Parameters; you have to give up (sell) all your current bikes... But by doing so, you are given a blank check for up to seven mountain bikes. (If you don't care to store seven bicycles, you can choose as few as you want.) However, you can't have any duplicate wheel sizes in your builds (frames that accept various configs are acceptable, if you want to try to loophole the system.)
From dual 26 to dual 32, and various mullets in between, what builds do you shoot for for each? (Go in depth as you please, though travel geometry and linkage are the main differentiators... As parts come and go, but frame design, frame design is forever.) Also rigid/HT designs are included, naturally. Not just FS. You can pick DJer and BMX if you please, for the smaller wheels.
Example:
26, dirt jumper 100mm Pike fork Absolut/Trickshot
26/27, slopestyle type bike, Zink Vacay single speed 140/140
27, Pivot Shadowcat Ohlins build
27/29, Crestline RS181 Ohlins build 435cs maybe dual crown?
29, scott scale gravel RC
etc etc so on so forth, im unfamiliar with 32 options (you can imagine up custom frames if you feel no industry option captures your ideal build)
27.5/29 mullet ebike. Probably something modular and lighter weight like the Vala (can build it either 150/160 or 160/170)
29 downcountry / trail bike. Something like a Tallboy or Smuggler. Something I could ride all the trails on but lots of vert pedaling on too.
Every other size combo can rot. Zero desire to ride any of them.
ya even just one bike to rule them all, a longer travel e-bike really ticks a lot of boxes. that's why I was thinking of like... a Crestline or some form of long travel avinox build. maybe Orbea Wild LT. but jeez all of them look good. Propain Ekano. Pivot AMPd. Commencal etc.
I've been wanting to build a light 29er though. My girlfriend is building out a downcountry Furtado and I'm kinda jealous. Mullet wheels, 130/140, she's gotten it sub 30 with tons of room to shave weight if desired. It was probably already close to 30, ish, being the base R version... And some carbon berd hoops knocked it down quite a bit. Wrapped in those sick Conti XC tires. like Dub rear Mag front. I forget
20: a four-peg brakeless street bmx. BSD Focus
22: a trails bmx with disc brakes. S&M Bad Dog
26: dirt jumper. S&M Big Jumper w/ Pike DJ
27.5: freeride park bike. Something custom, maybe a Tora
29: trail bike in the ~140mm range. Maybe Chromag
700c: steel drop bar gravel bike 38-40c tires
32: steel single-speed hardtail
whoa
I had to ignore the temptation to get a WeThePeople Chaos Machine / Havoc so bad.
I've had a 22 BMX before and it was a game changer as a 6 ft 200lbs adult just wanting to flow around again. Would love a trail geometry version with brakes that actually work.
I'd also like to try a trials 24 inch bike
but I don't think I'm fit enough to do proper trials right now. Basically gymnastics with a bicycle under you...
20" Intense Pro XL BMX for pump tracks
24" Superco Satellite for DJ, pump tracks
26" Intense Uzzi VP (last generation 26" version) for enduro/trail rides
700C titanium gravel bike for gravel, road, commuting (2 wheelsets)
21/18" Surron Ultra Bee
17"/17" Stark Vark Supermoto
14"/12" RTR Alpha
27.5 - "play bike" - I'd be selling my 5010v4, so while I love it, either a Shadowcat or Evil Calling, just for a change.
29/27.5 - Big travel bruiser. Probably a Nomad (due to being happy with my current SC). Zeb/38, DH tyres. Probably coil. Components selected for durability.
29 - 130-140mm ish trail bike. Last Asco if we are truly unconstrained by budget with carbon everything, trickstuff picola, flight attendant/live valve. Lightweight build that would suffice as midpack XC race fodder if required.
32 - drop bar gravel. (this is one, out of curiousity for new big wheels, and two, because I'm counting 29/700C as the same thing so I'm not going to waste my 29er slot on a gravel bike).
Interesting. Is the v4 the 130/130 model or the 130/140 one?
Any distinct reason you would swap it for a Shadowcat?
130 rear, 140 fork (I think, thats what I have but I built it up from the frame).
Its the one with the low mounted shock (like current SCs) but full 27.5 (the v5 became mullet)
No reason to change other than using this hypothetical game to try a different company's take on the same thing - they are close enough on paper that I would not, in real life, bother wasting my time and money to switch.
Ya both of those last two 5010 generations of 275 were sick. I was kinda waiting for a V3 worth buying for a while but, it never quite came.
Got tired of waiting for the perfect 5010 scout or Kona Process used so... Just put that Pivot on order. I resisted it for as long as I could. But I caved. 4k. Really interested in the sizing because it seems to be the best sizing for my specific proportions/needs/riding. That specific reach to TT ratio has become quite rare, even more so in dual 275 bikes.
I absolutely love my full 29er enduro bike, so I'd definitely want one of those. A big mullet superenduro or DH bike would be ideal for bike park trips, and I could probably use a 26 or 27.5 DJ machine. Finally, I think it would be cool to have a 32/32 hardtail/fixed fork Klunker.
I rode a dual 27.5 enduro a really long time. I replaced it with a dual 29 and liked it, but it can do mullet with no change in geo and the mullet rear wheel is better for steeps. I wouldn't change a thing until the day I finally get an e bike.
dual 29 downcountry bike for sure. my shortlist isn't really that short, I could go used tallboy 4, used or new spur, ranger v3... if it's free I'm probably going Ripley sl lol
I already am happy with my carbon tr11 and aluminum spire. So probably just stick with that until transition updates the spire.
Really interested to see where they go with the Spire given the current meta in MTB, especially long travel.
As a Spire owner I am not sure where they can go with the bike. I took mine from the factory fox 38 170 fork to a Zeb Ult 180 and didn't love how slacked out it got so I put a 1 degree angle set in to bring it back closer to stock. In hindsight I should've order a 1.5.
To answer the posts question, I would just stick with my current bikes. Dual 29 Spire for all of my trail riding and my 26in PBJ for taking my kids to the pump tracks and jump parks. I've never been one to want or own a quiver of bikes (and I know that it is weird that I am one of the few who don't subscribe to the N+1 theory). If I lived closer than a 1.5 hour drive to the bike park I would consider a DH bike or even a emtb for self shuttling.
To me it's obvious, though I'm not sure if they will do it... Given the sorta niche dedicated fan base of the Spire. But... If your goal is to ultimately sell bikes, you make it MX and pull in the head tube angle and reach (like they ended up doing with the Sentinel or whatever). Just make the Spire a longer travel Patrol. But. In the era of low SKUs... That's tough. Do you just cancel the Patrol then orrr.
There's arguably more awkward overlap with the Spur and Smuggler, aside from them making the Spur flex stay now.
But yeah I'd consolidate the sentinel patrol and spire into 2 bikes. Mid travel and long travel with MX/29er flip chip options. 150(or145)/160 and 170/170. Basically ditch the Patrol, while only stealing its wheel config option. And maybe head tube angle options, in a way.
I'm also wondering if brands are seeing long travel options die off as people buy the ebike versions of those bikes only now. Making an already slightly niche genre even more niche. I feel like their best sellers are Spur and Patrol.
Hard to say, they seem pretty set on keeping the Spire what it is. And as a 6ft 7 rider on an XXL the MX wheels don't even hit on my radar and I forget a lot of people want to run MX. They could consolidate bikes for sure, but I doubt it will happen because like you said to run the Spire MX it needs a steeper headtube and that will take away from the spire being the spire IMO. The Spur and Smuggler have a little overlap but the smuggler seems to be a bit more relaxed compared to the spur. I bought my wife a smuggler as she is very much a beginner and found it vastly more comfortable and stable for her skill level.
Well they finally popped their "make the geo chip a mullet chip" cherry with the Sentinel. Opened the ol Pandora's Box where they could easily discontinue the Patrol (despite it being their most popular bike? maybe) and just do that Spire in 29er, but with a mullet chip option. And maybe keep it 63.
And then of course as a brand they can sell like the small and maybe medium as stock MX. Whereas the L and above get sold as 29.
And also props to them for bringing out the Bottlerocket option as well as keeping size mediums for the Scout even if its a 'kids bike' now. It's honestly more than most brands are doing for 275 bikes and freeride bikes and what not.
It's crazy how little variance most brands have from XC to enduro now. Geometry, wheel size, linkage. We have 'more good bikes than ever' but 'less bike options than ever' it seems.
I’ll comment on the derail.
a new spire I’d think based on both what they offered on other bikes and my own personal wishes.
29 to Mx flip chip versus slack and and ultraaaaa slack with stack. Wanna be ultra slack. Add some travel/atc to your fork and potentially size up.
same adjustable chainstays as bottle rocket/tr11
Probably in frame storage which I’m personally ambivalent.
Perhaps slightly more dh focused kinematics. They have a ton of options if you want something downhill friendly that pedal/pumps pretty great. Including the patrol in the same travel bracket.
My current fleet has three 29" bikes so I had to do some thinking !
No specific models in mind, but it would go similarly to what others have posted before:
20: some sort of BMX that I would use once a year
26: classic dirt jumper, probably wouldnt even change from my current one
27.5: big fun park/freeride bike. I'm too slow to race anyway.
29/27.5 mullet: Enduro, something in the 170/160mm travel range. Could be on the heavy side, even a steel frame. I dont mind my current full 29" enduro, but I'd rather have use the slot for a shorter travel bike.
29: modern carbon downcountry bike, Spur or Reya type stuff. Specced to cover some miles fast.
32: some sort of gravel, I do enjoy riding one but not enough to take one over a 29" MTB. Quite an agressive geo in order to make up for the lack of hardtail mtb in this list.
Post a reply to: Thought Experiment. You are offered free bikes, but only one per wheel size, what build do you choose per config?