Finally got to try these along with the old niner rkt 9 rdo, was shocked I liked the Scalpel SE best. Really hated the spur and that was the one I thought going in I’d like the best. I’m 6’4” 190 lbs, thought the Scalpel SE would be too short in an XL but somehow it was very comfortable. The Orbea felt scary downhill even compared to the old Niner with less rear travel. And for myself if you get up to pedal uphill on occasion I felt the Cannondale kept the best traction. Really liked that Cannondale uses Shimano brakes even with Shram components, they felt much more confident when going downhill. The true test was playing with my power meter and heart rate from my road bike. Which confirmed the Scalpel went uphill with the least effort. My fastest time was with the Niner, second worst time was with the Traditions, it’s slow to climb compared to the others and didn’t have a great turning radius with its longer more slack set up. I felt like the XL Spur was more difficult to steer through rougher tight New England trails. Orbea felt the fastest but on a timed trail it was slower then the Scalpel SE which surprised me and actually used more energy to climb as well as having a slightly higher heart rate during the climb. Downhill I actually liked the Yeti the best, unfortunately uphill it was the worst, lost traction easy when standing through tough stuff, was a bit heavier then the rest also. Never bothered measuring it since it was the slowest uphill. It was tough finding bikes to test took me a few months to get through my list. Also tried the Specialized Epic EVO, didn’t love its climbing ability lots of lost traction without its auto lock out system that’s used on the regular Epic. Everyone has raved about the Spur so I was most excited to try it and which probably caused some of my let down, definitely not as fast or as agile as raved about. For a trail bike it’s lighter but still just a trail bike, no XC turning ability, no XC climbing ability, no real trail downhill ability, it’s a twener that missed the marks for me. Due to its geometry you feel like you should be going faster but it quickly bottoms out and gets sketchy. While the Cannondale gives you a realistic feel of the control you have over thinking you have more control then you do and letting you get into a tough ride. I wish I could combine Cannondale’s uphill traction with Yeti’s downhill. Felt like the Cannondale wasn’t the best at any category but it fell into 2nd or 3rd in every to average out as most well rounded for myself. Never found Trek or Scott in stock anywhere in a demo XL or even a regular stock XL.
the Tallboy and Ripley fall into the "Trail" category, where all the bikes in this showdown are a little more XC. It does look like we need to do a Spur vs Ripley vs Tallboy video though.
Great feedback, thank you. Thee SB115, Ranger, and Spur all on our wish list. One other review put the 115 bottom of the pack but you guys and one other roundtable praised the 115. Will be moving from an Izzo and wondering how any 3 of these stack up. Loving the short travel segment.
Nice job on the video, easy to relate to your input. I am now riding an Epic Evo Pro, and have an SC Highball as my back-up. After riding HT bikes for about 30 years, riding the Evo has been a HUGE eye opener for me about what makes a mountain bike fast (and fun). Every time my Evo breaks down (last time due to somebody running into me, trails have become pretty busy during the pandemic) it's a difficult adjustment to go back to the Highball. I look at the Highball as a capable gravel bike now, and less so as a MTB. Another "short travel 29er" may be added to my stable in place of the Highball, and your video provided some great insight. The Spur is looking pretty good, but so is the new Blur TR (and SC's lifetime warranty). Decisions, decisions...
@@LastAphelion alright there mate? How timely you should ask. Whilst there was nothing wrong with the bike, decided to sell it and get myself the Orbea Oiz TR. Haven't got the chance to ride on the Oiz however but if you go to my channel in end Aug, you would likely see the Oiz post built 🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾
How about the Epic Evo and Blur S TR. Lots of peddling with some rocks and roots for fun in the Midwest. Will be adding the Oiz to the list of ST Extreme XC bikes.
We don’t carry Specialized so we won’t be able to do the Epic Evo. The Blur TR isn’t new for this year so that’s why it didn’t make it into the showdown. These bikes are all new as of this year.
I seriously feel like people are getting HUGE bikes when they don’t need them. I have a nuke proof scout 2021 and it has a 450 mil reach and it doesn’t feel short at all. I am also 6,0
I have a friend who works in a bike shop in NY though i live in NC now. I can get a 2021 115 T-2 with XO for 7800.00, no sales tax due to me being in NC and FREE shipping, if i want ride wrap the partial is 150 and 250 entire, weight is 27 pounds even and carbon wheels drop another pound, they only have 1 in medium and it's the BLANCO/white, its BEAUTIFUL, he just sent me some pics Today
Hey guys thanks for the comparison. I think we all appreciate these types of shootouts. I am interested in the x01 spur but saw its back ordered well into next year. I am a tweener kind of like Brock although I'm a little taller 5'10" and was wondering what Brock preferred in the end. I am worried the large would feel too unwieldy esp around techy climbs but would feel better on not getting bucked on downhills.
Brock ended up fitting much better on a medium Spur. Transition has a lot of overlap with their sizing recommendations. I'm 6'2" so I kind of fall between a L and XL (about the same split where you are between M and L.) I rode both and decided on the XL. I feel like the longer reach and wheelbase really emphasize the strengths of this bike. Plus in our area most of the climbs are more open and straightforward.
Glad we could throw a wrench in your plans! We didn’t include the Blur because it wasn’t new this year like the rest of the bikes in the video. And we don’t carry specialized so we didn’t include the Epic.
The Ripley is closer to the Tallboy in the trail category. The Spur gets closer to those bikes than the others in the test. I guess the progression from XC to trail would be Oiz, Scalpel, SB115, Spur, Ripley and Tallboy.
Would love to see an in depth head to head of the Spur vs. Ripley! Thanks for all of the work you guy's put into these videos! Do you have an xl Spur for demo?
@@bikersedge I have a deposit on the Spur at the moment. It was a toss up for me between these 3 bikes. I haven't ridden any one of these but as a daily driver and I like to put in some climbs, a bike like the spur feels like it fits the bill. Anyone would be great I think but I went with the Spur on reviews, climbing and descending capabilities and I think it's the best looking bike between the 3. Please do a head to head with all these bikes, maybe I might change my mind!
@@bikersedge Absolutely love the reviews and your videos. Best out there hands down. I think it has the most comprehensive information, and non biased reviews. Well done.
Great reviews and format, question......I've got an Occam with a 36.....looking for it's lighter little bro...Spur seems like the ticket...love your opinion.....Thanks and keep up the great work
Hey thanks! I think any one of these would be good as a short travel option. If you want lighter, I'd skip on the Yeti. It would probably weigh the same as your Occam. The Spur would be great if you prioritize DH performance. The Scalpel and Oiz are both going to be super fast uphill.
On the subject of the SID suspension did you ride both the Ultimate and Select+ versions and was there a noticeable difference between the two? While I appreciate the intended use of the Race Day Damper, I am leaning more towards the select+ platform for general trail riding or longer rides and am wanting to know if there is a discernible difference (besides the weight)
Conner. Another great video. I wonder if the ibis ripley fits this category? I have a sb100 that I’m considering giving to my son and was thinking about getting a ripley or the sb115.
@@bikersedge Right on. I'm debating going from a Ripmo AF to something like this. I find I'm not so much into the high risk enduro type riding as I am general trail riding.
I go back and forth on this all the time. On one hand, a trail bike makes mellower trails more fun. On the other, It's less forgiving and I find myself more likely to crash. The reason a trail bike is more fun on easy trails, is it doesn't make them as easy.
@@bikersedge Having just moved to Bellingham WA and really wanting to explore Canada trails (non park) when the border opens I think I'm going to keep the Ripmo AF and throw some less burley tires on it (thinking DHF or Dissector / Rekon) I loved your video on tires recently!
Was a tallboy going to be something you thought of buying over the spur. How big a difference is the descending between the two with the spur in Stock form with the Sid. I am in Quebec right now riding and shit is rough out here. I will be planning more trips out east and out west. I went with the spur based on weight being a factor, and also that if may come close enough on the descending vs the Spur being on a different level than the tallboy climbing and technical cross country trails. I am hoping to do bigger distance rides and I wanted a bike that could do considerable miles but still party when needed. Thoughts?
They’re both great. We’ve had a ton of folks asking for a Spur/Tallboy/Ripley comparison. Looks like we will be putting one together here. The Spur is a lot lighter and climbs better than a Tallboy. That will help with the big rides. It has the geometry for riding tough descents. It lacks a bit of travel and stiffness compared to the Tallboy.
@@bikersedge The stiffness was mentioned in a few videos (MTB savant) I'm 185 fully packed riding, so I hope In that zone where the vertical compliance of the bike will be an asset. As long as it's not "flexi" I'm a tiny bit worried about pedal strikes. I have a fair amount of tech here in the east coast. Shorter cranks could be the trick. Thanks for the response.
Thanks for the quick response. Yeah - I’m thinking 130 on the front, with maybe some beefier wheels/tires could be great setup on an already sick ride.
I got the Kona a few months ago. It rips. My first ride was over three hours before I thought I should turn for home. My only modification I'm planning on is a bit grippier front tire.
Tim C Thanks for the reply. Always nice to hear an opinion from someone who actually paid for the bike. May I ask what height you are and what size you got? I’m 5’10 so I’m a betweener... prob going with a large as 440 is a short reach on me. Did you get the CR base model or CR DL model (green vs blue)? Haha...I noticed they are using different fork offsets for each model-same bike in every regard but different offsets which changes the wheelbase slightly.
I got the 2020 CR. The new 2021 models have a slightly different build kit but should be just about the same. Mine has the fox suspension and a GX drivetrain. I'm 5'9" and got a medium. I've got long arms and kind of wish I had a little more room. But I'm still dialing in the cockpit. About ready to slam the stem for a few rides. Also, I ride quite a bit on the road so I am more used to that style of riding (long hours in a areo position) so I still felt a little upright on some of my longer climbs (4-6 miles up). But man this thing can still shred the downs. Set a bunch of PRs in both directions.
Hi Connor, Big fan of your channel. Please help me with this question, Yeti SB115 Vs Spur, same weight (not the model you have), which one is faster on a mainly flat trail? I live in Houston . Thank you
Ive heard some people say the Transition could have a limited rider weight. That the bike has built in flex that could be too much for heavier people. I'm 6'4 tall and 205 with gear. Interested to see what another tall rider's opinion is on this?
I’m not sure about a weight limit on the bike. Transitions website says there isn’t one. Even if It had one, I don’t think you’d be anywhere close to it at 205. It does use a flex stay instead of a pivot/bearing near the rear axle. That’s actually becoming somewhat common these days. I haven’t had any problems with mine even in some pretty nasty terrain. The suspension feels great.
Everybody wants a flatter geometry....useless....my oiz tr rides exactly as well as my former trance despite it is 2 degree steeper. And it is so much lighter that it flies over any trail. A downhill bike can be flat ok, a cc/trailride has a different usage. 67+68° is perfect😊
Connor, how tall are you? At 6’4” I’ve found that not all XLs are the same. With my current XL RM Element I sometimes find myself wishing I had waited and gotten an XXL (which was out of stock). I am definitely interested in the Spur, though I might wait until the 2022s come out.
Yes. The Sid off my Spur had to go back. RockShox was quick about fixing it, though. The Sids on our Scalpel demos have been fine though. Hit or miss I guess.
@@bikersedge cheers mate! I think at this point I'm gonna go FOX34 Step Cast and then grab a SID in a year or so when RockShox has worked out all the kinks. (I'm building up a Spur BTW)
Not a bad plan. The Sid (when it works) rides better than the 34 step cast for me. I’ve never really gotten along with that one. I’ll keep mine for sure.
The Occam is far more comfortable on the DH. The extra travel is noticeable. The Occam is a trail bike, through and through. The Spur blurs the lines between trail and XC.
@@bikersedge do you attribute some of that to the Fox Float 36 on the Occam? I wonder if the Occam with Float 34 would be a touch less noticeable by that same comparison. In general I've actually been curious how different the Float 34 is from the SID (and the Stepcast).
Super blasphemous. I think if you want steeper, better climber it's better to just go with one already made that way. The Scalpel SE is 67 degrees. The long wheelbase and reach will hurt you more in tight tech than the degree slacker HTA.
@@bikersedge only asking because I have a spur, and although it's an amazing bike, coming off the RM Element I had, I wish the spur was a little more sprint'y on the climbs
I don’t think the changing head tube will make it more sprinty. That’s all in the rear suspension platform. I’ve found that running closer to 25-26% makes it really quick where running it at 30%+ makes it more comfortable on the DH. Transition gives you a range between 25-35% for sag. Play around with that a bit.
Great reviews! Which size would you recommend for a Spur for 50% flow trails, 50% narrow trails with lots of small ups and downs. I am 5.10 and currently on a large Intense Primer with 455mm reach and a 70mm stem
Size advice over the internet is so tough. Everyone is different. My general rule of thumb is that most people would probably benefit more from the stability of a larger frame than the added mobility of a smaller frame. In your case the smaller frame might help with the tighter trails. The best advice is to see if you can find one to throw a leg over.
Biker's Edge thanks a lot. Unfortunately Living in Denmark means it is absolutely impossible to demo the Spur. Will read a mio reviews and see where it ends :)
@@bikersedge No problem. Appreciate you taking time to answer and I hope you keep on doing all your video reviews. They are great content and highly valuable.
@@bikersedge Are you guys considering doing a lightweight trail bike head-to-head comparison? Say the Yeti SB115, Transition Spur, Pivot 429 Trail, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Ibis Ripley and whatever other bikes around 120mm of rear travel... that would be interesting if you did it in the format of your wheel test.
@@bikersedge Hey, thanks for taking the time to reply. I can appreciate the Spur is somewhat difficult to categorize as there is not a shorter-travel counterpart, but there are a lot of brands making two versions of the same bike with the principle difference being a slight increase in travel. Thus, I would think ‘downcountry’ is the perfect way to differentiate between the two.
@@colinwatt00 I’d still argue that those bikes are both XC. For example even the Blur TR is very XC when compared to actual trail bikes like the Tallboy.
Not even close. The Ripley is really fast for a trail bike, but it can't hang with the Scalpel and Oiz. I'd want to ride it back to back with the Spur, but it would be really close between those two. I think it out climbs the SB115.
@matt that’s the one I’m really curious about. The Spur has the geo but the Ripley has a little more travel and arguably a better performing suspension platform - at least more sophisticated and refined. I need to jump on a Ripley and do some back to back laps.
@@bikersedge That is the matchup I would want to see. Ripley vs. Spur! Question- For demos would you just ride Laps at Fruit Loops? For me it takes more than a day or two of riding to really decide how a bike performs in different situations. BTW, I love your dialog and inside jokes with Brock. "What about Wednesday?" "Tuesday works good too." Good times!
