-only, it will probably be my next bike.
This may be old news but, I bought a Polygon Siskiu T8 from MEC here in Toronto, back in July of this year (2022) and it came to $4000 all in. At the time, it was ordered in, but they now have them on site. They often have sales throughout the year as well, and I've seen it drop temporally at least 2 or 3 times since I bought mine.
Any plans to review a Starling? I saw a video on a gearbox bike called the Spur. I think it would be cool to review any of thier bikes though. Steel single pivot R853 tubing. I like reviews on unusual bikes even if I can't afford them!
A friend just bought that bike, same build level, and loves it. He races XC but wanted a bike to take on the trails with friends as well. Works great for him.
If you are on a budget, trail bike is where its at. Plus the Ripley and Rift Zone give you DC performance with more reserves...which goes back my first sentence.
I wonder how Ripzone would be sized'd up - i.e. Wheelbase and stability? Marshall should be spec'd with a better Fork - i.e. a Fox 34 or Pike/Lyric Ripley AF - the Fuel Ex/Tallboy killer (from what I read) Giant? Keep that Maestro at 115 for the 29er
I have never heard of orbea before, but one of my local bike shops sells them. Would you recommend one? I'm also looking at a kona process or giant trance
i was interested in the marin bike , after your reviews , im not sure but chance of availability of other bike is slim to none .... what to do what to doo ....
I’d love to get the Ibis, but their cheapest build sells for 4.500€ in Germany, that’s just insane! That’s 5000$! Almost double of what you pay in North America!
@@lestar123 the YT‘s are better priced in Germany, but still much more expensive than in the US. Ridiculous if you remember that YT is a german brand that for a long time nobody outside of Germany knew of.. I bought their Noton in 2009 when they still called themself Young Talent Industries and it was a fine Bike. Kind of the first Freeride/Fun bike that you could also pedal up a mountain. And yes the Jeffsy definitely is a fine bike, but I think it’s way more downhill oriented than the Ibis. I think the Izzo would be a good opponent however. Of course it’s not a hard hitter like the Jeffsy, but you can throw it down a trail or two, while still being a good climber.
@@jeffloucks2120 wow so the bike prices also rose in the land of the free? I got lucky last year, I got a dealers show bike for a very good price. Santa Cruz Tallboy CC with Rerserve Carbon wheels and full X01 bling for half of the retail price. With full life long guarantee on frame, wheels and bars. I’m super happy with it, it pedals really well, is super poppy and can take a beating on the downs! I’ll never need more travel on a bike that isn’t purely for descending! That bikes geometry and kinematics changed the way I thought about bikes.
Older-ish trail geometry in between XC and trail. Friend has one that felt very comfortable. Relatively lightweight and efficient. Thing I didn't care for is they kept the price the same and downgraded the current fork.
I was thinking about buying a Trek Remedy 8, I don't know the US dollar prices, but I think it was not mentioned becurse it's either more expensive, or just not as good as these bikes. Will the Remedy be good compared to these bikes? I currently ride a Trek Roscoe 8 2020
It's more expensive than $3000 (US or CAD). Besides that, It can be considered a bit "obsolete", because it has 27.5-inch wheels. I own 2021 Remedy 8 on XT, I bought it without conviction (I bought a bike last summer when the bikes were out of stores...). I'm happy with it, it's a great deal - Remedy 8 has better equipment than all the bikes shown here! Although if I were buying now, I would seriously consider buying Slash 8.
@@Descenter1976, yes, slash is more downhill-focused. When the new Slash came out, it cost less than 300 euros more than Remedy in my country (Poland). Don't get me wrong, I think Remedy 8 is a great package for the money. You get amazing specs and practically the best front suspension on the market (Lyrik Select+ doesn't have only one adjustment that it Ultimate has, but except that same fork. Note that it has a 2021 new upgrade DebonAir spring.). Drivetrain is great, breaks are powerful - no need to add cash. The question is whether the bike on 27.5 inch wheels suits you - the new fashion is 29. When I was buying it didn't matter to me after I came back to the bike after 8 years of break and then everyone was riding on 26" :-) The frame was updated in 2019 and has not been modified since then. Remedy received excellent marks from Pinkbike - search for reviews. In enduro-mtb.com test in 2019 Remedy 8 won the test, with one downside "brakes and tires limit the bike" - for 2021 breaks are upgraded and way more powerful (whether you choose the version with Code's or Shimano M6120). You will be more than happy with Remedy :-).
Comparing DTC online bike prices to LBS prices is really apples to oranges. The LBS brands offer value in the assembly, fitting, adjustments and long term service. If you are going to compare these brands there should be a monetary value given to all those services - never mind that you are supporting local business that do more for your local biking community. Yes, some of us can do all those mechanical tasks, but they are not without some investment of time, tools and hassle. Adding $150 for assembly, $25 for fitting, and $50-100 for included tightening and tunes would add at least $300 to each of the DTC brands and make them less competitive from a pricing perspective. This has been a call out on previous comparisons, and should remain a part of your presentation IMHO.
That bike is hard to come by even to reviewers. Only certain dealers sell it and specialized didn’t make a big deal about releasing it. I just ordered one my self. Lol.
@Vlad Cristian At that price point getting 4 piston brakes is super rare. If you really look at it it’s parts nobody really buys, people usually upgrade to code RSC brakes not R’s, the elusive nx shifter that is MMX compatible, the 200mm rotors that people usually upgrade to. It’s amazing and we both have one. Woohoo.
hi, how come nobody seems to be testing the Focus jam 6.8 £2.500. could you please bring this model at this price into your test/reviews pls i think its loads better than the T8 etc
I look at what goes into making a modern dirt bike, say a 2005 honda crf450, and then these mountain bikes and compare prices. Good god, I just don't get it. It just doesn't make sense to me. I really want to buy a new mountain bike but the price for what you get seems insane. I guess I'm just out of the loop.
It moves around a lot. Depending on who is saying it they may be complaining about pedal-bob, or they may just be noting that it moves. All of the maestro-link bikes I have ridden did have very active suspension, but not fatiguing pedal-bob. I didn't love all of them, but they all had good traction on climbs.
Hi guys! I am interested in a full suspension mountain bike that won’t break the bank. I came across this video and really got interested in the Ibis Ripley for $3K. Their website says the frame alone is $3500! Am i looking in the wrong area? Please help. Thanks
Aluminum is much less expensive than Carbon. But the Carbon bikes come with much better specs. A Carbon frame is probably that price. I will likely buy an AL bike myself as the Carbon options are very tough on the wallet. Performance wise the experts seem to admit that the differences are minimal in relation to the cost. I will probably buy an AL bike and maybe add some budget Carbon wheels and have a bike that functions as well as a bike costing thousands more. Specialized and Santa Cruz do lifetime frame warranties, so I will likely go that route now that I am sitting here bikeless after the swing arm on my Pivot broke and has me sitting idle :(
You can use a reshipping service that will ship it to canada. Beware of 13% duty plus your normal sales tax. Regardless, still a good deal after all that.
@@julienewing1279 with exchange rate it’s at least $2900. Plus say $150 shipping ($3150) plus 13% duty $377 ($3527) plus say the 10% tax which i think doesn’t include the duty $315 for a total of $3832. That’s a pricy “budget” bike
