stillclimbing

@WasatchEnduro: Alright.. SC Tallboy.. the one I rode was newest gen in Stormbringer Purple, and I rode it at Alderfer / 3 Sisters for two days straight. On it's own, I think the Tallboy is a really good bike. Much better than the previous one, zero doubt on that. The first thing that strikes me about the Tallboy is it's VPP suspension design. It's a unique suspension platform that is probably the most velvety and active suspension that I've ridden (Tallboy/Hightower/Megatower), yet somehow still can be poppy and fun. That is a really unique trait for a bike to have, and I can see why Santa Cruz has endeared themselves to so many people. The frame itself also has this really solid and robust feel to it. Not quite to Pivot standards of robustness (no superboost rear triangle) but still very, very solid and confidence inspiring. The Tallboy steered fine, no major pros or cons there, just straight down the middle. The rear end felt fine as well, no major pros or cons there either. So with all that said, I personally didn't end up with one because I place a *really* high emphasis on pedaling efficiency, and this is an area were no VPP bike really shines. It's not a major knock against SC or these bikes, it's just a fact said in comparison to other bikes that place an emphasis on that aspect. I'm a climber, not a descender (if that helps put clarity to my comment) and its because that suspension platform is so extremely active. I'll be my own devil's advocate here and say that there's basically no better bike (SC) to use a rear lockout with. It basically means the Tallboy (and Hightower, which is very similar, just with more travel) are like transformers, especially if you have a 3 position rear shock (and don't have to go all the way locked out on a climb). So yeah, expect a SC bike to be a lot more active and plush than just about any other bike I can think of. It's not a bad thing, its just a trait unique to them, and something that SC engineers into the bike. SC bike are really comfortable too, I'l give them that for sure.. Comparing Tallboy to Spur? Hm.. both are on the active side of suspension designs, but the Tallboy is more plush and squish-happy. The Tallboy is quicker to use its travel and more comfortable doing so.The Tallboy is more "Trail" while the Spur is more "XC/Trail" if that makes sense. Also, you have to throw a lot of money at a Tallboy to get it down in weight vs Spur. Tallboy does feel more robust on the down. Spur is more flickable, and quick to dart around, changing directions and whatnot. The Tallboy is probably a *little bit* more poppy than the Spur.. Hm, what else.. I mean the biggest thing between these two is probably the pedaling efficiency of the Spur and the plushness-while-still-being-poppy nature of Tallboy's VPP design. There's no loser between these two bikes. Both are world class, they just take different directions into the scene. If you looked at each bike, then looked at where it's made, it makes a lot of sense. The environments of those two regions are reflected in their designs. Hope that helps, let me know if you have any more specific questions and I'll try to address them!

@monkeybizz: So.. I was super analytical about going with AXS. I compared bikes with XT/XTR and then others with X01/XX1/AXS. Part of me really didn't like the idea of having anything requiring a battery on a damn mountain bike. To me, there's somethign wrong about that. It's a pedal machine after all.. but.. in the end, it turned out to be a really, really good experience. To be honest, I probably won't ever go back to a cabled derailleur after experiencing the AXS one. It is *extremely* precise shifting every. single. time. you shift. I also like the shifter controller itself. You just rock your thumb a little bit and it clicks the deraileur into place lightning fast. Honestly, its amazing tech. That said, is it really worth its (expensive) price tag? ehhh.. It's definitely a luxury item, albeit a really good one at that. Oh, and I like how you can program it. I set mine to move 3 gears if I hold up or down on the controller, but otherwise it just fires off a single shift with a quick flick of your thumb. One downside I'm still getting used to is on switchbacks or really tight corners where I can accidentally cause a shift to happen because the controller sometimes comes into contact with my knee (again, on sharp turns) The AXS dropper... Mechanically (and electronically?) it's rock solid and precise. I really like the tension of the movement. There is a very solid thunk as it moves quickly to the top of its travel and hits the stop. That said, I won't be mirroring this seatpost onto the SB115. Number one reason is because it won't fit, lol... but more to the point, the AXS dropper is a lot heavier than the 2021 Fox Transfer, and the SB115 is already a little porkier than my Spur, so i'm trying to save every bit of weight I can. Do I enjoy using the AXS dropper? Yeah, I really do. I honestly can't complain about any aspect of it other than weight. There is one cool thing about it that I think is *really* nice if you travel with your bike on a plane, and that is you can just pop it out and bring it with you. No dealing with cables on a dropper. That's a really cool thing (again, if you travel with your bike on a plane). Oh. and a word about the batteries. They last longer than you think they do. People hear 23 hours of time and they think they're going to have to charge them often. No.. that's 23 hours of IN-USE time. They can stand-by basically forever. I still haven't charged them again since their initial charging, and they still show green when you hit the button to turn them on / check battery. I was impressed by that. Oh, and the battery status shows up in the AXS app, which I thought was pretty clever.

Sweet review Mike! I was curious about this one, and your thoughts were nice and detailed. Much appreciated!

@monkeybizz: haha.. right? truth be told, the Spur is closer in color (its super close!). I almost went with that new "Blanco" SB115, but decided on the classic yeti turquoise instead. that, and the blanco is out until like Oct or something?

@shralping-the-cube: Godspeed!

@nurseben: If i'm being honest, I would say the Spur doesn't feel as robust as the Trail Pistol. I never rode the other GG bikes, but i'm only guessing they are even more burly than the TP. That's not to say the Spur feels weak back there, it just doesn't feel as robust. I think you probably hit the nail on the head with the reference to PNW.. The Spur isn't limited to that region by any means, but it no doubt inspired by it if that make sense!

@opetruzel: Centennial Cone Park - Full Loop (damn your 10-15mi restriction, lol, that 17mi loop is worth it!)

@sjc115: So.. man.. I really loved the Trail 429. I mean, I really loved it. I didn't like the Mach 4 SL at all, but I *loved* the Trail 429. So to compare it to the Spur? Hm.. The first thing I would say is DW-Link. Holy shit it's really good. The Pivot takes my favorite suspension platform and combines it with a fairly relaxed geometry. If you've never ridden Pivot/Ibis (DW-Link) then just know its a *very* efficient pedaling platform that doesn't really give up much on the down to obtain that efficiency. So if I love it so much, why didn't I buy it? Heavy. The Trail429 is heavy, and while you can throw a huge amount of money at it to make it lighter, its never going to be a Spur-ish weight class bike. The other thing I had mixed feelings on was SuperBoost+. Note, that comment doesn't reflect how it rode, but of the platform design itself. I absolutely loved the way it felt, but in my eyes it is still a fairly proprietary rear end. I'm just not in love with being in a platform that has a restricted, or limited amount of replacement/alternative parts available for it. Aside from those two things? I freaking loved the Trail 429. Ok, so to compare the Pivot to the Spur. Let's start with the Pivot's Pros: DW-Link, check. More relaxed and easy-going Geo, check. More planted and stable feeling than Spur, check. More robust feeling frame (heavier layup), check. Very secure and super high amounts of grip, check. Cons: Heavy. Not nearly as poppy as Spur. Heavy. Proprietary rear end. Heavy(!) -- seriously, you really do feel the heft of the Trail 429, but the suspension design can almost fool you into thinking its a lot lighter than it really is. --- Ok, now onto the Spur. Spur is very, obviously, clearly lighter. You feel it in the ride. Its flickable, sporty, poppy and playful. It's like you took a Ripley and gave it a couple beers.. lol.. Both are absolutely fantastic, but approach the game from different angles. Both are amazing. If you've never ridden a DW-Link bike before, you owe it to yourself. If you come away from that thinking "Ok, but I don't get all the fuss" then you know where you're headed.. Oh, I know how to describe it.. The Trail 429 is like a bike that stepped up to the plate and cracked a homerun using power and force, then confidently strode around the bases back to home. The Spur showed up to the plate, hit the ball so hard it cracked the bat in two, made it to 2nd base, then stole 3rd on the next pitch with a huge grin on it's face. Yup, that about sums it up.

@shralping-the-cube: omg.. my skin crawled just reading that comment...that sounds horrific.. you definitely have more full send in you than I do! Not sure what state the recovery is in, but if it still happening then I wish you a full bill of health once the process is over.. gosh...

@fullendurbro: A month isn't long enough? I've spent the last 2 years on various bikes. With enough experience, you really don't need more than a few rides on a bike before you understand what it is. Regardless, it's listed in the Pinkbike Buy/Sell, so see for yourself.