There's already been countless words written about converting bikes to run a single chain ring drivetrain, something that would be the most effective solution to your problem, so let's assume that you don't want to spend any money and that you want to continue using your 3 x 9 drivetrain. That leaves you two things to do: first, you need to make sure that your chain isn't too long. Second, you might need to reconsider your gearing choice while you're riding. Running your chain in the big 'ring and the large cog isn't recommended (it's called being "cross-geared''), but it's something that is easily done by accident. That means that your chain has to be just long enough to go big and big when the bike's rear suspension is goes through all of its travel, which is when there will be the most chain growth on most bikes. To test this, shift up to the big chain ring and then slowly shift up to the large cog. All good? Now use a shock pump to figure out how much air is in your shock before you let it all out - this will save you loads of time when you set it up again. Once the air is out of the shock, push on the seat until the rear suspension is completely bottomed. The chain should still have just a touch of slack in it when the bike is bottomed, and you should be able to still push up on the rear derailleur cage. If the chain is as tight as piano wire, it's too short. If there's a bunch of slack, it's too long and needs to be shortened a bit. The shorter the chain, the less slack there will be in it and the less chance it will have to come off, but if it's too short you risk ripping off your derailleur and hanger when the bike bottoms out. You can also limit the chance of your chain coming off by keeping it in either a larger cog or a larger chain ring. For example, if the chain was on the small chain ring and a smaller cog there will be a ton of slack in it that will allow it to bounce off. Alternately, you could be in a similar gear but greatly increase chain tension by keeping it in the middle chain ring and a larger cog. The higher chain tension will go a long ways to keeping it from bouncing off when the trail gets rough. - Mike Levy |
As a rider who has extensive time on all three of your options, I question why you are interested in abandoning your Enduro 29er, as it is one of the best performing bikes, up or down, in the all-mountain category. That said, the Specialized Enduro 650b is going to handle so much like your 29er that it may not feel like owning a new bike. The Enduro 650b sets up for turns more quickly, so it can beat the 29er in a section where there are quick transitions from corner to corner and it climbs almost as well. The 650b, however, will push the front end more easily than the 29er does on the same tires. I am small framed, so at five foot, seven inches, the 650b Enduro feels more manageable when pressed hard on the downs. Although I am marginally faster on the 29er over an entire trail segment, I enjoy riding the Enduro 650b more. The Pivot Mach 6 feels like a completely different bike. It climbs and pedals slightly better than both Specialized models and it holds a tighter line in the corners, which means that it carries more speed at the expense of a edgier feeling bike. Pointed down a technical trail, all three of your choices are in the same league. If you have a reasonably good skillset, they can handle just about anything you'd do on a big bike - just slower and with more care at the helm. There are super slack enduro bikes available that will give you more confidence descending steeps, but none have the versatility of the Enduros or the Mach 6. I'd say, if you are looking for a different brand of awesome, get the Pivot. if you like your Enduro 29er, I'd keep it and spend the money on a two-week mountain bike adventure. - RC |
Switchbacks is a great place to holiday - the Alpujarra region in the Sierra Nevada offers unique riding from super smooth ribbons of flowing singletrack like 'Silk Panties,' in to fast gulleys like the 'Cresta Run,' then finishing down trails like 'Punctured Lung' which are centuries old, sharp cobbled paths that traverse cliffs. Expect a mixture of shuttles and pedalling to get to the top in order to tackle around 13000 metres of descending singletrack in one week. A day's riding is usually followed by tapas and cervejas in 'Le Culpable' bar in Bubion which is an ancient Moorish village clinging to the rocky mountainside. A word of warning though, when proprietor Mike has conquered the first few beers, the tales begin to be told, just wait for the well-rehearsed "when I raced the Mammoth Kamikaze and wiped out most of the crowd," rendition. The enduro holidays in Bubion only operate from May to September, but Switchbacks operate shuttle assisted downhill holidays near to Malaga for the rest of the year. Travel to Bubion from the UK is fairly simple with cheap flights to Malaga from most airports, followed by a transfer of around two hours up to singletrack bliss. - Paul Aston |
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Solid advice and this needs to be considered more often as there is no point in spending that much money for barely noticeable changes. You won't care about the bike in a few years from now but you'll cherish those memories forever.
Go all the way and get a 26" Enduro (they are fairly cheap now) and keep your E29.
Best advice ever,
I thing my ridiing style favours the 29er but i do enjoy getting my bike in the air.
I am also a big fat knacker at 115kg and tend to buckle my 29er wheels so where does that leave me?
Help anyone?.
As for rims. I was going through aluminum rims at an expensive rate. I went carbon ( Roval) and haven't looked back save a few busted spokes here and there.
Plan A: You get so fast/good on your current bike that rich people sponsor you to ride in races and events.
Plan B: Ride your bike down a Dam Spillway and win 20k!
I'm not one to get super specific with HA/geo comparisons, but it was a consistent takeaway from all of my buddies, some racers some weekend warriors.
I found the M6 has a fairly crowded cockpit as well...
End of the day, you HAVE to ride both otherwise your decision will be a roll of the dice. Had I not demo'd half a dozen bikes i never would have appreciated how well the nomad fits ME. Certainly doesnt mean it will be the right choice for everyoine.
650b/29er especially important as for most of us it is our first purchase in that wheel size. Definitely feels different!
I didnt like the yeti, pivot, or the specialized bikes i rode for varying reasons. When i drop that much money on a bike i want to LOVE it. I can't emphasize enough how important demoing a bike is.
I guess it comes down to the fact that if you don't know what you're not getting, you're not missing out. I think people get overly obsessed with how a bike climbs and how fast it corners... Go towards the limits of the bike and you're going to have fun, no matter if someone else is faster than you.
I don't prefer 1x11. I'm not afraid to admit that. I do think it works well enough to provide so awesome possibilities to rear suspension designs, freeing up a lot of space in the most cramped area of a bicycle.
If it makes my bike shred harder and is only a minor inconvenience I'm ok with that. (Yes I've ridden it, my bike has an x1 level build)
But then again I'm comparing both to my Nomad
26" Nomad at that!
lp1.pinkbike.org/p4pb3350246/p4pb3350246.jpg
But the difference between 3x and 2x is huge. I tried so hard to tune my old 3x setup and generally found it to be an unreliable piece of shit. Switched that bike to 1x, but then I had to run a 32t (26er) to keep my legs from exploding on the climb at Windham XC... and then I spun out on downhills constantly. Too much of a balancing act. My 2x (with clutch) has only ever dropped a chain (to the small ring) in crashes, and it's easy enough to double check the chain before I hop back on the bike. Shifting isn't always instant, but it works reliably.
Honestly the dude from the Q&A could very easily solve this problem just by ditching the big ring on his 3x. Unless he's riding a lot of pavement I doubt he's using it anyway, and that alone will allow him to take loads of slack out of the chain. If that doesn't completely solve the problem, then a Deore clutch rear mech is only $40.
What's ACC stand for?
It weighs roughly 2 big mouthfuls of water, and it's good for the same reason a dropper is good. You can use it without getting off the bike. Can't really use the ACC method in a race, can you?
If FDs didn't work it would be a no-brainer. But if you have a perfectly functional bit of equipment that's even sort of useful, why get rid of it? Why would I choose to get off the bike to change my gearing if I didn't have to?
Half a pound vs a useful, reliable functionality. Classic first world problem.... and to be honest that's half the reason I leave the FD on there. Taking it off just to hit some number on a scale (that I'll never actually notice on a ride) would make me feel like a douche.
FWIW, ACC was using it for racing, & wasn't using a chainguide, so apparently they work well enough for her. I've run them on a few bikes without clutches & not dropped a chain myself, either.
I understand what you're saying, and NW rings are def an improvement if you're running 1x. But I'll never go 1x unless I get an actual 1x11 system.... which will be when I buy my next new bike... which will probably won't be for several years haha.
www.reddit.com/r/MTB/comments/2tso4h/how_to_evo_an_enduro_29
They are running the 650b shock yoke that is a few mm shorter, slackening out the ht angle by a degree or so and dropping the BB. From what I've read on mtbr forums, it only works on size large/xl frames, since the medium doesn't have enough clearance. I'm definitely going to try it this spring. I'm guessing the big S didn't make the 29er slacker out of the box because they wanted it to feel snappier to cater to 26" riders bias against 29ers.
Yes, the 650B yoke is an improvement down the hill, but there's no free lunch.
Talking of which, there are people on steeper bikes with less travel and outdated geometry shredding it like there's no tomorrow. Tire choice is more important.
Don't do it! This path leads to hatred of all the gimmicky new bike advancements and lots of awesome memories. Do you really wanna be that guy whose seen it all and craps on the new cool thing?
Also, as a 5 foot 7 rider I'm assuming your on a medium Enduro 29 (since they don't make a small) . Did you stay on a medium Enduro 650 or go down to small with maybe a longer stem?
Any responses on these from PB/RC?
Thanks
Doesn't this matter more than anything?
Potential negatives: the hire bikes are not in great condition (but Easyjet only charges £30 each way for your bike), the trails are demanding (sweet!), the accommodation can be basic (but who cares about that when you're just showering and sleeping there?). Mike is pretty relaxed (as well as a nice guy and fast rider) and plans can change at last minute but if your priority is great riding and good times then there is no problem.