So I can pick up an ex demo camber evo for peanuts, im looking at them as a bike I can replace my 29er hardtail and 26er 130mm trail bike with. 29er hardtail is fine just feels too nervous to really ride how I want, the trail bike does mute what is on my dor step.

My concerna are the camber will ride like the 29er hartail, the geo on the hardtail is that xc either and that I wont be able to hit good sized junps and drops on the camber, though it is identical build and weight and the stumpy.

I know I could demo, but thats different to living with it with the build youd actually have.

So I guess what im really asking is what type of bike the camber really is, an xc bike with extra legs, made for sitting down twiddling he pedals the whole time or a proper trail bike that can be ridden as yih would a dh bike but in tamer trails, ie a trail/enduro/wwhatever you want to call it bike that works reasonably in any setting and wont hold back using every possible bit of the trail as a jump.

I’ve got the FSR Expert Carbon 2013 version of the Camber. For riding stuff like the borrowdale bash, whinlatter, Guisborough forest, Hamsterley etc it’s good (to me :-))

If you are verging towards enduro and bigger drops, then isn’t a stumpy what you want?

I demoed the c evo and really liked it but I tend to keep wheels on the ground and also enjoy uphills!

I was thinking about this while on a XC run round devils Punchbowl this morning. Reminded me of the classic MTB cartoon about how we perceive ourselves as riders. We imagine ourselves on an enduro, buy a stumpy but really a camber is what we need!!!!

In regards to stumpy vs the camber, i haven’t ridden either, just the various reviews, is that the camber and the stumpy essentially ride the same, the camber maybe even slightly better, but the stumpy has get out of jail free travel when stuff gets rowdy.

This could be BS, i’d have to live with both to find out, but my impressions from riding reviews is the stumpy gives you some gains in terms of margin of error on gaps and in the rough but gives up far more in terms of pedalling and engagement in comparison to the camber.

To me, stumpy in 29er guise is equivalent to a 26er enduro of yesteryear, ie an awful lot of bike, which i would like to get away from.

I feel that my BMX style lends itself to shorter travel, ie commitment and precision. Plus life long DJing means i don’t really need help when it comes to jumps.

My spin on that debate.

I was having a think about that pic about what we want vs what we have vs what we should have, and yea had the same comparison with the enduro(wistler/EWS)/stumpy(pacific NW)/camber(UK) and put them into the locations in brackets, came to the realisation im in the UK and that on my Mega TR i hadn’t been tested in a while (though i get more flustered than i feel i should on steep new stuff, but thats comparing myself to fast people who have been MTBing their whole life when ive been doing it 3 years).

There you go then, you’ve talked yourself into buying the camber. Go and get it before you change your mind.

The geography thing was the other version dean

Surrey hills – epic/camber
Lakes – camber/stumpy
Dreams – enduro

My mate has a 2014 Camber Evo and likes it very much. He knows how to chuck a bike about and doesn’t just mince along so they can certainly handle most of what us normal riders can throw at them. It replaced a 29″ HT for him which had replaced a 140mm 26″ FS. The only changes he wants are a dropper post and some Pikes to replace the Rebas as they’re a bit spindly for a big chap.

I’ve had a few goes and think it’s a nice bike. Prefer my Orange 5 29 though.

So I can pick up an ex demo camber evo

If it’s a demo bike why not just demo it first?

[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xrjJx-m_zFw[/video]

Looks a pretty capable bike tbh.

I like my 29er ht but have looking at FSers to combat the fatigue my body is prone to (partly due to old injuries, etc)
and the guys at my LBS recommended this model to me.

I currently have a Camber 26er, with which I have had a love/hate relationship with. That has been the only thing putting me off.

Any more feedback on how they cope with xc pedally stuff?

Also techy singletrack?

XC stuff is what my camber is best at. I haven’t ridden any other of the spesh bikes to be able to offer a comparison though. Tech stuff It seems good enough for someone of my mediocre ability to get round the types of trail I mentioned earlier with no problems. Good for most things I reckon but maybe not one for pseudo downhillers.

My friend is faster vitually everywhere on his Camber. He has always been fast downhill but is keeping up or pulling away on sections he used to struggle with. Felt a better bike to me than the Santa Cruz Tallboy I tested.

I’m sure the bike will be fairly capable but that Video looked like a trail Deanfbm could ride on his BMX

I wouldn’t know as I’ve never ridden the trail.

Regarding the Camber Evo, if there’s a more capable all-round bike below 130mm I’ve yet to see it.

I ride a 29 stumpy carbon, climbs well, cover ground quick and is a blast downhill and gives plenty of comfort, mines not an Evo but is running 140mm pikes. Camber is really nice but stumpy gives a margin of error I reckon, it is my only bike and gets used for trails centres on trips to Wales etc and local xc rides 20-30 milers no problem..

You do know there’s a limited edition UK spec Camber for 2015, I assume.

Renthal, Hope Hoops and brakes. Very pretty.

UK spec camber???

Yep. That’s what I said!

Had just been built up in the LBS yesterday. Pic from another bike shop’s site here;

Renthal bar/stem. Hope wheels and brakes. Looks nice to me.

Apart from the Spesh Command Post, which is not only externally routed, but a bit poo at the best of times.

My LBS has (or at least had yesterday!) a M and a L in stock.

Found this uk spec. Looks perfect

One of these?

UK spec Camber

Edit to say CFH you got that pic in while I was typing 😉

Not a fan of the brakes but otherwise that looks killer.

So i ended up with one.

Brilliant bike. Been surrey hills twice and swinley. Even rode that jump trail in the vid above, straight through first go, thats how well it jumps. The bike has DH bike levels of grip, feels really solid. Most stunning thing about it is how good of a shape it has and how it maintains that shape regardless of how rowdy ive got so far, particularly helpful on anything steeper ive ridden. I’ve also cleaned climbs i wouldn’t even bother with before.

So impressed by it, further convinces me that 160mm enduro bikes are bloody pointless for anything other than big mountain enduro racing.

Rubbish phone pic –

Gonna miss your regular posts asking about short travel, slack 29ers – glad it’s lived up to expectations though.

I`m not convinced on 29 but short travel is defo more fun