Hi, I'm getting into MTB and there is a really nice Kona Stinky for sale. It's £450. It will need new gears as it's currently single speed but that's no biggie. But i'm worried that will be too heavy, so there is also a Dirt Jumper option, but I don't really want a hardtail with no gears, so another option is a Carrera Titan X. I do some kind of downhill tracks (like blue and red's at Newbold Comyn). I also do Urban freeride. Which would be best. I will drop pics of the Stinky and a Titan X. If it was a DJ it would probably be new, obviously second hand Stinky and probably a second hand Titan X. Thanks! I forgot to say this, but I also do dirt jumps.
by Specialist-Donut-603
10 Comments
For that price range I think you’d be better looking for a hardtail with aggressive geometry.
Stinky for the vibes, the Carrera if you actually want to enjoy pedaling your bike.
The Carrera is ready to go, complete with dropper post. It’ll be much lighter than the Kona too. Not to mention wheel sizes, air vs coil shocks etc
If your budget is less than 1000, go get yourself a used rowdy hardtail less than 5 years old. Something like a Trek Roscoe or Commencal Meta HT.
That Stinky is literally an antique.
I’m team Stinky, but I’m biased because that was my first full suspension back in ’05.
These are all waay too different to be compared. You need to dial in what you want, or have more than one bike.
I might be able to get both but I don’t know
if you are just getting ‘in to it’ me thinks you need a somewhat more versatile bike.
i had one of those stinky’s. it’s a vintage triple crown downhill machine and weighs it too. mine was pushing 46 lbs.
First one looks to be an AI generated photo.
Let me tell you from experience, putting gears on an old DH is a bitch. First you need to find all the parts, depending on hub sizing certain cassettes may not work, you’ll need spacers. Then there’s the maintenance. Because the old DHs get beaten down so hard every ride they break derailleurs more often, and with Shimano Zee getting discontinued, there’s no longer a budget downhill groupset.
I would advise against putting something like a 1×12 on there, with the 26in wheels the derailleur cage is going to get torn off super quickly. The only old downhill bikes that can be pedaled are stuff like the Transition Dirtbag, Specialized Big Hit/Status, and MAYBE a Norco. The issue is that when they were being pedaled, it was in a 2×9 short cage setup usually, which cannot be done anymore.
Look for a used Enduro from 2014-2018 if you need to pedal would be my advice, don’t get a short travel newer bike. It sucks to be limited by suspension.