What if I told you there was a tire and rim combination that could, at least theoretically, offer greatly increased traction and forgiveness at the cost of a relatively minor weight penalty? That's exactly what 27.5+ bikes have set out to accomplish, and there's no better way to see if the concept holds water than to spend a load of time on an example from a major player. In this case, it's Specialized's 135mm travel Stumpjumper FSR Expert Carbon 6Fattie.
The $6,500 USD 6Fattie rolls out of the warehouse on three-inch wide tires that can be run well under 20 psi in most settings, and Specialized has spec'd both a 150mm travel fork and a minimalist chain guide, a move that shows they expect the 6Fattie to be ridden hard. This is nothing like a novel yet ultimately awkward fat bike, but the question that needs to be answered, at least in my mind, is if the 6Fattie performs close enough to a normal bike to be considered anything more than just the latest wheel-size related gimmick.Expert 6Fattie SE Details• Intended use: trail / all-mountain
• Rear wheel travel: 135mm
• Wheel size: 27.5+
• Carbon fiber front triangle, alloy rear
• SWAT storage in down tube
• Fox 34 Plus Performance fork, 150mm
• Fox Float Factory DPS shock w/ Autosag
• 67 degree head angle
• Weight: 29lb 12oz (large, w/o pedals)
• MSRP: $6,500 USD
•
www.specialized.com /
@Specialized Frame DetailsThe Same Frame: While the 6Fattie may look like something out of a comic book, it actually shares a lot of its DNA with an already existing bike: the carbon fiber front triangle is the exact same as what Specialized uses for their Stumpjumper FSR 29 model. This makes a lot of sense when you consider that the outer diameter of the 6Fattie's three-inch wide tires is just a whisker smaller than that of a standard 29er with normal tires. It also gives the bike a similar head angle of 67 degrees, just a half of a degree slacker than the 29er due to the longer travel (and axle-to-crown length) of the 150mm Boost fork compared to the standard 140mm 29er fork.
Mega Tire Clearance: The 6Fattie's carbon front triangle mirrors that of the one used for the Stumpy FSR 29er frame, including the internal cable routing via channels that have been molded into the inside walls of the frame, giving it extraordinarily clean lines. The same svelte looking seat and top tube junction is also present, as are the bridge-less seat stays that create more clearance - Specialized says that their new, stouter '6-Pack Linkage' provides the required rigidity now that the left and right side seat stays are no longer a single unit. The 6Fattie's widely spaced seat and chain stays are necessary in order to accommodate the bike's three-inch wide tires, but that width may cause them to rub on some riders' heels or calves.
Specialized actually designed the 6Fattie to be able to fit three-and-a-half-inch wide tires, but have admitted that they'll likely be re-working the bike's stays now that the plus-size world seems to be leveling off at around three-inch tires as a maximum.
The 6Fattie's rear end uses the much-maligned Boost 12 x 148mm hub width, but, unlike with so many normal bikes that are Boost-ed, this is a near requirement to make room for the massive tires without compromising the bike's geometry. There's also no place to mount a front derailleur for the same reason, with the 6Fattie being designed to be run solely with a single-ring drivetrain. It does come with a 28 tooth, direct-mount chain ring, though, so anyone who can't pedal the bike up a steep hill would likely be walking, front derailleur or not.
SWAT Hole: Underneath the water bottle mount is a port that can be easily opened by flipping a latch, giving the rider access to nearly the entire length of the down tube to use as storage. To keep items from rattling around against the frame, Specialized
includes fabric wraps that are designed to hold a tube and a pump, and there's also a plastic plug in place a few inches down from the lower portion of the SWAT door opening that prevent items from dropping out of reach towards the bottom bracket shell. You don't need to use the wraps - I just stuffed a tube and some supplies in there without any issue - and Specialized says that the SWAT compartment adds about 200 grams over if it wasn't included.
The 6Fattie's Suspension ExplainedBeing a Specialized, the 6Fattie was always going to feature an FSR Horst Link suspension layout for its 135mm of rear wheel travel, and the bike employs the company's latest '6-Pack Linkage' that is more compact and said to be torsionally stiffer that previous iterations. The shock, which is a custom tuned Fox Float Factory DPS unit, is bolted to the clevis link with a proprietary, rearward-facing attachment, meaning that not just any aftermarket shock can be mounted up. Specialized says that the shock's custom 'Rx Trail Tune' features different compression ratios than an off the shelf damper would, while its Autosag function should make setup, or at least getting the spring rate in the right ballpark, a breeze.
The tiny Fox Float Factory DPS offers big performance.
Specifications
Specifications
|
Release Date
|
2016 |
|
Price
|
$6500 |
|
Travel |
135 |
|
Rear Shock |
FOX FLOAT Factory DPS, AUTOSAG, Rx Trail Tune, Kashima coating, 197x47.6mm |
|
Fork |
FOX 34 Plus Performance Elite, 150mm travel, 3-position compression adjust, tapered steerer, 51mm offset, 15mm thru-axle |
|
Headset |
Hella Flush, 1-1/8" and 1-1/2" threadless |
|
Cassette |
SRAM XG-1180, 11-speed, 10-42T |
|
Crankarms |
Custom SRAM S-2200, carbon, PF30 spindle, 28T, direct mount |
|
Bottom Bracket |
SRAM, PF30, OS press-in bearings |
|
Rear Derailleur |
SRAM X01, 11-speed |
|
Chain |
SRAM PC-X1, 11-speed |
|
Shifter Pods |
SRAM X1, 11-speed, trigger |
|
Handlebar |
Specialized, 7050 alloy, 8-backsweep, 6-upsweep, 10mm rise, 750mm, 31.8mm |
|
Stem |
Specialized XC, 3D forged alloy, 4-bolt, 6-degree rise |
|
Grips |
Specialized Sip Grip, light lock-on, half-waffle |
|
Brakes |
Shimano Deore XT |
|
Hubs |
Roval Traverse |
|
Spokes |
DT Swiss Revolution |
|
Rim |
Roval Traverse 650b, alloy, disc, 29mm wide, 24/28h |
|
Tires |
Specialized 6Fattie Purgatory Control, 60TPI, 2Bliss Ready, folding bead, 650bx3.0", Specialized 6Fattie Ground Control, 60TPI, 2Bliss Ready, folding bead, 650bx3.0" |
|
Seat |
Body Geometry Henge Comp, hollow Cr-Mo rails, 143mm |
|
Seatpost |
Command Post IRcc, remote adjust SRL lever, 30.9mm |
|
| |
ClimbingThere's nothing like a steep pitch of uphill singletrack crisscrossed with so many shiny roots that you wonder if there ever was any dirt covering them to begin with. Or maybe the trees have spread their tentacles out above the ground specifically to make you feel like you don't know how to mountain bike. And then it rains, and you're sure that's the case. This is the sort of damp, dark setting where the 6Fattie, with its three-inch-wide tires aired up (or is it down?) to just 14 or 15 psi, can make a committed rider feel like a legend.
The bike's high-volume 27.5" rubber give the wheel an outer diameter close to that of a regular 29er, so it's not much of a surprise that the bike excels on technical ascents. However, a normal 29er can only dream of the sort of bite that the three-inch-wide tires supply. This puts the onus on handling skill and commitment rather than traction when you're on the 6Fattie. I'm positive that I didn't spin-out in places where I would have on a "normal" bike, and because of that, I cleaned pitches that I doubt I would have otherwise, especially on the first try. And while the traction is well beyond what a ''regular'' rim and tire combo can offer, there isn't that hefty, burdensome character of a real fat bike, with the 6Fattie offering a much more normal trail experience than what most plus-bike virgins would probably expect.
| The 6Fattie is like one of those irritatingly common Instagram users who's always posting corny inspirational quotes; the bike takes away any excuses you might have had for dabbing on a tricky climb, and it will propel you to new heights thanks to all the traction. All it needs is the photo of a sunset behind it. |
With all that said, I did find myself wishing for slightly sharper handling - which contradicts what I say later on in the review - probably because there's enough traction that I got places where the 67-degree head angle didn't gel. I could say the same thing about the bottom bracket height: I found myself tagging my pedals on the ground more often than I normally would, but only because I was trying to turn over the cranks in places where I would likely have been walking if I was aboard a regular bike.
But what about those droning, smooth gravel road climbs that so often lead to the reason we all ride? Surely the massive tires and low air pressure had the 6Fattie feeling like an uninspiring beast of burden, right? Far from it, actually. I spent a lot of time huffing the 29.75 lb Specialized up old logging roads, often with riding buddies on lighter weight bikes with less clown-like tires, but I had no trouble keeping up. More importantly, I didn't feel like I was working any harder than usual. I guess the proper thing to do would have been to wire up a power meter to measure my output (I've heard that these big tires cost a rider around five watts) and compare it to my speed, elapsed climbing time, and power to when I was on a standard bike, all of which sounds like a lot of work. Instead, I just rode the bike a shit ton, which is my preferred method of testing, and never felt like I was slow on it.
What I did feel, though, was a short delay in accelerating from slow speeds, much like you might notice on a mid-priced 29er with heavy-ish wheels. I don't care how many squats and lunges you plan on doing, the 6Fattie won't jump forward as briskly as a $6,500 bike of the same travel but with lighter and much skinnier tires, that much is obvious. I've seen and heard of strong riders posting new PRs up climbs or netting their best results in a cross-country races aboard plus bikes, but I can tell you that the 6Fattie isn't going to be my first (or second, or third, etc...) choice if I'm going to be racing. Get the bike moving, however, and it seems to roll just as quickly as a rig with skinnier tires, not that that is going to matter for those who can't get past the sight of that immense rubber under them.
Descending and HandlingIn my mind, plus bikes and broccoli share a single commonality: a lot of people seem to be hesitant about both, even if it is justified. And I bet that I'm in the minority when I say that I'm a fan of both the tree-like vegetable and trail bikes with three-inch-wide tires. They're both best enjoyed in a certain way, however; the broccoli with a ton of delicious cheese sauce, and the 6Fattie on some saucy terrain that's worthy of its massive rubber. Take away the sauce, though, and they can both get a bit bland.
While the 6Fattie can feel very much like a normal mountain bike in most settings, and it rolls quicker than you might expect it to, it's also not going to inspire any wild antics on smooth ground. I ran anywhere from 14 to 19 psi, a pressure range that turned out to match test riders' feedback at Specialized, and you're much better off at the high-end of that scale if you frequent trails that take more inspiration from IMBA than they do from a boulder field. The 6Fattie doesn't exactly feel slow on the former, but it does feel, ahem, plus-sized. Or maybe uninspired is a better way to put it, especially compared to a similarly priced bike in the same travel bracket.
Fast, high-G corners on such terrain are where, having read some other writers' thoughts on 27.5+ bikes, I expected the 6Fattie's tires to fold over and send me into a vicious high-side that would leave me searching for my shoes and wondering what day it was. That never happened, but things can feel a touch vague if you're running 14 psi and slamming into berms like you have nothing to lose. Do the same thing on your current bike with under-inflated tires and see what happens, though. But, with the tires just 2 psi higher, I felt like I could get away with everything from cashing checks that my skills can't cover, to not paying my taxes for a decade, such is the amount of forgiveness that's built into the bike.
| The incredibly planted feel will allow you to go quicker, and the high-volume tires make the bike ride like it has much more travel than it actually does. The result is that the bike's 67-degree head angle feels a touch steeper than it actually is. Yes, I just said that a 135mm travel bike with a 67-degree head angle can feel twitchy, which is a bit ridiculous and should be taken more as a compliment to the bike than an insult. |
It took a few rides, but I swear that the 6Fattie increased the size of my love spuds exponentially, especially when faced with a hairy section of trail and something as trivial as having to choose the proper line. But you can choose a line, almost any line, actually, and take it without the bike scaring you while you're on top of a mess of wet roots. This exact scenario played out in front of me a handful of times: I'd ride a section of roots that might as well have been covered in hot bacon grease aboard the 6Fattie, and then I'd hold my breath as my buddy followed, with his normal bike looking like it was having a bad Molly trip at a rave.
I could go faster over rough and technical ground on the 6Fattie than when on a more traditional bike of similar travel, which means that traditional geometry numbers might need a re-think in the future. Specialized's Sean Estes agreed, saying, ''We are still learning exactly what the perfect geo and overall setup is for 6fattie, so far we are very pleased with our current setups, but we are always looking into how to make it even better.'' Having so much traction when climbing that the bike feels a bit too slack, but being able to go quick enough (and brake even later) on the descents that it also feels a touch twitchy, is a good problem to have.
SuspensionMuch like getting on a longer travel, slacker bike, the traction and confidence that the 6Fattie's tires deliver to the rider might have you pushing yourself a bit harder than you usually would with 135mm under you. And when that happens, you might discover that the bike's somewhat linear feeling suspension needs a simple mod to keep up with your growing courage. Using the Autosag function on the Fox Float shock, which is a good place to start, had me running out of travel on mere three-foot drops. Because it is so forgiving over roots, rocks, and rough trail, it's easy to forget that the 6Fattie is really a 135mm trail bike. Also, Autosag is by no means the be all and end all of suspension setup, as anyone who likes to get a bit wild on the 6Fattie is going to want to run more air than what Autosag tells you. I ended up pumping an extra 10 psi into the shock, and then added a single, large-sized volume spacer a few rides later, a job that takes all of five minutes. I also dropped a few volume spacers into the Fox 34 fork while I was at it.
The result was a still immensely forgiving package but also one with the perfect spring rate for me and where I ride, with the tires eliminating much of the nasty chatter and the suspension looking after anything that gets past them. Damping was spot-on after I slowed it down a few clicks from where I'd usually run a mid-travel bike, probably because the high volume of the tires was tricking me into thinking the suspension was rebounding quicker than it actually was. Either way, the relatively slow rebounding, more progressive suspension that I ended up with, when combined with the huge tires, makes other bikes in the same travel bracket feel like they're from the late 1990s.
Technical Report• Dropper Post: The bike's 125mm Command Post IRCC is Specialized's latest take on getting the seat out of the way, and much like the older Command Posts, it's
a consistent and trouble-free performer. The new micro-indexing lets you fine tune seat height ever so slightly (although I wish that were all at the very top of the stroke), and the SRL remote's thumb paddle (otherwise known as the fun-button), which is shaped very much like a SRAM shifter's thumb paddle, is also spot-on.
• Brake Noise: You know when you go hunting, and you shoot a moose but just end up mortally wounding it rather than causing instant death, and then the animal releases a baying sound that comes from deep inside just before it expires? I don't either, but I think that's kinda how the 6Fattie's Shimano XT rear brake sounded thanks to a sticky piston that was slow to retract after I released the lever. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it was definitely annoying to hear that strange warble even after letting go of the brake lever.
• Burrito Pocket: The carbon 6Fattie frames (but not the alloy version) feature Specialized's SWAT Door system that lets you store a bunch of stuff in the down tube, and the bike comes with some nifty pouches that that keeps things from rattling around in there. You can fit a tube, pump, large-sized bag of Fuzzy Peaches, and a bunch of other things in there, which I have to admit to finding pretty handy. While some manufacturers design bikes that can't even fit a bottle inside the front triangle or, worse yet, make bikes that have exactly zero water bottle bosses, Specialized came up with a frame that lets you hide a bag of candy or a burrito.
• Rubbed Me Wrong: My calves constantly rubbed the 6Fattie's seat stays, enough so that I found it pretty annoying on long rides. The bike was designed to fit even wider tires than the three-inch monsters that it comes with, although it sounds like Specialized plans on shrinking down the stays to improve foot and leg clearance in the future.
• Tire Talk: The bike's three-inch Purgatory Control and Ground Control tires are interesting in that they don't roll nearly as slow as you'd expect them to. In fact, in a lot of trail conditions they seemed to roll similar to an aggressive tire like a big Hans Dampf or Muddy Mary that's run at low pressure. Traction was immense, as you'd expect, but their Kryptonite is definitely mud - they want to skate over the top of slime rather than cut through it - which made for some interesting moments while testing the bike through November and December here in British Columbia. A proper, digital pressure gauge is also nearly mandatory when it comes to plus bikes, as a difference of just one or two psi has a massive effect on how the tire performs: at 14 psi I was getting too much casing roll in hard corners, but this feeling went away at 16 psi. Good luck nailing that sort of accuracy with the analog gauge found on most floor pumps.
• Insurance Included: Specialized decided to spec the 6Fattie with a pint-sized chain guide that bolts onto the bike using the upper two ISCG 05 chain guide mounts. Clutch derailleurs and narrow-wide chain rings will make this a bit redundant for some riders (depending on terrain, skill level, and bike setup) but it's cool to see Specialized go with this little extra insurance add-on despite the fact that it's likely that no one would have thought any less of them for not spec'ing a guide from the factory. What other 135mm travel bikes come stock with a chain guide? No dropped chains and no annoying chain rub.
Pinkbike's Take: | If you think that plus bikes, and especially the 6Fattie, are going to ride awkwardly, you're wrong. The Specialized feels very much like a normal 29er on the trail, with the exception being that it allows the average rider to go faster on most downhills and clean tricky climbs more easily. Its 135mm of travel doesn't convey how it performs, however, making it a hard bike to try and label. Then again, that very description, that it doesn't suit any exact definition, makes it clear that the 6Fattie is best suited to a rider who falls into the same sort of non-classification. - Mike Levy |
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About the ReviewerStats: Age: 34 • Height: 5'10” • Inseam: 33" • Weight: 165lb • Industry affiliations / sponsors: None Mike Levy spent most of the 90s and early 2000s racing downhill bikes and building ill-considered jumps in the woods of British Columbia before realizing that bikes could also be pedaled for hours on end to get to some pretty cool places. These days he spends most of his time doing exactly that, preferring to ride test bikes way out in the local hills rather than any bike park. Over ten years as a professional mechanic before making the move to Pinkbike means that his enthusiasm for two wheels extends beyond simply riding on them, and his appreciation for all things technical is an attribute that meshes nicely with his role of Technical Editor at Pinkbike.
Oh and 26x2.4 High Roller 2's, 26x2.35 Minions and 26x2.5 K-Rad's.
(Pretty sure I'll be getting a 27.5 next though)
Wait...What?!
Sounds like a Painfully, good time.
"I can tell you that the 6Fattie isn't going to be my first (or second, or third, etc...) choice if I'm going to be racing."
Wait, so your telling us to ride slower bikes in races?
I'll just keep rocking my hard tail in the winter, with most voluminous 26" tires I can find.
@ak-77 I've seen the same comment made on the Specialized tyres made elsewhere put down both to their low profile tread and rounded shape (no square edge to dig in).
So my question is, why was no one ever advocating running something like 2.5" Muddy Mary's with low pressure regular trail bikes? Wouldnt this achieve much of the same benefits of plus+ sized bike without having to buy a bike?
Also you comments about the gravel road climbs show the inherent limitations of non scientific bikes reviews. You said you didnt feel like you were working any harder than your buddy's on lighter skinnier tires. But wouldn't physics say that's impossible. A fatter tire with lower pressure would have to have more rolling resistance than its lighter thinner counterpart would it not?
@bishopsmike I'm glad Levy had a great time on the bike. I hope everyone who owns one of these loves it. Riding is about having fun. But even if you don't want to bother with it, science is a huge part of bike design and performance and really shouldn't be ignored by anyone who really wants to understand what they are buying and riding. Which is why I ask the questions that I do.
They are really not much wider if at all :-(
I picked up some 2.5WT DHF's. One in exo, and the other with the DD casing, both 3C Max Grip. They are not as wide as expected, but they both eat rocks alive. The WT I think is more just around optimizing the casing and tread cap for wider rims, so they dont get completely squared off, which seems to be true. Have them on some i29's and they hold their shape well. I will tell you though, that the DD casing is not very "pedaling" friendly. Not sure if its the compound, the weight, and the casing, or the combination of the three, but it is a very slow tire to pedal. I've been using the regular single ply exo 2.5 DHF's for a long time, but the DD casing is something else. Its very thick (Two full 120tpi casings) and I could not get over the amount of resistance it added. Basically turns it into a DH tire for your trail bike, rather than a full DH tire for your DH bike. The dual 120tpi nylon casing keep it more supple and lighter than their full DH casing. Will be great for very rocky DH type courses and DH parks on the trail bike, or maybe the chunkiest of enduro races, but it was painful to climb with in my local terrain.
Seem like a good idea if you're only going to have 1 bike to do everything...but who's going to have just one bike LOL!?!?
Why do you think Spesh specc'd their regular 29mm fattie rims on this bike rather than the 38mm Roval rims in the Fuse Pro or the 45mm Wtb scrapers on the Fuse comp? Putting the bikes side by side really puts into perspective how much narrower the 29mm rims make the tires.
From what I can tell, these are the narrowest rims of any of the current 27.5+ bikes... while yes it may be great, what is the point if they went to boost anyway?
At the local destination trail I rode this bike and the rhyme and they both were faster around a 6km test loop than the enduro 650, stumpy 650 and the epic 29 WC. The grip is off the chart and just makes you push more and more into corners until the you lose it and even then it recovers in a miraculous way.
That's definitely what it sounded like you were saying.
If you are not running a good tubeless ready rim and tire, or even if its just a crappy tire, then burping and even completely unseating your tire can absolutely be a problem. The rim-tire relationship is very important with tubeless, and some rims will not setup properly with some tires. Also, some tubeless tires are much more delicate than others, in the same way that some non-tubeless tires are more delicate than others.
One thing I am certain about though, is that in the last four years of my experience, those riding tubeless have produced way less flats than those riding with tubes. This is Especially true when you consider that if you manage to get a flat that you cant fix while running tubeless, and you have to put a tube in, you have to ride much more delicately, and over-inflate your tire in order to not immediately pinch and flat again. And you still might flat from some tiny pricker or thorn. In the last four years of group rides, if someone is running tubes, they flat pretty much Every ride almost without exception.
Some folks are also just very adverse to running tubeless. I have a friend that insists he is not "convinced" on tubeless, and continues to run tubes. He got a tubeless ready wheelset, and some Schwalbes, got one flat through his paper thin xc schwalbes and said "See, Tubeless doesnt work! I had to put a tube in after I flatted!!". To which I replied, "Buddy, how many flats have you gotten running tubes?" Buddy: "A lot... Actually I've been running tubes in those tires and have gotten two more flats since the other day" Many of us explained the tires he was running are very delicate and prone to damage, and suggested he got some better tubeless tires and try again. So he did. And guess what... No more regularly occurring flats. And guess what... He's still not convinced! Hahaha! C'est La Vie
They kinda put a lot of strain on the LBS though- way too much crap to stock.
I agree that it rides uphill like a mid-priced 29er trail bike (ie: pretty good). I would add that because of the traction I could stand up on steep loose sections easier.
Compared to my enduro bike, I would comment:
Uphill: Felt about 5% slower (and true according to my timed climbs), but absolutely fine. Do not pass on this bike because you think it will climb unacceptably slow.
Down-tech: Liked to hold its line so it was not as easy to get out of a bad line choice. This is also a plus sometimes.
Down-smooth: Awesome! grip (once you get used to it). Acceleration not as good.
Overall this bike was not faster, but I had fun on it. I couldn't justify a second enduro bike, but a hardtail? yes please I'd like to try that.
Have you got that testing underway yet Mr Levy?
I would like to throw some hate at the big S for the current Enduro issue where too many riders are blowing up rear shocks and they've refused to issue a recall. Also, I hate Specialized tires and they equip their $5k bikes with crappy stems and bars.
As said, PF30 is fine if the tolerances of the BB are accurate enough. Same goes for headsets.
The reason Specialized uses direct mount shocks is they are shorter in length meaning you can fit a water bottle in smaller frames, they offer a stiffer interface with the link and they don't require a DU which means they have less friction and don't wear out. I'd take those benefits over shock availability all day long. Especially when the best shocks are available in direct mount.
I'm also lucky that I come from an XC/road background so I learned to pedal with the more efficient low torque/high RPM which actuates suspension far less. The people I see having problems with the pedalling efficiency of FS bikes pedal like they're trying to kick start a dirt bike.
Hint to specialized; a smaller tire width on the front will improve steering. Motocross has done this from the start because it works.
But overall the most fun on two wheels I have had, including motorcycles.. Which by the way run fairly wide tires on similar terrain. Best performance seems to be in the drier conditions as it has what feels like twice the grip as a 2.3 tire. Let the ego maniacs and naysayers run skinny tires.." Great for beginners" Ha! Cars and motorcycles used to do the same in the 1950's. It's about time Mtn. Bike companies figured out that tires are the limiting factor of any off-road bike. I welcome the change to bikes that actually work off-road and not the overpriced crap we have been buying for the last 30 years.
Now I use the 27.5 x 2.3 Dhr2 Exo as a rear tyre because it's the grippiest rear tyre I've tried that still rolls fast. And damn I've just got to add that it's also the most predictable drifter that I've ever used. So much fun to get loose with.
I'm doing OK with the dhr2 but I'd prefer a big ardent. In fact I think that I could ride my old 26" bike faster because of the excellent characteristics of the Ardent 2.4. I think its profile allowed me to drop into corners easily and it's epic sideknob grip made it easy to pick the bike up again after the apex.
1. They don't perform in all situations (potentially painful)
2. You'll have lots of flats (another kind of pain)
3. They only roll that nice because they are so flimsy
Give me a standard Shorty any day, and keep your XC-super-wide 3.0 Ground Control.
"What other 135mm travel bikes come stock with a chain guide?"- Mega TR for one.
single speed [check]
fixed gear [check]
brakeless [check]
24+ tyres [check]
I just refuse to get into that whole e-muni stuff (should it ever take off).
i have one thing to add, i think it will not work as great for a heavier rider. They will have to go more pressure in the tires, and going over 20 psi on the 3.0 tires from my experience, seems like it makes them react a bit weird. i would recommand for lighter rider overall.
i m 150lbs, and was running 12.5 front-13.5 psi rear, and never got a flat in a month of testing.
if i wasnt racing, it would be my first choice
BTW: I'm 6'2'' and 210lbs.
My advice? Try the rims and tires, avoid the Boost.
The specialized tire is the best one, makes a huge impact. It still have some sidewal rigidity and doesn't become a mud doughnut like the WTB's everyone is so fond of spec'ing.
You have to put time on one. I'm on a Charge with a 70° head angle and what I assume is a 90mm stem stock and anything sort of real DH trails it has been really fun. Plus when you manage to drift it, it throws shit everywhere. When you climb rocky/rooty stuff it gives you the weirdest feeling. I'm sold hook, line, and sinker on plus wheels.
For the elite rider, perhaps not. For the other 80% of us it's going to be awesome.
I think the plus wheel size is the perfect compromise and seriously will be the future of mountain biking for enduro/all mountaing and dare I say it Downhill sports. Just a guess.
I'd love to try out the Scott Genius Plus and see what the hype is all about. Maybe one day when they come demo it where I live.
Still, completely honest and so informative in every way that matters. Love it!
Plus 1 for wide rims and plus 2 for love the bike you ride
enduro-mtb.com/magazin/viewer/?issue=019
Surely skinny tyres offer less floatation, hence why they 'cut' through the mud not try and float over the mud?
time to get the 50mm wide carbon wheels and 3 inch tire
and should be great for track biking
The rubber compound, tread pattern and perhaps most substantially, the Casing makes for a very significant change in rolling speed and tire feel, all independent of width. I own and have tried back to back ~1100 gram 2.7 single ply tires, and ~1100 gram dual ply 2.5 tires, and the dual ply casing makes the tire sooooo muuuuch sloooowwwwwwer. It caught me by surprise how much slower. Like WTF is wrong with my legs and my lungs slower.
Those old 3" Gazzalodis were dual ply DH tires. These higher volume tires of today are Completely different from yesterdays. Not a new concept, but a very different intention, execution, and end result.
Perhaps the nicest thing? You probably do not need a new bike to try some of these higher volume tires. Backwards compatibility and a lot of sweet new tire options, and versatility between bikes of different rim/wheel sizes? Sounds like a win for the rider to me.
f*cking illiterate.