I recently bought a 2023 carbon top fuel as a replacement for 100/120mm 10 year old FS XC bike.
I put lighter wheels on and run it with ardent race / forekaster II 2.4 tyres. So, my opinion so far…
It climbs great. Coming from a DW link to ABP I was a little sceptical that it might feel more wallowy or inefficient on the climbs. Far from it, I only ever reach for the pedal platform on long fire road / tarmac sections and even then I cold happily not bother. The climbing grip on off road climbs is great, it remains active and it propels me up the hill. Absolutely this is not an XC race bike, but for a short travel trail bike for every day, all day epics it’s a great compromise.
Downhill it flies. It really feels like a mini enduro bike. I’m sure it’s going to get me in trouble!
Downsides? it feels shorter on the bike than the geo numbers suggest, and the front end is pretty low (something I think they tweaked on the late 2024 updates). This is the first bike I’ve had in ages where I’ve not completely slammed the stem. I’m usually at the bottom end of sizing for medium bikes at 170cm tall, but I probably could have taken the M/L in this case.