Pros: It plays in two worlds, XC race capable and aggressive trail. No squeaks and creaks like the old LT1. Give you courage and confidence.

Cons: Powder coat paint job will scratch and scuff easily. Go Ano. More and more of them on the trails, populating the technical sections.

Recommendation: I don't know what anyone is talking about when it comes to tagging the grease ports. They are recessed deep into the bottom link and almost impossible to tag, if you break one off, you've got some other issues like a trashed chain ring and possible bodily injury. I have yet to even scrape the lower link on anything, but they are easily replaced if needed. Grease ports are also incorporated in other SC models ala Nomad, Driver 8, V-10 etc... With 140mm on both ends, there's not much you can't do except pure DH or heavy launching.
Budget up for the Talas FIT and your in for the rides of your life.
If you have a long torso and are in the 5-9, 5-10 height, step up to the large or at least try it. The cockpit is shorter than other bikes, sometimes needs a little more body english.
Blasted Downieville on it and never regret the money paid as the cost vs benefit is awesome.

Pros: Bike is great when it works, but Santa Cruz and the magazine reviewers missed the ball on some features whcih quite frankly are very poorly designed.

Cons: The lower linkage with its pressen in grease fittngs are the lowest point on the bike, considerably lower than the bottom bracket. Thsi leads to this linkage hitting rocks and logs often. I'm on my third bottom link in 1 year. Fortunately each time it has been replaced it has been free, but when spending this amount of money, this should not have been desinged in this way. Sure lots of you will write back saying it is the best bike ever, however after 1 year of riding it, and being stuck with this bike for a good few years to come, I sometimes wish I had spent the money elsewhere.

Recommendation: Other bikes: Kona the King, Tomac Buckshotm Kona Haloe.

The BLur LT is a great bike, but there is remains considerable room for improvement and the praise gushed over this bike is not comepletely deserved. If you ride rocky technical areas, beware of the lower link and tendency to catch on obstacles. Of course if you ride relatively smooth trails, why would you want thsi bike at all????

Pros: Can go anywhere and do anything. Combines both the XC and AM duty. RP23 with ProPedal makes climbing a cinch. The zerx grease ports for lubing the bottom linkage, grease gun supplied.

Cons: Only limitation is the rider ;-)

Recommendation: This may be the best of the best. You point the bike and it goes. A complete upgrade/update from the old Blur LT/XC and a new VPP format. It has a few LBS on a pure XC (can be easily built to get under 28LBS), but it climbs great, and descends even better. It has a compact cockpit and a more upright position, but was easy to get over and adjust to. The Talas 140RLC mated to the RP23 is like a hand in glove..pure delight to have the shocks in harmony. My build has Easton Havoc AM wheels, Juicy Carb @203fr 185r, X.0 shifters/RD, Ritchey WCS carbon bars and stem + WCS pedals, Joplin remote post under a WTB Stealth V, RF Deus crank and Nevegals for rubber. AWESOME bike, try it you'll like it. Any obstacles that previously forced you off your bike will now be fading memories.