It's new bike time! I've recently sold my Commencal Meta 5.5, and am planning to buy a new full-suss trail/enduro rig sometime next year. In the meantime, I'm getting back to basics, and looking at a hardtail to get fit and do some trail riding. I probably won't race an enduro on it, but I will ride it everywhere I can. I've narrowed my search down to the Silverback Sola 2 (29") and Slade 1 (650B). Both 2014 stock. (Note: please don't recommend other brands / models - it's going to be one of these two). Given my height (1.86m) and the rave reviews the Sola is getting from a mate of mine (who went from a Slade to a Sola), I am leaning that way. However, I have a lot of perceptions (probably misconceptions) about 29ers, so I'm also drawn to the Slade - is less of a mind shift coming from a 26er. The Slade's spec is what's enticing me too. RockShox Recon Gold (vs Silver on the Sola), better rear hub, better shifters (XT vs Deore on the Sola), and slightly wider (21mm vs 19mm on the Sola) and tubeless-ready rims. Given my fat ass (almost 120kg), I am worried about a narrower, larger diameter wheelset - and the Recon Gold seems like a nice upgrade over the Silver. That said, I've been told by someone who's opinion I trust to disregard the difference in spec and go for the larger wheels. So - I welcome any input. Especially if you've ridden either (or both) of the above. Do I go for the bigger wheels and what is starting to sound like the superior frame / ride feel, or do I go for a better fork and more robust wheelset? Or am I just being paranoid about the spec? Thoughts?
