Basically i am a keen cyclist witha  varied interest between dh/jumps and XC. I have a 24/7 jump bike and a demo 8 dh bike however my XC bike is a carrera banshee and doesnt cut the mustard. it was bought as i needed something with gears so i could try the XC up at cannock and alike. 

 Turns out i enjoy XC and now need to get something better, I am looking at an alll mountain rig, with a prefference on it being a bit more burley rather than supperlight, the plan is to have a rig that i can take to ride xc then go to the DH at cannock and blast down there. also to use as aspare bike for my non full sus friends that may wish to ty DH with us.

 So far i have my Eye on a specialized Pitch Pro. any suggestions on alternatives and other options i could considder £1500 ideal spend, £2000 very max.

 thanks, Tim

The Pitch is probably ideal as an all-rounder.  Failing that, if you can pick up an 06 Enduro then you've got a bike which is probably burly enough to cope with DH in its own right.  IIRC someone won a round of the national DH champs on an Enduro a couple of years back.

I'd prefer a bolt-thru fork on a bike to be ridden DH, personally; hence that Commencal might be a bit wibbly feeling on the rough stuff?

How about a nice Reign X1 , won the MBUK test beating Rocky Mountain, GT and Intense 6.6SS!! Bargain at £2k and soon to be discounted with '09 models coming through..

Even my 'standard' Reign (with an air shock) copes admirably with everything from epics to DH...

/end Giant plug/

The Reign is a good bike, cheap too, however the X is pretty hardcore.  A Trance X might be a better option, 5 inches of travel all round and a lightweight bike too.

(edit)

It'll take a set of Rockshox Pikes without any problem too, so you have the bolt-thru option covered there.  Otherwise, there's the 140mm Marins which take a lot of punishment yet remain a viable all day option.

D'oh!  You posted as I edited... 

A Wolf Ridge would be on my list too.

Canondale Prophet, Orange Patriot, Ironhorse MkIII or 6point.

Lapierre Spicy 316

It is awesome

Thanks guys for the swift responses.  i have just noticed somewhere sellign a new old stock 06 trek remedy 66, for £1300 any thoughts on that?

I like the treks, and the specialized, and have been looking into older enduros, but im a bit of a geek for shiny new stuff.  I also like the commencal and the iron horse's. not sure on the reigns or trances somethign puts me off them.

 I dont want an orrange or a cannondale no particular reason, just been there done that want to try something different. and the marin doesnt interest me that much. however i know nothing about the lapierre spicy 316.

Any other suggestions would be great, also dont forget for proper serious DH i have the demo!!  I will go away compare specs, and try as many of these bikes as possible. before making a decission. Ohh and yes i had seen MBR but didnt have enough monay on me at the time to purchase it.

Everyone who has ridden the Zesty or Spicy is seriously impressed by how they ride and feel.

Also the Spicy is recommended as the perfect bike for the Passport du Soleil, so if you want all mountain then I guess the Alps is about as all mountain as you can get.

I am off for a 50 mile jaunt in the Dales on the Zesty 914 tomorrow - can't wait!

I own the Cube Fritzz - The One 08. Fully loaded, RockSx160 air lyrik, rp23, xt's, Formula Oro brakes, dtswiss wheels, kiiiiller looks and under 14kg! I have had it for a year now and i rode it for a full season(6 months - 3 times a week) I am more than satisfied with the performance, quality and clever engeneering, actually im extatic about this ride! this bike is superb in all areas, its very fast, turns great, rear suspension patend is a major breakthrough keeping the rear end glued to the ground!, and handles the dowhill like a true champ. the Fritzz will destroy anything i throw at it, drops, steeps, gnarly, rocky & gravel, in all conditions im riding with more confidence than ever. For the all-mountain biking the Fritzz is the true warrior king.

keep riding hard

keep laughing harder

seriously though, I am now a total fan of the Lapierres,

that Cube looks shit IMO