[synkronized23]

So I'm considering selling my Giant VT for one of these beasts. Any comments/praise for the S-Works Enduro? How well does the brain work etc.? All comments appreciated. =)

Also, I was curious as to the ride difference between the 04 S-Works Enduro w/ Brain and the 06 Stumpjumper Pro w/ Brain. Same travel right? Thanks

 

[adstads]

It's supposed to be a phenomenal ride. I'd buy one in a second if I could find my size, near-new, for a good price. Unfortunately, it seems to be a favorite for scammers on eBay, so be careful of what you buy.

Differences vs. the 06 SJ Pro:
-Enduro has 130 mm travel vs. 120 mm on the SJ. The 2006 S-Works Carbon SJ ($7100) does have 130 mm, but all the aluminum SJs are 120.
-Geometry is a little different, partly just b/c the 2004 TALAS fork was 125 mm vs. the 2006 TALAS with 130 mm. HA on the Enduro is 70.5 (though swappable to 69.5). It's 69 on the SJ at full fork extension.
-The brain is different (and imroved) this year. The 2004 brain had adjustable threshold, meaning you could set the size of bump it takes to pop open the inertia valve, but that meant that any change you made to soften the small-bump compliance was impacting the pedaling platform. In contrast, the 2006 brain fade shock lets you adjust the low-speed compression damping from very soft to firm. That means the threshold for opening the inertia valve doesn't change when you adjust the small-bump compliance.
-Finally, the SJ is a bit notorious for having a low BB. It makes it rail corners nicely, but you donk your pedals pretty frequently. I'm pretty sure it was higher on the Enduro (but lowers if you change the linkage to the 69.5 HA setting).

If you're not an MBA-hater, here's a link for a review on mbaction.com:
http://www.mbaction.com/detail.asp?id=984

There's a more thorough write-up in the mag, which I've seen scanned and posted in this forum. Dig around and you'll find it.

Good luck...
-stads

 

[Spine Shank]

Awesome Bike

I've been riding one for almost a year now. I bought the frame and built it up custom myself. I had a chance to buy a new BLUR LT frame ('06) and turned it down because I am so impressed with the Enduro and the Brain. Works as advertised, and even regular "pre" 05 Enduros descended great. The main problem with regualr Enduros (I had a '02 before this one) was the amount of bob in the shock while just pedaling on flats let alone climbs. The '04 S Works now climbs just as good as it goes down. Zero bob yet extrememly plush. I have a FOX TALAS (32 not the 36) and have no problems dropping 3 feet to flat and still I am not bottoming out. Plan on going a little bigger but not much as I don't have the guts to do more than that. Point being the bike still is capable of more than I bring to it. Very forgiving and stable. The best part is the climbs and keeping up with hard tail / XC dudes...and the down hills too.

If you buy stock with the full XTR get up and CrossMax SL rims the bike is less than 28lbs (26-27 I think.) Mine with MAVIC 819s on Chris King Hubs with XT drive train (soon to be SRAM) weighs in at 29lbs. Very acceptable for a trail bike.

Some bad things about it- my concern is the Brain. It's just one more thing to go wrong. Granted, it works beautifully now and hasn't given any hints of quiting but the fact is, the more components the bike has, the more it that can go wrong...eventually. Plus it adds weight. I don't consider myself an extreme weight weenie but my 29lbs rig can be probably 28 or less without the extra gear. But on the other hand, it gives me the best pedaling platform out there so it's a give and take thing.
Also the '04 Enduro is a custom propietary shock (duh!) so if it ever does need service or repairs, it may be difficult to find a replacement. This means you'll just have to go through Specialized and they seem to be pretty good. And how long would you really be out while you waited? Chances are not too terribly long. But seeing how this bike was only produced for one year I wonder about availibilty of parts down the road. I think they can use parts from the Epic and now the Stumpjumper Brains (transplants?) but still something I think about. Now are these problems / concerns reason not to pick one up if you have the chance? Absolutely not. And if it were to de defective or break, pretty sure Specialized would honor their reputation and fix it.

Search this forum and you'll find positive reviews on the Brain. Some report that it had exessive bob; but their Brain was defective (Brain Damage) and the big S replaced it and the poster was much happier. Note that that Brain on the Epic is ran different than on the Enduro (ours are always active) so it will be a rougher ride for the Epic brothers than ours.

You are looking at a great bike with a custom shock that works awesome. If you find one, pick it up. You'll love it.