ericoras

Can't say anything good about this new downgraded bike, must diss. Non-standard rear hub, long as hell and internal brake hose routing!!! Good bye dood design. What about external brake hose and easy maintenance that they said before this downgrade?!

@yeti85: If they don't have spare brakes, they must have spare bike :D And.... "...stanchion is actually much better protected than normal bikes..." I can't see any explanation how this new linkage design could be cleaner -or even as clean as- place than the old one. What closer the ground, more dirt is flying on the air. And rear tire is throwing all dirt onto that area. That piece of plastic protects only from directly flying rocks. The pictures here in this review shows how dirty place that is. My rear shocks have never* been that dirty (both are under top tube). * Except when also rider was all over covered by mud.

@yeti85: "..doesn't wrench much.." No need to wrench much. For example such simple fix like quickly swapping spare brake on the bike when main brakes won't work 100%

@commentsectiontroll: "...trail bike and my DH bike back to back on an uplift..." Sounds like enduro - DH. Trail riding is having good time and challenges while riding up and down, not uplifting/shuttling up and riding down

Trail bikes transforms to enduro bikes, and enduro bikes transforms to DH-bikes. Nowadays everything is about enduro or downhill. Sounds like there is no any other biking sub-sport anymore. Nowadays all bikes are going to be designed for gravity riding because it's so fashionable. These bikes works on man-made trails going down, but trail bike should work also on climbs and tight slow turns and natural trails as well as it goes down. Very long bike is stable when going fast descending on bikepark, but that bike is awful on normal riding (non-bikepark). And that rear shock is at terrible place. All dirt will fly on it and stanchion will be done in a one summer. ...Santa Cruz will replace them as warranty every time?! Internal brake hose routing... Nightmare for maintenance :( Seems like the most people is seeking for more difficulties and work. External brake hose doesn't look bad, but it works ...and bikes are made for using them, not for fashion shows.