Thanks everyone for the advice and discussion. Yeah – sorry for the lack of info (I wanted to write a post but had the 4yr old ‘wanting to go ride her bike’ so who could refuse! I ride a mixture of single track and jeep… basically, the longer I am on my bike and the further out in the wopwops (NZ kiwi slang for back country) the better. I spend some time in bike parks but not big into blasting down hill – more into XC/trail but really would ride anything.
Needless to say I put down a deposit on the Trek today. I had to be speedy because it’s about the last large in the country (unless I buy on line and I am not keen on that and also wanted to support a local independently owned bike shop rather than a large ‘bike buying-selling’ online machine. This local shop has serviced my OLD Merida Matts Sub 40 for the past 3 years).
I think the life warranty on the Trek frame and the ‘sick’ looking black on black looking frame (as well as the shop giving me a great discount and awesome service plan) helped nudge me to the Trek. Picking it up next week and then….. (been out the saddle for 5 months as the Merida ‘died a death’ after I rode it well beyond what it was designed for and I didn’t have cash to get a new bike. The old girl did well though.
Thanks again all!