So how long before the deals on the old 2015 bikes appear? Its not as if the 2015 was a duffer.
It’s a great bike but couple of things to watch out for. Any deals on 29er will probably go sharpish, Spesh stopped doing the XL while back so if that’s a size anybody wants if you find one nab it!
Beware with the 650b the front triangle is just the 29er with a spacer for the fork and a smaller rear triangle this in turn means it has an incredibly low BB which does occasionally mean pedal clip. Generally I don’t have any problems but on a rutted bridleway for example navigating deep tractor tracks I have struggled a little where I don’t on my hard tail!
Autosag is ace on the rear shock, so easy to setup and the tyres are best i’ve used! Loved the last six months of ownership and look forward to the dry spells ahead!
Apart from the front stem being slightly bit long everything else is spot on.
I had a go on a 2016 Stumpy the weekend before last – my first go on a 29er of any kind. Compared to my ’09 FSR…
Suspension felt nice and plush and the tyres were a lot more grippy than my half worn Captains.
Cockpit felt weirdly low and close when stationary but fine when moving. Bars 100mm wider than I’m used to.
Seemed to bash through stuff more easily – not sure if that’s the wheels or the weight (four pounds more than my bike).
Rolled slightly better on fire roads, no faster on simple climbs, more effort to get round sharp corners but that’s slightly offset by being able to roll over stuff more easily.
Brakes were grabby, but they were brand new and only low-spec Shimano.
The week after that I dusted off my hardtail (and measured the bars – 600mm !) and surprised myself how much faster it is. A lot. Unfair to compare FS & HT I know but it’s over 11 pounds lighter and that is very very noticable. You don’t need FS around here (Swinley).
So overall I’m not rushing out to buy a new 29er. Would be nice to try the S-Works version though…
Satchm00, on the pinkbike review they said the 650b now has its own front triangle as opposed to your one that shared the 29er front end.
I like it, in aluminium that is. You don’t get the silly glove box with the Alu version so a slack-ish 150mm FS that rides well and still has a dealer network would be my choice, I’d upgrade everything else as I went.
Only caveat, Spesh seem to be converging the Stumpjumper and Enduro like Lapierre did with the Spicy and Zesty, difficult to tell them apart now IMO.
deviant
Only caveat, Spesh seem to be converging the Stumpjumper and Enduro like Lapierre did with the Spicy and Zesty, difficult to tell them apart now IMO.
Strangely I like it. Having owned an old M5 S-Works a good few years ago I seem to have a bit of a thing for Stumpys.
I may check one out if a local shop has one in. Not sure about wheels size, might make my mind up once I see one but heart says 29er for me ATM.
I spotted a new and reduced 2015 one on Pink Bike. Sold by Don-Skene-cycles based in Cardiff, they have them at £1999 down from £2500.
I had a look at their website and they have the new ones in stock too. The Elite spec looks nice but at 3.5k…ouch. Think I’d go for the 2016 comp for the change in geo. The low BB on the 2015 would get on my nerves.
Personally my finger has been hovering over a Rose Granite chief. They seem to get get good reviews and for under 1800 the spec is incredible and they have a UK rep which puts my mind at ease a bit.
That hatch is just outstanding. Unbelievable. It must be an April fool surely. What a load of absolute shite.
I mean really… words fail me [nearly]
I think you are wrong – For years I’ve been in the camp that scoffs at mtbers and their desire to ride around with unnecessary massive bags full of crap. Fine for all day adventures, but trail centre loops and 1hr after work blasts – what’s the point? My roadie routes means I’ve been happy with a bottle and either a seatpack or essentials in the back pocket of a roadie style jersey. This idea should be really popular – emergency kit in the ‘glove box’ and a bottle in the cage and say hello to non sweaty summer evening riding without the need for a roadie style jersey or an unsightly (to some) seatpack.
A nice use of of the advantages of composite layup.
I was thinking that, could be a lot of fun and better future spares.
Still way too much money though.
Wonder it its a niche on one will explore. I still think the “next big thing” should really be manufacturers pushing better mid range bikes. £2.5k is not an entry level, the old Pitch proved a sucessfull design, where’s its replacement!
Wonder it its a niche on one will explore
On-One are down a designer. Check out Alpkit Bikes now, in association with a certain Mr Brant Shedfire Pact
True, but those alpkit bikes look a bit too niche, and they’re not 150mm FS bikes.
The 6fattie will need boost hubs and chainset so not exactly the same as the 29er
maybe, presumably a 142 hub would fit with a couple of bodged shims or even official addapters for most hubs, ditto a normal chainset would probably work with the chainring in the outer position rather than middle.
It’d be like having race and every day wheels, or a choice of tyres. I usualy have summer tyres on my light wheels and winter tyres on the heavier ones. The fatty would just get my ‘swinley’ tyre choice (something all round), and the 29er would get my ‘chilterns’ tyres (slicks in summmer mud tyres in winter).