Mr Crudley
Glock in your sock
Well, glad that is all sorted out now(You're a bloody soothsayer @Mr Crudley...)
This update's a bit all over the joint - so bear with me!
Backtracking a bit, I took the new Banshee Spitfire build for a ride Easter Friday up at Mount Macedon. For those that haven't been it's very raw, narrow hand cut trails that can be pretty loose and chattery and are often very, very steep. Although the coiled Spitfire should've been an obvious match, I just didn't feel comfortable on it the whole time. Didn't worry too much about it, just put it down to the trails having been pretty corrugated and my shoulder still not being back to full strength after snapping my collarbone a while back (and also trying to adjust to new, very powerful brakes in the Cura 4's).
Anyway, jumping forward again to the present - I realised yesterday I had enough spares to build my 5010 up to a complete bike to sell. Got to it, and had it all back together this morning. Took it for a quick ride around the yard to check everything functioned and thought "Bugger selling this!". Took all of about 2 corners to realise I f**ked up with the Banshee and it's too small for me. I promptly swapped all the goodies from my Spitfire over to this (sans the DHX2 which is the right size eye to eye, but would cause lower link to contact the frame at full travel). Front end on this feels so much better just from having a bit more room from the longer reach and slightly slacker HA, and it just felt super planted. It was also pretty obvious that the shorter chainstays make it super playful and easy to lift the front and flick the bike around.
I know this thing isn't going to climb near as well as the Spitfire, but those short loops around the yard showed me why I fell in love with this thing in the first place, and gave me a reality-check about selling it.
Jumping the timeline again - I also rode my hardtail a week or so back- which I loved at the time, but my back ached for the whole week afterwards so it'll be retired from active duty and go back on the trainer. Since then I've started planning to run two dual-susp bikes - one for milder trails that would otherwise be hardtail territory (if my back wasn't so stuffed), and building a "big bike" for the steep and hairy places like Macedon or Bright.
The upshot of all that was - I just accidentally (re-)found my trail bike!
View attachment 352349
Got to admit to entertaining thoughts of a custom front triangle for the Spitty, and making it my "big" bike. But we'll see if that pans out in reality...
Maybe if you put the 5010 and Spitfire is a room with some red wine, soft candlelight and some Barry White and you might get what you are really after.
I guess both bikes have their own character and might not do all you need. I know you have done quite a bit of adjusting but could more be the way out of this situation? Stem and saddle position etc. It might be to hard to line each one 5o compare and may not help in the end so swapping bolts ones will have to be it.
I see further tweakage in your future. I almost feel guilty riding the ye olde SC and it just feels right and I''m not messing with it.
Someone will say those 3 words soon 'New bike time'.
You have an excellent parts bin too. Hubba Hubba.
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