2020 Specialized Enduro Thoughts

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2020 Specialized Enduro Thoughts
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flag housem8d
O+
Posted: Sep 15, 2020 at 14:36 Quote
the no replacement for actual skills. ride your bike more often. hate to be the one saying this but a longer bike (wheelbase) doesn't make you a better rider. at 6'2 nobody should be riding a s5, its ridiculous!!!! I dont get his mentality of having super stable ride and being a passenger of the bike?! if anything its more dangerous. MTb is supposed to be fun, not a fashion show for marketing ppl and trends....
sell the s5 and get an s3 or s4. Im 6ft and would get an s2 or an s3, and I've demoed them. I would modify the s2 to make the reach longer if that makes sense.

at 6'2 on an s5 weighing the front wheel properly will be counter intuitive. an s4 would be good for high speed trails. s3 would work too if you have longer legs than torso and are not afraid of body english a going against these dumbing down trends. but like RMR said, there are so many details and those you learn by riding and actually making your own decisions
flag R-M-R
Posted: Sep 15, 2020 at 14:48 Quote
I'm 6' and would ride S4. I ride a different frame, but with geometry quite similar to the S4 Enduro and it's not too large for me. It takes more work to wrestle it through slow, tight, or flat terrain, but it's better everywhere else - for me, that is.

S2 is extremely small for someone 6', though if that's your preference, you should ride whatever you like.
flag housem8d
O+
Posted: Sep 15, 2020 at 14:55 Quote
Im very picky with bikes and am between an s2 and s3 in terms of ideal geo. I like to trade off stability and centered safe feeling for maneuverability and uphill agility on tight singletrack. I love the enduro but will prob end up getting something else. I just get irked when people dont do enough research and experimentation before buying something. But to each their own, its just bikes after all.
flag a-prince
Posted: Sep 15, 2020 at 14:59 Quote
I'm 6'0" and ride an S4 as well. It feels fine, but after having rode my 2017 27.5 YT Tues (Large) in the bike park, I will agree that the Spec Enduro does not corner nearly as well. It's immediately noticeable how much more nimble and easier to move around my YT even though it's a DH bike.

Comparing strava times (for what it's worth) I am a good deal slower on the DH bike than my Spec enduro, but the DH bike is more fun to ride overall.
flag R-M-R
Posted: Sep 15, 2020 at 15:28 Quote
Story time.

My first DH bike was a custom Sunday, made for Sam Hill with a long reach and 61° head-tube angle. (They used the wrong seat-tube for Sam, which is how it found its way to me.)

The bike was a floppy, sloppy mess in super tight terrain, where the 67° ( Eek ) head-tube angles on competing bikes worked better, but on steep terrain or at high speeds, it was unlike anything else at the time. The point at which it became the right tool for the job - where the geometry made sense - was pretty close to where I was ready to tap out. There was little overlap between my riding and the performance envelope of the geometry.

Extreme geometry needs an extreme riding style and extreme terrain. Not everyone has the skill, nerve, or terrain for it - and that's okay, it just means extreme geometry isn't right for everyone.

That said, even the S5 isn't as extreme as Geometron sizing, so it's not the upper limit of what's out there.
flag housem8d
O+
Posted: Sep 15, 2020 at 15:37 Quote
In steep terrain, a long reach isnt ideal. Their is a reason why pros usually have “undersized” bikes. But yes, geeking out is fun as long as it doesnt become an excuse
flag R-M-R
Posted: Sep 15, 2020 at 16:02 Quote
It's true the long reach pulls the riders centre of mass forward, but it also puts more real estate between the wheels, which offers a greater margin for error. It's a trade-off, and most riders do well with the longer reach, provided it's combined with a short stem and slack head-tube angle.

It's interesting to see the split among pro riders: some like the modern trend toward long bikes and some like a more traditional length. The shorter bikes probably offer a higher upper limit for performance due to increased agility, but it takes tremendous skill to make use of that.
flag krankin
Posted: Sep 15, 2020 at 23:27 Quote
R-M-R wrote:
UncleSpec,

That's a huge difference between those bikes. Some things you can try:

• Ride more forward. This will take a lot of upper body strength, so do lots of push-ups.
• Tire combination with a lot more traction on the front than the rear. This will encourage you to steer it hard when necessary and will allow the rear end to oversteer more readily.
• More linear rear shock set-up to increase mid-corner ride height. Remove reducers from the positive spring chamber and increase base pressure.
• Off-axis headset. Use a Superstar Slackerizer, Cane Creek Angleset, or similar to make the head-tube angle a little steeper. Start with one degree and see if that helps.

I Agree. This bike made me ride more forward as I kept losing the front end more on certain corners with my old school style of riding (it’s how I rode my old xwing) The bike definitely made me adjust my riding style. Different body positioning. Thought about clipping in. Probably wouldve help but I threw that idea out. Haha I like my flats. Also upgraded to a rear coil which was a world of difference from the air shock that came with the bike which I also struggled to dial in. It now feels more planted. Although I did the opposite as far as the head angle. I bumped up the fork to 180 which made the bike slacker, the twitchiness is now noticeable on Slow flatter sections. Still climbs well.
flag krankin
Posted: Sep 15, 2020 at 23:33 Quote
krankin wrote:
R-M-R wrote:
UncleSpec,

That's a huge difference between those bikes. Some things you can try:

• Ride more forward. This will take a lot of upper body strength, so do lots of push-ups.
• Tire combination with a lot more traction on the front than the rear. This will encourage you to steer it hard when necessary and will allow the rear end to oversteer more readily.
• More linear rear shock set-up to increase mid-corner ride height. Remove reducers from the positive spring chamber and increase base pressure.
• Off-axis headset. Use a Superstar Slackerizer, Cane Creek Angleset, or similar to make the head-tube angle a little steeper. Start with one degree and see if that helps.

I Agree. This bike made me ride more forward as I kept losing the front end more on certain corners with my old school style of riding (it’s how I rode my old xwing) The bike definitely made me adjust my riding style. Different body positioning. Thought about clipping in. Probably wouldve help but I threw that idea out. Haha I like my flats. Also upgraded to a rear coil which was a world of difference from the air shock that came with the bike which I also struggled to dial in. It now feels more planted. Although I did the opposite as far as the head angle. I bumped up the fork to 180 which made the bike slacker, the twitchiness is now noticeable on Slow flatter sections. Still climbs well.
I meant floppier instead of twitchy
flag lpeif08
Posted: Sep 16, 2020 at 0:04 Quote
dvp8 wrote:
SIzing question: I'm 6'2 and between an S4 and S5. I'm not able to demo them but I've ridden both around a parking lot. I've never had a bike as big as an S5 but it feels like I can sit very centered on it. The S4 feels super nimble like you can whip it around and dive into turns.

Anyone owners with similar sizing have any input?

I am standing at about 6’2-6’3 and picked up a s5 2021 specialized enduro expert about a month ago. The bike felt huge at first because I came from a size large 2016 enduro with 27.5 inch wheels. I started to get used to the bike after a few rides and I’m pumped I went with an s5 instead of an s4. The seat angle is steep enough to where you are still in a comfortable climbing position even with the long reach. I have hit large jump lines at bike parks and have gone bigger than I have ever before while still being able to throw some style into it. Cornering i found that I just have to muscle the bike around more than my old bike, but that was just another adjustment that I ended up getting used to. You have to remember that specialized designed this bike to be big. At 6’2 a s2 and s3 would definantly be too small and I personally think the s4 is small too unless you would rather be able to throw the bike around a ton and take the hit in the techy sections. I ended up switching the stock stem for a 33mm renthal apex stem and I feel like the bike is a lot easier to throw around.

Hope this helped!
flag Fastbiker1998
Posted: Sep 16, 2020 at 2:43 Quote
dvp8 wrote:
SIzing question: I'm 6'2 and between an S4 and S5. I'm not able to demo them but I've ridden both around a parking lot. I've never had a bike as big as an S5 but it feels like I can sit very centered on it. The S4 feels super nimble like you can whip it around and dive into turns.

Anyone owners with similar sizing have any input?

I'm the same height as you and own a S4, and would not recommend the S5 unless you only ride bike park and trails with only straight high speed sections. I've never tried the S5, but the S4 have never felt too short and I never find myself wanting a longer bike.
flag dvp8
O+
Posted: Sep 16, 2020 at 9:40 Quote
Thanks for all the feedback. Seems it's partly a discussion on changing riding style to be more centered on a bike rather than off the back. Not really sure what is better.
flag cjarrett
Posted: Sep 16, 2020 at 10:33 Quote
100%.

To jump on the train, I'm 6'3" but with long limbs, the S5 is the first bike that felt big enough for me. I swapped the dropper for a 210mm OneUp and its perfect now, I have it cinched about 3" out of the seat tube on the S5.

I absolutely needed to change up my riding style as well, was washing out the front-end in the first couple of days, got the suspension better dialed in, put an Assegai on the front, run around 22psi, and I don't need to lean nearly as far back as I used to on my 650b bike or 26"ers before that. The sweet spot front to rear is much longer so I can ride way rowdier terrain without ever feeling like I'm going otb.

I'd definitely err on the bigger side of bikes for where I ride, North Shore, Squamish, Whistler, and have never felt I can't throw it around or manhandle it if needd.

dvp8 wrote:
Thanks for all the feedback. Seems it's partly a discussion on changing riding style to be more centered on a bike rather than off the back. Not really sure what is better.
flag housem8d
O+
Posted: Sep 16, 2020 at 12:26 Quote
lol its funny how the grim donut video came out, pretty much a reiteration of this discussion of some sorts. I guess i just like those oh shit moments with tiny bikes, it's easier to feel on edge.
flag PabloMoll
Posted: Sep 16, 2020 at 18:57 Quote
Hey guys...I just got an Enduro Elite 2020. I haven't removed the lowers yet...does any of you know if it comes with the new new debon air...I wouldn't think so since the fork looses some mm on itself...

 


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