Scout vs SB140 vs similar bikes

Ibis mojo mate

banshee spitfire?

Hey There,

I have actually spent time demoing both of these earlier this year riding 20-30 miles on each bike over the course of several days. Demoed the Scout GX/Rockshox build and the SB140 XT/Fox Factory build. I'm 5'11, 165lbs kitted up, and rode a large in both models. Sizing felt right. Riding was in Pisgah and Dupont NC and my style is more aggressive and playful.

First off I would say to definitely take both out for a demo ride before pulling the trigger as the bikes felt very different to me.

I thought the handling on the Yeti was much more intuitive and was comfortable on it immediately. Climbing felt very efficient and it was very confidence inspiring on the downhills giving me more encouragement to get it in the air and try sketchy gaps. The scout felt a little too long wheelbase wise, and felt a little too slack. To me this translated to it not feeling quite as nimble in the air, and the slackness required extra effort to weight the front wheel in turns and going uphill.

I was glad to have demoed both before making a buying decision as I had been pretty set on the Scout being my next bike. I have to say I didn't end up buying the Yeti either as the pricing was outrageous for the build / setup I was looking for.

YMMV, so go try before you buy!

Welcome to the Seattle area! Duthie is great, Tiger is better.

Look at Evil and Kona. With Kona, you’ll get more for your money and a quality frame.

Evil is great, too. I have the Evil Offering and Kona Process 153. Both are 29ers, but the Kona does come in 27.5.

Personally I really dug the new scout when I rode it. The wheel base as stated before is on longer side for a trail bike. But being you are pnw I doubt that’s a bad thing. Should be a real fantastic bike out there.

That said get out there and demo some stuff. 29ers are sick. I ride 27.5 most the time but I love 29ers too. Any mtber should give 29er a solid shot before spending 5k on a new bike IMO.

Honestly with your price range and skill level it will be hard to buy a bad bike and hard to recommend the perfect one. You may just be best off picking the one that looks cool and just owning the decision. You are already looking at the perfect travel range for a do it all bike that isn’t owned by a straight up racer.

bulletbass man wrote:

Personally I really dug the new scout when I rode it. The wheel base as stated before is on longer side for a trail bike. But being you are pnw I doubt that’s a bad thing. Should be a real fantastic bike out there.

That said get out there and demo some stuff. 29ers are sick. I ride 27.5 most the time but I love 29ers too. Any mtber should give 29er a solid shot before spending 5k on a new bike IMO.

Honestly with your price range and skill level it will be hard to buy a bad bike and hard to recommend the perfect one. You may just be best off picking the one that looks cool and just owning the decision. You are already looking at the perfect travel range for a do it all bike that isn’t owned by a straight up racer.

N+

mwolpin wrote:

Welcome to the Seattle area! Duthie is great, Tiger is better.

Look at Evil and Kona. With Kona, you’ll get more for your money and a quality frame.

Evil is great, too. I have the Evil Offering and Kona Process 153. Both are 29ers, but the Kona does come in 27.5.

Thank you. Haven't been to tiger yet, I am planning to hit it with FS bike.

Seems like Evil is discontinuing 27.5" bikes or at least Calling which I was also looking at, some leftover bikes and frames are on sale at backcountry. And Kona Process CR 27.5 seems to getting discontinued as well, aluminum 27.5 is still there though.

I also looked at Canyon Spectral, pretty good value for money and looks playful.

I got a medium 27.5 norco sight. The wheelbase is within a few mm of the scout if I remember correctly... I was between the scout and sight. Coming off a gen1 process 153 in medium the wheelbase difference felt huge but I was a fan. IT felt a lot faster but you could tell how much longer it was.

At this point the wheelbase feels really normal. It feels as nimble as I felt on my old process. I'd go with the scout just for the wheelbase. It instantly feels faster and more stable and you get used to flicking around its size pretty quick.

bbeck wrote:

Hey There,

I have actually spent time demoing both of these earlier this year riding 20-30 miles on each bike over the course of several days. Demoed the Scout GX/Rockshox build and the SB140 XT/Fox Factory build. I'm 5'11, 165lbs kitted up, and rode a large in both models. Sizing felt right. Riding was in Pisgah and Dupont NC and my style is more aggressive and playful.

First off I would say to definitely take both out for a demo ride before pulling the trigger as the bikes felt very different to me.

I thought the handling on the Yeti was much more intuitive and was comfortable on it immediately. Climbing felt very efficient and it was very confidence inspiring on the downhills giving me more encouragement to get it in the air and try sketchy gaps. The scout felt a little too long wheelbase wise, and felt a little too slack. To me this translated to it not feeling quite as nimble in the air, and the slackness required extra effort to weight the front wheel in turns and going uphill.

I was glad to have demoed both before making a buying decision as I had been pretty set on the Scout being my next bike. I have to say I didn't end up buying the Yeti either as the pricing was outrageous for the build / setup I was looking for.

YMMV, so go try before you buy!

Thanks, yes, I am leaning towards spending at least a day on each bike till I know what I like. I had Diamondback Sync'r in past and though it was pretty fun bike, stack was very low on it and it had flat bars, my seat used to be 2 inches higher than handlebar, I hated that and ended up selling it.

Kanista wrote:

Ibis mojo mate

It does look like a nice bike, very light but I am not sure if I want something like it as my only bike.

spoon_ wrote:

banshee spitfire?

They do look interesting but seems to be sold out. I was thinking about getting CF bike over aluminum though if it offers weight savings.

bulletbass man wrote:

Personally I really dug the new scout when I rode it. The wheel base as stated before is on longer side for a trail bike. But being you are pnw I doubt that’s a bad thing. Should be a real fantastic bike out there.

That said get out there and demo some stuff. 29ers are sick. I ride 27.5 most the time but I love 29ers too. Any mtber should give 29er a solid shot before spending 5k on a new bike IMO.

Honestly with your price range and skill level it will be hard to buy a bad bike and hard to recommend the perfect one. You may just be best off picking the one that looks cool and just owning the decision. You are already looking at the perfect travel range for a do it all bike that isn’t owned by a straight up racer.

Thanks, I think I should just test ride one before making a decision. I am not very skilled but I do try out new things and try to see if I can do every feature. I had a 29er but a XC bike in past (5 years ago), so I should give it a try for sure.

nskerb wrote:

I got a medium 27.5 norco sight. The wheelbase is within a few mm of the scout if I remember correctly... I was between the scout and sight. Coming off a gen1 process 153 in medium the wheelbase difference felt huge but I was a fan. IT felt a lot faster but you could tell how much longer it was.

At this point the wheelbase feels really normal. It feels as nimble as I felt on my old process. I'd go with the scout just for the wheelbase. It instantly feels faster and more stable and you get used to flicking around its size pretty quick.

Thanks, I am planning to drive to their HQ and do one day ride when they start doing those again.

mwolpin wrote:

Welcome to the Seattle area! Duthie is great, Tiger is better.

Look at Evil and Kona. With Kona, you’ll get more for your money and a quality frame.

Evil is great, too. I have the Evil Offering and Kona Process 153. Both are 29ers, but the Kona does come in 27.5.

Ruturaj wrote:

Thank you. Haven't been to tiger yet, I am planning to hit it with FS bike.

Seems like Evil is discontinuing 27.5" bikes or at least Calling which I was also looking at, some leftover bikes and frames are on sale at backcountry. And Kona Process CR 27.5 seems to getting discontinued as well, aluminum 27.5 is still there though.

I also looked at Canyon Spectral, pretty good value for money and looks playful.

What's the reasoning for staying with 27.5 and not 29ers?

I think it's worth pointing out that Yeti's tend to be race-oriented bikes, but they're still great. I think you'll get more for your money with Transition or Kona compared to the Yeti.

Welcome to Washington! I think you've got the right idea when it comes to amount of travel, but I would highly encourage you to not spend that much money if you're riding the green and blue lines at Duthie. I'm a former pro downhill racer and I would never spend that much on a bike, because I think the benefits are so small. The difference between SLX and XTR is almost nothing. Ditto for GX and XX1. Even Deore and NX bikes are totally rideable. You'll end up replacing a few things due to personal preference (taller/shorter bars, different tires, different seat, etc) but I find that's the case no matter what bike I buy. I also think the 27.5/29" thing doesn't matter with an inseam of 32". You'll be fine on either wheelsize. I've ridden and raced all the wheelsizes and they're all bikes with round wheels. Wheelsize doesn't matter and, personally, I've found I'm way more concerned about things like tires or bar height.

I would shoot for the $3-5k range and spend the money you have leftover on something that helps you improve as a rider. I always recommend aluminum frames and never buying anything nicer than a GX/SLX build. You'll burn that extra $2-4k quickly, I promise. Here are some ideas:

1. Riding lessons with Simon Lawton or another great coach in the area (there are lots). I took a 2-hour class with Simon 8 years ago and I use those lessons every single time I go riding. Lessons are priceless.

2. Cold wet weather riding gear. You live in Seattle, which means you can go mountain biking 365 days a year, but it won't always be pleasant conditions 365 days a year. With the right cold weather gear you can make the nasty days tolerable.

3. A hardtail dirt jump bike or BMX for the pumptrack and jumps. This is one of the quickest ways to improve as a rider. You can buy one new for $1200-ish or get one used on Seattle's FB marketplace or Craigslist for well under $1000.

4. Gas. You'll need to buy lots of this to go mountain biking.

5. A good hitch rack from Thule, Yakima, or One-Up. This will make you not hate your life when you have to drive home with a cold, wet, and nasty bike in January. And good racks ain't cheap.

6. Go somewhere far away to ride. Whistler next summer,Squamish, Couer d'Alene, Silver Mountain, Port Angeles, the Portland area, Leavenworth, wherever, just get out of Seattle and go experience some different terrain. Make a weekend or a whole week out of it.

7. A road bike or commuter bike. Ride your bike places and watch how quickly your fitness improves. You live in an extremely bike-friendly part of the world. It's great

TEAMROBOT has some good advice there about how much you really need to spend. Additionally don't get too hung up on the Fox vs Rockshox or the Sram vs. Shimano thing, especially with the suspension. Both companies are comparable in performance and although there may be people that prefer characteristics of one or the other, and of course some fanboys who think whatever they are riding is better, most people will be happy with either.

I agree with the Robot on pretty much all accounts. You'll burn through $2k in accessories before you can blink. I also support going with Simon at Fluidride - I had a 2-hour coaching lesson from him 8 years ago and to this day I use the techniques gained from that.

Other things to consider - Transition is somewhat local, if you have an issue - they're less than 90 miles away and you can get immediate support. Not to take away from Yeti, I'm sure they have fine customer service, but having the company local to you is also nice.

It takes time to get into the weeds in any hobby, don't let forums and social media make you think that you need to expedite the process. It all comes naturally if you put the time into it.

spoon_ wrote:

banshee spitfire?

Ruturaj wrote:

They do look interesting but seems to be sold out. I was thinking about getting CF bike over aluminum though if it offers weight savings.

well, banshee do use 7000 series alloy over the much much more common 6000 series. slight weight saving there. difference between scout frame and banshee frame is... 350 grams. not enough to pay attention to imo. you won't notice it.

mwolpin wrote:

What's the reasoning for staying with 27.5 and not 29ers?

I think it's worth pointing out that Yeti's tend to be race-oriented bikes, but they're still great. I think you'll get more for your money with Transition or Kona compared to the Yeti.

I currently have a 27.5 bike and I don't see a need for 29er as I mostly ride smooth trail. I had a XC 29er 5 years ago and I understand things have changed, so I am now planning to test ride few 29er.

Thanks for the info. I am waiting for all 2021 lineup now to see what's coming as things are changing.

TEAMROBOT wrote:

Welcome to Washington! I think you've got the right idea when it comes to amount of travel, but I would highly encourage you to not spend that much money if you're riding the green and blue lines at Duthie. I'm a former pro downhill racer and I would never spend that much on a bike, because I think the benefits are so small. The difference between SLX and XTR is almost nothing. Ditto for GX and XX1. Even Deore and NX bikes are totally rideable. You'll end up replacing a few things due to personal preference (taller/shorter bars, different tires, different seat, etc) but I find that's the case no matter what bike I buy. I also think the 27.5/29" thing doesn't matter with an inseam of 32". You'll be fine on either wheelsize. I've ridden and raced all the wheelsizes and they're all bikes with round wheels. Wheelsize doesn't matter and, personally, I've found I'm way more concerned about things like tires or bar height.

I would shoot for the $3-5k range and spend the money you have leftover on something that helps you improve as a rider. I always recommend aluminum frames and never buying anything nicer than a GX/SLX build. You'll burn that extra $2-4k quickly, I promise. Here are some ideas:

1. Riding lessons with Simon Lawton or another great coach in the area (there are lots). I took a 2-hour class with Simon 8 years ago and I use those lessons every single time I go riding. Lessons are priceless.

2. Cold wet weather riding gear. You live in Seattle, which means you can go mountain biking 365 days a year, but it won't always be pleasant conditions 365 days a year. With the right cold weather gear you can make the nasty days tolerable.

3. A hardtail dirt jump bike or BMX for the pumptrack and jumps. This is one of the quickest ways to improve as a rider. You can buy one new for $1200-ish or get one used on Seattle's FB marketplace or Craigslist for well under $1000.

4. Gas. You'll need to buy lots of this to go mountain biking.

5. A good hitch rack from Thule, Yakima, or One-Up. This will make you not hate your life when you have to drive home with a cold, wet, and nasty bike in January. And good racks ain't cheap.

6. Go somewhere far away to ride. Whistler next summer,Squamish, Couer d'Alene, Silver Mountain, Port Angeles, the Portland area, Leavenworth, wherever, just get out of Seattle and go experience some different terrain. Make a weekend or a whole week out of it.

7. A road bike or commuter bike. Ride your bike places and watch how quickly your fitness improves. You live in an extremely bike-friendly part of the world. It's great

Thank you for welcoming and giving such a detailed feedback.

I currently do ride only Green and Blue lines at Duthie but I intend to do more (start hitting black diamonds). I didn't have access to parks like these and I used to ride mostly green, this is my first year here and I am hitting all features in blue lines, so I hope to build skills to black in sometime.

I am with you on drivetrain, I do think I would be perfectly happy with Deore or SLX (I currently have a bike with NX and want to try out Shimano). I am still learning maintenance and would definitely prefer to afford my screw ups (replacing parts). I was looking for best frame (geo that suits me and my needs) and good suspension (as I believe it will be on bike for it's lifetime).

Bar height has always been my concern. I fall between Medium and Large size for most bikes. On Medium sized bikes after adjusting seat height for me the seat get's around 2 inches higher than handlebar which I hate, so I prefer Large bikes (with shorter top tube length/ reach). My current bike has 634mm stack, 621mm TT, 435mm reach and feels perfect to me compared to my previous bikes.

I took (basic) lessons from Evergreen this year. Planning to do some next year with both, Fluidride and Evergreen. I do have some gear (Patagonia Dirt Roamer Jacket and Fox Attack Fire Bike Pants) and looking in to more now (inner layers etc).

I have car on lease, when I got it I was thinking about buying it and adding a hitch mount but I decided to use it till lease end and get something else. So currently I don't have an option to get a hitch rack. Me lease ends next year and I would probably get something that fits my hobbies better. Right now I take the front wheel off, fold rear seats and out bike in back. It's a major inconvenience currently but I would end up paying 7-8k if I turn in my lease now instead of next year and I do really enjoy my car otherwise. I think for now I will just go for Yakima trunk rack.

My friend is giving me a full Carbon Spectral frame (for free), if I build it up it will end up costing me 3-3.5k for XT, Fox 36 factory, one up cockpit build. I think I would just go this route, ride bike for few years, test ride others, if I get a strong feel from some other bike then I will get that frame and swap parts.

Initially I wanted to spend no more than 3k on a bike then it was 5k and then I came up with these two options. Having money for trips and gas won't be any issue for me, most of my income goes towards savings any way. I am going to take your advice and dial it back. Thanks again.

I have always been concerned about riding on the road, I just don't trust drivers. I am not sure road/commuter bikes are for me. I am planning to get a trainer and hitting gym more often once they open.

Old-schoolNW wrote:

TEAMROBOT has some good advice there about how much you really need to spend. Additionally don't get too hung up on the Fox vs Rockshox or the Sram vs. Shimano thing, especially with the suspension. Both companies are comparable in performance and although there may be people that prefer characteristics of one or the other, and of course some fanboys who think whatever they are riding is better, most people will be happy with either.

Thanks, I do think I will be happy with either as well after my NX and rockshox Sektor bike.

The reason for Shimano is, if I move to India due to any unforeseen event, I would take bike with me and shimano would be easier to get parts for than SRAM. New Fox 36 really looked interesting to me and in last 5 years I had only SRAM and rockshox bikes (Diamondback overdrive, Diamondback Sync'r and Cube Reaction TM) and never tried a bike with anything else.

bstens wrote:

I agree with the Robot on pretty much all accounts. You'll burn through $2k in accessories before you can blink. I also support going with Simon at Fluidride - I had a 2-hour coaching lesson from him 8 years ago and to this day I use the techniques gained from that.

Other things to consider - Transition is somewhat local, if you have an issue - they're less than 90 miles away and you can get immediate support. Not to take away from Yeti, I'm sure they have fine customer service, but having the company local to you is also nice.

It takes time to get into the weeds in any hobby, don't let forums and social media make you think that you need to expedite the process. It all comes naturally if you put the time into it.

Thanks, I will try to find a class with Fluidride and also do free ride class from evergreen. I need to learn to better control the bike in air for sure.

Ruturaj wrote:

Thanks, I will try to find a class with Fluidride and also do free ride class from evergreen. I need to learn to better control the bike in air for sure.

in terms of air time, just don't be a dead sailer. Move something consciously. If only a finger. The turn bar is a classic. And turn bars lead to whips and on to toboggans and onto...

Old-schoolNW wrote:

TEAMROBOT has some good advice there about how much you really need to spend. Additionally don't get too hung up on the Fox vs Rockshox or the Sram vs. Shimano thing, especially with the suspension. Both companies are comparable in performance and although there may be people that prefer characteristics of one or the other, and of course some fanboys who think whatever they are riding is better, most people will be happy with either.

Ruturaj wrote:

Thanks, I do think I will be happy with either as well after my NX and rockshox Sektor bike.

The reason for Shimano is, if I move to India due to any unforeseen event, I would take bike with me and shimano would be easier to get parts for than SRAM. New Fox 36 really looked interesting to me and in last 5 years I had only SRAM and rockshox bikes (Diamondback overdrive, Diamondback Sync'r and Cube Reaction TM) and never tried a bike with anything else.

Right on, you'll definitely be way happier with a 36 or something a step or two up from a Sector, I rode one briefly and it felt pretty bad. Also, although you don't need to necessarily spend over 5k if you have the money to spend buy what makes you happy.

Big Bird wrote:

in terms of air time, just don't be a dead sailer. Move something consciously. If only a finger. The turn bar is a classic. And turn bars lead to whips and on to toboggans and onto...

Thanks, finally gathered some courage to turn bar while jumping on Sunday. It was quite fun.

Just an update, I got Spectral CFR frame from friend for free, spent around 3,200 (searched for best prices, used coupons and cash back websites) on components

One up: Stem, carbon handlebar, 210mm dropper + remote
Fox: 36 Factory Fork 160mm
Industry 9: 101 wheels
Shimano: XT drivetrain and brakes
Chris king: Headset + spacers
Ergon: Saddle + grips
Maxxis: DHR 2 Front, Dissector rear both 2.4"
Deity: Comosite pedals Deftrap

Nice! That's a great friend to hook you up like that. I think you've got enough bike there to do anything, and you should be set for a long, long time if you keep up with maintenance. You could race a NW Cup downhill race on that bike, then change tires and do a cross country race the next weekend. Great do-it-all bike.

Forbidden Druid Slx build.
Won’t disappoint
Fun
Stable
Decent price for what you get

TEAMROBOT wrote:

Nice! That's a great friend to hook you up like that. I think you've got enough bike there to do anything, and you should be set for a long, long time if you keep up with maintenance. You could race a NW Cup downhill race on that bike, then change tires and do a cross country race the next weekend. Great do-it-all bike.

Thanks, I think so too. I am learning to do maintenance on bike, I am planning do most of build by myself. I will be getting headset and fork installed from shop and may be a final tune if needed.

Thank you for initial advice one more time. I got some (much needed) winter riding gear (Neck Gaiter, Thermal inner wear top and headband). Also made my commute convenient with yakima trunk rack, I will get outback or something similar when my lease ends so I can put a hitch on it.