Reply To: Trying to narrow down first FS bike…

#505069

I’m not a big fan of heavy 125-145mm rear-travel “mini-Enduro” Trailbikes. If you’re going to ride a 32+ pound bike you might as well have 150mm rear travel and get something like the Ibis Ripmo or the YT Jeffsy. If you ride in places where you mostly winch you way up the mountain (or take a chairlift or shuttle) just to bomb down then this is your type of bike.

However, for most Trail riders, a light-weight 110-120mm rear-travel Trailbike is a better option. I’m guessing that 80% of Trail riders who ride a variety of terrain would benefit from the short-travel Trailbike. You’ll be much faster on the flats and the climbs and because these bikes have modern geometry they still descend quite well. In order of favorite to least favorite, I like the Specialized Epic Evo, Transition Spur, Ibis Ripley, Giant Trance 29, and Kona Hei Hei. These bike come at a variety of price points from $2150 and up.

Either go short-travel and light-weight or long-travel and burly. To me, the middle-ground “mini-Enduro” Trailbike is the worst of both worlds. Not enough travel for All-Mountain/Enduro riding but too-heavy for fast-rolling all-around Trail riding. I currently own a ~$3500 130mm rear-travel 32+ pound “mini-Enduro” Trailbike but I keep wishing it was lighter, faster-rolling, and pedaled more efficiently. It certainly descends well but everywhere else, it’s slow.