[JimC.]

seems to fit the bill for me, but in short, anyone got one and if so, anything negative to watch for? I've got a test bike set to go out in 4 days.

I'll likely swap the Shimano for SRAM X9, and possibly the FOX Talas for Marz. Z1 Light.

Any input would be great.

TIA, Jim

 

[Mike679]

Good Choice

I've had mine since December of '05 and am loving it. I'm coming from a hardtail, so the difference is dramatic. I'm sure you've read about some of the problems with the Triad shock, but mine's been fine to date. I swapped the stock seat for the WTB Rocket V from my old bike. The stock seat was horrendous, at least for me, so that's one thing to consider. I also put Time pedals on it, but that's more a matter of preference on my part.

Other than that, everything else has been good. I guess you could swap out the stem and seatpost for the Thomson bling factor, or maybe a Chris King headset if you have the cash, but that's more of an upgrade-itis thing than a perfromance issue.

Oh yeah, a lot of people complain about the tires, but they've been great on the technical NJ terrain that I ride. Again, matter of preference.

What other bikes are you looking at?

 

[JimC.]

Tx Mike and

What other bikes are you looking at?[/QUOTE

I've got a big bike that's FSR, and sold my '03 Enduro for a low BB as I've been tagging rocks/roots in technical areas, especially climbs. I'm after a bike that will be OK for day long trails, as the biggy is almost 47lb. Ugh.

Narrowed it down to a Nomad, or 5 Spot. Cannot swing a leg over a 5 Spot so that's not in the picture now; The Nomad is a great fit but pricey, and hard to test one on the mtns.

I can get the Stumpy Expert out for a day on the Specialized test bike; a short ride tells me it's stable and handles well. The BB is also 13" though, so I'll soon know if that's an issue.

Darned if I could find any reviews on the 06 bike, even on MTBR. Hmnnn.

I suspect it's a great ride, however, as I'm in BC Canada, the steeps and technical make it challenge for lower BB bikes.

Thanks for the response Mike, Jim

 

[99rioredsnake]

JimC,

Well, if you are anything like me when you return the test bike you will place your order for one. You have more full suspension experience than me, but I love this bike. I came from a 23 pound HT and will never go back. It took a month for me to tune the rear shock and I'm just getting used to the Talas as well. I rotate the knob to shorten the fork on climbs then rotate back on the downhill. The Talas is a great fork. This is a bike that can go either way, trailbike or cross-country. It handles great, has fantastic brakes-Juicy 7 and my large weighs less than 28 pounds. It can easily go lighter too. My first upgrade will be the cassette, it weighs a portly 430 grams. Can you tell I'm a weight weenie? I think this bike is awesome, but take it for a spin to see for yourself. It took a while to get the smile off my face after riding the test bike. Then my LBS had to deal with my phone calls every 2 days "Is it in yet?"

 

[torment]

I love mine....only problem is my lack of mtb skill. I came directly from a Specialized Allez road bike, so this was way different. Definitely picked the right bike though. It's more comfortable than the Epic to me and its not much heavier. I replaced the stock tires as I found they rolled like molasses. I replaced them with some Kenda Karma XC DTC tires and they are much better now. The stock tires said 26x2.0 but they looked more like 26x2.25 once inflated. I will add on some more weight weenie parts as my bank funds increase but this bike rocks. Just came off a 2 hour ride in mostly rockgarden stuff and it handled quite well even though I'm pretty poor in these riding conditions.

Enjoy your expert

 

[Gordini]

Don't worry about modifying it - just get out and enjoy the ride.
I've had mine for about six months and have ridden rocky rooty singletrack in the UK, BIG downhills in the French Alps and everything in between and it does just fine - thank you very much.
The only things I have changed is the seat to a WTB Pure as the original just didn't suit my butt, and the tyres to suit the various riding conditions.