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I have recently returned to mtb after a 10 year gap from the sport I am 5"11 tall and own a large specialized enduro comp 2017 29er but I think I may have made my first rookie mistake.
it just seems slightly to big, with the dropper post down my feet can touch the floor flat just about and with the dropper post fully up its the perfect peddling height I have the dropper post locked down to the minimum height marker.
when I peddle the bike peddles well and I can ride as far as my fitness will take me without any pain or aches I have only ridden twice on canal tow paths just to get a feel for the bike.
you might think well what's the problem.... well when I am sat on the bike it just feels big it feels like the bikes going to control me more than I am going to control the bike, the bike seems slightly cumbersome like it will not be very chuck able around corners and will be hard to pull up on jumps and it feels like switch backs are going to be impossible, I understand the enduro comp is a heavy bike to begin with, but it still come on along way from what I used to ride all those years ago which I used to ride well.
I could just go and jump on a medium version of the bike but I do not want to feel like Cinderella for five minutes until I get back home and then feel like one of the ugly step sisters with slipper that does not fit
Am I possibly stressing about this to much to the point of where I have put doubt into my own mind, should I just go out and make the bike work for me? any advice anybody
I assume it has the super wide bars thats the modern trend. this could be apart of your issue. I don't like the wide modern bars - feels cumbersome. also it has bigger wheels than you are used to and that will change the feel - more inertia to turning.
The bike you have might be an overkill.
But it's an fantastic bike!
Yes - maybe try to tweak and tune some bits and pieces first.
Personally: I'am a 27.5 inch 130/130 trail bike fan.
Your Enduro has 160/160 or so? And 29" ?
Yes - maybe not a really "playful" bike.
But I would try to grow with the bike. Give it a chance for 2 years or so and decide then.
(other situation if there are no "ENDURO type" home trails around where you live... The group I'am biking with: some of the "suffer" on their Enduros as well.)
It's a modern geometry 29er, it'll take a bit of getting used to.
I'm 1in taller and a large stumpjumper evo (2015) 29er is only just small enough for me - I had to do some careful checking of the seat tube length on my current bike compared with it and the drop on the dropper to be sure it was OK for me...
It will be a bit longer than you're used to, too - I have a fairly long back and it's about right, not sure exactly how it compares to the Enduro but I'm running a 50mm stem without it feeling remotely short.
I think you should probably have a look at a medium from the sound of it.
Try dropping the bars a bit if possible, I suspect it'll feel a lot better then.
That bike ain't particularly huge and should be a good fit. I'm 5ft 7in and riding a large 2016 Enduro 29, which was only marginally shorter IIRC.
I think i will persevere with the bike atm next time i am near a bike shop i will hop on a medium
As above, if you've not ridden for 10 years I presuming this is your first time on modern 29er? And a long, slack 29er at that! It's going to be VERY different from an MTB around 10 years ago, except maybe a DH bike.
Get it going fast on a bumpy, gnarly descent and you'll see what the bike is made for.