[Closed] If the Blur 4x is so brilliant...

That is a very good question.

I just bought a 4X off Hobnob on here and love it! No idea why SC stopped making it though. I think the TRc may be similar in geometry terms but that's it! If they brought out an alloy TR then that would be great....they have done with the Tallboy so it's a possibility i guess.

I love my Blur 4X. There is something just right about it but can't really put my finger on it! Serves me superbly as an all-rounder. I demo'd an Intense Slopestyle 2 the other day and that too had a similar feel.....could be the VPP suspension?!

Can see that the name might confuse people as i've heard it's not actually a great 4x bike, and with the 4x event sort of being a thing of the past, calling it a 4x might result in it being overlooked by bike buyers. If that was the reason why not just rebrand it instead of killing it off?

Edit: nick egg, does sound like a brilliant bike, and there always seems to be a very good market for used ones.

From what I've read, Though seemingly a firm favorite with UK buyers, it wasn't a massive seller anywhere else in the world... & if there little in the way of sales, you stop selling em.

Maybe they need to do a blur 4x29 for the rest of the world 😉

The name certainly can't have helped sales....much like Intense's Slopestyle...an amazing bike but most definitely NOT suitable for slopestyle!!! Look at the bikes those guys use and they all have very short travel, relatively steep and short wheelbases.

No idea. I've had mine for 3 years now and I'm a serial bike changer! Theres a large on ebay at the moment for a bargain price - owned by a mechanic in my LBS by the look of it and I'm tempted purely to see if the large would fit me better... (at 5'8" I feel on the limit for the medium).

If I could fit another bike in the shed then I would be very tempted by that.

I don't think the name helped - and by the time people got to know what the bike was about, they were another model ahead on the other blurs (without the sales to justify revamping the 4x to match)

I think the Nickel has partly taken this space (along with the TRC, but that's another price level! That's what I'd be looking at in the SC line, for a similar use of bike.

Anyone tried an Intense Tazer VP as a regular bike? Would seem that is pretty close on paper to the Blur 4x.

A few of my mates own/owned them and I've ridden a few different specs and variations. I've not liked any of them and have to say, in my opinion, for what it's worth, it must be the most over rated bike ever. That's not to say that it's an awful bike, but it's far from the best bike ever as many people would have you believe.

If I had to back that up, I would say it's because I found it short, high and steep for an "aggressive trail bike" and heavy for a trail/xc bike.

"Short, high and steep"! Are you sure?!

Of course, fashion has caught up with it so it isn't as odd as it once seemed.

Short, yeah, like all SCs.

Short...a little yes.

High...They have a lower BB than most bikes i've come across.

Steep...67.5 degree HA with a 120mm fork is pretty slack even by todays standards!

still find it interesting ! thank you ! 🙂

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Feels wrong with a 120mm fork though - 160mm up front and a low cockpit is the way to go!

The LT2 (updated VP) is supposed to be loads better and you get the benefits of the Blur4x but with slightly more rear travel. The only 'plus point' of the Blur4x itself is the beefed-up downtube. However its got enough braces etc and if you are riding downhill you really wouldn't ride 115mm travel anyway.

So the Blur4x confused buyers...

BlurLT2 however its not bloody cheap is it 🙁

I don't want more travel - thats why I got a 4X. Wanted something that'd take big forks but still pedal a bit like a hardtail.

The only bike I'd swap it for is a newer, slacker Five. Air shocks at both ends, 1x10 and a dropper seatpost etc.

But I'm not spending £1500 on a frame that might be about as good as my Blur is (to me).

Need to give it some TLC... its still in the dungeon covered in mud from Dalby a week ago...

Hora, i seem to remember some post about your 4x, you still got it?

I've had an old Blur XC for years and it makes an excellent trail bike, but think it would be an even better one if I could run a slightly longer fork and it was just a little bit slacker (120 forks and a works components headset... would I surely be killed in a heap of mangled frame tubes?) Based on that i thought the LT2 would be brilliant, but when I actually got to ride one I was a bit disappointed, just felt slow and wallowy on most trails compared to the XC (may have been better had I more time to spend on setup.) Suspect the 4x will less travel might be spot on. Or maybe the new XC with a 120 fork would be better still (though given the price tag I'm not going anywhere near one just in case it's brilliant!)

and if you are riding downhill you really wouldn't ride 115mm travel anyway.

GW, what are you running as your mini DH bike?

Don't get me wrong the blur4x is great. However I bet you could run a blur with slightly longer forks than the geo suggests, same with the superlight as both have welds and gussets around the headtube.

Do you even ride DH?

slowrider (also owned a blur4x) mentioned this weekend 'there are alot more frames out there now that offer a similar experience' (or summit like that).

I've been thinking, I need a one bike does it all. Specialized isn't boutique enough for all folk yet it does everything I want.

blur 4x was a fantastic bike when they brought it out, i certainly attribute a lot of my confidence to spending time on that bike.

it really isnt anything that unusual anymore though. geometry has improved almost across the board as well as tweaks like offset bushings and headsets. it would be easy to improve on the 4x by using it as a reference point on a lighter/longer/better pedalling/more travel/etc frame.

Suspect that there's a level of gnar beyond which more travel does make sense, but I've been amazed by what 4 inches of VPP travel can handle and in the UK (well down south anyway.) Don't often feel the need for much more at the back.

Jeessus I'd love a Blur Trc!

Blobby - an old (long)SX supercross in the slack/low setting with 140mm pike, Pushed coil vanilla and DH parts.

No I don't but on certain rocky trails you could easily overwhelm the rear.

Jeessus I'd love a Blur Trc!

If you drove a Ford Focus and I said it was ok but not the best would you take it personal GW? 😆

heihei - Member

Anyone tried an Intense Tazer VP as a regular bike?

Yes, many many times. Pretty much the perfect do-it-all bike for smaller people. Very noisy due to its monocoque construction (all the motofoam and velcro in the world couldn't silence my orange one - although an identical raw frame from the year later, with less machining inside the BB shell, was much quieter). I want another now . . . please!

but I've been amazed by what 4 inches of VPP travel can handle and in the UK (well down south anyway.)

hora - Member

If you drove a Ford Focus and I said it was ok but not the best would you take it personal GW?

Jeessus I'd love a Blur Trc!

At 2700 quid for just the frame, silly money. I think I'd even be a little bit embarrassed to turn up for a ride on it!

Edit: that tazer looks like it'd be a cracking little bike (no pun intended!)

At £2,700 I'd be scared of scratching or getting it dirty. Obscene amount of money but I bet its bloody lovely to ride.

At £500 that Blur4x on ebay is a steal. I had an ano silver 4x and within a month or so it had similar marks in the anodizing from chain slap a cable rub etc. So no biggy IMO.

nickegg

Short...a little yes.

High...They have a lower BB than most bikes i've come across.

Steep...67.5 degree HA with a 120mm fork is pretty slack even by todays standards!

I'm guessing it's the way they sit up in their travel that makes them feel high, and peoples tendency to put bigger forks on them jacking up the bb, this combined with a short tt means they feels relatively steep on the trail to me at any rate.

I ran mine at 140mm. Felt best there.

not just down south mate, my SX only becomes a harsh on longer tracks as the shock (short stroke/high leverage) starts to give (heat) up after about a min and a half(ish) of flat out roughness. at tracks like innerleithen/Ae it's an absolute pinner but I wouldn't really want to take it to the likes of Ft Bill/Dunkeld/Glencoe

I think it was ft bill that killed my SX.

Next session at triscombe and the chainstays gave up.

I ride a banshee wildcard, which is a similar frame (but still available). its swappable between 4.5 and 6" of travel which makes it a bit more versatile, and its probably much longer and lower (the 16" frame is only reccomended for riders over 6'2

It's all in the name.

Other bikes were better as an out and out 4x weapon, the top tube design is a bit outdated (read - not low slung), and as already mentioned, by the time people realised it was an awesome all round fun bike, it was a bit late.

I've had two now (the 1st one was stolen and I was so smitten with it I had to have another) and they're awesome. I can ride around the local (flat) woods and not feel too "overbiked", and not worry about hitting any of the bigger gaps/drops there during my ride.

I can take it down chicksands and it's more than capable of taking anything that place can through at it, and the following day take it on an epic all mountain ride and have a hoot railing corners (something it does amazingly) and getting air whenever possible.

One thing I've found with it that it is one of those weird bikes that if you're on it, or just tying to have fun on it, tying to get air wherever possible it will reward you with a big grin, and encourage you to thrash it more and more. But if you're riding like a big wus, it'll punish you.

Wouldn't mind trying mine with a better air shock or coil like the CDDB.

I have the original SC Blur (100m both ends) and run it with a 140mm fork up front and a slightly longer travel shock - rides way better than as stock.

[url= http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6138/5993297149_2ff18fe1e9_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6138/5993297149_2ff18fe1e9_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/5993297149/ ]Santa Cruz Blur (1st gen)[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/brf/ ]brf[/url], on Flickr

footflaps, a true classic that. Quite fancy putting slightly longer forks on mine but it's the XC and I think that's meant to be pretty flimsy compared to the original blur (skinnier tubes and less gussetting.) Not sure I'd risk it.

Yeah the 1st generation has really beefy gussets and seems completely bomb proof!

[b]"I can ride around the local (flat) woods and not feel too "overbiked", and not worry about hitting any of the bigger gaps/drops there during my ride. I can take it down chicksands and it's more than capable of taking anything that place can through at it, and the following day take it on an epic all mountain ride and have a hoot railing corners (something it does amazingly) and getting air whenever possible.One thing I've found with it that it is one of those weird bikes that if you're on it, or just tying to have fun on it, tying to get air wherever possible it will reward you with a big grin, and encourage you to thrash it more and more. But if you're riding like a big wus, it'll punish you."[/b]

Cool! Just like a 100mm hardtail then?

Why not Hora? Do you even ride DH?

Of course he does, here he is tackling some serious knarr .....

[img] [/img]
^
That is Hora BTW, and that trail needs a 10" travel bike or else it would be LETHAL!!!!! 🙄

Has it got a puncture?

He only had 130mm of travel so it was unrideable (no puncture).

[b]GW[/b]

Cool! Just like a 100mm hardtail then?

I ride bikes for fun, perhaps your motives are different 😆

He only had 130mm of travel so it was unrideable (no puncture).

I thought Hora was a nit of a fatty. Looks pretty normal in that pic. 😈

That trail looks mental though - 10" min travel and full body armour required....

Scienceofficer that was just after I returned to biking after an accident so my shoulder/arm/rib had recently healed. I could have kicked richc's ass with one hand tied behind my back then and now though as he's a wee bit of a soft lad 😆

Go to a DH race where there's a hardtail category and then say that trail's unrideable

My sarcasm didn't come across well then 🙁

I think I have a picture of my 2 year old nephew riding that, on his scoot somewhere, as its that core.

[i]That is Hora BTW, and that trail needs a 10" travel bike or else it would be LETHAL!!!!! [/i]

You forgot about the angleset aswell.

as its that core.

You forgot about the angleset aswell.

Cane Creek, Saars and Works Components better stop making them then if you feel the manufacturer is always right 😉

Back ontopic. Is the Blur4x great? Its bloody good. At that price you could run it and sell it for a similar amount as well as it has a good following (for good reason).

Is it better than a Specialized Enduro frame? Its more boutique, better cache etc etc. It'd also feel more special to own etc. Normally I'd be tempted to buy it myself but I think I'll keep my newly bought Enduro- it seems to pedal better, ok has abit more travel but then again its about the same weight and is just as strong.

@footflaps, I have a Blur Classic that I'd like to breathe new life into, what shock do you run?

& would putting 140mm forks on, but leaving the original shock, mess it up? (am no expert on FS geometry)

I've run Reba's @ 120mm, Pike U-Turns (95 - 140mm) an Lyriks @ 160mm on my 4X.

Feels great whatever is on it, although it's in bits just now as my Blur LTc is taking precedence these days.

Always wanted one, but in the end decided that the seat tube on the large was too small.

When they eventually bring out the Blur LTc in alloy, I will get one.

When they eventually bring out the Blur LT[s][b]c[/b][/s] in alloy

There you go 😉

It was ahead of its time, but there are quite a few low and slack shorter-travel bikes around now. If they're going cheap enough though why not?

I have one and its a fun bike for razzing about on.

Too small for long days, quite heavy. Bearing and shock eyelet bush wear is tiresome and the axles need replaced yearly.

mattjg - Member

@footflaps, I have a Blur Classic that I'd like to breathe new life into, what shock do you run?

The original shock was a Float R 200 with 50 stroke and I upgraded to an RP23 with 57mm stroke, so get at extra 14% travel. I really wanted a manual lockout as it bobbed like 'ell when climbing out the saddle.

The Talas 140 fork made a huge difference - mainly by slacking the head angle off by a couple of degrees (as well as more travel).

The other mod was to drill out the cable guides so I can run a full length outer for the rear mech.

I've also filed out the inside of one of the chain stays to take 2.5" tyres - only a couple of mm...

stuartlangwilson - Member
I have one and its a fun bike for razzing about on.

Too small for long days, quite heavy. Bearing and shock eyelet bush wear is tiresome and the axles need replaced yearly.

richc - Member
Go to a DH race where there's a hardtail category and then say that trail's unrideable
My sarcasm didn't come across well then

Bearing and shock eyelet bush wear is tiresome

I noticed this. The later ones were supposed to be 'lifetime' as well 😐

On the axle- you mean the linkage? You can buy ti linkage's now for them 8)

Yep - the big issue with the original is the bearings wearing out after about 5 rides in the rain - I mainly use mine abroad in the Alps or Colorado - nice dry trails 🙂

hora - Member

The later ones were supposed to be 'lifetime' as well

They're lifetime warrantied - when they wear out, you send them back and get free replacements.