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I'm looking to buy a trail centre/XC bike. It's a loosely termed definition, I know, but basically I've been on a DH bike all year and want something that I can do Glentress red and black with, innerleithen XC, pedal to and use at local woods, local trails etc.
I've been given advice to stay around the 4-5 inch travel mark, but anytime I sit on anything like this I find it a little too lightweight and steep for my liking which I guess is just down to being so familiar with a DH set-up.
So while I do like the extra safety net of a slack head angle I also appreciate it can be a hinderence for climbing and 'pure' XC. I've arrived at the conclusion that the Enduro 2010 would be a good bet but is it too long travel and slack. Will I be able to pedal it up? Anybody got one?
Sorry I know this is an age-old question to pose, the do-it-all bike et al...but I hoped somebody with one could give me some reassurance!
I used to have a carrera Fury.Front forks would extend to 140 i think.I could feel the front end lifting when climbing steeper stuff.
Now I have the 2010 Enduro, and with 160 mm on the front, its so much better than the Fury at climbing.I've done all day rides on it with no Issue's.It's sweet going down hill and is perfect for any trail reds & blacks.
I did the Downhill at Cwmcarn on it and felt totally Safe.Weights about 31lbs,so not the lightest of Bikes, but does not feel heavy.The Balance is great.Try one out.I knew as soon as I got on mine it was something special.
Buy one. It's a bit of a barge in the tight stuff and obviously it's got plenty of travel so you lose a bit of something in singletrack, but that's where the negatives end. I've got the Comp and pedalled it round GT all Saturday afternoon, up to the top of the black (with a short cut) and back down to Buzzards Nest then back up to Spooky Wood and back down to the hub - ace all the way. Climbed to Minch Moor on Sunday without trying - even the Comp's got propedal which makes life a bit easier, but it climbs nothing like I thought a 160mm bike would - ie it's really good, very little wanderiness from the front (even with lyriks at full travel) and no having to fight the bike to get it uphill. I had to push from the top of Caddon Bank to do one of the downhill runs but that was purely down to my tired legs and lazyness rather than the bike (I'm not super fit by any stretch). Awesome on the downs too, though I'm used to 5" bikes, not downhill bikes, but can't imagine you wouldn't like it.
Steep head angle and length of suspension travel are two different things really - try an On One Summer Season with 100mm forks to see why...
cheers guys, good feedback, I think I'll go for it.
BR - yeah, I understand the issues around head angle and travel being different things. My original choice was an orange blood for that very reason - 5" travel at back and a 66degree head angle appealed to me - but in the end I couldn't satisfy myself it would pedal all day. The enduro has 66.5degree HA which also appeals to me but my concern with the Enduro is that coupled with 6.5" rear travel it will suffer on climbs, although the other comments seem to suggest that's not an issue. Great!
http://dirt.mpora.com/news/dirttvbike-test-2010-specialized-enduro-pro.html
Check the comments below too. Some nice tips from Rob Cole at Freeborn about buying the cheaper version and getting the forks and shock tweaked but still being quids in.
lapierre Spicy 516 or a trek remedy 8 both have talas forks so you can steepen the head angle when pedalling up but have nice slack angles for coming back down. I own the Trek remedy 8 and it climbs remarkably well for a 6 inch travel bike due its dual rate control valve at the back but is still a hoot downhill.
Well I've ordered it this afternoon so that's it done!
In terms of the Spicy and the Remedy, yes, a TALAS fork was something that would have been perfect but to be honest a big appeal of the Enduro was the 'base' model cost is £1,999.99, bang on my budget and I didn't want to go higher so I went for this model. Don't think I could get a TALAS fork bike for less than £2k so it will just have to be an upgrade later down the line.
cheers,
Neal.