Mines finished and will be out in the Peak at the weekend. Found the frame as cheap as possible then Evans price matched it. Still not sure on the wheel decals.

It’s been great on the more xc routes with the standard steep south downs climbs and undulating pedally bits. It was perfect for those long days in the saddle in Afan when we were there last October too. Handled everything I threw at it. Climbs well and bailed me out on some of the DHs when I was knackered towards the end of a long day.
It does that so well and then you see this nut job doing amazing stuff like this on one too and I wonder if there is anything it’s not bloody good at (sorry I’ve just got back from a great ride in Stanmer and I’m totally smitten with this bike and a bit drunk too).

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jDKJT2dDZQ[/video]

Here’s my 29er, now running 36 rc2’s as I prefer them to the lyriks fitted as shown. Coil feels great on the back.

stumpy coil

Anyone using the chain guide that comes with the frame? Mine doesn’t fit, the chainring is too far inboard and there’s no way of adjusting the guide in that direction. I’ve got X0 cranks with an AB direct mount ring and Wheels BB fitted as per their instructions.

I wouldn’t mind except I dropped the chain 3 times in my last ride at Swinley!

All ours are fitted with the chain guards that came and work fine. Our X01 cranks have the drive side spacer fitted which moves the chain line out into the right position for the chain and guard. Using Hope and SRAM bottom brackets. What offset is the chainring as that can make a difference.

It’s a GXP/BB30 long spindle ring which should be 50mm offset. I wonder if the spacing is out using the Wheels spacers which they recommend. Perhaps the standard SRAM spacers will fix it?

All ours have something like this fitted, also the direct mount chain rings are zero offset

Mine had that too, it’s actually a Blackspire ring which should have a 49mm offset. I’ll have to take some measurements to compare.

I looked at the Blackspire ones but thought they had a 6mm offset which would have put mine too far in for the guide. The SRAM ring that the cranks came with was zero offset but 32T which was too big for me. Run a 30T at home and a 28T for the Alps

So…. I took the plunge.

And am a little underwhelmed on the first couple of rides. Tis a bigger bike than my others. I knew that. But feels too porky, particularly on the ups.

I usually run a 32 front ring with 11/42. Am running a 28 on the Stumpy with 10/42. I’m spinning out on anything fast and flat/downhill. But given how weighty it feels on the climbs I don’t fancy my chances of cleaning the climbs around here with anything bigger than the 28!

I’m looking at where the weight is. The grid casing on the tyres perhaps? Other than that (and not sure I want to lose durability), I am struggling to think of places to drop weight or improve my own performance (wihout developing Chris Hoys legs).

Given the glowing reviews in the mags and peoples reports on this site…what am I doing wrong!?

Not an issue I’ve had with mine. I’ve been much quicker up (and down) with both the plus and 29er wheels. It’s all relative though so I guess it depends what bike you are coming from.

Are you running tubes with the tyres?

Which version did you go for mccraque? I have the carbon Expert 6fattie running control casing 3″ tyres tubeless, its not as light as my carbon HT 29er, but I haven’t found it to be porky as such. Same as you though, its hilly as hell around here, the 28 on the front is probably the right call.

I’ve got the Carbon Expert 29 – went tubeless on day 1.

The other bikes I have been riding that are most comparable are my outgoing Lapierre Zesty and a Cotic Solaris in chubby mode.

Ours is the carbon Expert 29er, running a Butcher Control front and Slaughter Control rear. 30T ring on the front. Not feeling the porky on the ups, mainly in the peak.

Maybe I just need to HTFU!!?

Apologies for the thread bump. I’ve fiddled a little and am still not getting on with the thing. It still feels too much of a lump on the ups. I’ve experimented with the tyre pressures, run tubeless, moved seat position – still not cleaning climbs that I can on my other bikes. and that included my outgoing Zesty!

Long draggy steep ones that I can usually clear – I’m coming up short. and on techy climbs, I’m smacking the pedals all too often.

Just feels inefficient,

Am wondering about shock pressure…but running at about 25% sag. and am also wondering whether I just am not gelling with the dinky 28 tooth chainring. That said…I am not cleaning stuff with the granny ring so doubt adding 2 more teeth will help ( but am cleaning the same climbs on a Solaris chubby running 32 up front!

Help!

Mine is a 27.5 Expert that I built from a frame (no original parts). I can’t say that it’s bad uphill I use a 32t up front with an 11/42 cassette.

I can lose quite a bit of weight too if I switched the NX cassette with a GX and an XD freehub.

If they are the original wheels, I found them way too flexy and vague. Maybe they are sapping your effort? How much do you weigh?

I used to have the base spec FSR Comp Alu too and swapped the wheels after a week.

I weigh about 90kg but wouldn’t think that the Rovals are the issue….even if they are flexy I doubt they would be on slow climbs! And I’ve no more cash to throw at new wheels!

I found the CTD shock in my stumpy blew through travel too easily on the downs (though it was plush) and was to wallowy on climbs, even in climb mode, which was a bit of a pig. More Pressure helped a bit, but still hard work on the ups.

I changed the spacer for a bigger one to reduce the volume in the air can yesterday, first ride this morning was a very large difference. Much better support when climbing and a better ramp up after big landings. Worth a crack? I’m a fair bit heavier than you, but at 90kg I would suggest it is worth a crack. (Assuming you have CTD shock)

I’m not far off (95kg ish). I was very inexperienced when I didn’t like the wheels and a lot of the reviews commented on them (same with the Camber) being vague/flexy.

Are you using the shock in climb mode uphill? Again, the rear shock on my first one wasn’t the best for me, but the one I have now has been Push tuned and feels much better.

I’ve never ridden the 29er so I’m not sure what else to suggest. I know it’s not easy to hear, but maybe you just don’t get on with the shape of the bike?

My Stumpy is lighter than my Wife’s Cube Sting 🙂

I do like the shape. I demoed one around Fort William for a day last year which is what got me the bug.

With regards to the shock….it’s the Monarch. There’s 3 positions and none of them feel much different at all. They all feel pretty open although the LBS assure me that there is little difference between lock and open. Maybe very slightly firmer. But I tried another in the shop and they are all exactly the same. So are they all buggered? Or is this just how they are? It certainly feels a bit too wallowy to me.

The last monarch debonair shock I had was like a lock out on firm. If you are sure it’s not broken then try some rubber bands

I found 300psi in the shock cured every issue

Flies up hills and down very dissappinted with my other bike compared to this ….however ditching the RS monarch on the focus seems to have it performing nicely

300PSI?? I struggled to get the 280 in there for the autosag!

I’m using a 650 stumpjumper as my main trail bike and i weigh in at a spritely 115kgs. I used two volume reducers in my FOx sock and this gives me a much better feel. The pedal strikes are almost constant, with an appropriate amount of sag, which is a bit of an issue, albeit one that just requires a little more thought about when you’re pedalling etc:

I’m planning to get a coil shock fitted as I’m still not impressed overall with the Fox rear. The bike however is a great trail bike and is certainly not holding me back. Ive not managed to break it yet, which has been a signature of mine in the past, so it must pretty well sorted as a frame design.

There’s not many situations where i want to bring out my Enduro Evo anymore, other than for BPW/Alps etc:
For the very cheap price i paid, can’t expect more.

I have a camber, (same front end) bike is great, but, pedal strikes are pretty constant. I fear I’d have been ejected by now on a 650b.

Going to try shorter cranks, I suspect it’s worse with flats, I don’t ride SPD.

All ours came with the Fox shocks and not had a problem with them, bikes climb very well and not had many pedal strikes but are running 170mm cranks. Always set them up with sag measurements fully kitted out, never used the autosag on any of them.
If I were to change the shock it would only be for an Ohlins air

Right….I am going to firm up my rear end I think.

But to the point on the Monarch shock… I can’t tell much (if any…although the guy in the LBS is adamant it does work) difference between lock and open….let alone what is supposed to be in between the two.

60 miler from Surrey Hills to South Downs, incorporating both sets of hills on Sat. Am wondering whether to attempt it on the Stumpy or whether I will end up throwing it in a bush and getting the train home.

What route you taking? I know it’s a ‘trail’ bike but that’s XC territory, Stumpy is a lot of bike for long XC type rides.

I live On the South Downs and the Camber minces everything around here but it’s not light. Are you weighing it with a full SWAT box? 😉

I agree I do get more pedal strikes on my stumpy 6fattie than other bikes, but its not That bad. I am running about 25% sag on the forks, maybe 20% on the shock (Fox Factory both ends) and its very good. The 3 stage compression damping is not a lock out, but it does firm it up a lot if needed.

I got a lot of pedal strikes on my first Stumpy, due to the wallowy shock and 175mm cranks.

My riding has come on a lot since then though and I hardly strike the pedals/cranks nowadays.

Certainly needs a different technique than my Bird though. Did my first ever uplift at BPW with the Stumpy and it was really good.

Felt fast and poppy…. one might say it made the trail come alive! 🙂

Same as wildc4rd though, Fox Factory on both end.

I’ve never had a Rockshox rear shock, so I’m not sure how they are meant to be.

I got a lot of pedal strikes on my first Stumpy, due to the wallowy shock and 175mm cranks.

My riding has come on a lot since then though and I hardly strike the pedals/cranks nowadays.

I had the same thing when I first got mine, especially as it was the first bike I’d owned for about 7 years since I stopped DH so I thought I would be pro straight away, I wasn’t. haha

I hated it for the first couple of rides as I couldn’t keep the pedals off the floor and was looking for any excuse to swap for a Capra, now I don’t think I could bring myself to part with it!

Handles like a dream, fun to throw down the trails and jumps at BPW but still a perfectly practical trail machine for the odd run round Swinley Forest.

All the below is on my 2016 Stumpy 650b, only major upgrade is a set of 160mm Pikes.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_AVl05N9gg[/video]

Question for those Stumpy owners who’ve fitted the Monarch Plus with the piggy back:

What size aircan are you using? Mine came with a Debonair, but the spring curve is far too progressive. I’m chucking 275PSI in it and it’s still dipping and wallowing all over the show. I’ve added as many token bands as I can easily fit, so I’m wondering if I’d be better off with a slim aircan?

Question for those Stumpy owners who’ve fitted the Monarch Plus with the piggy back:

What size aircan are you using? Mine came with a Debonair, but the spring curve is far too progressive. I’m chucking 275PSI in it and it’s still dipping and wallowing all over the show. I’ve added as many token bands as I can easily fit, so I’m wondering if I’d be better off with a slim aircan?

You mean not progressive enough? I thought ‘progressive’ was generally the term used to describe a spring curve that ramped up at the end, as opposed to ‘linear’ which just blows through the travel at a constant rate?

Does sound like the air capacity is just too large though!

You mean not progressive enough? I thought ‘progressive’ was generally the term used to describe a spring curve that ramped up at the end, as opposed to ‘linear’ which just blows through the travel at a constant rate?

Sort of, I find that the travel is too linear at the start of the stroke but I also rarely bottom it out so I want some more mid travel support.

Does sound like the air capacity is just too large though!

Yep. Every Spesh I’ve owned has had a skinny aircan.

I’ve ignored the autosag….but to achieve 25% sag when kitted up I am hovering at around the 275psi mark in the shock! Fine for my local trails, and feels a lot more efficient (and less pedal strikes) – but now nowhere near as plush, even in the open position…but is still going through the travel.

I’ll continue to fettle and bore you with any progress.

Right….it’s now been around Nant Yr Arian, Coed y Brenin’s beast and Climachx. I’m starting to enjoy it a lot more!!

Couple of things though. The ridiculously small 28 tooth chainring. Am going to ditch it. Will I struggle with a 32 (my plus ht is 32 and I get on ok….but this is a bigger bike)

and the 25mm Riser bars feel like they want to be lower. Pros and Cons of a lower rise (I don’t have spacers to play with)…thinking of going for a 5 or 10mm….will it change the bike characteristic too much?

Running ours with a 30t front ring. Think the 32t would be too much for us in the Peak. Also got some On One carbon Knuckleballs which are lower and a 35mm stem