Any other former SC Tallboy lt owners on here who’ve tried the Hightower and found it a bit meh?

Reason I ask is because I had an enlightening conversation with a member of staff in a big SC dealer a couple of weeks ago about the Hightower – they said that all of their existing Tallboy LT customers who’ve tried the Hightower were not impressed enough to buy one, and we’re either sticking with their LT’s, or moving onto other brands.

FWIW, I had a demo (albeit only an hour and half) of a Hightower 29 and came away disappointed.

My thoughts. I’d have one if I didn’t have an LTc, plus it has a useable bottle cage.

Yes Dave, i know what you’re saying about the Tallboy LT still being a great bike. I built my frame up as a belated 50th present to myself, so it’s a very similar spec to yours. I felt that the Hightower is definitely improved in many ways, but to me it felt like it has been pushed a bit too much ‘enduro’ and has lost the brilliant all-rounder feel of the LT.

get a new tallboy 130-150mm fork. Problem solved

Also I don’t ever think that the Hightower was intended to be the new LT.

Strange, it’s been the most popular 29er for us by far!
We’ve had a demo for a while & everyone who’s ridden it has loved it & bought one, I guess it depends on where & how it’s ridden, as with everything.

Yes, I was surprised by what the shop guy said – especially as the shop is in a ‘proper mountains’ area. Id be interested to try a new Tallboy with a 140 fork, as I always liked the mismatched suspension travel of my old Blur TRc – the rocket uphill but with the added assurance of a reasonably capable fork for getting a bit cheeky on descents.

it felt like it has been pushed a bit too much ‘enduro’ and has lost the brilliant all-rounder feel of the LT

I didn’t get that at all, but sounds like a Tallboy3 could be more your thing?

Yes, I need to get a demo of a Tallboy 3.

Had a Tallboy LTC (150mm) for 3 years,it was definitely my “go anywhere, do anything bike)…..bought a HT 150mm, sold the TB.

I,also,don’t ever think that the HT was meant to be the new HT (or why bring out a new TB?)

I had a Tallboy LTC with a 160 fork,angleset and reducer bushes in the shock and now have a Hightower with a 160 fork.
One of the guys at Jungle has also made the switch.
I recon the LBS guy is talking shite.

I recon the LBS guy is talking shite.

Yeah, I was a bit ‘errr…oh!’ when they said – I’m wondering whether they were trying to steer me in the direction of something they had in stock.

Long story short, I went somewhere else and demo’d a mid range alu Spesh Enduro 29. Very pleasantly surprised by the E29 – ended up getting a 2016 sale bike. Its a missile downhill and not too shabby uphill…esp considering its lardy weight compared to my LTc. It feels a lot more agile and fun than the Hightower I demo’d, but I’d say this is possibly at the expense of outright stability at proper warp speed on rough ground – HT definitely has the edge there. Big difference between LTc/HT and the E29 is the bottom bracket height on the Spesh, which is a bit too high for my taste, but I have a cunning plan to lower that by about 12mm:)

Even considering selling my LTc…..but I’m maybe a bit too sentimentally attached to it (never had that before with a bike!)

I had a demo on the posh carbon LT and it put me right off SC. Dull, lifeless and felt much heavier than it was. Not the best build tbf but even so I expected the frame to shine through. Maybe I would like the HT!

Big difference between LTc/HT and the E29 is the bottom bracket height on the Spesh, which is a bit too high for my taste, but I have a cunning plan to lower that by about 12mm:)

I’m just building up an E29 frame myself. Gonna start off with a single offset bushing and then maybe get the 650b linkage. What you got planned?

Seen this?

Specialized Enduro 29 – Six Ways – Three wheel Sizes

Mate of mine has both, and loves both. Tallboy set up as a super light 29 Xc racer, the Hightower is a more burley 27.5+ every dayer.

Chapaking – I quite like the current seat and heat tube angles on the E29, so not looking to slack em out too much. My plan is an offset shock bush and offset bottom bracket, which chops 10mm off the effective BB height (have to swap out the BB30 cranks, but got a spare set handy). The mechanic fella who used to write for MBR magazine (Al Vines?) has done same thing with good results apparently – also gets rid of the shoddy pressfit BB.

Yeah I’m wary of going too slack, as I also have a slack, long travel 650b enduro bike – and the E29 seems to pedal really well. Nice to have a bit of contrast between bikes.

I’m also looking at getting some B-plus wheels & tyres, which will lower the BB anyway.

I had an E29 for two years, had it in the alps for a few weeks and raced Scottish enduro on it and a round of the EWS. Amazingly capable bike but a bit meh unless pushing on hard.

Demo’d the hightower and found it way more response over the E29. Just more accurate in terms of where I wanted it to go. I think the Enduro might need a heavier ride to get the best out of it. I’m 75kg kitted out.

Anyway, I sold the enduro and now have the hightower. Love it. Very playful and poppy but still fast as ****.

FWIW, I had a demo (albeit only an hour and half) of a Hightower 29 and came away disappointed.

I think if you don’t ride all that hard/fast, it might seam a bit dull. I’d recommend the 5010 as an alternative.

I think if you don’t ride all that hard/fast, it might seam a bit dull.

Yep, I’d agree with this – Definately got the feeling that you had to really grab it by the scruff of the neck to make it shine. I’m well into my 50s now, and although the mind is willing, the old body just can’t do the aggressive riding I used to like doing. On one fast descent I did on the HT, I could feel the potential in the bike but being realistic, I didn’t feel I still have the physical ability to access the potential of the bike – and that would hack me off… a bit like having a WRC car and then just using it to pootle down the local shops.

I’m 90kg in full kit, so guess I might fall into the sweet spot on the shock tune on the E29, or maybe I’ve just the excess weight to shove the bike around a bit

Edit of my original post hasn’t worked!

Gonna say that I used to have predecessor of 5010 (blur TRc) which I really liked. But, having tried a couple of 650bs, I find I prefer 29ers (also got a mountain of spare 29 tyres in garage!). I’d be interested in trying a Tallboy 3 with 130 fork, as reckon this might be a kind of 29er 5010(?)

Ibis Ripley LS with a 130 fork would also be on my list.