The 2010 Specialized StumpJumper received high praise from 29erOnline. We loved its 130 mm rear travel and its all around trail versatility – wrapped up in a moderate weight package. Since we first tested it, the StumpJumper has undergone some refinements. In addition, a carbon version has been added to the lineup. In truth, any excuse to get more time on a StumpJumper is a good excuse to me. Add some refinements and a carbon frame and I had all the excuse I needed to put in a request for a test bike.

We received not just one, but two 2012 StumpJumpers with the Comp trim. One Specialized Comp Carbon 29, which lists for $4,100 and a Comp 29, which lists for $3,000. The goal here is, not only to report on the changes made and the package that is the Comp, but also the difference between the carbon StumpJumper and the alloy version. It was very important to get the same parts on both bikes to make sure the comparison was as fair as possible.

Dueling StumpJumpers

Carbon has been one of the materials synonymous with high end in the bike industry for some time now. Early efforts at carbon fiber gave the material a reputation for great riding but also for being unreliable. Our experience from last year’s carbon Specialized Epic and various carbon parts has shown that carbon fiber has come a long way. So, why spend the extra $1,000 for carbon fiber? Is there a real benefit? Or, are we just victims of an industry trend, latching on to the next, latest and greatest? I am sure the answer is, partly yes to both questions. Our goal is to be able, not only decide what, if any, the benefits are, but also if the so-called benefits of carbon fiber are $1,000 dollars better or not.

alloy model with 400 gram pedals

weight with 500 gram flat pedals

To introduce the bikes I would like to go through the parts that are exactly alike first. Bars, stem and seat post are all Specialized branded parts. The setback seat post is a single bolt fastened to a curved square edged mount. Get the tilt on the saddles nose you like then adjust the forward or backward orientation by sliding the seat further or closer on the saddle rails. Pinch down the bolt with a number 5 allen key and proceed. The saddle is a Specialized  Henge saddle in a 143mm width. This is Specialized’s medium width saddle. Overall, it is a well liked saddle by a variety of rider types who come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The Henge has a good amount of padding and a flatter profile with a relief channel to add comfort and minimize the chance of erectile dysfunction. It is easy to move around on and it doesn’t get snagged on your shorts very easily – most likely due to its rounded profile. If you are a women and looking at this bike, I would recommend switching to one of the women’s specific models Specialized makes. Our ladies love the Ariel model and it comes in three widths toaccommodate different sit bones and shapes.

Both our StumpJumper Comps are size Large. Realistically, we can squeak a 5’9″ rider on at one end and up to a 6’2″ rider on at the other end. Outside this range, we would need a different size. Related to fit, the stem is interesting. You can change the angle of it by adjusting a shim that goes between the stem and the steer tube. You can also run it positive or negative rise to get the fit you like. The only downside is that it is a bit heavy and the angles to work with are a bit extreme at + or – 8 to 16 degrees. It would be easier to use a tighter and less dramatic angle range. Still, by combining headset spacers, and riser or flat bar varieties, we can get most people to fit the bike to their comfort.

adjustable angle stem

The shock on the Comp model is a variation of the Fox/Specialized collaboration Triad shock. It does not have a Kashima Coating, but does have pro-pedal, open, and a lock-out setting that can be accessed from the saddle. I keep knocking it out of position when I reach to remove my water bottle on the Carbon Comp version. It will be interesting to see if the alloy version has more clearance. That bike was photographed, weighed and whisked off to Calvin so this test could get under way quickly. More later…

The big news about this shock is the proprietary feature called “auto sag”. All StumpJumper 29er models come with the Auto Sag feature. This “auto sag” feature takes much of the guess work out of setting up these StumpJumpers. Just fill the shock up to 300 psi, hit the auto sag air release valve, (also known as “the red one”) and cycle through the suspension. Then, press it again and your sag should be set. Just dial in the rebound, which can even be done while you are pedaling. Proceed at your own risk – just because you can, doesn’t mean you should! My observation, so far, is that it puts me at about 20% sag. So, I view the auto sag as a reliable starting point. I am presently riding at 25% sag and I may get down a little further – closer to 30%. At 20% the ride is very firm and progressive through it’s entire stroke. So, my recommendation is to start with the auto sag determined setting, ride the StumpJumper for a while, and adjust from there. Overall, I don’t feel it is as completely dummy proof as some of the bigger magazines make it sound but it is a massive step in the right direction.

Triad feature

Another notable feature for 2012 is the switch from the 2011 model Rock Shox fork to the Fox 32 series 130 mm fork. Both are excellent forks, but the overall preference of the 29erOnline crew is Fox Forks. While talking with Eric Shuda from Specialized Bikes, I asked why Specialized went with the 32 series fork that had to be custom spec’ed to achieve a 130 mm travel range in the Evolution series instead of going with Fox’s  34 series. The simple answer seems to be weight. Remember that Specialized doesn’t classify the StumpJumper line up as All-Mountain. It is a trail bike and, therefore, a bit more weight conscious. Specialized puts a high emphasis on keeping the StumpJumper as light as possible within it’s intended purpose. This is a Trail bike that is extremely capable in the hands of an experienced rider. It was never intended to bash through obstacles and be ridden with reckless abandon. While certainly a sturdy bike, think finesse not brawn compared to the All Mountain designation.

The handle bars really stand out to me because they are wide and low. This is not uncommon. What sets them apart is that they bend backwards and flair upwards as well. In my mind, this is what makes a true riser bar. If you don’t like the width (730mm), you can always cut them down.

The drive train is mostly SRAM X7. As is common in the bike industry, the rear gets an upgrade to a SRAM X9 unit. The crank set is interesting. It is a SRAM crank with a 104 Bolt Circle Diameter that is set up for a 2×10 with a light duty bash guard. Take “bash guard” as more of a part classification than an actual mow-stuff-over endorsement. If you mow anything over, you will be disappointed with your bashed, bent up guard. Think of it more as a tidy guide ring. Again, think light weight, not brawn.

The wheels are Specialized Stout hubs with Specialized end caps that extend the surface area where it interfaces with the fork legs. Combined with the 15mm axle, the fork lowers promise to be plenty stiff. Rims are a Roval variety. To convert to tubeless, you will need to purchase tubeless tape, valve cores, and sealant. We have experience with these wheels on a few other test bikes, and have had zero issues with them in the 2 seasons we have run them. No, they are not the lightest or tightest but they are reliable and very good for the price point. The Purgatory 2.2 front and Ground Control 2.1 rear have been flawless in our wet winter conditions except for wet roots. Nothing works on them though. This is my go-to tire set up and we are working on making it our standard control tire set-up for the test bikes. In addition, the Control casings are durable, and set up tubeless better then any tire to date and with greater consistency, even as they get older. Specialized rubber gets a huge thumbs up!

Purgatory 2.25 front

Ground Control 2.1

Stopping comes from Avids Elixer brakes. The rotors are 200 millimeter front with 180 millimeter rear. They are very powerful. More on these in our final review. It’s hard to go without pedals and neither StumpJumper includes pedals, so make sure to budget in a set, or transfer your pedals over.

There are a number of notable, less obvious changes to the previous year’s models. The rear derailleur hanger has been changed and for the better. Instead of a hanger that bolts to the undersie of the frame where the 142×12 axle intersects the frame, the newer design bolts from the side – more similar to the traditional style of hanger. The newer system is much more refined and a welcome change. On the frame, the top tube shaping has been changed subtly, with the result being greater stand over clearance. The frame has internal cable routing for dropper seat posts. I did not take it on it’s first ride without the Command Post Black Light seat post that is a must have for bikes I ride. We have 2 years service from the first version of the Command Post and have done no maintenance other than changing cables. For the bottom bracket, Specialized now uses a PF30 Bottom bracket shell. The PF30 bottom bracket uses press in bearings with plastic cups. This allows companies to make all carbon bottom bracket shells. To run GXP or Shimano, cranks you will need an adaptor.  Two companies (there are others these are two that seem readily available), Enduro and Wheels Manufacturing make adaptors for most varieties of cranks. It will be interesting to see if we can see benefits to this system over time. Lastly there is a chain device simply called the dangler.

Last among new features of the 2012 StumpJumper, is the 142×12 rear through axle. The 142×12 axle adds stiffness, and peace of mind, knowing the axle is threaded into the frame with a closed drop out. The phasing out of the old-style quick release axles is a welcome change and Specialized committed to it on all the high end mountain bikes they make.

Our goals over the test series include not only to seeing how all these changes make the bike compare to the 2010 StumpJumper we loved, but also we want to determine the differences between carbon and alloy frames. Please direct questions to the comments section. We will do our best to answer them all during out testing process.

A while back, we tested a set of SUNringlé Charger Expert wheels and found them to be an absolutely excellent bang for the buck wheel set. Since then, we have been busy testing complete bikes, so not many part reviews have come through for us. However, recently, we did test of the $510 Stan’s Crest Wheelset and found them wonderfully light but not as durable as we need in order to give them a thumbs up. To my surprise, we got a bunch of questions and comments from people unhappy with the review. In addition, if we could not endorse the Crests, readers wanted to know where else to look for something similar. What wheels are light, but still up to the task of being ridden by manly men and womanly women day in and day out? Are there light wheels out there we can tell you to trust. The first company I emailed was SUNringlé who quickly delivered a set of Black Flag Pro 29 wheels to our door step.

First off, let’s just get it out there; the $675 SunRinglé Black Flag wheels (1726 grams claimed)are not as light as the $510 Stan’s Crest set (1575 grams claimed). If that 150 grams turns you off, thanks for visiting, and keep saving. I have not seen any wheels as light for the money. My question is: Do you really want to risk durability to save a little weight? The Black Flags are a little heavier and cost a bit more but if they are stiffer, don’t have an overly generous 190 weight limit, and last longer with less headaches – don’t you feel it’s worth the weight penalty and extra money? If you do, read on to the end.

Weight with rim tape and valve core. 960 grams rear

Weight front wheel with valve core and rim tape.880 grams front

The Black Flag wheel set is a XC /Trail wheel set. This means they can be raced in cross country events, marathon events, or ridden on your daily rides in the woods. The Trail label covers a broad range, but seems to have the connotation of finesse, not reckless abandon. If you plan on doing jumps and drops or plowing through rock gardens, look at SUNringlé Charger Pros instead. The Pros carry a 120 gram weight penalty (claimed) and have 4mm wider inner rim diameter, which gives tires a more square profile. For everyone else, the Black Flag wheels seem more appropriate. I do not see any weight limits to the SUNringlé Black Flags, just a usage description.

SUNringlé uses Bead Socket Technology (BST) licensed from Stan’s No Tubes. This system works with most tires on the market other than, from our experience, UST tires (universal standard tubeless), as it seems the beads are too tight to fit on the non UST wheels. BST technology allows you to use lighter tires and convert them to tubeless. The most reliable tires to use with the BST bead hooks are tubeless ready tires. I like both systems; BST and UST both perform well, if executed well.

The wheels come with all the axle end caps you need to covert your front wheel to any axle standards commonly used. It comes with open drop out standard quick release end caps, 15 qr, and 20 mm. The conversion can be done with no tools, if you have good finger strength. If not, check out our short video below. The rear wheel can also be converted to the over-sized axles common on new frames, but the adaptors must be ordered separately.

Also in the box is everything you need to convert to tubeless: Stan’s sealant, yellow rim tape designed to cover and seal the spoke holes, tubeless valve cores, instruction on how to convert the wheels and two quick release axles. This kit is very well equipped, especially for the price we have been seeing online. Around $625.00

The Black Flags come in black and silver or black and black. We have the black and black. They have black rims, black hubs and mostly black spokes with a couple of stylish white spokes. The spoke nipples are anodized red. The hubs are straight pull spokes as opposed to j-bend and the 29er wheels have 28 spokes. The bearings are “high quality” bearings. To be exact they are “Premium EZO Japanese Bearings”. They feel and spin very smoothly. If $675 is not in the budget, check out the Black Flag Experts for $475 a set

Rather then talk about engagement points and hub internals, we want to talk about the ride quality, durability, and overall value. Do you the reader get what you pay for compared to the overall market? Who should buy these wheels, and who should not? Do they perform within their advertised usage?  These are the things we will report back on in the review.

As usual, if you have any specific question, please leave them in the comments section.

Over Christmas, the 29erOnline test crew took a road trip to Blue Ridge, Georgia. North Georgia may not be the first place you’d think of of for great riding, but there are tons of trails in this area where the mountains of Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee all come together. 29erOnline rode for 2 days and really only scratched the surface.

Two hours north of Atlanta, Blue Ridge makes a excellent home base because the town is great – nice restaurants, fun shopping and even stuff for the kids to do like mine for gems or ride the train. It does not hurt that there is a good bike shop – Cycle South. Chat Sam up and he can give lots of ideas on places to ride.

Cycle South

Linda, at Blue Ridge Mountain Outfitters is also a good resource on the area (she rides as well) and it’s a nice place to pick up extra clothes. Mercier Orchards is a must visit for apples, baked goodies and a breakfast that kept us pedalling well into the afternoon.

Linda at Blue Ridge Mountain Outfitters

Lots of places to eat and hang out in Blue Ridge

Does this count as carb loading?

A little northwest of Blue Ridge is the Ocoee Whitewater Center, which is where the whitewater events for the 1996 Olympics were held.

Ocoee River at Whitewater Center

More importantly, it is home to a great bunch of trails – Tanasi. String together 30 miles and you have what is listed as an IMBA Epic Ride. The Chillhowee system is not far away as well. Start by the whitewater center, and, once you get out of the river valley, the climbing eases off and you can string together multiple loops. River View was our favorite – ride it clockwise and it opens up with a really nice downhill. Thunder Rock Express gets all the press because it is a rocky fast downhill. Dry and without leaves it is a hoot, damp and covered with leaves it felt a bit sketchy. Click here for some video of the descent.

The Crew

We stayed in a great rental cabin just outside Blue Ridge rented by Escape to Blue Ridge. After a day in the saddle, a little luxury, great mountain views, and a hot tub are hard to beat!

View from cabin

Roughing it 29erOnline style!

Want to rough it a bit more or save some money? Mulberry Gap is a campground focused on serving mountain bikers. It is outside Ellijay (20 minutes from Blue Ridge) and another great option. In the past, they served hikers, but found mountain bikers are way more cool.Mulberry Gap is also a great place to park for the day while you ride – it’s a short ride up a dirt road and you are on the trails – 25 miles in the area. Ginni will cook up an awesome pot of chili for lunch and they have showers for when you come off the trail. This worked well for us – we had a safe place to park our vehicle, and someone to help us figure out which trail we wanted to tackle. They will also help out with a shuttle run to maximize your downhill grins.

Mulberry Gap has lots of little stuff in case you forget something

Warm Chili on a cold day at Mulberry Gap

We were dodging rain, but were able to ride Pinhoti 3 which is almost 9 miles of single track. Bring your climbing legs – it is up hill (2,000 feet of elevation gain) with switchbacks right from the start. The trails are fairly smooth and held up well to the recent rain. Take the trail to the top, then turn around and bomb back down. The Pinhoti is listed as an IMBA Epic ride.

Calvin takes on one of the many switchback on Pinhoti 3

Writer Bob on Pinhoti 3

Cartecay Bike Shop is in Ellijay, not far from Mulberry Gap. Mike is very nice and helpful for information on rides. He does an enormous amount of work maintaining the Pinhoti in that area, so stop by and say “thanks”. Ellijay is also home to the only Walmart in the area and a number of chain restaurants, including the essential after ride Starbucks.

The Pinhoti system (Pinhoti 3 is just one small part) is a trail that runs from its northern Georgia terminus near Blue Ridge all the way south to Alabama. It was conceived as a connector to the famous Appalachian hiking trail that runs from Main to Georgia. When we realized that it runs 163 miles in Georgia, we had to come back, this time with a plan – to ride as much of the Pinhoti’s single track as possible. Check back soon for much more info on the PInhoti and stories of our exploits.

Since we brought up IMBA Epic rides, the Tsali trails are 1 hour 40 minutes from Blue Ridge and the Bull Mountain Epic Ride is an hour away as well, in Dahlonega. So, come stay in north Georgia and check off 4 Epic Rides from your list

The fourth bike in our $1,000 bike test is the GT Karakoram 1.0. Seemingly named after the mountain range bordering India, Pakistan and China, this mountain range is home of the highest concentration of the worlds tallest peaks, including the second tallest peak on Earth, K2. The Karakoram by GT Bicycles shows excellent promise as a real mountain bike that can tackle some big terrain.

The Karakoram line is a competitively spec’ed hard tail line up. It is composed of four models; the 1, 2, 3, and lowest priced 4. While GT’s website lists the bike’s retail at $1,100, in our searches, we found that you can get the Karakoram 1 at a national outdoor store for $999.00. So, it squeaks it’s way into our test criteria. The funny part is that the shop we ultimately picked the bike up at, told us it was a $1,600.00 bike over the phone.They told me this while I was looking at GT’s website and their website in a different window. Do your homework before you buy, that is a huge difference in pricing.

Back to the competitive spec that is on the GT. One of the first things we noticed is that it is the only bike with 32 millimeter fork lowers on a fork with rebound adjustments. The Larger diameter tubes typically allow the manufacturer to make a stiffer fork. In addition due to the larger diameter tubes they can be thinner, yielding a lighter fork as well. In the case of the GT more than likely we will notice stiffness not weight. The fork is notable because while the Specialized RockHopper we are also testing has  32 millimeter diameter lowers on its SR Suntour fork there is no rebound control like the Karakorams Rock Shox 32 fork.  Other notable components are a  Shimano XT rear derailuer,a HG62 (SLX) 11-36 cassette, and SLX shifters. The front derailluer is Alivio grade, which is Shimano’s  recreational level. While, admittedly, it works fine paired with the FSA 3×9 crankset, it would be an affordable upgrade to go to an SLX front derailleur. I confess, I get hung up on the lack of uniformity – I like parts spec’s to match. This is my neurotic tendencies talking, and, as such, is not going to be held against the GT, especially since the combined XT, SLX , Alivio, FSA, drivetrain is a significant upgrade compared to the other bikes in our test group.

Another interesting move by GT as far as the component spec is that they put SRAM brakes on an otherwise all Shimano bike. Regardless, it is appropriate for the price, and competitive with other brands’ spec in the same range.

The crankset is a FSA Gamma Drive 3×9 and it is the only set up in our test group that has an outboard bearing. This is just what it sounds like. Instead of the bottom bracket bearings threading into the bottom bracket shell, they are outside the shell. These set ups are typically stiffer, but sacrifice a bit of durability as they are more exposed. Our external bottom brackets are typically getting us two seasons of riding before they hit the junk bin. So, when we are talking about wearing out faster, it is still a reasonable shelf life. Here is where comparing bottom brackets that are housed in the shell is a little tricky and dependant on the user. The bottom brackets that are in the shell should be less exposed to contaminants. My experience with them is less then stellar as they would creak and squeak within 6 months from the beating I would give them. Plus the crank sets were never as stiff as the out board ones. For me the newer out board bearings combined with the wider stance, 2 piece crank sets offer superior performance, and durability between the two is debatable.  In the case of the FSA cranks, the cranks seem to disappear in the company of so many other notable parts on the GT Karakoram 1.

The bars, stem, and seat post are all Gravity branded which look and feel high end. The bars are very wide at 710 mm which gets a big thumbs up from us. This is not an attempt to spam you into wide bars, so why the thumbs up? We, as a group of testers, all prefer dramatically different bar widths. It isn’t necessarily height or gender specific, (we have 3 women, and 8 men that give feedback) just personal preference. The point behind encouraging wider bars, is that you can cut them down to your preferred width as you experiment over time with what works best for you. To me, this is a great move by GT and it shows they are current with market trends and they spec their bikes appropriately for their intended use as it relates to the markets demand and stereo types. In this case “trail” bike category.

Now, on to something that has me confused; the Maxxis Aspen tires mounted front and rear. Everything else on the bike really fits the Trail bike genre perfectly. For a Trail oriented bike, it seems much more appropriate to run other Maxxis options such as the Ardent 2.25, front and rear, or at minimum the Ignitor, front and rear. Now, we at 29erOnline understand that selling the bike off the showroom floor would probably be harder, as the tires we are suggesting will not be as fast on a parking lot test ride. However, the consumer needs to understand that what feels good in a parking lot may not work well on the trail. The Aspens are a fast rolling tire with solid cornering ability. On a scale of  1-10, I’d give cornering a six, but only on dry to loamy conditions. Ride wet rocks and roots and all bets are off. The fast rolling tires give up traction in wet and loose conditions. They don’t claw away at terrain like the Ardents will. They are also not a great braking tire and they give up quickly under hard braking on looser terrain. So, unless you only ride dry hard packed trails, the recommendation would be to swap out to heavier duty tires if the budget allows, or see if the shop you are buying from will trade.

The saddle is the cycling equivalent of a recliner. The WTB saddle has lots of padding. For most riders, padding on the rear is not a problem. New riders will more then likely love the comfort this saddle offers. Performance riders will probably want something a little easier to move around on with better support. Still, at this price, it is a good choice for the Karakoram.

The GT’s wheels have the ever present, in this price range, Alex rims. So far, we have little to report on the rims. While definitely not the stiffest rim we have ridden, we also have not had rim failures. We have had a problem with the All-Terra hubs; it seems as though Jamie has broken the front hub. When pulling on the front brake lever, the tires were rubbing the side of the fork legs.  The rim was fine, and spoke tension felt good. However, you could feel clicking in the hub and a fair amount of side to side play. We originally thought we wrecked the fork due to a loud snap we heard on the trail, but have since ruled it out and have isolated the hub as the problem.  NOTE: This is 3 rides into our test, so more than likely, it is a warranty issue. Notable but not alarming….yet. Stay tuned for updates in the comments section of this article as we resolve the issue. In the meantime, we have a loaner wheel so we have had minimal down time.

GT Bikes website has all it’s geometry numbers listed in metric. To help you along, we did the conversion of the geometry numbers. All are the numbers for the Medium frame. To convert the other sizes, it is 25.4 millimeters per inch.

Seat Tube: 18.5
Theoretical Top Tube: 23.75
Bottom Bracket Height: 12.4
Chain stay Length: 17.5
Stand Over Height: 28.43
Head Angle: 71 degrees
Seat tube Angle: 73 degrees
Head Tube: 4.3
Wheel Base: 43.11

It is important to note that we don’t get hung up on numbers and measurements.  A bike often rides differently than paper might indicate.

The ride, so far, is good according to Jamie, our first tester. After 2 crashes on the first day, the tires quickly got changed to a WTB Bronson 2.2 front and Prowler rear. This, just in time for a Uwharrie torture ride where the hub blew out. Despite all this, even the initial hiccups, Jamie did not want to give up the bike. He reports being more comfortable and confident on this bike, compared to the others in this category that he has ridden. Our goal is to enter it into a race in March as a stock bike for Jamie to ride.  He is hoping to get up to the Expert ranks, so his confidence in the GT should tell you something.

A bike named after a mountain range boasting the highest peaks in the world conveys to us that the GT Karakoram wants to be ridden hard on the most challenging terrain we can throw at it. Over the next couple of months that’s what we will be doing. Stay tuned to see how the GT holds up in our $1,000 bike series.

Hot from the news room at 29erOnline – Niner Bikes has just released a new version of the Air 9 – the Air 9 RDO. Being Niner, RDO stands for something – Race Day Optimized. This is a carbon hard tail race bike for which the frame alone lists for $2,099. Not cheap, but at less than 2.5 pounds, it is half a pound lighter than the standard carbon Air 9, which was already pretty light. Check out Niner’s web site for all the details and enjoy some eye candy on us.

Niner Air 9 RDO

Niner Air 9 RDO frame comes in under 2.5 pounds

In late August we received the Intense Spider 29 frame, and built it up with our 29erOnline build kit, a blend of SLX/X9, Thomson, Specialized tires and, new this year, Roval wheels, just in time to whisk it away to the Adirondacks in New York State. Little did I know, it would be hard for me to get more time on it as it would become the most universally loved bike we have tested at 29erOnline. Testers kept coming up with reasons to keep it longer and longer! When asked the mandatory “weaknesses” question of our interview, everyone, from trail riders to marathon cross country riders, men and women, seemed to fumble around and search pretty hard to come up with anything negative to say. Over the course of our review, we rode all types of terrain; long, loose rock gardens, fast, bermed out roller coaster trails, tight, slow-speed single track, long climbs, quick, steep climbs, rocky, rooty east coast single track and we rode in all types of conditions; from rain storms to sloppy muddy horse torn trails and rock gardens to dry hardpack. Through it all, the frame just kept ticking along.

As a reminder, this is a full suspension bike with travel that adjusts between 4 and 4.7 inches in the rear. We received it as a frame-only rather than complete bike.  Check here for our complete introduction to the bike. Now, let’s get to the truly important stuff – here is the break down of how it rides.

Handling: The Intense is nimble.  Compared to 29er race bikes, it is on par. The difference, however, is that it has more travel and offers more comfort. It felt very balanced at slow speed and reacted well to snapping the pedals to navigate tight terrain. This bike can be put where you want it with less effort then similar style bikes.

Intense uses the VPP suspension licensed from Santa Cruz Bikes. For this particular bike Intense seems to have tuned the VPP linkage in conjunction with the rear Fox RPL shock to pedal very efficiently and level small bumps well at the price of mid sized hits. The Spider 29 seems to absorb mid sized hits but you can still feel what you hit. Our testers loved this connection with the terrain. If you are looking for a gooshy travel, trail leveling bike, Intense’s Tracer 29 is the better choice.

Climbing: There were no complaints about climbing. Every tester (4 men and 3 women total) that climbed on the bike commented on how well the Intense pedaled. It did not matter if the bike was in 4 inch mode or 4.7 inch (120mm) travel mode, the Intense kept its wheels planted, and digging into roots and rocks without sagging into its travel. It walks the fine line between plush and crisp perfectly. The Intense does not have a steep head tube angle, but it never felt slack either. Its geometry seems to have nailed the balance between twitchy and loose. If you look at the numbers on paper, you could easily see the mid travel (for a 29er) 6 pound, 15 oz frame, and tall – by today’s standards – bottom bracket, and assume it would not stay glued down on climbs. Get that out of your head, it climbs with the best of them.

Descending: It is a solid descender. I wouldn’t say descending is its strongest suit but at the same time, it never gave me reason to dislike it. It is easy enough to stay in control of and it seems stable. Admittedly, the bike isn’t my style for descending, as I prefer a slacker front end with a very plush, active rear end. I was the only one out of 7 people who rode the bike that felt anything negative about its ability to descend. The testers were very happy with its agility overall, and that applies to descending as well. The bike is easy to control with enough cushion to absorb mistakes, or to allow you to pick the fastest lines, rather than the smoothest. My impressions are based on the the bike set in 4.7 inch mode front and rear (120 mm). I spent very little time with it in 4 inch mode. For more on 4 inch mode, see Video 1, Jamie’s interview, where he covers this set-up a bit.  I felt it pedaled so well in the longer travel mode, I never saw the need for the 4 inch mode. To me, the 4 inch mode felt a little harsher than I like.

Strengths: The Intense doesn’t do anything badly. I believe it has the ability to transform itself to fit the needs of the bulk of trail user types. With the right set up, it could be a rugged trail bike. With a light weight kit, it could easily be a marathon racing bike. Or, pick a happy medium, and have a bike that can do it all. I believe its real strength is its ability to ride nearly any terrain comfortably.

Weaknesses. For the marathon racers, it is a little bit heavy. I would say around 1/2 a pound too heavy in the frame. The Intense is a happy medium bike. The price of this middle of the road approach is that it doesn’t do any one thing perfectly. It is a little heavy to be a true racer, and a little light and tight to be a true, as the industry calls it, All Mountain bike. Is that really a weakness? Not according to the test crew. I would say that the biggest real problem we had was chain suck issues. However, Jamie and I were the only ones who had this problem. The bike still pedaled, but the chain would rub the chain stay yoke as a product of is weaving it’s way between the chain rings and the top of the yoke. I would say that on a 2×10 set up it wouldn’t be a problem. The other thing would be to keep your drive train clean. This is a luxury we really don’t have in the southeast during the winter time.

Another point that I didn’t like, but, again, the testers didn’t care about, is that the lever on the RPL shock would occasionally bounce out of position and end up in the lock-out mode. The Fox RP23 would be a much better choice. The RPL has a rebound control, a lock-out actuated by a lever on the shock, and a platform actuated by the same lever as the lockout. In truth even the most finicky pedal bob zealots didn’t ever touch the Propedal option. This bike is a set it and forget it bike that really seems to cater to the rider who wants the best machine possible. As such, deserves a high end Kashima coated shock, not a finicky shock like the Fox RPL.

Things of note: We were asked about rear tire clearance, specifically, if a 2.4 inch tire would work. The answer; it fits but, I wouldn’t do it. There is very little room between the yoke and the tire tread. For reference, the tire we used for this test was a Specialized Purgatory 2.4. With clearance this tight, any amount of mud would be a problem. Why isn’t this listed as a weakness? For our purpose, we find a 2.25 to be enough. However, it would be nice if there was more clearance for the guys that want to run a 140mm fork, use it as a all-mountain bike and have tires best suited to that purpose.

2.4 specialized purgatory in the spider 29

So, if you want comfort and efficiency but you also want to have a sports car type suspension, the Spider 29 is the bike for you. Add in great handling, and a do it all personality and you get a bike so appealing that I may have to break into some body’s garage so that I can return it to Intense!

29erOnline has been saying for a while that 29ers are not just for big people. Niner Bikes apparently agrees – they are releasing a new XS frame size in the EMD 9 that fits people between 5′ and 5’5″ tall. Here are some bits from their press release, or check out Niner’s website for more information.

22.5″ TOP TUBE
(over 1/2″ shorter than size small)

14″ SEAT TUBE
(1-1/2″ shorter than size small)

3.9″ HEADTUBE
(3/32″ shorter than size small)

RECOMMENDED HEIGHT RANGE OF 5’0″ TO 5’5″

27″ STANDOVER
(1-1/4″ lower than size small)

Here’s what you WON’T find on the smallest E.M.D. 9:

NO TOE OVERLAP

NO SEATSTAY BRIDGE
Improves comfort on a smaller frame and maintains the tire clearance we demand.

NO PROBLEM WITH BOTTLE FIT
A large waterbottle (270mm, 24oz Polar brand) will fit inside the main triangle.

Can’t decide if you want a hard tail or full suspension? I have been rotating back and forth between my hard tail and full suspension bike lately. I enjoy riding both and have been pondering the phrase “pedals like a hard tail”. The inference and conventional wisdom is that hard tails pedal more efficiently than full suspension bikes, and, therefore, the best. It seems pretty intuitive that, yes, a hard tail is more efficient – nothing moving besides the drive train. That said, rather than debating the relative pedaling efficiency of hard tails vs full suspension, I think “rides like a hard tail” is more a more useful way of looking at things when comparing the the two types of bikes.

Full suspension with all the complexity of pivots and shock

The elegant simplicity of a hard tail

Why do I say “rides like a hard tail” is more useful? As far efficiency goes, I honestly wonder if the average rider will notice any downside to riding a quality full suspension bike – by quality I mean a bike in the general league of full suspension bikes most major manufacturers list for more than $2,000. I guess there are two caveats to this statement.

First, it has to be set up correctly. If sag, rebound, etc are not at least in the ballpark, all bets are off on how it will perform. Second, is that I am not fortunate enough to live where there are the types of long, steep, smooth climbs where I alternate between pedaling out out of the saddle and spinning at a high cadence while seated. When I have slogged up a hill for an hour straight, I confess, I have resented even the thought of any energy being wasted by the suspension moving around due to pedaling forces. But really, it’s not like climbing for an hour is fun – no matter what you are riding. (I have also felt like locking out the front shock had more impact on long climbs – but that’s another article.)

So, back to the idea of riding like a hard tail. Compared to riding a full suspension bike, riding a hard tail is a much more active experience – you stand to absorb impacts and you choose your line more carefully to keep the back end from bouncing around too much and popping you off the seat. You are much more in touch with every nuance of the trail. On the full suspension, you probably do those same things, but to a lesser degree. You are more likely to just choose a line and let the suspension do its thing while you stay seated, which can save some abuse on the body. This ability to just point it down and go fast with full suspension definitely adds to the grin factor on the downhills.

I suppose one way to look at it is that, since the level of engagement required on the hard tail is greater, spending time on a hard tail probably makes you a sharper rider, and, therefore, a better rider. Alternately, riding smoother and feeling less beat up means you’ll ride longer and more, which makes you a better rider.

Keeping all components equal, hard tails are cheaper and lighter, since they lack things like linkages and rear shocks. A Specialized Stumpjumper Comp Carbon hard tail is $900 cheaper than a Specialized Camber Comp Carbon with largely the same component kit and weighs several pounds less. A lighter bike can have snappier handling and feel quicker. Lighter bikes are great and handle a bit differently, but see Death of a Weight Weenie on why I am not hung up on the weight issue more. Plus, with $900 in your pocket, you could put the extra money towards a higher component spec, snazzy outfits and a decent biking trip.

So, is there a winner in this discussion? For me, as in most of life, there is no clear cut, one size fits all answer. If I could only have one bike, but had a good sized budget, full suspension is my choice. On a rough, rooty trail, my achy back says yes, and, on a big old downhill, the grin on my face leaves little question that the extra money is worth it. Start bringing more variables into the equation, and the decision is less clear. It really depends on how and what you ride and how deep your wallet is. On a smoother trails with a limited budget, the racy, active feel of a hard tail would be nothing to complain about – racy with money in your pocket might just be something to cheer about.

Bottom line is you can have a ton of fun on both on any type of trail. Just don’t feel like you need to choose based on perceived efficiency – choose based on how you want to ride and what best fits your budget. Of course, if you can swing both, then you can set the bikes up differently and choose which one to ride based on your mood.

Light wheels can make a huge difference in performance – more so than any other component on your bike. With many companies making all sorts of claims as they clamour for their wheels to get a spot on your bike, the choices can be difficult. Add in cost and things can get overwhelming.

700 grams for a front wheel, quick release, tubeless tape and valve core

880 grams for a rear wheel, quick release, rim tape and valve core

Stan’s No Tubes, out of Elmira New York, was one of the first companies to offer a 29er rim that could be run tubeless and was light enough to compete with 26 inch wheels, or at least bridge the gap. In my mind, they were instrumental in making 29ers a viable option at a key point in the history of the 29er. They did not stop with a light, tubeless rim; their line included mid weight and heavier duty rims to provide the entire range of wheel types for the big wheel enthusiasts. While being one of the first to really invest in 29ers, and having a broad lineup is nice, in today’s competitive 29er wheel market, they have to perform in order to earn our thumbs up.

The wheelset we have is a Crest 29er Stock Wheelset. The internal rim width is 21mm. It is a laced 3 across with a light gauge 2.0 to 1.7 spokes (14/16 gauge). This appears to be a double butted spoke. Double butted spokes are well suited to disc brake wheels, as the ends are thicker than the center. The thicker section (2.0 or 14 gauge) is in the area most prone to breaking and the thinner section (1.7 or 16 gauge) has better elasticity, so the spokes won’t get brittle as easily from repeated flex from braking force.

Since they are called No Tubes, not surprisingly, the rims are tubeless ready. You will still need to run sealant, but almost any tire can be converted to tubeless using this system. Please be sure to read the tire manufacturers material with regards to tubeless use, and remember, this is always done at your own risk.

Without listing every tire we have run on them, Stan’s tubeless system works well across a wide range of tires except UST standard tires which are very tight and borderline impossible to get on. Of course, we have burped every tire we have run, on every tubeless combination. Typically, this is due to failing to keep enough air in the tires and leaning hard and pumping through a turn. I still feel that tubeless set ups are more reliable then a tube set up. Usually, if you burp a tire, you would more then likely have pinch flatted a tube anyway.

Our Stan’s Crest rims are fairly narrow, so we chose not to run more then a 2.1 tire. There is still a slight balloon shape even at this width. You have to keep in mind its intended use, XC. These are very light weight wheels, so the emphasis is on low weight, not on keeping a square profile on a tire. It is an appropriate width rim for its intended use, and on par with other XC rated wheels. If you plan on running a really wide set of tires, look at the Arch or Flow rims by Stan’s.

The 3.30 Stan’s branded hubs are, to me, a real focal point of these wheels. They really stand out as a great value. They can easily be converted between 15 qr and standard drop outs without any special tools. The rear can also be converted to 12×142 without any special tools. To do this, I prefer using a vice with soft grips very gently pressed onto the end caps. Then, gently rock the wheel back and forth while pulling up gently. The end cap pops out and you can replace it with the adapter caps. Or, as in the pictures below, you can use vice grips, which I am absolutely sure Stan’s doesn’t advocate but it still works, if you don’t have access to proper tools. Again, the key here is be gentle! You don’t need much force and you definitely don’t need lots of clamping force. On a good day, I have even done it with my fingers and it probably should be tried this way first. If you have any doubts, please go to your local shop. If you bought them online, don’t forget the six pack for the mechanics

Back to the hub’s performance and why they are such a good value. The bearings roll very smoothly and the tight ratchets react well to quick bursts and pedal kicks. Overall, they are responsive and very smooth, especially for the money. In my mind, they are an excellent value and the real selling point of this wheelset.

With some caveats, unfortunately, this is where the good ends. These wheels are recommended for riders that weigh up to 190 pounds. I am 20 pounds over that recommendation and our other testers that spent time on them are under that number. One 20 pounds under, the other 55 pounds under that number. Riding in an aggressive XC style, literally, every other ride, the spokes completely de-tensioned, and were flopping around in the wind. I had as many as 8 spokes loosen up to this degree during one ride. We got the wheel re-tensioned 3 times and thread lock designed for spoke nipples put on. That improved things from 8 loose spokes to 4 at a time. After going through this process, I threw in the towel on these wheels. In my opinion, I was asking nothing out of these wheels that that they should not have been able to deliver on – wheels should not de-tension regardless of rider weight.

To be fair, our 135 pound rider thought nothing bad about them. Myself and the 170 pound rider couldn’t get past the wiggle felt in the back from the wheel flexing. It is our opinion that the weight penalty of 100 grams or so on similar wheels offered by other companies is worth the stiffness and reliability gained. Best case scenario is that the wheels were poorly built or manufacturing tolerances are not great. Either way, they can’t really get our recommendation until they prove more reliable.

So the verdict: if you are a light rider with a finess riding style, these wheels may work fine. I would recommend riding them for a couple of days, then bringing them into a shop with an excellent wheel builder and having them re-tension the wheel. Another option is to use them as a dedicated race day wheelset on smooth race courses. Everyone else, look elsewhere.

The Marin Alpine Trail 29 is the third bike in our $1,000 bike test. It comes in below our $1,000 limit at $899. There isn’t a whole lot of marketing hype around this bike. No catchy phrases describing why the Alpine trail will change your life. Instead, Marin provides straight forward information about what the Alpine trail is, a 6061 aluminium 29er hardtail that has a spec like more expensive bikes but a price $100 cheaper. Understated as the Marin is, the spec is solid.

Marin Bikes, located in Marin County, California, has a storied history that matches its location. In fact, Marin County is considered by many to be “the birth place of mountain biking”. Some big names in the industry like Joe Murray and Steve “gravy” Gravinites did/do work for Marin Bikes. Lesser known, but pretty cool, is the fact that Marin’s offices moved from a Coca-Cola bottling facility to the Grateful Dead’s recording studio. Maybe this is why they are subtle in their approach. With roots like those, I guess you don’t need to overstate yourself.

As with the other bikes in our test, hydraulic brakes are a must. The Alpine Trail uses Tektro Draco hydraulic brakes with 160mm rotors. So far, so good. Primarily, we prefer hydraulic brakes for their combination of power and modulation. The added power helps you control your bike without taxing your forearm muscles and, because they are hydraulic, they are easier to control.

The Marin comes with a Rock Shox XC 28 Tk mag 29. It has a lockout, preload and rebound. Lockout keeps the shock stiff, preload sets sag, and rebound controls the rate the fork returns to it’s starting position. It is nice to see the rebound feature on a bike at this price point. From our initial rides on these forks, they all need rebound damping.

The Alpine Trail 29 has a Marin OEM handlebar, seat post and stem. The seat post is a 27.2 variety, with 2 bolts that make adjusting the tilt of the saddle easy. Marin Bikes opted for a smaller seat post diameter for comfort reasons. The smaller diameter seat posts offer a small amount of flex that some riders believe adds comfort. Realistically, an aluminium post is stiff. If you really want to benefit from some flex in your seat post, you need to look at titanium or carbon fiber. Still, it is a nice feature.  WTB handles the seating area with a Silverado saddle.

The handlebars have a 31.8 diameter and are 680 mm wide. The stem is very short for our 19″ frame, which contributes to the fact that the positioning is upright on this bike. More advanced riders may want a longer stem with less rise so they can weight the front end a little more, and to allow for stretching out.

Marin uses a much shorter top tube than many other bikes with the same seat tube height. Again, they do this because they want the rider to be more upright and their bikes nimble enough for trail riding. Their bikes are designed to handle switchbacks and the tight, twisty terrain that characterizes the trails in Marin County, California.

The wheels are a sealed hub variety laced 32 hole 3 cross on Alex double wall alloy  rims. I can’t find any information about this rim, so we will be paying close attention to them during testing. The Geax Saguaro tires are fairly knobby tires rated as an all around tire, which is fitting for a bike that needs to be able to handle whatever its rider wants to try.

The cranks are by Truvative and called Blaze 3.0. It is a triple ring crank set with a splined bottom bracket. The 44/32/22 chain rings, combined with the 34 tooth 9 speed Shimano cassette, should provide plenty of gearing for every type of trail.

Speaking of gearing, the drive train, primarily Shimano Alivio, has a Shimano Deore rear derailleur. So far, these parts have been reliable workhorses. No, they won’t wow you, but they work well, and are affordable to replace, when the time comes.

In short, the Marin Alpine Trail 29 is an understated bike. From the subdued grey color, to the black components with low key graphics, it is a functional bike with very good value for your dollar. Stay tuned to our testing to learn more about how it performs.