All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

Oh yeah, I know that routine. Like when you meet your buddy in Moab and your buddy says we're riding "Goldbar and Mag7", and what he really means is "We're riding Mag7 to get to Portal"

Mag7:



Portal:

 

If you close your eyes you can't tell the difference.

 

Portal takes some stones I hear

 

<---- me trying to dodge the BS you're throwing at me

 

I mean, how many bike trails have a MANDATORY dismount in the middle of them?

 

F that

 

To be fair, we all made it down Bennett just fine but Jeff broke his back on Black

 

The Pivot Switchblade is getting a lot of praise as well and it's right in that category. My buddy demo'd it and thought it was as nimble as his 27.5 bike.

Others have mentioned that it's the rider that makes the difference, but I'll counter by saying that moving to a long travel 29er really increased my confidence on steep and techy stuff. Also, most of the big bikes pedal so well these days that I really do think you should get the biggest bike that makes sense for your local riding.

 

ok, that's a fair point..

that being said, the true sign was when the guy that blew his tire out beside us said "uh, I remember just a few more roots on Bennett than Lower Black"

it was at that point, I knew I had been bamboozled.

 

That signs speaks to me!

 

.

 

I feel like your favorite color must be....green?

 

Definitely a characterless shade of white.

 

Agreed... I mean, i firmly believe i can ride my 130mm Camber at a bike park. Its not a question of, if a 140mm bike would make me a better rider, lol. Just trying to find the sweet spot between climbing efficiency and downhill capability. 150mm bikes would make climbing a chore. Rider plays a big part obviously (Apples and oranges riding on the same bike doesnt turn oranges into apples because of the bike) , proper equipment for your needs can also help you get the best ride you want though. Would you take a 100mm bike to a bike park? - No because the suspension and geometry dont favor that way of riding. BUT, YES, yes you can ride that bike at a bike park if you really wanted to - but 99% of the time you arent.

Bottom line is im looking to upgrade to a bike that will last me a while, and be my do-it-all bike for atleast maybe 5 years to come. I dont have the budget for multiple mountain bikes in different disciplines. 140mm seems like the sweet spot to me.

 

While i realize some other bikes i listed were 29ers. I do like the 27.5" wheels and thinking would like to stick with them. But that does make things interesting. Ive always wanted to try a 29er on a longer ride, but havent had the chance yet on trails.

 

its black.... there’s a lot of black on there

 

Random question but how tall are you? I think some of this plays into sizing a little. I'm 5'9" and I prefer 27.5 bikes but I could be almost as happy on a 29er. I get the science of 29er advantages but the feel isn't there for me. I would just pick a few bikes that are in the range of 140mm plus or minus 10mm and try them out. I can take my new Scout anywhere and it could last me the next 5 years but I like to upgrade every few years so my buy in to a new bike is less expensive.

 

Trying out a coil shock on the nomad.

 

I have a 2018 Scout and it fits this bill perfect. 130r/150f, super agile and fun on flatter trails, beefy enough to handle about anything. It's a good option for a do everything bike if you're looking 27.5. I was really stuck trying to balance our tight, twisty, rooty trails with constant elevation changes to the big ups, big downs type of riding. I prefer the latter but ride both about equally. I'm pretty happy overall. It's also a great option for the occasional bike park day at least at my park ability. It also pedals really well so other than being a 27.5 and a bit heavy, it's not a bad bike for all day epics either.

If my local trails were all the tight twisty constant elevation change type the more I'd err towards a lighter lower travel bike. If I was riding nothing but big ups and big downs the more I'd want to be on something like a Sentinel. Also if I were buying new today I'd be looking harder at some 29ers probably. Likely in a similar travel range (120-140r).

It's borderline I'd say. On the big side for a trail bike or small side for an enduro bike. Probably not a do-everything bike unless you live at the base of a mountain range. I'd love to add something like that to my quiver though.

That could possibly have been my Scout. That's where I have my tube stored. Couldn't make it work anywhere else on the medium 2018 frame. That space looked big so I removed air from the shock and tested full travel and sure enough it cleared.

I always thought the Scout/Smuggler and Patrol/Sentinel were the matches for 27.5/29 in their lineup. But their character is probably similar enough to say the Scout is a mini (in travel and wheel size) Sentinel. I'd REALLY like to throw a leg over a new Sentinel.