To Nomad or Not to Nomad? That is the question ...

[inkslinger]

The Nomad is a great bike but I think you should listen to what alot of people are saying. Base your next purchase on the type of trails you ride. The Nomad is far too much bike for the Fullerton Loop, but its still fun! If your hitting Whiting, Aliso, Turnabull, you will fully enjoy the Nomad and what it has to offer as one of the best all mountain bikes around. The price tag for Nomad and a Blur LT is not much different, and from what I understand, the geometry is pretty close. I ride a Large Nomad, and its freaking great. If you want to check it out, I will be at Turnabull tomarrow morning at 8:00. Another piece of advice, check ebay out before you buy, my buddy picked up a $4500 Nomad on there for about $3000. It was in excellent condition. If your going to buy retail, go to The Bike Co. and talk to Kevin. Tell him Dave who does their shirts sent you down. Be prepared to wait a while to get it, Santa Cruz is notorius for taking forever to get your bike.

[mullarks]

Originally Posted by inkslinger

The Nomad is a great bike but I think you should listen to what alot of people are saying. Base your next purchase on the type of trails you ride. The Nomad is far too much bike for the Fullerton Loop, but its still fun! If your hitting Whiting, Aliso, Turnabull, you will fully enjoy the Nomad and what it has to offer as one of the best all mountain bikes around. The price tag for Nomad and a Blur LT is not much different, and from what I understand, the geometry is pretty close. I ride a Large Nomad, and its freaking great. If you want to check it out, I will be at Turnabull tomarrow morning at 8:00. Another piece of advice, check ebay out before you buy, my buddy picked up a $4500 Nomad on there for about $3000. It was in excellent condition. If your going to buy retail, go to The Bike Co. and talk to Kevin. Tell him Dave who does their shirts sent you down. Be prepared to wait a while to get it, Santa Cruz is notorius for taking forever to get your bike.

Thanks for the advice. I live in Aliso Viejo, so I ride Aliso at least twice a week. I demo'd the Nomad at Whiting and it seemed like overkill for those trails? Also how tall are you?? I am 5'10" and demo'd a medium Nomad but according to there website I'm right a the break point between Med. and Large. BTW already talked to Kevin and he couldn't come close to matching the deal I found (but he did hook me up with a good deal on his used Lyrik.) And I would prefer to get it new to get the frame and bearing replacement warrantees.

[Mr. Lemons]

I second the Rocky Mountain Slayer SXC, if I were to get a 6 inch travel bike this would be the one.

[inkslinger]

You are on the border. My buddy is the same size and he got a Medium. He says he loves it, but I do notice on his climbing he seems a little cramped. Again, if you are looking for a climber, you may want to get into a large. If you want something to throw around, get a Medium. The hard thing about a Nomad is you have to know someone who has one to demo. Santa Cruz is not great for that. Im 6', so my large works, and climbs well for me. Definitely shop around, check out Helens bike shop in Santa Monica. Its a little drive, but they have a good inventory of bikes. Give them a call, they may have one in stock. You also have Switchback Cyclery, Orange. And 2 Wheel Dealer, Brea. Call around and see if anyone has one in stock. Helens bike shop has about 5 shops, Im sure one them will have one to check out.

[Shu]

Originally Posted by inkslinger

If your going to buy retail, go to The Bike Co. and talk to Kevin. Tell him Dave who does their shirts sent you down. Be prepared to wait a while to get it, Santa Cruz is notorius for taking forever to get your bike.

I bought my Heckler from Kevin last Oct and had it 3-4 dayts after I ordered it....Less than $2000 out the door and LOVE EVERY MINUTE on it...32#'s It climbs and desends very good...Great All Mountain bike w/o a $3000+ price tag

[inkslinger]

I just said be prepared, I didnt say it was definitely going to happen. I waited 4 weeks for my Chameleon. It just depends if they have it stock or not at Santa Cruz. Color, and component packages will have a lot to do with it. Did you get the new Heckler? How do you like it? I will tell you this, I had a Hecker before I bought my Nomad, and its by far a superior ride. It rides like a Cadillac compared to my Heckler, and well worth the price tag it came with. I guess its just what your willing to invest in your hobby right?

[Shu]

You are right I just didn't/don't see spending that much money on 1 bike...I would rather use the same amount of money and buy 2or3 different styles of bikes...

Nomad=too much bike for the riding I do to justify the cost

[Ladd Jasper]

mullarks, any chance you could attend the upcoming Santiago Oaks/Big Bear demo weekend? Should be an excellent opportunity to get some time in on several great bikes in a short period, and all on the same terrain.

Yeti, Rocky Mountain, and Chumba all offer frames that fit your criteria (as far as I understand it), but vary enough to give a fairly good sampling of what's available. Convince a Nomad owner to show up and borrow their ride for a lap or two, and you'll have a pretty good basis on which to make a decision.

You're welcome to take my Ventana X-5 for a spin as well, but be forewarned: all other bikes will seem like mere toys after experiencing the legendary quality of this hand welded, precision crafted machine. OTOH, that $3600 Nomad will seem like a steal!

[Geronimo]

I can vouch for Ventana's build quality they are very nice, plus you can get them at your local Walmart.

[Schecky]

Originally Posted by Ladd Jasper

You're welcome to take my Ventana X-5 for a spin as well, but be forewarned: all other bikes will seem like mere toys after experiencing the legendary quality of this hand welded, precision crafted machine. OTOH, that $3600 Nomad will seem like a steal!

[OTHRIDER]

Two Wheeler Dealer in Brea

[FONT=Tahoma]I purchased my Heckler from them in January for a decent price. The purchase was smooth enough but be warned, their service[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=6]SUCKS !!![/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma][/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma]Even the folks at Santa Cruz were amazed how piss-poor they were. AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!![/FONT]

[kbteachme]

Hey Danny,

I think you should get the Nomad. It's a great bike. The '07 models have the larger 1.5" headtube and the lifetime bearing replacement from SC. They are built to last. Speedgoat sells the frame from $1799--only $200 more than the Blur LT. I would still buy it at The Bike Company because they will stand behind any SC frame warranty and they know how to build SC bikes. Personally, I don't care if I'm the last one up on my RFX. The most important thing is how fun and solid the bike is to ride on all types of trails. Before you buy, you might want to consider trying the Chumba XCL or EVO, Canfield Brothers Balance, Yeti 575, Intense 5.5 or 6.6 or Turner 5 Spot or RFX. I think there will be a STR/Adrenaline Bikes demo weekend ride on July 28 and 29 to try out Yeti and Chumba bikes. You also might want to ask The Bike Company when they will be having another Turner demo.

See you on the trails!

Kirk

[inkslinger]

Ladd is right, there so many good bikes out right now, they all deserve to looked at. I have always been a Santa Cruz guy, all the bikes I have owned have really suited my type of riding. If I were going to make a serious investment like that for a bike, I would check out as many bikes as possible. He asked my opinion on a Nomad, so it was given based on my experience.

Shu, what are talking about, the Heckler frame is not that much cheaper than a Nomad. Components are what is going to justify what the bike cost. You could easily drop $4000 into a Heckler. You need to visit the Santa Cruz website!!! Let me guess, you were one of those guys who read that article in MBA, and went out and bought the $1600 Heckler. Should have waited and got the new one, a much better rig.

[xhuskr]

Originally Posted by Sprockethead

I love the bike, it been nothing buy joy to ride....except when riding 30+ miles on the Pain Divide.

Having seen Andy pedal past me, the Nomad is a very worthy bike.......r u worthy of it? j/k

[Hoosierdaddy]

Originally Posted by mullarks

Thanks for the advice. I live in Aliso Viejo, so I ride Aliso at least twice a week. I demo'd the Nomad at Whiting and it seemed like overkill for those trails? Also how tall are you?? I am 5'10" and demo'd a medium Nomad but according to there website I'm right a the break point between Med. and Large. BTW already talked to Kevin and he couldn't come close to matching the deal I found (but he did hook me up with a good deal on his used Lyrik.) And I would prefer to get it new to get the frame and bearing replacement warrantees.

Danny, I rode with you @ Aliso a few weeks ago on a Tuesday night. I have a silver Blur LT and I remember you saying you got your fork from Kevin at the Bike Co.

You really need to consider what type of riding/terrain you will be using this bike for. If you're going to be hucking the thing, go with the Nomad, or another 6" travel bike. If you're looking to do something in between, hucking/trail riding get the Blur LT. I absolutely love my Blur LT (just ask my girlfriend, I'm gonna miss her) it does everything I ask of it and more! It weighs 34.5 #s and I can pedal it up most everything. It's an XL, so that's why it's heavy, that and I spec'd it with H/D components. I'm 6'5" and weigh 235 so I'm not worried too much about the weight of the bikes I ride.

I've ridden my Blur on the 24 hour race at Hurkey and did a 56 minute lap. I rode the 40 mile "Epic" Docent led ride at Quail hill and think I was the only one to not get off my bike and push it up the hill or walk down a technical section. (unless you count when I went over the bars on Stairsteps b/c I didn't lower my seat) I even rode Canyon Acres the whole way up! I don't know if I could have made it on a Nomad.

I have a bunch of bikes (six to be exact) and I like my Blur the most out of all of them. I spent about 4800.00 on my Blur at the Bike Co. and I would do it again.

I guess the biggest thing is, don't be in a hurry to buy the wrong bike. Good luck!

Jeff

[cru jones]

I own a 07 Rocky Mountain Slayer sxc70 and its been great.(the stock wheels are pretty weak though). The nomad is an awesome bike too. Just make sure you get a bike for the 90% of riding you do, not the 10% that you would like to do(the once a year trip to mammoth). Also, its kinda cool not having what everyone else has!!

[Rob]

In about two weeks, Foes will have the FXR available with the 6" version of the Curnutt XTD Air shock.


Foes Racing 2007

We can build one up for you with the Enduro Kit, a Fox Talas 32 and the CurnuttAir shock and it'll still probably be cheaper than a Nomad.


Check out build number 3 and 5.

OnLine Store

[mullarks]

Originally Posted by Hoosierdaddy

Danny, I rode with you @ Aliso a few weeks ago on a Tuesday night. I have a silver Blur LT and I remember you saying you got your fork from Kevin at the Bike Co.

You really need to consider what type of riding/terrain you will be using this bike for. If you're going to be hucking the thing, go with the Nomad, or another 6" travel bike. If you're looking to do something in between, hucking/trail riding get the Blur LT. I absolutely love my Blur LT (just ask my girlfriend, I'm gonna miss her) it does everything I ask of it and more! It weighs 34.5 #s and I can pedal it up most everything. It's an XL, so that's why it's heavy, that and I spec'd it with H/D components. I'm 6'5" and weigh 235 so I'm not worried too much about the weight of the bikes I ride.

I've ridden my Blur on the 24 hour race at Hurkey and did a 56 minute lap. I rode the 40 mile "Epic" Docent led ride at Quail hill and think I was the only one to not get off my bike and push it up the hill or walk down a technical section. (unless you count when I went over the bars on Stairsteps b/c I didn't lower my seat) I even rode Canyon Acres the whole way up! I don't know if I could have made it on a Nomad.

I have a bunch of bikes (six to be exact) and I like my Blur the most out of all of them. I spent about 4800.00 on my Blur at the Bike Co. and I would do it again.

I guess the biggest thing is, don't be in a hurry to buy the wrong bike. Good luck!

Jeff

Hey Wheelie Jeff, thanks for the advice. I have demo'd a Blur LT and it felt a bit twichty to me (although it was a kick ass climber) and when comparing the Nomad frame to the Blur LT frame the difference in weight is like less than a pound. Not exactly sure where my riding is going to be in a couple of years, that is what makes it a more difficult choice, but it seems to me that the extra travel at a small cost of additional weight is worth it.

Originally Posted by Rob

In about two weeks, Foes will have the FXR available with the 6" version of the Curnutt XTD Air shock.


Foes Racing 2007

We can build one up for you with the Enduro Kit, a Fox Talas 32 and the CurnuttAir shock and it'll still probably be cheaper than a Nomad.


Check out build number 3 and 5.

OnLine Store

Thanks for the offer Rob, but I am leaning away from the single pivot design and proprietary components (I haven't seen Curnutt on anything other than Foes) Also whatever I end up with will have a 20 mm axle up front.

Originally Posted by Ladd Jasper

mullarks, any chance you could attend the upcoming Santiago Oaks/Big Bear demo weekend? Should be an excellent opportunity to get some time in on several great bikes in a short period, and all on the same terrain.

Yeti, Rocky Mountain, and Chumba all offer frames that fit your criteria (as far as I understand it), but vary enough to give a fairly good sampling of what's available. Convince a Nomad owner to show up and borrow their ride for a lap or two, and you'll have a pretty good basis on which to make a decision.

Good idea and thanks for mentioning it. Too bad I have a wedding to attend that day. DOH!

[Shu]

Originally Posted by inkslinger

Shu, what are talking about, the Heckler frame is not that much cheaper than a Nomad. Components are what is going to justify what the bike cost. You could easily drop $4000 into a Heckler. You need to visit the Santa Cruz website!!! Let me guess, you were one of those guys who read that article in MBA, and went out and bought the $1600 Heckler. Should have waited and got the new one, a much better rig.

No I wasn't "one of those guys who read the article in MBA and went an bought the $1600 Heckler" I did my research and managed to get a great deal on the "D AM" package....NO WHERE near the $2400+ price listed on the SC Website....when I was making the deal I inquired about the Nomad but they were more than $1000 MORE and there was NO deal that was in my price range...guess they were blowing out the Hecklers...

MY whole point was it is an expensive bike and I would rather save the extra money and NOT get the Nomad and build a 2nd bike....