Got one from a friend, £150. Abit tatty but its mountain biking.. The plan is to take it on holiday to the Alps instead of my 'posh' Blur4x.
Question is, is it a good ride over rocks etc etc if its built with Fox36 floats etc etc?
Any tips on rear air pressure/spike valve setup??
I'm struggling to find many online reviews now of the old shape as the ones that exist 'worry' over the E150 fork rather than how the frame performs.
Uses Spesh's long standing FSR (4-bar Horst link I think?) system, which is pretty bloody good... I loved my Enduro SL (carbon s-works), particularly with the E150 fork up front, it's a key component in what makes the frame great... CFH on here rides an '08 Enduro, no doubt he'll be along at some point to extol the virtues as well 😀
As it so happens, I have an E150 fork you could have for a reasonable price... let me know if you're interested 😉 Seriously, disregard the guff about this being a bad fork, early ones had issues, but Spesh sorted them out and it really is a bloody good piece of kit!
Re. setup etc, there's tons of info on the [url= http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay.php?f=7 ]mtbr.com Specialized forum[/url], just need to have a dig around to find it. Look for users Kelstr and Spesh Suspension Tech (I think that's his name), they've done stacks of FAQ's and servicing/setup guides for the AFR rear shock and the E150 fork.
I've got an 08 sl and I really rate it. Mine now has lyrik uturns and I alternate between an RP23 or Van Rc shock dependent on where I'm riding/how "gnarr" I'm feeling.
I ride mine for everything now. All day xc, trail centres or general arseing about. I've been to the Pyrenees doing uplift and all day uppy downy epics and although I occasionally consider getting a new frame, a quick ride reminds me that I don't need one. Some 150 travel bikes probably descend better or feel more agile through twisty stuff (it's a long bike) but if you enjoy earning your gravity they probably won't climb as well as an sl.
I've got an '09 one (with an RP23 and basic Fox 32s) which is the same frame and it's great for the Alps, I've just got back from a week in Chamonix with it and used it last year too. Very stiff, very plush, climbs really well (I'm told better than the new ones). I use it on the downhill courses at Aston Hill and can then pedal right back up.
I had an SL Pro with an RP23 and Lyrik U-Turn Coils, really enjoyed riding that and had it for a few years, was vastly improved with the Fox rear shock & Lyriks fitted though. It's quite a long bike so fairly steady at handling high speeds, maybe not so good when it gets really twisty. I used it predominatly set in the high BB / steeper HA setting but it was a hoot in the low BB / slacker HA mode with some 160mm forks on the front! 🙂
£150 is a bargain for an Enduro SL my 06 Enduro frame cost more than that. Stick a decent shock on it, you will find plenty that size on ebay, and it will be a right ripper especially with 36s on it. BTW are they still my old 36s?
I_Ache, yep still your old 36's. I think thats a world record for me as I tend to change forks bi-weekly 😆
Pricewise? It has a circular ding on the side of the downtube (5mm by 3mm in). Its nowhere near a weld and its not cracked etc so I'm not fused. Apperently the Enduro front triangle can take some serious abuse.
What size eye to eye rear shock and stroke?
Bloody hell I'm shocked (see what I did there)!
The shock is 200x57 same as the Pitch and quite a few other bikes.
Oh hang on. The Blur4x's is 200x50. Is it possible?! The stroke is right however its valved for different linkage???
psychle I loved my Enduro SL (carbon s-works), particularly with the E150 fork up front, it's a key component in what makes the frame great...
Or, back in the real world, it's a horrible piece of sh*t. It was a key component in why the previous gen enduro was regarded as a bit of dud unlike the models before and after it. Great frame all the same.
As it so happens, I have an E150 fork you could have for a reasonable price... let me know if you're interested Seriously, disregard the guff about this being a bad fork, early ones had issues, but Spesh sorted them out and it really is a bloody good piece of kit!
Aaaah now it's starting to make a bit more sense. 😀
It will work but you will only get about 130mm travel and as you say it is valved for a different frame, if the shock body says it is a medium tune on compression and rebound it should work fine I doubt it has any fancy shim stack in it unless that has been done as an aftermarket mod.
No offence to anyone- I wouldnt touch the E150 fork.
I_ache, I think the same. I'll see how I get on with the stock shock/ride first then lookout on fleabay later for a specific-shock 😀
Good plan.
Coils are supposed to be good on them if you are going to use it primarily for going down. I prefer air on the back for trail/AM bikes especially if it has a 3 position switch for the compression damping/Pro pedal. Who knows the AFR might actually feel good.
How long have had the fork- 1 yr+ I bet
13 months
I can confirm that a coil on the back feels superb. Mine feels as good as my mates SX trail. The AFR isn't bad but the big difference I've noticed seems to be lateral stiffness. The back feels much stiffer with the coil fitted.
What length/etc is your coil?
200x57. Bought it from tf tuned who set it up to my spec.
Ta- can you use the same bushes from the Spesh shock?
IIRC it came with a set of bushes so I'm not sure
um, i find the e150 fork pretty good, though i still has about 3 year warrenty left on it 😀
i wouldnt choose it again though, simply due to the stupid wheel axle diametre and stem choice on it. limits upgrade change options.
the frame is great though, i was over biked to start with, but has been great as i find more confidence that the bike handles everything fine.
im building one up with lyriks. do any of the respective riders have pics they could post of their builds? cheers.