Pivot 429 Trail
https://www.merlincycles.com/pivot-trail-429-carbon-trail-frameset-259560.html

There is still a bit of a distinction in the shorter travel category I think. Stuff like the Tallboy, Optic & Spectral are (well, these days) shorter travel trail bikes & seem to be similar weights. Probably great as a one bike solution, but they ride very differently to a properly lightweight 120mm bike.

My other half was using a Tallboy for a while & it still was well over 30lbs by the time you actually put some decent tyres on it & its a very different bike to my 26.5lb Spur.

The Spur is a great little bike though, albeit currently vapourware to find. If I didn’t have one I would probably be looking at a new Top Fuel as an alternative, the numbers are almost identical & I think it ‘might’ be the better bike, with a better suspension system than a flex stay. or maybe a bit leftfield for the short travel Rocky Mountain.

The Spark might work, but the sizing is a bit weird for me.

It’s not just that they’re ignoring 😀 but I’m fine with curveballs that make me think.
I think I could be ok with an orange, but I’m not brave enough to buy one without warranty

Get a go on a Stage Evo and see how you like it. They are stiff, fast and pretty light. Not particularly compliant or planted.

I love that, but my longer-travel bike is the total opposite – so I can pick according to my mood.

As HobNob says, it’s important to distinguish between “downcountry” bikes (light and zippy) and short-travel enduro bikes like the Spectral 125 or FlareMax. The Orange sits on the cusp, but rides very light and is incredibly engaging and fun.

superfli
Free Member
I have a spur with Sid 120 forks. Brilliant bike and love riding it. Repeated fast bumps on steeper trails and it gets a little hard work, but it’s only 120mm. Around my local area and it’s pretty perfect.
Oh and I also have a ripmo af 😉

OK now I’m going to have to hijack a bit…

How do you find the ripmo compared to the spur bit of an odd comparison I know but, by way of explanation, I’m currently on the look out for N-1. I’ve got a following which is great but a bit small for me in honesty, I’ve also got a process 153 which is great but very much a big days bike. The process needs repairing after a brake failure in Italy and I’m very tempted to shop both in for something a bit more middle of the road instead of getting the process patched.

So I’m thinking something about 130/140 ish, that pedals nicely, descends nicely but will generally be an all day ride bike. It doesn’t need to be brilliant at plowing down or up stuff because frankly, nor am I, but it needs to be reasonably capable.

I’m tempted by (amidst others) a Ripley but a lot of the reviews of the Ripmo make it sound much more of an all rounder than a lot of bikes in that sort of space.

How do you find the ripmo compared to the spur

Sounds like his is a Ripmo AF which is alloy and a IIRC a bit different and more burly than the carbon version.

I *think* the ripmo/ripmo af are now the same ish bar material, the af was a bit different when launched as it was still the v1 carbon but the V2 is the same.

The Ripley AF is a little slacker than the current Ripley I believe so I’m guessing there will be a revision of the Ripley to bring it in line.

@submarined give me a shout if you fancy a HB130 frame.

Thanks, bit not really what I’m after:)

@dangeourbrain I would not class the Ripmo as a trail bike. It’s much more of an enduro bike. It feels burly and tough. Eats up the trail (or at least most local trails) and is a plush ride.
From the sounds of what you want (13/140 trail bike) you’ll be after a Ripley. It’ll feel lighter and zippier than the Ripmo I bought the Ripmo to replace my Patrol as my enduro bike.

It’s much more of an enduro bike. It feels burly and tough. Eats up the trail (or at least most local trails) and is a plush ride

thank you! I’d originally discounted it but then a lot of reviews mentioned how good a climber and pedaler it was etc, what i couldn’t seem to find was if that was when compared to other enduro bikes or more trail oriented stuff.

as is I’m pretty much sold on a stumpy, ripley or bird aether (though I keep looking at the fuel ex then muttering about the kit-spec for the money)

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/reeb-cycles-officially-launches-steel-short-travel-trail-bike.html

^^ that reeb is basically an updated turner 5 spot. not a bad thing! and it looks lovely!

My experience of ‘slightly aggro 120mm ish bikes’ is that they have the right shape to push on, but run out of suspension travel when you do so. There’s also virtually no difference in weight to something thats got another 20 or 30mm more travel.

Ripmo – I’ve had one since mid summer.

It’s not really an Enduro bike IMO, but the epitomy of the mostly disused all-mountain category. It’s not as plush as these big old Enduro 180/170mm crushers but despite having fairly conservative geometry by current standards, it doesn’t seem to have any particular foibles and shines in technical climbing situations.

I’m delighted to be back on a DW link bike after 6 years of trying to find something else that works as well for all round riding (and failing).

My experience of ‘slightly aggro 120mm ish bikes’ is that they have the right shape to push on, but run out of suspension travel when you do so. There’s also virtually no difference in weight to something thats got another 20 or 30mm more travel.

That’s kind of stating the obvious though, is it not? Short travel bike runs out of travel sooner than bigger bike when it’s fast & rough? That said, whilst it definitely feels a bit more spicy when you are trucking on, it’s only the really nasty stuff where there becomes an appreciable difference in actual speed on the trail.

The weight point though, a lot of assumptions there. I’m not sure I’ve seen a sub 27lb ~150mm travel 29er I’d want to ride any more than my Spur. Personally, I think there is a noticeable/appreciable difference between 26/27lb short travel DCaF bikes, 31/32lb all mountain bikes & 35-37lb enduro specific bikes. Weight, however, is only part of the equation.

That’s kind of stating the obvious though, is it not?

Kinda, but kinda not. Its only relatively recently that shorter travel bikes have been packing the same kind of geometry as the bigger ones.

I’m making the observation from my own mistakes that assuming because its got the same/similar geometry that its got the same capability. Easy to spot in hindsight, but pretty sure I’m not the only one to have made a mistake like that and ending up with the wrong bike.

Weight – theres always assumptions.

Another shout for an orange stage evo, love mine. Had a ripmo previously and didn’t like anything about. Mine weighs 14.4kg with pikes, cane creek and proper tyres and inserts. Most fun bike I’ve had for years and really easy to live with

That Orange Stage Evo looks a load of fun. 🤤

Of course you could just forget the rear suspension entirely and rely on a big fork and good geometry on a nice steel big wheeled hardtail. Or is that a silly idea?

I ride a Hello Dave as my aggro bike and it is fantastic fun and very capable. It does have a habit beating the s&&t out of me on rocky descents.

I think a progressive geometry, mullet 150/120mm full sus would be the ideal bike for 99% of riding I do, and probably most people do.

I’ve never looked back since cutting hardtails out of my life and getting my Stage 4.

And much as I like longer-travel bikes too, there’s no feeling quite like absolutely flying along on a short-travel 29er.

Brings the trail alive, as we used to say.

😀