[Closed] Nicolai Helius AC -v- Santa Cruz Blur LT Carbon

HftH demo AC comes in at 29.5lbs. Difficult to see where you could get much weight off the bike either, as noted above it's running some high spec kit. Tyres are 2.35" single-ply High Rollers so that's about the only place I can see.

For comparison i weighed my Blur (going to spain with it on Saturday so it had its first clean in 2 mts 8) )

Large Blur LTc
monarch 4.2
fox 150 RLC FIT
pro2/819 F&R
Maxxis HR 2.35 dual ply (heavy)
Hutchinson Barracuda DH UST 2.35 (really heavy)
Tech M4's
XTR/XT drivetrain (changed from Saint today)
Sunline Bar/Stem
Thomson post & fizik gobi XM Ti saddle
DX647's
Etc etc

29.3lbs using 2 different scales

i managed 27.5 when it had full XTR, pro3's/Stan ZTR and LUST tyres

Took the AC out locally first thing this morning. Conditions weren't as grim as I thought they might be - pretty slippy but manageable. I thought the AC was a very good all-round bike - climbs well, descends well, handles drops ok. Problem is it doesn't do anything brilliantly - it's too heavy (30lbs with a good build kit) to accelerate aggressively, the medium was ok with a 90mm stem but that combined with the HA meant it wasn't great on drops, requires a reasonable amount of propedal (2) to avoid bob / sag under climbing, and is quite sensitive to shock pressure. As I say, if I had to have one bike for everything, this could be it, but I'm lucky enough to have a few, so anything new has to really light my fire so's to speak, and it just didn't.

heihei are you swaying from the dw spot?whats your list of bikes and views against the spot? 😉

The DW Spot is on it's way out. TBH I never really fell in love with it, in part because I got a large (on DT's recommendation) and even with a 50mm stem and flat bars, I could never get the front end low enough. I also think the HA is too steep, and with 160mm Floats the BB is too high - both of which are being addressed with the 2011 version. I've got a Mojo HD on order to replace it. I also tried a Transition Covert which was spot-on geometry-wise but I'm not a fan of single-pivot bikes. Mythic Spitfire also looks interesting, as does the Chumba Evo Gen 2, but I'm wary of new untried pivot designs which both these bikes run.

Other full-susses currently owned are a Titus Motolite, an HL 5-Spot, and an Intense Slopestyle. The Motolite is a very similar design and layout to the Helius, but at under 26lbs really flys, and is used for long-distance rides, orienteering events etc. It suffers in a similar way to the Helius in terms of suspension set-up and steep HA, but has it's place for fast XC-type riding.
The Slopestyle is a very versatile bike - it can be got down to 31lbs and can do a reasonable impression of an XC bike, but at the other extreme at 35lbs and Totems can do uplifts and not-too-technical downhills. The first gen VPP is not as good as DW, giving kick-back in granny ring, but really fires you out of berms, and has a lovely slack HA and low BB, really encouraging you to pop off jumps, drops etc. In a recent outing, it left my mate on his DW Spot for dead on XC-ish riding. The HL Spot is still good fun and has been repainted yellow - I keep it for sentimental reasons as my son's middle name is Tuner (sad I know)!!

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mrpink - Member

heihei are you swaying from the dw spot?whats your list of bikes and views against the spot?

Whatever the latest and greatest is or talked about in the mags and forums 😉

I must sell my DW Spot now, it just doesn't cut the mustard anymore. 👿

Whatever the latest and greatest is or talked about in the mags and forums

There's always an element of this if nothing else the mags get to ride stuff before the rest of us, and to be sure, technology and design moves on. That said, I love riding the Titus and that's a brand / bike that has never had particularly good reviews or a following in the press / on UK forums. I also ride the old HL 5-Spot and like that a lot too.

I must sell my DW Spot now, it just doesn't cut the mustard anymore

@chunky : are you seriously still pedalling the ridiculed and out-moda'd DW spot ?

i thought you were a keen mtb'er ffs ?

dw is a non-evolved design ferchrissakes.

I have had my Blur LTc now for exactly a year, and I still love it to bits! Haven't had a single issue with the bike apart from having to replace the rubbish Cane Creek headset I got with it with a King after replacing the bearings twice in a month. The only thing I would consider changing it for is a 2011 green one! 🙂

hmmm that's the headest i've ordered for mine. Crap then is it? Have you heard of any other people having issues with them????