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I've been looking at something similar to a Jeffsy C 29 for next year and for LT 29rs my eyes keep wandering into the Enduro end of the spectrum (Orbea Rallon, Mondraker Foxy etc.). I currently ride a Codeine 29 and dont really want anything less than 140 in the front. And the weight difference between something like an Orange 5 29 and a Carbon enduro gnarpoon is almost non existant.
Anyone fancy talking me into / out of this? For a couple of extra lbs in weight would the climbing experience be all that different now that everyone seems to be dropping BB heights anyway? I imagine they are a real hoot when pointed down.
Will obviously be demoing anything on the short list if i can - but need to narrow the field a bit
If you have the legs to pedal the longer travel bike around then go for it.
I went from a shorter travel 29er to a long travel 29er and its great, i do think the quality of the suspension of the shorter travel 29er let it down though, it had the old revelation forks and a basic fox shock, I think if these were a better model the bike could have worked for me.
If you have the legs to pedal the longer travel bike around then go for it.
But do you think there is much difference in "legs" between LT 29r trail bikes and enduro bikes?
IMHO its the geometry thats important not the travel. For UK riding I think about 120 at the rear is enough unless you are racing, but with the geometry of the enduro bike. Thats what Im going to be looking for next. I will be testing cotic flare max, evil following and anything else that is similar.
Best bike for you depends what sort of stuff you ride the majority of the time.
The numbers (be it weight, travel, strava times, whatever) aren't really much use for explaining the difference between short travel trail bikes and enduro bikes. It's all in the riding experience. Two types of bikes with plenty of overlap in terms of their application, but with different strengths and weaknesses.
I have a 29er Enduro, full coil setup, its 33lbs. Its no xc bike up the hills, but for its class, its very effiecient. 5000ft 30mile days are no problem at all.
Other option I would consider is a Stumpy LT, again full coil setup. The weight difference between the two is negligible, but on paper a slightly more progressive back end.
IMO, climbing is all about the position on the bike, tyres make a bit of difference (I couldn't tell the difference between a dh casing minion on the front or a standard exo tyre, same width. My reign was 2lbs less, but with a slack seat angle, sat on the rear axle which for me isn't great for climbing.
Have three mountainbikes in good shape right now.
One of them a 27.5 inch 130/130 trail bike, 2.3 inch rubber, with fairly high BB and the other an 27.5 inch 150/150 all mountain bike, 2.6 inch rubber and low BB. Bike #3 is an 29er hardtail with 130 mm fork.
And I use all three bikes... - none of the bikes is able to "do it all". The all mountain bike is fantastic on fast and rough downhill runs, the hardtail on very long XC trips, the 130/130 trail bike is "in between".
Really depends on your type of biking and the types of trail you like.
But my impression: when going with 2.6 inch rubber you are able to "downsize" on the travel a bit. When biking with my biking pals and when they take their older Enduro bikes with 2.3 inch rubber and 180/180 travel my 150/150 bike with 2.6 inch rubber appears to be "as capable" downhill but going easier uphill.
2.6 inch tyres are great...
Depends where you live and what you ride normally.
I've made the mistake before of buying and Enduro bike when my local loop is Swinley, yes it probably still had a good chunk of my PR's on Strava but it was hard work and quite dull most of the time. A 130mm travel bike would probably have been almost as quick but would have been a bit more involving.
That said I recently took one of the PR's on a rigid bike after a tweek of line choice and going completely off the brakes through a section, although that was a bit too scary on a rigid bike, in XC gear! So it's not all about the bike.
It was a great bike for trips away to the Peak, Lake District, Scotland etc, but outside of those trips it really didn't make me want to ride it.
Saying "120mm travel is enough for the UK unless your racing" isn't IMO true. You could build some sort of 100m travel, 66HA 140mm forked trailcenter specific bike that would be great on off the brakes smooth-ish trails. Or you could pick an Enduro bike that's great in the Peak or Lake district because those areas tend to have rocky descent which can be accessed via fairly smooth farm track climbs. Or you could race round the Surrey Hills and Farnborough military ranges on an XC bike, or you could ride those same areas, but different trails on an Enduro or DH bike. Rather than thinking "I haven't got an enduro bike, I should get one as they are the biggest seller" think is it the bike you would actually use, unless it's n+1 and you know it'll only come out the shed 10% of the time for holidays and trips.
Or you could pick an Enduro bike that’s great in the Peak or Lake district because those areas tend to have rocky descent which can be accessed via fairly smooth farm track climbs.
I was meaning for places like the Peak District, my local area and that sort of trail, otherwise a decent hardtail
Thanks for views so far....
Other factors to build in. My riding is nearly always in the Peaks. I have a cotic soul 26 which is perfect for trail centre type duties. My mate is always on an Spesh Enduro 29 wherever we go.
It really depends on what you want / like as well as where you are riding.
If you like a few uplift days a year an Enduro bike is going to give you higher highs at that sort of thing a lot of the time, and you’ll be able to go harder for more of the day without getting arm pump etc.
Again, if your regular rides are brutally rocky on he descents (and to an extent on the way up too), then an Enduro bike also could work well.
If the lines are greyed, and you have a mixture of riding (like mine really) then you need to make a call on what you find most fun and get a bike to suit that, but will cope with everything else.
I’ve gone 170f/160r, with a sub 65 degree head angle and properly long. 650b wheels. At uplift days it’s just so much fun, without battering you too much.
For local flat rides I still enjoy it, but I vary those rides between the Enduro and an old hardtail I’ve got which is very much the other way - 130mm forks / 69.5 degree headangle / quite short / 26er etc. I find my lower back can get tight from an old disc injury on the hardtail if I’m going for it on the trails.
I did a recent bike trip away and it was me on the big bike, a mate on a Kona Process 134 and his brother on a hardtail Marin. We went down one trail and I got to the bottom grinning like an idiot - I’d had a smashing time down the trail jumping off rock lips / going through rock gardens and railing berms. My mate on the Process got to be bottom little shaken and claiming it was brutal. The guy on the hardtail basically had to have a sit down to recompose himself! This was on a 50km ride so I had to put up with a lot of climbing, but I survived ok.
climbing is all about the position on the bike,
yep new bike is heavier with heavier wheels too but steep SA makes climbing easier,
It all depends on what types trails you ride 95% of the time . If my regular was trail centre I’d go max 140 travel probably less, as the Enduro just dead’s the trails and they become a bit boring. As for 29 vs 27.5 the only comparison I can give is my mate has a similar geo 29 LT with similar gearing travel etc, on flowy trails the 29 just seems so much more effortless, I had to pedal like mad to maintain speed, where as he just kept going, however when it got steep techy and twisty it was the opposite.