i’ve been looking for a new do it all bike,tried a carbon hardtail ,and a few different full suss bikes in different wheel sizes.
i’ve not found anything that feels right yet.
so i’ve called in a bike shop today,and the mrs says why don’t you get this ,and pulls out the enduro29er .so i’ve had ago on the medium as that was all they have in,and it felt right,its not a bike i’d even considered before.i’ve had the 26 camber before and found this a dependable bike
has anyone any experience with these?and will i be ok on a medium?(i’m 5’11 and seem to be between sizes,i had a medium clockwork that felt a touch too small,but the enduro felt good

thanks

You can swap for a shorter stem on a slightly larger bike, but if the frame is too short for your height then you’re screwed really. I made this mistake before with a Marin Quad and although I loved the bike I kept smacking my knees on the bars and the thing just wouldn’t climb stuff.

I’m the same height as you and I run a Stumpy Evo and a Camber both in size large, however not everyone is built the same way.

If you’re sinking £2.5k into a new bike then you need to be absolutely sure on the sizing.

I’m 5’10” and have always ridden size large Specializeds.

I’m 5’10.5″ and I recently bought a large Camber 🙂

I’m the same height as you, OP, and my Enduro is a medium. In almost any other Spesh MTB I take a large. I chose the medium deliberately, as it’s my trail centre skill compensator, and having a smaller frame makes it easier to hurl around, IMHO.

Does rather depend on reach as well as height though, so best to be sure!

Two 5ft 10inch here and a 6 fter. Running two medium Enduros and two medium Stumpjumpers between the three of us. Large felt way too long. All 26 inch wheels

I’m 5’10 and I’ve got the Medium Spesh Enduro Carbon 29er and its spot on for me, its a hooligan bike .. changed it to a 30t and shorter stem and wider bars ……. perfect !! 🙂

thanks for the replies,
how do you find these on the ups?(as this will be my only bike)

Its quite a good bike for riding up the techy climbs but now Ive changed the chainring its more controlled and more traction..

I bought this bike as a ‘1 bike does all’ and I’m more than happy with it.

No problems on the uphill’s, awesome on the downs. Just spent today at Wharncliffe, first ride on mine since my Alps crash and new frame. Every bit as good as the old one

5′ 10 here. Medium 29 Enduro. Size I’d say is pretty much spot on. I have upgraded to 35mm stem, 780 carbon bars, xt brakes from formula C1, front tyre to a 2.4 Ardent, 1 x 10 set-up ( prototype 30t chainring, 42t rear sprocket) All upgrade are personal choices. As for climbing, its a 160mm fork with a slack HA. and climbs exactly so. Worth it though for the fun times everywhere else. Where are you based?

The Stumpy Evo is the better all round bike.

If the descents are smoother it’s also the faster bike.

IIRC it was Dirt that reviewed the 29er and said, more or less, “Too much bike for practically everyone and everything”- I’d love a go but it doesn’t strike me as an allrounder really. Could be wrong. The Stumpy is a very capable bike and might tick the boxes better

If you are looking for an all round bike you may want to consider that the 2015 model Enduro 29 has no provision to fit a front mech and the entry level at £2600 comes with a 1×10 although the next model up comes with a 1×11 Sram . If you are looking at a 2014 bike you get the front mech .

I imagine it is pretty epic on descents like in the peaks and super shit up tight switch backs. Would like to try one down jacobs ladder I imagine it would bulldoze descents like that.

I have no need for a long travel, hard hitting 29er fs but looking at the Enduro makes me want one!

I do like the looks of Spesh FSers. Even if my Camber 26er barely sees the light of day!

All about the 650b! This was mid demo weekend at CC and BPW. It’s really very, very good. Link to a revoo I dun rote abowt it.

IIRC it was Dirt that reviewed the 29er and said, more or less, “Too much bike for practically everyone and everything”

Yes, although they think the Capra (which has more travel) is all things to all people so I think that needs to be taken within the context of it being, well, Dirt Magazine.

The Enduro 29er is the most successful Enduro race bike; it’s extremely fast and capable. It’s also a lot more travel than you’re used to with the Camber and will flatten easy trails whilst being a sod to climb back up. YMMV.

Superficial

The Enduro 29er is the most successful Enduro race bike; it’s extremely fast and ca

In what way is it the most successful Enduro race bike?

Love my 2013 one with the double barrel shock
Climbs very well for what it is
I use mine as an all rounder and always makes me smile

jimjam – Member

In what way is it the most successful Enduro race bike?

Mitch Gruffalo’s crashed one in a downhill race a couple of times, do we have to spell it out for you?

Northwind
Mitch Gruffalo’s crashed one in a downhill race a couple of times, do we have to spell it out for you?

Yeah go on.

Think EWS has shown that rider is more the definig factor rather than differences between all mountain bikes.

It is slightly scary how T-Mo can make that Remedy 29er move..

2004 enduro is where its at.

neilsonwheels – Member
2004 enduro is where its at.

Yes it is
[url=https://flic.kr/p/85wLv1]27052010246[/url] by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr
Until it goes the way of all the other ones of that era

Gutted.!

Yep 9 months out of warranty and no stays left in the country, it went in a skip. Though looking back from 10 years down the line I’d not be riding it in preference to a lot of current bikes.

Did you have it from new.?

yep picked it up in a box all fresh and new.

super shit up tight switch backs.

Rear centre is really short, BB is 350mm and it isn’t very slack so that isn’t the case at all.

The Enduro 29er is the most successful Enduro race bike; it’s extremely fast and capable. It’s also a lot more travel than you’re used to with the Camber and will flatten easy trails whilst being a sod to climb back up. YMMV.

Yeah how is it the most successful? When Curtis got on the 650b he got his best EWS result and while Mitch did well at Winter Park he won that Fontana race on the Stumpy. The SB66 and Jekyll (which are both crap IMO) are far more sucessful as the best riders are on them. Also it’s a 29″ so relative to smaller wheels it climbs just fine.

(which are both crap IMO)

PMSL 99% of bikes are 🙂

The SB66 and Jekyll (which are both crap IMO)

The SB66 is the best 26″ bike I’ve ever ridden, you must really set your standards high.

Also owned a 2004 Enduro which was a great fun and I do like the look of the new ones and they do get good reviews, but I like my Mach6 more:)

The SB66 and Jekyll (which are both crap IMO)
The SB66 is the best 26″ bike I’ve ever ridden, you must really set your standards high.

Yeah leverage rate is too flat for me. You’re either through the travel to easy or running 20% sag and a load of compression to hold it up. Depends what you’re used to I guess.

In what way is it the most successful Enduro race bike?

Maybe that wasn’t the exact right choice of words. Its the most common privateer bike choice and according to spesh, in 2013 it won more titles than any other enduro bike. It might not be represented at the very top level of EWS but that’s a different story.

Just because it’s got 29 inch wheels, doesn’t mean it’s a climbing goat. It’ll still be a bit of a dog on some climbs.

Yeah leverage rate is too flat for me. You’re either through the travel to easy or running 20% sag and a load of compression to hold it up. Depends what you’re used to I guess.

That makes them ‘crap’ does it? I get very skeptical when people say they things like that. I know I couldn’t ride a bike and form an opinion about the rate curve. Perhaps you are simply a significantly more sensitive bike tester than I.

5ft 10.5″ and ride a large E29 with 35mm stem.

Did you sit on both a medium and large? I thought the standover was about the same, i just felt a little cramped on the medium.

Its an awesome bike

As someone who owns one I can tell you they are a great bike.

It isn’t the lightest but it pedals well and it can devour technical climbs really well. It comes into its own on the downs though and, contrary to what many would suggest, it corners really well and is happy to be hustled along and, if you want, get into the air. It doesn’t ride much like other 29ers I’ve tried (Orange 29, Yeti SB95, Santa Cruz Tallboy) – it rides better.

The tyres / rims are tubless ready and if you went for a 2014 model you could go lighter again by going 1 x 10.

It might well be too much bike for most, and most of the time, but its great fun, and very fast, which makes it fun.

My last bike was a 120mm trail bike, but I found its limits way too easily and lost interest. By comparison, the Enduro is far more capable than I am, but every ride you eek out a bit more performance from it, and yourself, which I love.

Size wise, I have a medium and I am 5’8″. The large ones (did, in 2014) come with a longer stem which was criticised, but I don’t know about the 2015 ones. I would try both out and see.

All about the 650b! This was mid demo weekend at CC and BPW. It’s really very, very good.

Is the 650b still a bodge of a 29er and 26 with a spacer under the front end? Think I’d rather wait for a slightly more refined final version if I was splashing that amount on a new bike.

I’d imagine you’d be ok on either size frame, I was in a similar position and plumped for a medium Enduro as it was available at the time (26 though). I’ve since bought a larger hardtail and realised I should really have waited for a large though it doesn’t really cause me any problems.

Purely aesthetically if I had the choice on the 29er I’d go large, looking at the 2 sizes at the weekend the medium looks quite awkward in comparison – the larger frame deffo helps with the proportions of the circus wheels.

I’d be amazed if the Enduro was the ‘most common/most winningest’ bike last year. Unless of course there are people racing the older version.

The spec’s on them look better this year though (mainly surround stock rear shock options).

It’s a nice bike. It was quite easy to ride fast I found. In some ways a bit odd, it wanted to plow through everything, but it also felt like it would have been better at it, if they made it a bit slacker and lower. Maybe they tried it, and what came out was the best balance overall.

Is the 650b still a bodge of a 29er and 26 with a spacer under the front end? Think I’d rather wait for a slightly more refined final version if I was splashing that amount on a new bike.

I think so, from what the press articles said it has a 26″ front end & a new rear to fit the wheel in. Hence why it’s got a slightly odd height BB.

Like a few others on this thread, I’ve a 2004 vintage Enduro which has happily survived without incident. The frame now hangs from my living room wall.

I do love the look and idea of the modern incarnation, it was near the top of the list for me but I realised that with the riding I do 99% of the time I’d be overbiked. Out of the blue, I test rode a 29er Stumpy Evo and was thoroughly impressed. Six weeks into ownership and I’m extremely happy with my purchase.

My (26er) Camber has barely been touched aside from a general clean and spruce up since. The Stumpy simply out-climbs it on the wet chalky trails around my way.

Yeah, I’m on a Stumpjumper Evo in large and have yet to really find its limits. I have done 15 3000ft mountains on it, been to the Pyrenees and ride it every week in the Peak District. It’s significantly lighter than an Enduro (although I’m sure HobNob will be along to tell me that I am unable to read the numbers on my scales) so easier to manage.

The geometry isn’t wildly different- 67 headangle as opposed to 66.5, although the Enduro has a 20mm longer wheelbase and a 15mm taller BB. Chainstays are 1mm shorter on the Enduro. TTs are the same.