BetterRide: The Ultimate MTB?

The Ultimate Mountain Bike for you does exist! I’m so excited. It just arrived today! Not just any bike, the Bike I have Waited Two Decades for!

This is the bike I recommend to you if you are looking for a fun, confidence-inspiring mountain bike that doesn’t weigh a ton. For the last 23 years, I’ve been riding heavy bikes with more suspension travel than needed for most trails. Lightweight, short-travel bikes have always had scary geometry! Steep head tube angles, short reach measurements, and seat tube angles that put tall riders over our rear axle.

When I wrote this article: Choosing A Fun and Confidence Inspiring MTB, you had to buy a heavy “enduro” bike to get the right geometry. These bikes have 150-170mm of suspension travel (which is unnecessary on most trails), weigh a lot (making them feel sluggish and cumbersome), and are overkill for most trails.

Not anymore! Downcountry bikes have finally been tweaked enough to be legit! My Scott Spark 910 (which I bought for a smashing deal) has almost the same geometry as my favorite bike ever, my Canfield Lithium. It weighs 10 pounds less, though!​

This downcountry bike is the most progressive in its class.​

It also has only 120mm of travel in the rear and 130mm in the front, 40mm less travel than my Canfield, and doesn’t have the awesome CBF suspension. So this will be a great test. How much does 10 extra pounds affect a 188-pound rider on the trail?​

The Spark is going to be an intermediate trail slayer!

120mm of travel and 29″ wheels at 28.4 pounds (size XL with pedals). The last bike I owned that was that light was in 2005. It had 26″ wheels and a steep 69-degree head angle, making the bike scary on descents. My Spark has an adjustable HA at either 65.8 or 65.2 degrees. Slack head angles give me more confidence on the descents.

That head angle combined with a longer reach (500mm vs. about 450mm on the 2005 bike) and steeper seat tube angle (76.7 degrees vs. 72 on the older bike) will make the bike fit better, pedal better, climb easier, and descend much better.

I did order shorter cranks, a 35mm stem, an oval chainring, wider bars, and a 200mm rotor for the front. This sets the bike up similarly to my other bikes and allows me to compare 165mm cranks to the 155mm cranks on my Canfield.

And it’s beautiful. Oh, and did I mention the shock is hidden in the seat tube?

Is this the Ultimate Mountain Bike for you?

The Ultimate Mountain Bike should help me answer these questions:
 

1. Will it be more fun than a heavier bike with more suspension travel?
2. Will the Fox 34 be stiff enough to track straight for a rider of my weight?
3. Will my climbing times be faster? By how much?
4. What does 120mm of travel feel like on a long, rough ride like Porcupine Rim? I used to ride rough trails with less travel and 26″ wheels, but my speeds were much slower then.
5. Will 180mm rotors stop me? I’ve already ordered a 200mm rotor and adapter for the front, but I will give the 180s a few rides before swapping out the front.
6. Can a bike this light survive the abuse of an aggressive 188-pound rider?
7. Tires? How do Schwalbe Wicked Will 2.4″ tires compare to Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5″ and 3.0″ tires?

I will let you know the answers to those questions soon. I’m excited to start riding the bike and getting it dialed in!

A few other bikes in this downcountry category look promising, but their geometry isn’t quite as confidence-inspiring. The Specialized Epic Evo, Trek Top Fuel 8, Transition Spur XO1, YT Izzo, Canyon uncaged, and Santa Cruz Blur LT. They all look like great bikes, though.

Greater skill and control are still your best upgrade!​

But if you have a bike with a head angle steeper than 66 degrees, a short reach measurement, and/or a slack seat tube angle, there are some great deals right now on these confidence-inspiring yet lightweight and nimble bikes!

Thanks and create a great Winter season,
Gene
www.betterride.net