Damn I sure do love this bike! I've been on it about 6 months now, and every time I ride it, I come away with a big smile and great sense of satisfaction. I'm pretty big into nasty, technical climbs, and this little beast has been about the perfect tool for this type of riding. It also does really well on regular old singletrack, and I've never felt uncomfortable going down hill on it, though I do take the downhills very conservatively.
My only possible complaint, and I don't think it's specific to this bike but more to 29'ers in general, is that I sometimes get unexpected pedal strikes when working my way through heavily rocky/rooty sections. (This is my first 29'er, and my old 26'er had a higher BB, so pedal strikes were almost never an issue.) I have yet to come off the bike because of it, but its the one thing I still get a bit of an unpleasant surprise over every now and then. (I'm getting better and recognizing when they're likely to come though, and am planning for it better.)
Specialized really seems to have gotten a whole lot of things right with this bike. Between the supple frame and the 2.35" Ikons I have on it, its a pretty plush ride for a hardtail, but it also has the liveliness and stiffness that make me want to be on a hardtail in the first place.
REALLY GREAT BIKE!!!
XX1 drivetrain and Fox stepcast are the latest upgrades. Weighed 22.06 lbs at the shop today.
