The urge returns; there's something about the coming of summer that instigates New Bike ideas
Went though exactly this earlier on in the year. Having discounted plenty of XC bargains because of the stupidly low front end and after flirting heavily with a Specialized Epic I ended up with a Transition Spur, which is lovely.
120mm 35mm Sids, XT groupo, not too long dropper, light wheels, carbon bars and a Nobby Nic / Racing Ralph combo keep it a long way from my bigger bike and perfect for big days out. The light weight makes mile munching easy but I agree it makes more aggressive stuff a bit interesting! That's what the other bike if for though.
Forgot to say that I considered single pot brakes but went with Hope Tech 4, E4's as they were not much heavier and look pretty!
Not sure 200mm rotors would be the way to go, I’ve gone 160 front and rear as on a short travel bike I think you only need to slow down when riding not come to an instant stop, and the tyres will give up on traction long before you get to the brakes limit
More powerful brakes but smaller rotors. My Epic came with G2’s but I swapped to Code RSC and kept the rotor size the same. Weight increase was not much more than going to bigger rotors. Kind of riding I do on that bike I’m not going overheat brakes, but do like the extra bite of the codes.
Sure, the lack of inertia also meant it demanded to be pedalled ALL the time. It felt like it had no momentum. Stop pedalling and it was surprising just how quickly the freewheeling stopped.
Sorry, I don't quite get this? Because it's so light?
Also, I'd agree you won't need 203mm rotors on that - again because of the weight.
CCDB Air IL rear shock offers all the adjustability, but is a little less perky than the mainstream alternatives (giving much more grip instead).
Are you sure you won't end up wishing you'd just got a short-travel trail bike like the Spur instead though?
I really liked the idea of a nice light ‘downcountry’ bike but in my heart I know I don’t have the talent to pull it off. So I bought one of those discounted Orange Stage Evo frames and built it lightish, most notably light wheels. I recon Orange have absolutely nailed the geometry on that bike, at least in the size medium for me at 5’8”. The simple suspension definitely makes it feel fast, especially pedaling over anything choppy. It is a great contrast to the 160mm Edit MX I bought more recently.
I did have a go on a Lauf fork many years ago. It was very light for a suspension fork and I like the maintenance schedule but I can’t imagine buying one
Sorry, I don't quite get this? Because it's so light?
Yeah, I don't understand this line either. The bike may weight a couple of kilos less than a trail bike, but as a percentage of the total mass of bike and rider rolling along the trail, it's a pretty insignificant difference.
Or did you mean that the suspension characteristics meant that momentum was harder to keep through terrain with lots of small hits?
I really liked the idea of a nice light ‘downcountry’ bike but in my heart I know I don’t have the talent to pull it off.
Ha, that's very much me. As much as the idea of a lighter downcountry bike appeals to me, I personally 'need' the 140/120 travel of my short-travel trail bike. Lack of rider competency for sure although partly it's also because in a 'your ego is writing checks your body can't cash' way, it eggs me on to ride it faster than my abilities allow.
Same as...
i realised my Top Fuel was starting to encroach on my banshee spitfire..
so i chucked a gnarlier tyre on the front and took it to surrey hills... i nearly died... more than once...
the Top Fuel is now retired back to mostly wheels on the ground rides without too much steeps
I think people are taking this "Downcountry" thing a little too far and trying to make it into something it is not...
It started as a way to describe bikes that you would use for a race such as the Downieville Classic or the like, where you want the speed and efficiency on the climbs of a purebred XC bike, but you want it to be a little more surefooted descending than a typical lightweight XC bike (back when XC bikes all had 100mm max travel and 32mm stanchioned forks etc.)... A contemporary XC bike but with a beefier fork, decent length dropper post, wider bars, shorter stem and grippier tyres... Which is basically where modern XC bikes are on the whole in 2025 anyway now!
Creating a niche within a niche... Do we really need it? There's good reason that shorter travel bikes typically still have slightly steeper head angles (still slacker than they used to) and shorter reach figures (though still longer than they used to) compared to a Trail or Enduro bike. Those being that shorter travel forks don't compress as much, thus the angles don't change so much under compression, and faster rolling tyres don't tend to have the same grip/edge bite of a beefier more knobbly tyre, so actually need a bit more weight on them to make them bite into the terrain more readily...
EVERYTHING is a compromise... IMO applying the super LLS mantra to a 120ish travel bike @ 12kg or so is going to make for something that doesn't really handle or turn particularly well, and whilst it might be rocketship fast descendingin a straight line compared to a purebred XC bike, it will have too many compromises elsewhere to make it worthwhile...
My "Downcountry" bike (purchased/built in 2020 FWIW) for posterity... Yes it could do with a slacker HA than the 69deg it currently has (got a -2 angleset to go in there) but otherwise it's spot on... An XC bike with wide bars, short stem, decent dropper post and a slightly beefier/longer travel fork...
It started as a way to describe bikes that you would use for a race such as the Downieville Classic or the like, where you want the speed and efficiency on the climbs of a purebred XC bike, but you want it to be a little more surefooted descending than a typical lightweight XC bike
So a trail bike? 🤣
Bonkers isn't it.
So a trail bike?
Bonkers isn't it.
Well, people started calling all-mountain bikes trail bikes, so something had to give 😀
I bought a 2019 Tallboy CC Frame & Shock earlier this year, slightly overforked it with 120mm SID Selects and built it up light-ish but not fragile (Hunt XC wheels, XT 1x11, 2.4 Forekaster V2's, OneUp Dropper) and I blimmin' love it.
I've since fitted the Slackr Headset from my Yeti ARC and so it's now morphed into a 66deg HA, 120/100mm travel fairly light XC/Trail/Downcountry/whatever bike and it's even better. Basically what I've created is probably the same as if Santa Cruz had released it this year (and not gone Mullet) instead of 6 years ago.
I'm sold on the principle, not fussed what it's called 😀
I bought a 2019 Tallboy CC Frame & Shock earlier this year, slightly overforked it with 120mm SID Selects and built it up light-ish but not fragile (Hunt XC wheels, XT 1x11, 2.4 Forekaster V2's, OneUp Dropper) and I blimmin' love it.
I've since fitted the Slackr Headset from my Yeti ARC and so it's now morphed into a 66deg HA, 120/100mm travel fairly light XC/Trail/Downcountry/whatever bike and it's even better. Basically what I've created is probably the same as if Santa Cruz had released it this year (and not gone Mullet) instead of 6 years ago.
Is that not a Blur?
I rode that era of Tallboy 3 for a few years. 110mm rear with a 130 Pike, I tried it at 140 but was too much. Was considering the SlackR headset but changed the whole frame instead. Brilliant, brilliant bike apart from the too-slack STA for me, exacerbated in my XL size and large extension of seatpost.
And current Tallboy 5 is still a full 29er, 130/120 belter of a bike. Even better IMO with 140 fork although 37mm stanchions and a piggyback shock are probably overkill:
I'd probably get a Specialised Chisel, they seem light and XCesque enough for what I want. I'll be honest, I really don't get Downcountry tho. But then trail bikes have 150mm on the back these days. Isn't that Enduro territory? I guess it was a few years back. Give it 5 years and all the Enduro bikes will be 200mm...
I also went the route of a cheap Orange Stage Evo frame with 130mm Fox 34s up front and some Stans Arch/Hope pro5 wheels. It climbs and rolls really well but isn't out of its depth when things get steep or techy.
Before that I was on a long travel hardtail (Sonder Carbon Transmiter) which I think is an ideal "down country" bike. However, whilst it was great for a couple of hours, longer rides beat me up. The switch from 27.5" to 29" wheels was probably the second biggest difference after comfort.
Another Spur owner here. Best bike I've ever owned and the closest to a true 'quiver killer.
Worth noting the similarities between the Spur's geometry and the new Epic 8. If the handling on these bikes is supposedly a compromise then why are pro XC teams going down this route?
surely there is a crossover, were dual pots on big discs perform better than 4 pots on smaller discs? but saving a few grams also? i cant imagine larger discs weigh as much as 2 to 4 pots do?
My D/C bike is great for my local trails, allows me to do a 1 hour lap, get some good descending in spin home quickly. I find the biggest difference for efficiency is fast rolling tyres, more so than weight of the bike.
I can ride most stuff on it that I can ride on my big bike, but I need to ride differently so makes things interesting. It's also more fatiguing than the big bike on the descents, so a 1000m+ elevation ride on tech descents can be tiring.
Currently have 180/160 rotors, but will be putting bigger brakes on, unless I'm racing it then having bigger brakes is a bonus.
I'd have one of these. 🙂
https://www.arc8bicycles.com/bikes/mountain/evolve-fs
Agree about the small brakes thing too. At 89kg it's pointless skimping on braking for the sake of saving 100-200g (at a guess). Previous owner of my Tallboy specced it with 4-pot XTs and 203 XTR 'Freeza' rotors. I've swapped to a 180 rear but only as I wanted the bigger rotors for my other bike.
I run an SB115 with 130mm Fox, 200mm rotor up front with 180mm out back MT7 Shigura set up. 40mm stem with 35mm risers. Maxx Grip Minion/Assegai tyres. So much fun. I ditched my Enduro bike a couple of years ago and love how poppy and lights this is. I'm maybe a little under biked for the Alp trips but still manage all the backcountry runs. Maybe a little slower than the 170mm travel lads 🤣
I feel this the best type of bike for most trail riding. Takes me back to when you only got one type of MTB.
I think my 'downcountry' bike may be more towards the XC end of the spectrum... Surprisingly capable bike. 
i've got a spark 910. It can do xc races or be ridden all day.
also xtr di2 means you can stomp away and change gear
My D/C bike is great for my local trails, allows me to do a 1 hour lap, get some good descending in spin home quickly. I find the biggest difference for efficiency is fast rolling tyres, more so than weight of the bike.
I can ride most stuff on it that I can ride on my big bike, but I need to ride differently so makes things interesting. It's also more fatiguing than the big bike on the descents, so a 1000m+ elevation ride on tech descents can be tiring.
Same here , the light wheels and faster rolling, less draggy tyres make a huge difference. They're a bit noodley on naughtier terrain but that's not what this bike is for. I'm firmly in the 'Red BPW trails are my limit' group and have no doubt that if I changed the forks and wheels/tyres on the Spur it could tackle everything my bigger bike can.
I have the previous Epic Evo (Pro modeal with full XTR) and it's wholy capable to be honest (certainly better than me). I do like the four pots instead of two though.
Want something a bit lighter than a trail bike, with fast acceleration? But also with more downhill capability than an out and out XC?
Try a LLS hardtail.
I detest all these labels for mountain bikes. Not surprised the bike industry is on its arse when all they can do is tweak a few angles an hand over to the marketing people and say "go and sell this".
