So I’ve just sold my stumpjumper elite 650b as I never really gelled with it… and it was quite heavy for what I use it for (trails like cannock and sherwood pines) so I’m after a lighter, maybe lesser travel, bike… that’s a good climber.

There’s not much on my radar at the minute apart from a 2017 cannondale habit 3 carbon… my budget is max £3k. What else should I be looking at?

Have a look at the new Anthem, gets great reviews.

Scott Scale 720 Plus…..but get them to swap the wheels for 29er’s (possibly drop the fork to 120mm to bring the bb back down a little).
120mm ,lightish,pretty slack,pretty long…..

What size? I’m about to sell my XL Turner Czar, which is exactly as you describe.

I ride an XL. Had a giant trance carbon 2015 before the stumpjumper and changed it as I didn’t like the way it pedalled.

Got an advert for your bike ?

Camber

I want more than 100mm travel I’d say. Is the camber that different to the stumpjumper??

What about a Wasp T12?

I haven’t ridden one but I’m uninformedly in love with the new fuel ex, even despite its boost bullshit and partscannon spec. In 29er obviously

Hrgb. I’ll sort one. My mail address is in my profile.

Yes it sounds just what you need. – or perhaps an epic

Anthems are great too

I can certainly vouch for the turner czar, I run mine with talas forks 100/120mm, run it at 100mm mostly and just open up to 120mm for the good decents!!! Lovely capable bike that climbs superbly, the dw link rear is something else

Demo’d a bird aeris 120 today at Swinley forest. Pretty tempted tbh… love the way it climbed and handled… didn’t feel like it had 120 / 130mm travel (less than my stumpjumper) and the progressive feeling on the rear travel was ace. A lot more efficient feeling than the stumpjumper.