Zook Posted April 11, 2012 Share As a fairly extreme bike on the race-vs-trail continuum, the dual-susser SJ looks like it has far too much suspension to race. Is that true or do you just have to set it up properly? Does the Brain version of the suspension help? Just wondering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zook Posted April 12, 2012 Share And assume that it's not the primary use for the bike - lots of trail would be ridden! It's also more likely that I'll end up with a Spark or Anthem or maybe even the new Morewood 29er, but the mega travel of the SJ does intrigue me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted April 12, 2012 Share Race to win or race to have fun? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAAD4 Posted April 12, 2012 Share Race those big wheels. You'll beat most of the field on their outdated 26er Hardtails without trying, supposedly.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zook Posted April 12, 2012 Share Hairy - there'll be no win here. Just riding to enjoy it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lukep Posted April 12, 2012 Share Great bike if you get the Sworks version, it is light and still a very capable race bike.130mm travel is a bit of travel but that makes for more fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badiejb Posted April 12, 2012 Share As a fairly extreme bike on the race-vs-trail continuum, the dual-susser SJ looks like it has far too much suspension to race. Is that true or do you just have to set it up properly? Does the Brain version of the suspension help? Just wondering. Zook, why dont you go and ride one? Opinions can only help you so much. Its not my type of bike but its an awesome machine to have fun on. You can def race(have fun in a race) it with proper setup. Specialized are running Test The Best Programmes where dealers can invite clients to go and ride the bikes. Might be a good idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rouxtjie Posted April 12, 2012 Share I would also take the sworks stumpy before any other bike in the spez stable, the epic is too racy wrt geo...it will hurt me and unless you are out and out a snake with podium dreams, rather go the stumpy...beautifull machine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrancoisL Posted April 12, 2012 Share I have the 2011 26 SJ, still new to it though. You can set the amount of travel and the stiffness on the front fork. I've been told by the Spez mech that the idea is to set and forget, not a lock out fork per se. Riding experience? I'm always surpriced afterwards when I look at the amount of travel used, during the ride it does not feel that much. Wide open it bobs in the front if you get out of the saddle but then I never need to, it climbs like a mountain goat in any terrain. In the back with the brain it feels very solid, cannot feel any bob even at a soft setting. Racing, don't worry, you will catch them on the downhill. That's if you don't swallow a bug first because of the permanent smile on your face! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted April 12, 2012 Share Dude, Pain or Shine rides his 150mm Giant Reign on those races, and he has FUN! So, the SJ shouldn't pose a problem ITO excess travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Unit Posted April 12, 2012 Share I have a 2010 SJ with brain and a Fox Float 140mm fork (26" wheels though). It descends like a mini DH rig and is amazingly flicky and nimble in singletrack. My only gripe would be that the front tends to wander around a bit on steep climbs. That said, the brain makes that it climbs fairly efficiently on steady longer stuff. I would give it 10/10 for fun-factor, but it's not an outright race machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Fantana Posted April 12, 2012 Share I only have one bike and it is a 140mm trail bike. I do XCO/XCM and Trail/AM rides on it. In XC races it will be slightly slower than a XC specific bike but in my experience the times that I do go slow the problem is way more rider related than bike related. If a trail bike has a good suspension design it will climb well enough so that you can still enjoy XCO/XCM riding thouroughly. The cool thing about a good trail bike is that while you are riding it, it feels way lighter than what it actually is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted April 12, 2012 Share I only have one bike and it is a 140mm trail bike. I do XCO/XCM and Trail/AM rides on it. In XC races it will be slightly slower than a XC specific bike but in my experience the times that I do go slow the problem is way more rider related than bike related. If a trail bike has a good suspension design it will climb well enough so that you can still enjoy XCO/XCM riding thouroughly. The cool thing about a good trail bike is that while you are riding it, it feels way lighter than what it actually is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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