Great stuff here – very informative!
I can easily see how that would aid in descending. Easier to get in position, get weight back, etc. At a certain point, how does that affect climbing, especially non-technical fire road stuff? At what point does the slack and long approach adversely affect those who enjoy the climbs and descents?
One reason the Ripley stands out to me is that it’s moved in the direction you’re talking about, but not as “extreme” on paper as some of the other stuff you see out there (think the new Spectral is 64* HTA).
And yes, the spec of the Neuron is incredibly tempting. To get comparable on Ripley is ~$5500 – $2K more!
(Reminder that I’ve focused on models I can find in stock, so the Transition Spur, YT Izzo have been tentatively crossed off…for now).