[ridewiththedarkside]

Right now I have an XC bike, but sometimes on the trails I would really like more travel as I am going over rock gardens and logs. Basically I want a bike that I can hit up any trail with, beat the hell out of, and not have to put any money into...all for around 1k :thumbsup:

So far the positives I see are:
IH MKIII Comp...hydro brakes, air shocks, decent parts spec....5" of travel

IH 7 point 3...7" of travel...hydro brakes...again decent parts spec...could be fun riding trails with 7" of travel:thumbsup:

Moto Fantom Comp DS...5" travel...air shocks...disc brakes, though mechs...bout 250 less than the others...

I like the susp. system on the IHs not sure about the Fantom and I don't like single pivot designs so any of those in my price range are out.

Ok, now for the questions I have:
1. Am I going to notice a huge difference with a 5" am bike V. a 3" XC bike...in other words is it worth it? I am guessing that the difference in head angle and 2" travel do make it worth it.
2. The 7 point 3 has a coil shock, im 250, can you set rear coil shocks up firm enough for my weight?
3. The Fantom comes with 2.1 tires, which are pretty thin as I run those tire on my XC bike. Is it just a odd component choice or is their a tire clearance issue?

 

[mrpercussive]

i think you have to define "do it all"... If you have the occasional shuttle runs. The freeride stuff on the weekends. Downhill rides on the weeknights. DJ on the Sundays and the occasional 20 mile xc ride. Then the 7point is the best bet.

If it's more All Mountain riding. Climb up and ride down for every ride with the occasional shuttle runs. Then go for the MKIII.

The Moto Fantom Comp DS in my opinion is more of a longtravel XC bike. Go for that if you're just looking to do XC but would like a smoother ride

 

[farmboybunk]

From your post it sounds like you just want "a little more bike" for the trails you do. If thats the case then just like you said, a bike with a little slacker head angle and a little more travel would be perfect. I was more or less in the same boat as you a month a go. I had an 4" XC bike that I was pushing to it's limits, even after up grading to a beefer front fork with an inch more travel (it slacked the head angle out quite nicly though). So I was looking for a 5"-6" do all, aggressive xc/trail bike. I looked at the IH MKIII Comp same as you, and leader 626, and marin Rock Springs. For me price was king and I got a killer deal on the Marin, but the IH MKIII Comp looks sweet! For the price and specs the IH is hard to beat. And from everything I've heard it's got an efficient ride so you won't lose to much on the climbs, but when the up turns to down it will shine:thumbsup: . The IH MKIII Comp gets my vote If you couldn't tell
Bunk