HELP! Specialised camber or stump jumper and why?

born-again-biker

born-again-biker

Is looking for a 16" bar
What about the Trek Fuel EX ?
They reckon it's the ultimate all-rounder??
Adjustable geometry should give you a bit of both worlds??
 
bonss

bonss

Likes Bikes
Also just revisited the giant website and watched their trance video aNd it certainly seems to be directed at more downhill style riding.
 
P

Paulie_AU

Likes Dirt
I have a 2016 trance advanced 1 and while it climbs fine it does that in the context of a very capable decender. Also I ride road 5 days a week so likely use pure fitness to make it climb everything. Have ridden a 2017 Anthem Advance 1 and it was great, I hammed it uphill significantly better than the trance and was stable down serious chunder. If your preference is XC I would 100% lean towards the anthem. I also hit all my normal jump lines on the anthem and it was really nice and stable. Great XC all rounder.
 
K

Katabatic

Cannon Fodder
FWIW, I bought a Stumpy FSR Comp 29er in March, having test ridden a myriad of different bikes, including the Trance, Norco Optic, Focus Spine, Scott Genius, plus others.
The clincher for me was really about how I felt on the bike, in all terrain conditions - it just felt natural. Living in Tassie, we do a lot of climbing but also some awesome longer down trails and having the all-round capability, travel and speed of the Stumpy has been awesome.
Once i'd ridden it at Derby, I knew I'd made the right decision, the bike is amazing. Much more nimble than I thought a 29er could be, super-stable in the air and very forgiving if you mess up!
I'm 5'9, 173cm and bought a Medium - I'm so happy with the bike for my style of riding, I can't stop smiling every time I ride it!
I guess that's the thing here - YOU need to be comfortable on the bike and the right one will just "feel right". That was certainly the case for me. I was tempted to go the Canyon path and I may next time, but for my first big upgrade in a while, this was the right process to follow, resulting in the right bike for me.
Good luck!
 
Ultra Lord

Ultra Lord

Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
bonss said:
Also just revisited the giant website and watched their trance video aNd it certainly seems to be directed at more downhill style riding.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't pay too much mind to the video mate, the trance goes either way quite comfortably with a change of tyres and bars/stem.
 
The Duckmeister

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
bonss said:
Also just revisited the giant website and watched their trance video aNd it certainly seems to be directed at more downhill style riding.
Click to expand...
Ultra Lord said:
I wouldn't pay too much mind to the video mate, the trance goes either way quite comfortably with a change of tyres and bars/stem.
Click to expand...
Watch any promo video & you'll see much more descending than climbing, even when the subject is an XC bike. Climbing just doesn't lend itself to an exciting clip.
 
bonss

bonss

Likes Bikes
Finally found a shop which has the camber Comp 29 and I get to take it for a ride on Wednesday!
Should be interesting since my last bike was a 26!
 
Logic

Logic

Likes Dirt
bonss said:
Finally found a shop which has the camber Comp 29 and I get to take it for a ride on Wednesday!
Should be interesting since my last bike was a 26!
Click to expand...
I had a similar experience to you, I moved from a 2011 26 inch Trek Fuel to and 29 specialized enduro, made the worlds difference! Climbing especially was phenomenal!

Eventually moved down to a 27.5 because after riding one of my buddies 27.5 version I found it was heaps more 'fun and flickable'.

I'm sure you'll notice a massive difference though!
 
bonss

bonss

Likes Bikes
Logic said:
I had a similar experience to you, I moved from a 2011 26 inch Trek Fuel to and 29 specialized enduro, made the worlds difference! Climbing especially was phenomenal!

Eventually moved down to a 27.5 because after riding one of my buddies 27.5 version I found it was heaps more 'fun and flickable'.

I'm sure you'll notice a massive difference though!
Click to expand...

This is what worries me about getting a 29..
I'm worried I'm going to be making a mistake
 
Logic

Logic

Likes Dirt
bonss said:
This is what worries me about getting a 29..
I'm worried I'm going to be making a mistake
Click to expand...
Why are you worried? Just give it a test ride to see if you like it, if not, give something else a try.
Who knows, a 29er could be the perfect bike for you!
 
The Duckmeister

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
Short riders and 29" wheels do not go well together; the wheels are stupidly out of proportion to the frame, which only serves to accentuate the geometry compromises.
 
Nambra

Nambra

Definitely should have gone to specsavers
Giant certainly is good value for money and their warranty is also excellent. I liked my Trance when I had it, just a good all round trail bike.

That said, there are shitloads of similar bikes out there - Trek, Norco etc. We must be coming up to end of year sale time too, so while you're still confused, keep your eye out for some good deals!

I think your main decision needs to be wheel size. At your height, a 27.5 bike might be a better choice. Yes, the modern 29er geometry seems a lot better now and has evolved from super slick XC racers to more trail/AM style bikes, but they are still physically big bikes and IMHO better suited to taller folk. The small and medium sized 29ers often look out of proportion and surely must feel awkward to ride. By all means try them out if you can, but I suspect you'll feel more at home on 27.5.

Edit: didn't read Ducky's post... What he said!
 
flamin'trek

flamin'trek

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Watching this thread with interest after my frame cracked on the weekend I now need to look for something newer. Old bike was 26" XC race bred, think I want to go something a bit more trail oriented but have concerns about going to 29" wheels becuase the last one I test ride wasn't as much fun in tight single track as my 26" and it was an s-works while mine had pretty heavy wheels.
 
Flow-Rider

Flow-Rider

Burner
I test rode some of the upper end Cambers in 2016, I rode both the 27 and 29er model. I didn't feel comfortable the way the 29er reacted on the larger jumps that it's probably not even intended for but other than that it was a really nice bike. I would have owned one any day of the week just the price point was a bit high for me.
 
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