Nice one.
Can you share these differences as I'm also stuck on deciding between the 2.
Will have been on a V2 Spitfire for 6 years come May.
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So you and I are in the same boat then, I've been on a Spitfire (early V2) for the last 6 years as well. Here's a sampling of the random ideas that went through my head with this decision.
I love my Spitfire as it has been capable of such a wide variety of riding. I have it built up with an X2 on the rear and 36 on the front with old Stans Flow EX wheelset, so built fairly strong. My local trails (southern Oregon) involve long fire road climbs of 2000-5000 feet followed by fast, generally smooth singletrack all the way back down. I like to go as fast as I can on the downs and generally sit and spin on the way up. I do longer bike-packing style trips once a year (some trips this bike has done include 7 days in the Chilcotins, the Durango to Moab hut trip, planning on Timber trail this summer) and I have started what I hope will be an annual trip to BC because what I really love is steep, technical or fall-line type trails like you find in Nelson, Pemberton, Squamish and Whistler (to name a few, I know there is so much more up there). And I love Whistler bike park but go rarely and have always rented a DH bike when there. So pretty varied riding I guess.
Michael B with Banshee sales explained to me that Banshee wanted to create more of a differential between the V3 Spitfire and Rune. So the new Spitfire is 135mm (vs our V2 140mm rear travel) and has a more refined/lighter tubeset than the beefier Rune frame. And the geometry differences reflect this intention as well.
This is still going to be my do-everything bike for the most part though I might need to break out the hardtail for bike-packing. I could make the argument for either bike based on my preferred riding. Spitfire probably still makes more practical sense but I'm banking on the Rune being a really fun, aggressive bike that will allow me to push some limits. Specifically one of the areas I'd like to improve is clearing the many medium-sized gaps to brake-chattered berms on our local trail system. This is kind of scary to try on the Spitfire for me. I also like to go fast and sometimes feel the Spitfire getting a little twitchy at higher speeds.
I trust Keith when he compares the climbing capability of the V3 Rune to that of our V2 Spitfire, so not super worried about climbing. I think the only concern I have at this point is whether the geometry will be so slack that my local trails will feel too easy or not as fun as when I'm railing the Spitfire at the edge of comfort.
Also, this might be silly but I really wanted the tune-ability and stuck-to-the-ground sensation of the X2 shock and Fox doesn't make one to fit the V3 Spitfire. I think that minor detail kind of cemented in my brain that the bike I'm looking for has a little burlier intentions than the Spitfire. I feel like I will be able to have as much fun on the Rune as I do on my Spitfire for 90% of my riding and I'll have a bike that will probably feel pretty damn good at places like Whistler bike park as well. Kind of the BC/XC idea that the Rune was founded on. Every time I go to BC I see super fit people spinning big bikes up huge climbs then shredding so hard on the way down.
That said, I think the countless people on these forums telling you you can't go wrong with either choice are probably right.
Hope that helps some.
