Choosing between Stumpjumper M4 and Santa Cruz Superlight

[nigelnigel]

Hi everybody!

I did a bit of looking around on the forum before posting, and it seems like you guys really like both of these bikes. It'll be my first mtb, but I've been riding road for years. The first obstacle to my choice is that the Superlight is local, whereas the M4 is out of range for a test ride. The other is that the M4 is an XL, and the Superlight is a L - I'm 6'3" (191cm) with a 36" (92cm) inseam, and the online size estimator http://www.ebicycles.com/bicycle-tools/frame-sizer/mountain-bike says I'm a good fit on the XL M4.
It seems like a lot of people suggest a slightly smaller frame size for MTB because of maneuverability and crotch clearance and whatnot, so I was wondering if maybe I should step down to a Large framesize.

The other question is specs. The M4 has the SID fork, but rim brakes. The superlight has Fox (I'm not sure what model) fork and rear shock, but has Shimano BR-M445 disc brakes.

Any feedback about hardtail vs full suspension would be appreciated, too - I'm still on the fence about it.

Thank you!

[TheRookie]

Two very different bikes.

I would suspect you are two big for the Superlight anyway, but these days wouldn't be buying a rim brake bike for proper mountain biking.

As they are presumably both pretty old, as long as a bike fits then condition is more important than the specification, no point having a collection of tasty bits that are only fit to be hung on a wall.