FYI my mates Rallon feels a lot more zippy and lighter than my Rune. It accelerates faster too. Probably a better racer. I reckon my Rune excels on the descents and harder/rockier trails. It is more of a DH’er, I mean it looks it as well! The back end looks rock hard! Spitty could be a good compromise, but not seen or ridden one.

This is where I get to post my picture 🙂

Spitty could be a good compromise, but not seen… …one

You saw mine on the start line at the QECP night enduro. Well, I say saw, it was admittedly dark and it is stealth black and I did have a blinding helmet light and luminous enduro hat on… But it was there!

In terms of downhill ability, I’d think of both as being like a bike with 10-20mm more travel (really good travel and geometry to match) – the fork is much more the limiting factor than the frame (though the real limiting factor is the organic entity on top…)

Well here’s my Spitty just to give it a bit of perspective 🙂

Since this was taken it’s now got a 40t One-up, a Reverb and I’ve got a set of Fox 36’s coming as I wanted something burlier than the Sweeps I’ve got on at the moment upfront, but I absolutely love it.

Id be running it with 26inch wheels and forks if I got one to keep costs down.

The spitfire is probably the sensible choice. Im going to demo it again soon. I like my bike to feel quite poppy.

I like my hecker but its just too small even as a large.

If anyone is in south wales and wants to let me have a go on their rune… 😀

Just to test ofcourse!

You saw mine on the start line at the QECP night enduro

Yup, probably did! I saw a lot of nice bikes that night lol! TBF I hadnt really considered a Banshee back then, it was all Rocket that was blurring my vision 🙂

Ultimateweevil, how bashed up is your chainstay? By the BB, the chain runs really close. Even with good chain length and clutch, it takes a few whacks. I heli tapped mine, but have since wrapped it in innertube. noticed it a little on seatstay too.
Any Spitty or Rune riders fashioned up a rear mudguard to stop mud build up inside the linkage area?

Mike, you might find the Rune a little short too. I was surprised. Maybe I miss read, but I thought the effective TT was a lot longer than my Heckler? It doesnt feel too much longer, just a little. I certainly dont have so much weight over the front though. Front wheel doesnt feel like it wants to wash out on corners. Also riding with seat up, I dont feel perched on top, like I did on the Heckler.- I was in Afan on Friday…if only you’d known!

i went for the rune basically for the extra travel, i already have new pikes [on the alpine) so they should match up well

I’m using all 160 at the rear on certain types of riding I’m doing so thought id better have it than look for it 😉

also my thinking is for tamer days at the odd trail centre i can flip the rear chips and steepen it up a bit to make it a slightly easier pedal.

iv also got a hard tail for proper mile munching rides if i feel the need.

what do you rune owners rune shock wise?

Only had my Rune for 7 days, although been on 4 good rides/over 11000ft climbing/descending on it! Its got a Float X CTD shock on it. Climb mode is very impressive. Descend mode is a little too easy to get through the travel. I have ordered myself a volume spacer kit to tune it a little. Trail mode is where it sits most of the time (compression level 2 or 3) and I’ll only use the descend or climb if doing DH days or long fireroad climbs.

Mike, you might find the Rune a little short too. I was surprised. Maybe I miss read, but I thought the effective TT was a lot longer than my Heckler? It doesnt feel too much longer, just a little. I certainly dont have so much weight over the front though. Front wheel doesnt feel like it wants to wash out on corners. Also riding with seat up, I dont feel perched on top, like I did on the Heckler.- I was in Afan on Friday…if only you’d known!

Thought I recognized the blade trail sign in your pic!

I know what you mean with the heckler, even after slackening HA to 67ish, it still feels im on top of the bike.

Looking at the geo charts the rune is a tiny bit smaller than the spitfire by 5mm so not much.

I think the answer for me here is I have to try them both dont I? 🙂

Ha ha Superfli you’ve got sharper eyes than me. Yeah the low BB and I had quite a few issues with snapping chains when I first built it up so a bit of the paints been rubbed off. Went through 3 in the space of 5 rides! But I’ve now stuck an inner tube on as well.

Just booked a demo for 18th Oct on the spitfire. Looking forward to it.

Anyone know who does demos close to south Yorkshire

Stif cycles near Otley used to but I went on their website recently and they don’t seem to sell Banshee any more – worth a try though.

blazing bikes in Shropshire are where I got my bike from. You can have a demo on Long Mynd so worth a trip down

or you could just contact Ison distribution

Eds might be worth a shout; they’re based in Snainton.

Not quite south yorkshire…

not sure on your location but these guys have all sorts of tasty brands to demo.

Cheers ample,
eds even have a small for me £50 for a 2 hour guided demo, that’s spot on.

jameswilliams54 – Member

Cheers ample,
eds even have a small for me £50 for a 2 hour guided demo, that’s spot on

Cool, that’s great news 😀

Just a few thoughts for anyone pondering one or t’other:

The Spitfire’s BB height is 10mm lower than the Rune which can be a good thing if you want to run 27.5 wheels.
With 160mm 27.5 forks both bikes are about 1/2 degree slacker than on the geometry charts (HA: Spitfire 65.5-66.5, Rune 64.5-65.5) – and 27.5 wheels are more stable than 26 as well, so they’re ridiculously good through the rough like this.
The Spitfire’s reach is 10mm longer than the Rune size for size, so it can be run with a shorter stem – or you can size up the Rune and run an even shorter stem.
The chips at the back which adjust the geometry are incredibly easy and quick to change, so it’s well worth trying the different positions.

I’m really considering one of these to replace my 2012 Mega which there is nothing wrong with.

Anyone gone from a Mega to a Spitfire by any chance?

I’m thinking the Spitfire may weigh a bit more, and my Mega build is already somehow just under 34lbs…

I’m thinking the Spitfire may weigh a bit more, and my Mega build is already somehow just under 34lbs…

Google suggests they’re about the same weight, 3kg-ish without shock. What fork is on your Mega?

intrigued by the banshee – whats a typical built weight in old money?

Mine’s just just over 31lbs since I swapped the monstrous SG Magic Mary up front (~1300g) for a Trail King (~800g) and 711mm carbon bars (~180g) for 750mm alloy ones (~300g). With carbon bars, bash removed and Arch EX instead of Flow EX it would be close to 30lbs, so about 29.5 without pedals. Carbon cranks instead of the heftier double&bash SLX ones would get it under 29lbs, whilst keeping everything suitably tough.

More details here: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-slack-low-tough-140-160mm-full-sus-frame-forks-for-140mm-hardtail-rider/page/3

thanks chief. looking for 2015 bike and i think your comments on the banshee led me here 🙂

Google suggests they’re about the same weight, 3kg-ish without shock. What fork is on your Mega?

Pikes, carbon bars, flows, slx cranks…

Pikes, carbon bars, flows, slx cranks…

I know it’s contrary to all forum bike weight conventions, but are you sure your scales aren’t over-reading? 😀

Keep meaning to weigh mine again, it was just over 30lb 1×10 (with proper scales)! but since gone 2×10 but with carbon cranks.

Run it in its slackest setting now, get the odd pedal strike but nothing more than anything else I’ve ridden. Defo have to be careful of chain rub on the underside of the stay but luckily I wrapped plenty of innertube round from new. Brilliant all rounder.

Ive pretty much convinced myself that if my 2nd demo of the bike goes well Im buying one, Im going to swapping everything I have now over so 26″ and 150mm revs. Im hoping this wont alter the geo? I would love pikes but I just cant afford them.

^^^^^ That’s a cracking looking bike Bluearsedfly! Love the colour co-ordinated fork and wheels too 😉

I think Kayak23’s bike is probably one of the more honest weights – sub 29lb with that spec No chance. 1.3kg SG casing Schwalbe’s don’t exist, even in 29″ form – the 27.5″ are ~1kg, the DH casings are ~1.2kg.

I gotta get me some of these magic scales. I’ll have the first 25lb Nomad for bragging rights 🙂

Having seriously considered one of these for the wife’s new bike, I think she’s finally decided it’s a no go. It’s the same weight as her Meta SX frame, so it’s going to be 30lbs + in reality, even with a high end spec of swapping everything of hers over. One of her biggest issue’s is a heavy bike for the UK, plus the somewhat trivial to some, lack of water bottle mount.

And they don’t do it in a colour she likes 😉

I think Kayak23’s bike is probably one of the more honest weights – sub 29lb with that spec No chance. 1.3kg SG casing Schwalbe’s don’t exist, even in 29″ form – the 27.5″ are ~1kg, the DH casings are ~1.2kg.

You’re right, it wasn’t 1300g, I just weighed it and it’s 1150g. Schwalbe’s site claims 1100g. A Nomad frame is claimed to weigh “from 6.2lbs”. I don’t know if that’s with or without shock, but (unsurprisingly as it’s a 165mm, big, strong, stiff carbon frame) it isn’t going to save a whole 2lbs compared to a Spitfire (or comparable alloy frame).

There’s a water bottle mount underneath the down tube.

BAF, your colour coded blue bike looks amazing!

FYI. My Rune is 32lb with the following “Enduro” spec:

Fox Float X shock
2011 Vengeance HLR air forks (lowers are 2012 or 13, just replaced them)
Hope pro2 hubs on Arch EX 26″ tubeless
Fat Albert SS front
Nobby Nic SS DD rear
XT 170mm crank 1×10 Raceface 32th NW
KMC x10 chain
Superstar nano pedals
SLX medium clutch mech
XT shifter
Charge Spoon ti
2009 Formula the ones
Thomson 50mm stem
Sunline V1 745mm bars
Superstar Excel lockons
RS Reverb

It climbs better than my old Heckler which was 1.25lb lighter.
It has a bottle mount on underside of downtube.

Heres mine its a great alrounder. I use her for everything bike parks, trail even commuting lol in the current spec mine wieghs 30ib 5oz.

And an action shot

That is a beaut theraggyone…

Thanks:) ive been slowly working on it over the last 17 months and I think ive finished now ,absolutely love this bike ,its everything and more than I hoped for.

whats the spec TRO? great looking bike…

Really liking the look of these banshees now, along with the transition scout. need to get my leg over each of them!

Thanks:) heres the spec

Fox factory ctd trail adjust shock
Fox 34 talas 160-130 factory fork
Rockshox reverb
Hope hubs stans flow ex rims with rock razor rear and hans dampf front set up tubeless
shimano saint Ispec shifter
shimano xt brakes with 180mm discs
Race face narrow wide 34t ring on slx cranks
Blackspire einfacx top guide
shimano xt 11-36 cassette
shimano zee shadow+ rear mech
raceface atlas saddle
hope headset
hope BB
Raceface atlas 50mm stem
Chromag cutlass carbon bars with Raceface half nelson grips
shimano xt trail spds

Well just had the 2nd test ride and have ordered a Large raw spitfire frame!

Does anyone know if X fusion sweep will take 26″ wheels? Was recommended them as an alternative to pikes.

Yes they can as they are 650b forks, although they have the offset for 650b so not sure what that’ll be like with the 26 wheels. I have a set for sale if your interested as I’ve just upgraded to Fox 36s

Thanks mate, I did read about the offset so thats a concern, perhaps id be better with the slants.