Reply To: Salsa TimberJack SLX 27.5+ or Orbea Alma H30 EAGLE 29

#264253

I think FrankS29 has given the best advice.   I’d say you should change your mindset and stop thinking about buying an XC bike or a 27.5+ bike. Instead, think about  buying a bike that can be either of those.  The Timberjack can do that.   Granted, the Timberjack has more trail geometry vs. XC geometry, but in my experience (at least where I live) there doesn’t seem to be many bona fide XC trails anymore.   Trails just seem to be getting harder and more gnarly.  Partially because there’s a loud contingent of folks railing against the “dumbing down” of trails.  This means a tree falls across a trail, and suddenly that becomes a feature lest the trail gets “dumbed down”.  Also, bikes are so advanced now (29ers, full squish, plus and fat bikes, modern geometries) that smooth trails are undesirable by many.

I have an SLX 27.5+ (2018 version) and I love it. I debated the 29er version (last year it wasn’t a 2.6″ tire on the 29er, more like 2.35″, I believe), but the 27.5+ is much plusher than my old XC hardtail such that  I consider it the poor man’s full suspension.  The TJ 29er I demoed last year was kind of a harsh ride as well, maybe it’s better this year with 2.6″ tires.  Anyway, my 27.5+ is a much more comfortable ride than a skinny (hardtail), and the grip is immense.  I can ride longer on this bike without feeling beat up. Granted, I’m older  (49), so that’s a factor.  I also have had a few falls in recent years that have made me more fearful and cautious in sand, on loose stuff and off camber roots and such, and those instances of fear are pretty  much completely gone on the 27.5+.   And my 27.5+ is faster than my old bike.

Regardless, the point is the 27.5+ has definite benefits but if it turned out you wanted to go to a 29er, you’d just have to upgrade the wheelset. This can be pricey, but it’s less pricey than buying a whole new bike.