[gigabyte772]

My wife is 5ft 4in and weighs 110 lbs and currently has a 2008 Safire Medium frame. I know it weighs 27 lbs. I could get her a barely used 2010 Stumpjumper Pro Carbon that weighs 26 lbs. The question I have for you guys is she wants to have a bike for racing and one for smooth technical trail riding as well. I was thinking of her keeping her Safire and just getting a used Epic Carbon or S-works if I can afford it or getting her this Pro Carbon and she can have the best of both worlds. My question is how much of a difference will it be for her on the carbon Pro then her Safire now in racing and then how much better would it be if she gets an Epic even if it is not a fully loaded S-works. Thanks for any opinions...

 

[JefedelosJefes]

1 pound isn't really going to do anything for her. If she's racing xc, the ticket is to find her an era (female version of the epic). It will be much more efficient and better geometry for climbing than her current safire or a stumpjumper (140mm of travel is no XC race bike). Her safire is prime for trail riding.

"Smooth technical trail"... what's that?? Straight tripping. haha

 

[gigabyte772]

The thing is in Florida there are no mountains just rooty quick climbs etc. That is what I was saying to make technical rooty trails smooth with the Futureshock fork. Any more comments welcome.

 

[AndrwSwitch]

WTF is smooth technical trail riding?

Depending on your wife's proportions, a really little Epic or the appropriate Era is probably the way to go. WSD bikes are not necessarily better for all women - they tend to be built to be better for a leggy woman with a short reach. She might try some hardtails too. She's already got a FS bike. Looks like in '08, it was really only a little big for XC racing, so with good dampers on the shock and fork, it should be good enough to let her fitness do the talking. Does she race already?

You might get her an MTBR account while you're at it. These threads always remind me of playing "telephone."

 

[gigabyte772]

OK lets get over the smooth technical trail riding. Yes she races now but the season is over and wanted her to be ready for October when it starts up again. She hates hardtails and needs a fsr. Will look for a small epic or medium era for her. Thanks...

 

[whybotherme]

OK lets get over the smooth technical trail riding. Yes she races now but the season is over and wanted her to be ready for October when it starts up again. She hates hardtails and needs a fsr. Will look for a small epic or medium era for her. Thanks...

the new Sworks Era's are probably the nicest paint scheme on any bike made by Speccy this year.

 

[gigabyte772]

yeah and you think I am made of money

 

[IRide1023]

I have to disagree whybotherme, the white S-Works 29er is the classiest looking bike out there!

 

[bikensand]

I think you could actually sell the Safire and just go with an Era or small Epic. I live in FL too and have a '08 SJ Pro (in fact, I think you're the one that bought my RP23) and have decided to start looking for an Epic. Reason is that there are few XC trails (if any) in FL that a 5" travel bike has an advantage over a 4" travel bike, though most of them a 4" bike holds an advantage over a 5" bike just because of the pedaling efficiency. The downhills here are so short that you'd be hard pressed to gain any time on a Epic if you were riding a SJ. There is, however, time to be gained on the flats and short climbs with an efficient pedaler like the Epic. Also, with the brain, the Epic is a very adjustable bike. My friend has a '10 Epic that is tuned to a softer platform than what I ride on my SJ, and you can certainly adjust that platform harder for racing. Just my $.02

 

[chauzie]

get Epic (or Era). 4" travel is PLENTY for most if not all XC races, even the ones on the rocky West Coast. If FL, definitely Epic/Era territory.

 

[gigabyte772]

Yes I am and I love the RP23 on my Stumpie. She doesnt want to give up her Safire... she will just use the ERA or Epic for races and everday biking the Safire.

 

[gigabyte772]

Well Allison if you get one from Specialized as a demo or anything I will have no problem taking it off of your shoulders

 

[411898]

I agree with Allison, the S-Works Era has the best paint sceme of any 2011 Spesh bike. The white S-Works Epic 29er is a solid second placw for me, though.

Where can I get an Epic frame painted in the 2011 S-Works Era paint scheme??? :winker:

 

[gigabyte772]

What would be better for 3400 - getting a stock 2011 Era Carbon Comp or getting a 2011 Comp and taking the added savings and buy something to make the comp lighter but still equaling 3400? Thanks...

 

[Tupelo]

Why FS? Smooth and technical, try a hard tail. My wife is 5ft6 and rides a 1998 Klein Pulse 26 (down hill), 2010 SWorks 29er Stumpy (race) and a 2011 29er Stumpy Comp (train).

 

[gigabyte772]

She doesnt like hardtails, she likes the smoothness of a fsr.

 

[whybotherme]

hmmm... i guess i need to take Allison's link out of my signature (i am just her overly proud husband/training partner)

Allison had a choice to make for 2011, ride the Sworks Era (basically identical bike to her 2010 Sworks Epic with women's geometry changes) or go with the re-designed Sworks Epic.

we debated this back and forth for a while. she likes the paint on the Era much better but had never ridden an Era and was afraid of different geometry. i liked the idea of the 142+ rear end on the new Epics, and a downside of the Sworks Era is it only comes as a frameset. additionally it was time for me to get a new race bike and i felt that having bikes that were basically the same was a big plus (Epic and Era do not have interchangeable rear wheels).

i am super stoked to have the new bikes. they are truly amazing. especially Allison's with the carbon roval wheels (tips the scales at 20.5 lbs with "real" tires).

i hope your wife enjoys whichever FSR bike she gets! i know Allison is a HUGE FSR fan as well (she has ridden/raced on Epics, Stumpy, Enduro, and Demo!!!)

 

[gigabyte772]

Thanks for the response. Yes I am the same as you a overly proud husband of my wife(My wife is a world class Table Tennis player from Poland and stopped that about 4 years ago and have been doing Xterra races and mountain biking since) as well and your comments are greatly appreciated. My wife emailed Allison personnely about some questions she had if you can have her take a look. Thanks...

 

[larlev]

Tell me again why she doesn't just race the safire? Setup right...there is barely a diff between it and and era. Why spend the extra cash? Just setup the bike firm or plush depending on her style of riding that day.

 

[gigabyte772]

27 lbs vs 22 lbs and she is 110 so it made a difference when she demo'd it. Also the Safire is more upright and she wants more of an aggressive position when racing...