Rode the S-Works Stumpjumper 6Fattie on Saturday at Helderberg trails. Now, a disclaimer, I only spent maybe 4km on it. Some climbing, some descending and a lap or three on the pump track, so really, take it for what it's worth. The bike set-up wasn't ideal either since the stem length was a bit longer than I'm used to so the bike felt a bit small under me (I felt too far forward). I must say, the bike climbed way better than I thought it would and wasn't as sluggish as expected. I aimed it at roots whenever I saw them and predictably it felt really smooth over that. Which is why I would never buy the bike. It really felt like it numbed the whole experience for me. I ride the technical and rough trails not so that I can say I did it, I want to FEEL it! I love the feeling of almost being blown off the bike by massive rockes and roots at speed and making it through nonetheless. Anyways, back to the bike. The tyres do grip like snot. Even on the dry loose dirt on the clay pumptrack at Helderberg I tried to put a foot out and throw the rear, but it just refused to lose traction. I also hit a jump or three on it and for some reason it felt terribly dodgy. I'm no Lacondeguy, but I can at least keep a line in a jump. This felt like it wanted to dip on every jump I hit. However, this could (and is probably) be more to do with the longer than usual stem (it was 60mm, so not crazy long...except for Myles ;-p ). After I gave the bike back I got back on my niner and the first thing I told my riding mates was that a) my riding position on the Stumpy felt much higher (I haven't looked at the numbers so maybe it just physically is a taller bike) and b) once accellerated my Stumpy felt like it held its speed longer and with more eagerness. It just felt faster, although my friend assured me the 6Fattie would produce better times and my experience was more to do with the numbing effect of the big wide wheels. Long story short, the bike was better at the things I thought it would suck at, but was less fun to ride for me. In the massive sample of 4km I tested it on
