Short Travel Trail Bike

[Eddy Gordo]

All great reasons, but I am more partial to Santa Cruz.

[NicoBoshoff]

I know their not on the list, but Camber and Scott Spark are obvious options for me.  If Jared Graves can destroy on a Camber then I reckon it's a bike with plenty of depth. Same goes for the new Spark (not the racy one, the one with dropper).  

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I know their not on the list, but Camber and Scott Spark are obvious options for me.  If Jared Graves can destroy on a Camber then I reckon it's a bike with plenty of depth. Same goes for the new Spark (not the racy one, the one with dropper).  

Agreed. 

 

Dan Dobbo is loving his new Camber... But it has a - what - 140mm Pike?

[Grease_Monkey]

put it this way - it was 2 beers into an afternoon Paarl session. 2 different days, but the application was the same.

 

EVERYBODY should have a post-beer run in their lives. HOLY SHAITE. Everything's hit harder, faster and with fewer nopes than ever.

 

This trail (this was early in the day)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4lD7-sEh9o

Sorry to hijack!

 

What trail is this Myles? I am only in the Western Cape on ocassion and default to Jonkershoek and Paradyskloof, but this looks like something I have to ride!

[Pikey]

The 5010 is a great bike for trials ( and probably enduro) so much fun and really confidence inspiring. But to do the odd marathon on it .....eeerrrr not so sure. Would never have done a marathon race on it. And I am a big sc fan my tb2 has been so brilliantly reliable and capable.

 

Have been in the same boat recently wanting a 130/140 travel bike. But the one bike to do it all. But I do more than the odd long ride .But want a bit more squish ????

 

How about a stumpy ?

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Sorry to hijack!

 

What trail is this Myles? I am only in the Western Cape on ocassion and default to Jonkershoek and Paradyskloof, but this looks like something I have to ride!

Paarl monument. AWESOME trails, and the best place to shuttle EVER. 

 

A line is on the RHS of the road (looking down the hill) and the others on the LHS of the road. 

[Grease_Monkey]

I know their not on the list, but Camber and Scott Spark are obvious options for me. If Jared Graves can destroy on a Camber then I reckon it's a bike with plenty of depth. Same goes for the new Spark (not the racy one, the one with dropper).

Isn't the stumpy a better option than the Camber here? My wife has a camber and I am on a stumpy, I find the camber to be slightly more xc oriented and just less fun than the stumpy.

 

That being said, I would kill to ride Grave's Camber...

[Grease_Monkey]

Paarl monument. AWESOME trails, and the best place to shuttle EVER.

 

A line is on the RHS of the road (looking down the hill) and the others on the LHS of the road.

Will be giving that a try next time I'm down there from these waste lands called Gauteng haha

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Isn't the stumpy a better option than the Camber here? My wife has a camber and I am on a stumpy, I find the camber to be slightly more xc oriented and just less fun than the stumpy.

 

That being said, I would kill to ride Grave's Camber...

yeah. Camber = 120mm. Stumpy = 140mm

 

Camber = heavy hitting XC bike 

Stumpy = Heavy hitting trail bike

 

For Joe Average, the Stumpy fits the bill. You need to be VERY good on a bike to be able to do the things on a Camber, that are a piece of pie on the Stumpy. IE the stumpy would have a larger margin of error with a very small sacrifice ito efficiency and climbing capability. 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Will be giving that a try next time I'm down there from these waste lands called Gauteng haha

Gimme a shout when you're down. We may have a shuttle going...

[Grease_Monkey]

yeah. Camber = 110mm. Stumpy = 140mm

 

Camber = heavy hitting XC bike

Stumpy = Heavy hitting trail bike

 

For Joe Average, the Stumpy fits the bill. You need to be VERY good on a bike to be able to do the things on a Camber, that are a piece of pie on the Stumpy. IE the stumpy would have a larger margin of error with a very small sacrifice ito efficiency and climbing capability.

Eaxactly my thinking, and experience with the two bikes. I often ride 70km+ on the stumpy, and although the camber is more efficient (not by much), the fun factor on the stumpy makes up for it.

[Grease_Monkey]

Gimme a shout when you're down. We may have a shuttle going...

Will do for sure!

[Stretched@Birth]

I don't think they're dismissed out of hand tbh. They're excellent bikes, and I am really intrigued with their collaboroation with Penske in the Re:Aktiv shock. But Santa and Tranny et al are just... yeah. There's something about them.

 

Label it snobbery, label it boutiquery... name it whatever you want. It's just a certain Je ne sais quois

Comparing the Trek to the Santa or the Tranny is maybe not right, they are "boutique", but the Trek name seldom comes up when comparing the "main stream" brands. It's always Spez, Giant, Scott, Merida, Cannondale, etc.

[tcarthew]

Eaxactly my thinking, and experience with the two bikes. I often ride 70km+ on the stumpy, and although the camber is more efficient (not by much), the fun factor on the stumpy makes up for it.

 

Any takes on stumpy vs trek fuel ex 8? I'm also looking at getting something more trail oriented. Specifically 29er trail that is. I want something fun, that can also do distance. I was looking at the Jeffsy, the Stumpy & the Fuel EX 8.

 

I was put off the Jeffsey by really bad first impressions. Took me weeks to get a hold of the guy & then he seemed pretty disinterested in sorting out a demo. I've asked him to call back, but we'll see if that happens. But for now, it seems to be between the stumpy & the trek.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Any takes on stumpy vs trek fuel ex 8? I'm also looking at getting something more trail oriented. Specifically 29er trail that is. I want something fun, that can also do distance. I was looking at the Jeffsy, the Stumpy & the Fuel EX 8.

 

I was put off the Jeffsey by really bad first impressions. Took me weeks to get a hold of the guy & then he seemed pretty disinterested in sorting out a demo. I've asked him to call back, but we'll see if that happens. But for now, it seems to be between the stumpy & the trek.

Very equal I think. Test test and test again

[Grease_Monkey]

Any takes on stumpy vs trek fuel ex 8? I'm also looking at getting something more trail oriented. Specifically 29er trail that is. I want something fun, that can also do distance. I was looking at the Jeffsy, the Stumpy & the Fuel EX 8.

 

I was put off the Jeffsey by really bad first impressions. Took me weeks to get a hold of the guy & then he seemed pretty disinterested in sorting out a demo. I've asked him to call back, but we'll see if that happens. But for now, it seems to be between the stumpy & the trek.

I can't comment on the Trek or Jeffsy at all. What I can say is that I am very impressed by my stumpy. It was the 2016 Expert 6Fattie version (so 27.5+ wheels and 135mm/150mm travel). I then got myself a set of 29" Spank Oozy Trail 345 on Hope Pro 4s for longer distance riding as the 27.5+ got a bit heavy and slow after 70km!

 

I now end up using the 29" wheels 90% of the time as the bike just feels right with it. I know some people may be very anti Spez, but I can highly reccommend the stumpy - especially the 2017 version which has Rock Shocks squish as opposed to my Fox, so I would imagine it is even better!

 

PS: The Stumpy is capable of longer distances, I will be doing Berg and Bush on it this year and hopefully Epic next year. I have to say though, if distance is your main aim, the Camber would be a better option. They are essentially very similar, Camber being more XC oriented and a better and more efficient climber, and Stumpy more fun/trail oriented and better when the trail points down.

 

But as Myles said, test, test, test! There are so many good options out there, and it really is a preference thing at the end of the day - you may hate the bikes I swear by!