Stumpjumper / Enduro advice

[slewk]

Hey guys

 

I recently came out of a lengthily sabbatical from riding and jovially purchased a 2015 Stumpy 29er

 

Having dubbed my new steed "Special Greg", The aforementioned Greg has taken me on a handful of rides, all of which I've really enjoyed... BUT

 

I've hit a few smaller jumps and drops and i would be lying if i said they went smoothly. I used to ride downhill on a Santa Cruz V10 and that beast literally jumped and landed itself. The stumpy feels very rigid and sketchy but i know it's mostly me not the bike

 

That being said i do want to get into enduro riding and worried the 130mm stumpy won't give the added confidence of a burlier bike. 

 

Should i have rather gone for something like a Reign? Have  feeling those bikes wouldn't be so fun on 50k rides though

 

Or should i just man up and learn to handle the stumpy better instead of comparing it to the geometry of a DH bike?

 

Insight always appreciated

 

L

 

 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Stumpy will be perfect for the enduros... it may be your suspension settings which are a bit off, but there is a very large difference between hitting stuff at speed on a DH sled and an AM machine. The theory is the same, but the execution is vastly different when you have 35% less travel at your disposal. 

 

Play around with the suspension, get around 25-28% sag on the rear and a bit less up front. You may need to put some volume spacers in the fork and shock to give it a bit more ramp-up at the end of the stroke, and also allow a slightly lower pressure which gives you better small bump compliance. 

 

Maybe it's also that you need to just get used to a much lighter and more nimble bike... 

[slewk]

Thanks for the advice!

 

I'll change my suspension set up and just get some time on the saddle to get the confidence up

[Grease_Monkey]

You may also want to have a look at the components on the stumpy, as it is a very capable bike, but sometimes not adequately specced for what the frame and geo can handle.

 

For example, my dad has a 2016 stumpy with a 140mm Rock Shox Revelation fork, which is a 32mm stanchion fork, whereas my 2016 stumpy is fitted with a 150mm Fox 34 fork. He also has narrow rims where I have wide rims and tyres. Just those two difference make the two bikes feel like completely different machines altogether. His is great for long rides, but when it comes to anything pointing down I would much rather be on my stumpy.

 

So in short, the Stumpy is a more than capable enduro bike, but also a more than capable trail/long ride bike depending on the way it is specced. Make sure yours is specced for enduro rather than trail. And don't worry, even with a burlier fork and wider rims, it can handle the long rides (I often use mine for 80km+ rides).

Things you can upgrade for a more enduro oriented ride:

 

1. Dropper Post (if you don't already have one)

2. Fork (RS Pike/MRP Ribbon/Fox 34)

3. Wheelset (Lots of options here)

4. Brakes (Formula Cura/SRAM Guide/Shimano XT/Hope/etc.)

[GLuvsMtb]

In the perfect world you would have a Spech Enduro for, well, just that, and a Camber / Epic for those 50km rides. I've been on a Stumpy for almost 4 years now and have accepted that it will not be the best climbing bike, or the bike that I'll be doing road gaps on, but for 98% of what I ride, it does the job quite well. I've been tempted from time to time to get a bike with more travel for the Enduro's and shuttle days and a marathon bike for stage races, but selling a bike with replacement value of R90k for less than half of that and then forking out R180k for 2 replacements is really not going to get my share price up with the missus... but in saying that, its easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission.

[Jewbacca]

Yoh... I would suggest the Stumpy is MORE than enough bike.

 

Play with the sag and practice skills to pay the bills!

[Grease_Monkey]

In the perfect world you would have a Spech Enduro for, well, just that, and a Camber / Epic for those 50km rides. I've been on a Stumpy for almost 4 years now and have accepted that it will not be the best climbing bike, or the bike that I'll be doing road gaps on, but for 98% of what I ride, it does the job quite well. I've been tempted from time to time to get a bike with more travel for the Enduro's and shuttle days and a marathon bike for stage races, but selling a bike with replacement value of R90k for less than half of that and then forking out R180k for 2 replacements is really not going to get my share price up with the missus... but in saying that, its easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission.

 

Yeah, I agree, in a perfect world a Enduro and a Camber would be awesome. But, this is the real world, and having a stumpy is the perfect medium, it's not the best up or down, but does both very well!

 

You and I are in exactly the same boat haha.

[slewk]

You may also want to have a look at the components on the stumpy, as it is a very capable bike, but sometimes not adequately specced for what the frame and geo can handle.

 

For example, my dad has a 2016 stumpy with a 140mm Rock Shox Revelation fork, which is a 32mm stanchion fork, whereas my 2016 stumpy is fitted with a 150mm Fox 34 fork. He also has narrow rims where I have wide rims and tyres. Just those two difference make the two bikes feel like completely different machines altogether. His is great for long rides, but when it comes to anything pointing down I would much rather be on my stumpy.

 

So in short, the Stumpy is a more than capable enduro bike, but also a more than capable trail/long ride bike depending on the way it is specced. Make sure yours is specced for enduro rather than trail. And don't worry, even with a burlier fork and wider rims, it can handle the long rides (I often use mine for 80km+ rides).

Things you can upgrade for a more enduro oriented ride:

 

1. Dropper Post (if you don't already have one)

2. Fork (RS Pike/MRP Ribbon/Fox 34)

3. Wheelset (Lots of options here)

4. Brakes (Formula Cura/SRAM Guide/Shimano XT/Hope/etc.)

 

My stumpy is fitted with a RockShox Revelation RC 29 (i think its only 130mm if I'm not mistaken) Will it be possible to fit a 150mm fork like yours?

 

I heard the rear shocks can't be upgraded on these FSR models, is that correct?

 

​I already have a dropper post but can look it's wider rims, do they make that big of a difference?

 

Thanks again for these tips!

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

My stumpy is fitted with a RockShox Revelation RC 29, i think its only 130mm if I'm not mistaken?

 

Will it be possible to fit a 150mm fork like yours?

 

I heard the rear shocks can't be upgraded on these FSR models?

 

​I already have a dropper post but can look it's wider rims, do they make a big difference?

Yes, 150mm would be fine

They can, but to go outside the Spaz compatible shocks you'd need a new collet thing jobbie for the shock to attach to.

Wider rims - depends how wide they are at the moment. They do make a difference to the ride ito grip and shock absorption. 

[BaGearA]

Stumpy is awesome ( I have the 2016 , fox sus) 

 

Pedals very very well for A 150/135 bike , maybe not as good as A camber but much better than an enduro.

 

And the stumpy is enough for 90% of the trails in SA

 

suspension setup is probs the most important thing 

[slewk]

Yes, 150mm would be fine

They can, but to go outside the Spaz compatible shocks you'd need a new collet thing jobbie for the shock to attach to.

Wider rims - depends how wide they are at the moment. They do make a difference to the ride ito grip and shock absorption. 

 

 

The rims are Roval 29 (21mm) i think

[Grease_Monkey]

My stumpy is fitted with a RockShox Revelation RC 29 (i think its only 130mm if I'm not mistaken) Will it be possible to fit a 150mm fork like yours?

 

I heard the rear shocks can't be upgraded on these FSR models, is that correct?

 

​I already have a dropper post but can look it's wider rims, do they make that big of a difference?

 

Thanks again for these tips!

 

 

Yes, 150mm would be fine

They can, but to go outside the Spaz compatible shocks you'd need a new collet thing jobbie for the shock to attach to.

Wider rims - depends how wide they are at the moment. They do make a difference to the ride ito grip and shock absorption. 

 

Yes, as Myles said, the fork is an upgradeable option. If I was you I would strongly consider the MRP Ribbon (Boost spacing), or MRP Stage (Standard spacing). They are both internally adjustable wrt travel - most forks are, but the upside here is the cost of chaging the travel - simply send to Trailtech Cycles in Nelspruit and they do the change for R300. That way you can play around with the travel to get what feels right for you. Personally I think the sweet spot is 150mm, but some prefer to go as high as 160mm.

 

As for your shock, you are going to struggle to find a replacement because of Spez's proprietary mounting options - not worth the effort in my opinion.

 

As for rims, I'll echo what Myles said, it does make a difference. If I am not mistaken your model has 21mm internal width rims - very narrow. I would look at something in the 30mm range. That way you can run a 2.4" tyre in front and 2.25" or 2.3" rear at low pressures, giving you better shock absorption and grip.

[droo]

My stumpy is fitted with a RockShox Revelation RC 29 (i think its only 130mm if I'm not mistaken) Will it be possible to fit a 150mm fork like yours?

 

I heard the rear shocks can't be upgraded on these FSR models, is that correct?

 

​I already have a dropper post but can look it's wider rims, do they make that big of a difference?

 

Thanks again for these tips!

 

Anything's possible with the right budget. Start with the setup first and go from there - bring the bike around if you need some pointers.

[slewk]

Anything's possible with the right budget. Start with the setup first and go from there - bring the bike around if you need some pointers.

 

Was already planning on bringing it in to you guys, il come by next week!

[Headshot]

My stumpy is fitted with a RockShox Revelation RC 29 (i think its only 130mm if I'm not mistaken) Will it be possible to fit a 150mm fork like yours?

 

I heard the rear shocks can't be upgraded on these FSR models, is that correct?

 

​I already have a dropper post but can look it's wider rims, do they make that big of a difference?

 

Thanks again for these tips!

I have an older enduro. Its a great bike but definitely more at the DH end of the spectrum. Your bike is a far better all rounder. That said, as a trail bike I think they have messed up a bit with the spec. A 32mm fork is not ideal especially on a 29er trail bike.  A Pike or Fox 34 would make it steer and brake better and the damping is also an improvement. 

 

The rear suspension on these bikes tends to be very linear i.e doesn't ramp up very much which leaves you relying on excess air pressure or compression damping to stop the bottoming out. I'd start by adding tokens to the air can and playing about with the sag as others have said. My rear shock is overdue for a visit to Droo for some tweaking.

[slewk]

Any recommendation for rims?

 

Having a look now and they all seem on the narrow side

 

If the wheels don't come with bolt on is it easy to convert them to it?