I prefer my 08 too, the e150 now sorted makes the bike but I suspect the bad press has killed it off. I’m sure it will grow on me though but for my next bike in a few years will be the stumpjumper. Saying that wouldnt be without my present enduro though.

That’s correct, they are hand built.

The Freeborn latest batch were the latest, maybe the newer onmes are stronger? increased spoke tension?

Mine are really strong, taken down quite a few rough rocky tracks, they’re normally bombproof. not always the smoothest lines either. Have a word with Mark Dennis at Spesh he’s the Roval guy.

Here’s a link to the mtbr thread I started. Youll find my two running around Brefhfa.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=297716

It’s a known personality of these tyres. There’s a updated design coming out soon.

New, improved Specialized Eskar tires

I’m 5’4″ small enduro SL DH is more fun and across and up.

Rate them highly, very highly in fact for the rocky stuff here. There are three sidewall versions, the S-works with the thin casing the Control, which is the ‘standard’ one and the Armadillo heavier but very strong sidewalls. There’s a new version coming out soon though not sure when exactly and might not make it over from the states until the end of the year. I run the s-works up front as i had that already and a Control on the back I run them without tubes, on traversee wheels, went on without a hitch.

Same with certain parts of Brechfa, You should see the mess left after one of the motorbike enduros’. Definately a miss-match of motorbikes and forest trails.

There was a dirt article a few months ago and a workshop picture where there appeared to be a ‘beefier’ epic in the pic. I posted it on mtbr somewhere. We’ll know soon enough though. If it turns out to be correct it will be a bike to try out.

Great news to hear your OK. Does make you realise how fine a line it can all be.

Yes a little diggers ;-), could be the weather has been better for the rides. It’s a great bike though definately get further better wheels etc.
I think if there’s one bike there if you dont like carbon the turner 5 spot, never heard a bad word about those. Nearly bought one years ago, my LBS stopped selling them and I needed to part ex a bike to get a new bike.

Another vote for the Enduro SL, shop around as there are bargains out there and they’re selling out fast. My small is 26 point something pounds and will take you wherever you want to go. Last year on my Heckler I was going out for 2-3 hour rides, now I’m getting way further into Brechfa/trawscoed and same effort I’m out for 5-6 hour rides.

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12543653

here you go, did this on an old fork.

I use belray 10w oil in my lower with slick honey packed into the bushings.

Not sure myself about that one< had mine yesterday, just used the ones that came with the wheels, got to go to work otherwise I’d try for you.
Give Mark Dennis an e-mail at Specialized customer support. He is the traversee guy at spesh.

Yeah, I know what you mean with coil. The Vanilla 36RC’s were buttery smooth.

I have a similar history of Enduros to Dango. 04 S-works enduro,06 S-works enduro, 7 SL Pro, 08 S-works SL with a few other bikes in between aka gemini heckler 575.

Have had two recent enduros with the e150 fork, the first 07 one had the cartridges replaced early on and once you follow an easy strip-down and grease lower fork (have a look on mtbr.com for the kelstr slick honey service guide) or get Neil at Tf Tuned to tune it up if you want) maintenence every 50 hours or so it becomes one of the stiffest plushest fork out there. It’s a lot easier to strip down than fox. It was better than a 09 36 Talas that I had on my heckler. The e150 is a stiff fork tracks brilliantly through rock gardens and that’s the advantage of the double crown fork. Definately don’t have any problems with very tight switchbacks up or down. Oh and 5 year warranty on the fork to original owners.

The 06 Enduro was like a mini DH bike, originally had Pikes up front but went on to Vanilla’s 36. I made it as light as possible for Brechfa before the Trails were developed which the bike would have shone on the tabletops and berms, The Dirt guy’s consider it one of the fastest bikes they took on their test-track and they said at the time if they had more daylight left they would have beaten the time on an intense M3.

I have found the SL as fast as the 06 but allows me to go for a lot longer, talking of 3-4 hours longer.

http://www.nsmb.com/2926-trevor-hansen-bike-check
http://www.nsmb.com/2864-berrecloths-rides
http://www.nsmb.com/2849-berrecloth-in-africa

Had mine through the post, otherwise there’s another batch coming 28th june, there’s no 15mm caps in there but wouldnt be too surprised to see those soon though. Had mine from freeborn but ordered about 6 weeks ago.

Nice epic ride.

I have settled on XT cassette XT HG 93 chain, XT chainset though with the sram link. I have just changed the chain at .75% wear to the 971 that was new with the bike and and I can’t tell the difference. I had ordered a new 770 cassette and 93 chain from merlin just before the price rise so should be on the bike before winter. Have X0 rear and X9 shifters.
Still searching for reasonable priced inner and middle rings, just no point in changing the outer, hardly use it. A race face bashring is cheaper than a 44t 770 outer ring.

Saying all this there’s something about that KMC gold chain……

Jimster. Asking the umpire for new balls, “why” he asks, you say, “mine are empty”.

Same here re: Bottoming out the suspension times per ride.
Again start with say 25%
For me I find a sweet spot and I stick to it, never really bottom out, though achieve 90% of the travel on the usual loops. Technically could reduce the PSI in the fork and shock, but at the moment on my new bike just enjoy it for now. LS compression I use for the brake dive/body position. Just on the front, soft compression on the rear>

Aha, just taking it from my secialized set up guides.

http://cdn.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/pdf/08%20Fork%20Setup%20Chart.pdf

PP i was told that the lighter rider needs less rebound damping.

I have used suspension bracketing to get to my ideal settings.

Same here, I hardly ever use the outer ring, hardly ever needs changing.

Same here, when it came time to replace my 110’s after a lot of use years, bought AM50’s, never wore the AM50’s the 110’s were so good bought another set. Now have a very old pair that won’t die and the new pair, so if 1 never dries off overnight the other’s ready to go.

Got one of those, superb all rounder, the faster you ride it the better it gets. If your crafty then you can get one of those for less that 1800…Buy a lower spec model, sell the frame and then offer for a frame only deal without seatpost…

This one bikes like me…

Yeah, waiting to hear from him on face book, but for now have a look at where he crashed. How did he mis-judge that? Looked like he lost it before the drop-off.

How’s the bike though?

Here’s Sam Hill, I was on family duties when it was on…If the end of the you tube clip is where he crashed, how did he mis-judge that.

One of our guys has a 07 Ransom 20, he’s 56 rides it up down no problems. I have only ever sat on it and pedal’d for a couple of hundred yards. I dind any bike strange after being on mine. Although he preferred his Scott Octane by a long way and he still has the Octane as a second bike.

The e150 fork I find tracks brilliantly and the problems are sorted. The plush action was better than my 09 36RC2. There’s a few guys on the mtbr forum hammering theirs on DH with no problems but as said they’re not DH forks. They’re dead easy to maintain them. 5 year warranty no hassle. Bought my 08 for 1500 sold the frame for 600 and got an S-works frame w/o post for 850 so a Carbon S-works for £1750.

There’s a Felt mint sauce on Wiggle. Looks tasty imho.

Yeah Gracia is a good commentator, though Rachel Athertons commentry last week really got on my t~~ts

5’4″ small enduro here, 30″inseam, fits like a gloved thing.

I know that industry nine do a 25mm hub, some others, nowt really wrong with the specialized hub, cheapish bearings can be replaced once worn for better ones. Though I’ve got traversee wheelset on order.

Love the e150, problems of the past now sorted, even then 5 year warranty. Miles easier than a Talas to service thanks to mtbr.com an a guy called Kelstr. Nice stiff and plush.Found them better than a 09 36 TALAS, which are not as plush as 36 Floats. TF Tuned and Specialized service them too.

I like my Avid ultimates, liked my XT”s also liked Magura martas. All the same to me. Would come down to cost for me. The magura’s were easy as hell to bleed. havent needed to bleed tha avids or the XT’s. Only have Avids at the mo.

Demo 8 I’ve seen the youth of today pedal them like xc bikes and go bonkers downhill. Oh an Katie Price…But not Kerry Catona.

Same here, not as nuts as I used to be. Have had a 575, heckler and presently Enduro SL, the hecklers short top tube and shorter wheelbase got me selling it for another enduro SL. Cracking bike mind you it wasnt as maintenence free as I thought, bolts snapping bearings getting stuck in the frame. The 575 I had never lived up to the hype, even with set up with Yeti. The enduro does me just fine and the e150 fork is super plush and easy to maintain. Mind you I will be getting a cheap hardtail P2AM to use on winter night rides.