[herkman]

Anybody ever riden these two bikes? And if so which of these would you get and why? Also whats the major difference between these two bikes because they both seem like trail bikes but the 5 spot has more travel. Thanks

 

[slowrider]

HH V 5 Spot

Not that close of a comparison. HH is racier, harsher and quicker handling. Spot's a better trailbike and more plush. If you go with the Spot opt for an air shock and it's within a half pound of the HH. If your a racer get the HH otherwise the Spot would be better IMOH.

 

[MightySchmoePong]

Mostly agree.

Although I think which bike would be better depends entirely on the type of riding done and the terrain. I guarantee I would rather have a HH if I was a strictly CC rider on easier/moderate trails.

These bikes aren't really that similar; in order to give good advice on which one is best we would need to know how/where they were being used.

Dave

 

[Bikezilla]

These two bikes aren't even in the same zip code.

I tried a Racer-X which I believe is mostly the same platform as the HH100X and even though it was too small a size and setup for a much lighter rider, it launched like a friggin' hardtail. We're talking gogogogo... I would say it is a great FS XC race bike.

A 5 Spot (which I own) is a monster trail thrasher. It vaporizes rocks roots and logs of all sizes, going up as well as down. It's got beaucoup (sp?) stability and inspires confidence over rugged technical terrain like no other. And traction galore. It'll get you through the trails that have always beat you before.

If you plan on racing, do mostly XC and stick to the faster smoother groomed courses then a bike like the HH would do quite well. If you plan on doing trail riding, at least part time, and actively seek out difficult terrain, you should consider a bike designed for more that sort of thing. As suggested above, if weight is an issue look at the Burner. If weight is a real issue, wait to see the '05 Turners before you decide...I suspect they have some really exciting bikes for those niches, like the Nitrous (Race-only) and whatever they'er secretly planning to fill the Burner's gap. If price is a priority, you won't see a better deal than the Burner, and when they're gone we'll not likely see a bargan like that again anytime soon.

 

[coolhandluchs]

How do you wanna ride?

I guess the big question is: are you going to ever race your bike?

If you are, I suggest the HH100. I came off of a Racer X to a 5 Spot, mainly because the X was a little too big for me, but also because I realized that I was never going to have the time, money or dedication to get in shape for racing. Racing's something I wanted to try, but, I always seem to be in the same shape: round. And now that I'm married with a kid on the way...well let's just say that my free time's drying up fast.

The Racer X/HH is designed to go fast, especially uphill. It's a faster climber than the Spot. It's also quicker in the tight, twisty stuff. The Spot's a much more stable and can smooth out much rougher terrain. You'll definitely go much faster downhill. It's also a lot more fun and gets me in and out of trouble. I'm looking at things I knew would be suicide on the X now and thinking, "yeah, I could ride that."

If you're looking to do 24 hr races and such, you can get a Spot down to about 27 lbs if you're willing to spend the money to do it. [email protected] pedals, Fo# [email protected] 130/[email protected] Minute 2, [email protected] Swinger 3 way, [email protected]@ [email protected]$, & especially light tires & wheels will make the Spot a good, comfy 24 hr bike. If you're looking at doing local XC races--go with the HH100.

Or the Burner.

Damn that autolink thing is a PITA Is it still active?

Oh, yeah. If you like to keep your trails challenging, don't get the Spot. It erases things that used to scare me. Riding certain trails is almost boring now.
Still better than work, but boring.

 

[Bikezilla]

...Oh, yeah. If you like to keep your trails challenging, don't get the Spot. It erases things that used to scare me. Riding certain trails is almost boring now.
Still better than work, but boring.

LOL!!!

Some additional thoughts to shoppers, while often stated it's usually said between the lines...

Speed is a defined value, but "Quick" and "Fast" are adjectives. Even though the opposite of both is "Slow" they do not describe the same thing.

A bike like a HH is quick. It gets up to your desired speed in a very short period of time. A bike like a 5 Spot is Fast. It's overall speed is high. BUT both descriptions apply only to the terrain the bikes were designed for.

You put both on a well groomed XC course and a good rider will get better times on the HH, and he'll be able to dart around his competitors much more quickly.

You put both on a rough technical sketchy backwoods loop, and 90% of the riders will come back sooner on a bike like the 5 Spot, and they'll have a big isht eating grin to boot. I've read more than once where people timed their loops on a trailbike vs a XC bike and said while the XC bike felt faster the trailbike always had shorter times...but they still wouldn't race a trailbike.

As for climbing speed, that REALLY depends on the terrain. Many times I've whooped faster stronger riders on technical climbs.They had hardtails or xc racers. They had to pick their lines carefully, and lost speed over the bigger rocks and such. I passed them on the rougher climbing lines, ignoring much more of trail. But if it was instead a fireroad, I'd be lucky to see their tracks. The Spot can climb the rough stuff much faster than, say a hardtail. I know, I have both. I ride with folks on many different kinds of bikes, and there are times one kind of bike definately has and advantage. the HH is by no means a hardtail. But it's got that kind of quickness...The 5 Spot is by no means a free rider, but it's got that kind of stability.

 

[Roy]

Oh, yeah. If you like to keep your trails challenging, don't get the Spot. It erases things that used to scare me. Riding certain trails is almost boring now.
Still better than work, but boring.

I agree with this 100% and it's a point I was trying to make in how the XCE/5 Spot are complimentary; or in this case a HH/RacerX and 5 Spot are complimentary. The 5 Spot has dumbed down much of the trails I ride on, to the point that I'm going back to riding the XCE more frequently again for a greater challenge.
Coolhand is right on in that, know your trails well and determine if the 5 Spot is overkill. If so, you may end up unhappy with such a great bike, though no fault of the Spot.

 

[coolhandluchs]

Well said BZ

LOL!!!

Speed is a defined value, but "Quick" and "Fast" are adjectives. Even though the opposite of both is "Slow" they do not describe the same thing.

A bike like a HH is quick. It gets up to your desired speed in a very short period of time. A bike like a 5 Spot is Fast. It's overall speed is high. BUT both descriptions apply only to the terrain the bikes were designed for.

You put both on a well groomed XC course and a good rider will get better times on the HH, and he'll be able to dart around his competitors much more quickly.
You put both on a rough technical sketchy backwoods loop, and 90% of the riders will come back sooner on a bike like the 5 Spot.

See, I knew someone could decipher my feeble attempts at description.

He's absolutely right on the handling: The Racer X snaps, the Spot flows. Looks at the type of riding you do and the type of terrain you're on. Be honest and you'll pick the right bike for your needs.

 

[JTBAZ]

Anybody ever riden these two bikes? And if so which of these would you get and why? Also whats the major difference between these two bikes because they both seem like trail bikes but the 5 spot has more travel. Thanks

I actually own both - The 5 spot is more plush and I use it for more agressive trail riding. The HH 100X is quicker and snappier in tight singletrack. I also think the HH 100X handles a little bit better overall than the 5 spot. I consider the HH 100X to be a raceable trail bike and the 5 spot to be a pure trail bike. Both bikes are fantastic, but if I could only have one I would have to go with HH 100X - it is a little more versatile than the Spot. Also you may want to check out the Burner - also a great bike and provides a really great ride with the 4" Romic rockers.

 

[Flying Wombat]

I owned both

Racer-X and 5-spot and concur that they are different bikes. I was thinking about that last night as I rode some singletrack near work that is rolling and fairly smooth/non technical. I used to have a blast hammering fast laps on my Racer-X, the 5-spot was totally out of its element. I handled the trails great, but it wasnt a lot of fun to ride them. I was too plush and with large, heavy tires didnt have the zip to have fun on those trails. Put it on nasty technical singletrack with rock gardens, drops and steep chutes and it really comes into its own.
I raced XC fairly seriously at one point, almost considering getting my semi-pro card and for that application the Racer-X was awesome. The HH 100X would be fairly similar, but with a little more travel. It still has the steeper head angle and XC geometry.

 

[herkman]

Thanks for all the help so far. I'm just getting back into mountain biking after a 7 year delay and what a change in bikes. It really sucks cause i could use both these bikes but can only get one. The trails around here have everything for both these bikes, so it makes it real hard to decide. What i really looking for in a bike is good handling and climbing ability is a must, I know the HH climbs and handles well but i'm concerned about it taking the rock gardens and small drop offs. I'm not a real aggressive rider as far as jumps and speed go's till i can get some riding skills back again. also i never plan on racing the bike just like trail and single track riding in the rocky mounains.

 

[ride red]

Here's an idea, get a 5 Spot with a Fox Talas, you can drop the fork down to about 100mm's of travel to get the headangle to about 70deg., that with a extra rear air shock will give you two different bikes. At full travel you get a nasty eating machine, what the Spot is made for, but with a air shock and the lower setting on the Talas you will get a lighter snappier XC bike, not as fast as a RacerX though. This will be easier to do with the Spot than the HH.

 

[The Squeaky Wheel]

I haven't yet ridden a 5-spot but I have a good deal of time on a Ventana X-5 which is very similar and I've owned a HH for almost 3 years.

I just moved to CO and before that lived in Vermont & NJ so I've seen a wide variety of terrain ranging from drops, rocks, sand, hard pack, etc....

I have never felt that the HH has held me back in any situation. Period. It is definitely not as smooth as the X-5 when plowing through rock gardens, but it does just fine in its own right. There is also no problem doing drops. I've been hitting them for almost 3 years without a single maintenance issue. The HH definitely out-climbs & out-handles the X-5 and I suspect the gap would be greater over the 5-spot due its 69 deg HA versus the HH's 71 (although I keep mine between 70 & 70.5 via a TALAS).

In the end I'd boil down the differences as such:
HH: lighter, quicker, sharper handling, better climber
5-spot: more stable & plusher. a bit heavier, but not much.

Both bikes are superb and the differences are more subtle than any of us make them out to be. Best advice is to try & demo both. If that's not possible then assess your needs and make your best educated guess. You won't go wrong with either.

 

[Flying Wombat]

Although a 5-spot afficiondo, I would say that it sounds like you might be better off with the 100X. It will handle small drop offs and rock gardens well. The 5-spot rewards the very aggressive (maybe read stupid) trail rider. It is much more stable on steep descents. My best way to put it, if you want to ride those "oh my god, I can believe I just rode down that" sections that tend to induce severe pucker, the spot would be awesome. You have to be prepared to sacrifice other elements of riding. Every bike is a compromise. Both would make you happy.

 

[promtber]

What bike would you pick, Blur, Spider, Hammerhead, or Epic?

Looking to getting away from the too plush feel of my superlight

 

[Soupboy]

Turn on the lockout...

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