I got used to 150 on my jekyll coz dummy high seat tube. Then was like, wow, 170 is great. But finally extended that to 210 on the enduro and it was super awesome. Noticed it when bringing short travel banshee with 170, which works for light trail ish, but def missed more travel. I guess newer v3.2 banshee allow for more travel, but I didn’t realize how much when getting this 170.
Not sure I really love the straight pump track shit at crankworx. Did they forget about it and were like, ‘let’s run four at a time; that is sick and saves time!’
They could just run chainless 4X instead.
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Getting a hankering for a second wheelset to throw DH tires onto for real rocky battering.
dear tarck.
I have been riding an alloy 27.5 trance since I bought it new in 2016. I have decided I want to dump money into a new bike. The things I don’t really like about the trance is that it is short. It has 140mm travel F/R and I don’t know if I NEED that much. I have upgraded nearly everything on it and it’s 30.5lbs now.
Anyways, I am thinking of this:
or maybe this:
My cost is similar for the canyon 7 and the GX level spur.
the transition looks to suit me better, it has a little less travel in the front but it comes with a better shock. The reviews seem to indicate it would appeal to my style of riding. And being a 145lbs human. The canyon might have better feeling rear suspension but weighs a lot more. I think being able to whip the spur around because it weighs closer to a road bike weight seems like it would be fun and I could pop myself out of trouble easier with it. I like climbing in road like but it sucks in mountain bike land for me currently. I don’t have a ton of super enduro stuff near me so it doesn’t make sense to get a full out 150/160 enduro sled either. My stance on that is that if I got a shorter travel modern geo 29er and got good enough that I was blowing through the shock range I could buy a longer travel bike. But until then I am carrying all that extra weight with me and not using it correctly or needing it.
The canyon has 4 bar rear suspension but virtually the same travel. The front has 20mm more travel but I don’t think I would notice that unless it was 20mm of a flox float 2 damper thing vs the sid.
The ‘downcountry’ category is interesting to me. Transition seems to have made a really long and slack bike that can handle anything but maybe not going quite as fast. Other bikes that seem to be as capable going down are typically a lot heavier, more expensive, or just not available.
Some considerations, as always, are what is or will be available within this year, and what can I get a good deal on.
Coworker has a Spur and likes it, but I’ve only seen him ride it on the same couple of trails that are on the tamer side, but he likes it. Definitely seems like what you want more than the spectral might be.
New Norco fluid looks good too, might be worth a look
Edit: ibis Ripley?
I looked at this https://www.norco.com/bikes/mountain/trail/optic/2023-optic-c3/
and the ripley a bit, but I was wondering if 10mm of suspension is worth the 5 extra pounds of bike. Roughly the same geo and handling across all of those.
this is my best local trail:
Andrew Bird road it and had nice things to say:
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I’m regularly the slowest climber, so take my opinion with that in mind, but I love my mojo 4. It is one of the shortest travel bikes I’ve owned, but I feel like it’s perfectly suited for trail riding, flow, and light downhill (definitely feels like a bike designed for a place like soquel demonstration forest). Previous bikes I’ve had were a 2012 reign, process 134 and 111, RM altitude, and the xprezo - pedaling the ibis is leagues ahead, and I’d say only the xprezo is ahead on like park days.
While the ibis is the lightest MTB I’ve owned, I don’t think it’s the weight is a major factor in the secret sauce. If they were available and I wasn’t stuck on going back to 27.5, I probably would’ve gone Ripley AF. I still want to try out my partners if she ever gives me a chance to.
Of the two you linked, I’d go spur if they’re the same price. But also demo an ibis
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The Spur is a pretty rad bike. Sadly XL was too long for me.
I had Deore, and it is kinda hard to believe GX would be more than 2lbs lighter, but it still felt hella spritely and wanted to go fast on flats and uphill.
Rocky Mountain element might be another downcountry worth a look. It doesn’t look like much will keep up with 26lbs, but spur does use lightest fork and shock out there, which aren’t really the best damped imo, as they are XC shit.
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The spur with big tires and 4 pot breaks could handle just about any kind of trail.
In fact, that bike with 2 wheel sets could be the “one bike” MTB.
i have the optic and i think it’s absolutely amazing. i haven’t ridden many other bikes in this category other than the classic Santa Cruz tallboy. i like the optic better than that.
Ibis rules. Transition rules. Can’t go wrong.
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I was thinking if the spur COULDN’T keep up I could upgrade/swap the fork and shock to something heavier. That seems to be what people do on the internet. It can take an angleset so you could slack it out half a degree and put more travel up front.
just remember this- every few years mtb design has made leaps so spend enough to get the trim level you seek, roughly the style you want, and a good color and you’ll be set.
You might like the Norco Revolver 120, if the Optic wasn’t doing it for you. Possibly check out the Devinci Django or Marshall if there’s a shop near you that carries them. The Django is Super Boost, but the Marshall is plain Boost.
The Rocky Mountain Element is supposed to be pretty wick, but it seems to be vaporware.
Sup has this same Optic and also really likes it. Feels it is really efficient overall, never having to reach for climb switch. And obviously then really capable for the gnarlier stuff.
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I think the Ripley or the Spur will be my next bike, though I still really like my now kind of old mojo 3, so it will probably be another generation of either before I’m really looking at buying again.
If you can get a deal on one of those, I think that should decide it
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Picking up a Honzo ST frame and a Pike Ultimate, and building it up with parts from my Starling. Photos soon
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