130mm 29er trail bike @ 25-26lbs?

[jcrr]

@anykarthik Nice choice of new bike and setup. I am betting you are faster/safer down OTG on your 150/150 scott than me on my 120/100 yeti.

I'm looking at XRC 1200 25 as a wheel upgrade, would like to hear how you like the XMCs, specifically on our PNW trails.

[joeg26er]

True- that one is a more XC/Trail build
they are claiming sub29lbs for the one with a heavy stealth dropper post and Maxxis Rekon 2.25 tires and Pike fork
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/29e ... carbon29er

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mot ... -bikes.htm
seems a decent deal for $2999 also considering it has dt swiss wheels, full gx12 and a 150mm Pike...??

I bet I could drop at least a lb or two by swapping out grips, bar/stem and running tubeless

I've had my eye on this bike - $2999 Carbon horst link 29er and claimed sub 24lbs!! ? The one in the middle - http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/29e ... carbon29er

Well they are just gaming the numbers in their comparison against Trek and Spesh. For one, no dropper post. That's a pound. Second, 345 gram Maxxlites?? Which trail style rider uses a tire like that? A normal set of tires for regular trail riding will weigh about 2-3 lbs more.

So when you equip it for actual trail riding, add 3-4 lbs without pedals. That's actually not bad, but with the kind of games they seem to be playing, I wouldn't trust that number either. I mean that's the weight for what size for example?

I prefer to look for frame weights and go from there since the other components can be equalized more or less. That's why I ended up with the Genius. Lighter frame than a yeti sb100, ibis Ripley, trek fuel ex for example. And for a more aggressive geometry with 150mm travel. That said, it's no 4lb xc frame (which will also have lighter tires, fork etc attached to it).

A more skilled rider will probably get away with the new crop of "downcountry" 120/100 bikes being made, on the trails I ride. I sacrificed about 2-3 lbs to get that higher safety margin.

[anykarthik]

True- that one is a more XC/Trail build
they are claiming sub29lbs for the one with a heavy stealth dropper post and Maxxis Rekon 2.25 tires and Pike fork
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/29e ... carbon29er

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mot ... -bikes.htm
seems a decent deal for $2999 also considering it has dt swiss wheels, full gx12 and a 150mm Pike...??

I bet I could drop at least a lb or two by swapping out grips, bar/stem and running tubeless

Yes the 29lb build seems better equipped for actual mountain biking. I'm guessing the 2.25 front rekon is on the small side for the rest of the bike. But not bad.

The 24lb one though. It's very much XC and absolutely no trail - unlike the trek and Spesh it was compared to. I mean the tires at 345g is almost on par with current tubeless road tires. That Reba is a 32mm chassis too. Light, yes. Stiff and supportive, likely no at 140mm. Again not trail.

[anykarthik]

@anykarthik Nice choice of new bike and setup. I am betting you are faster/safer down OTG on your 150/150 scott than me on my 120/100 yeti.

I'm looking at XRC 1200 25 as a wheel upgrade, would like to hear how you like the XMCs, specifically on our PNW trails.

So I've ridden the Genius now for about a month - about one or two 3-4 hour rides per week (Tiger, Raging River, Ollalie). Most with 4k or more of climbing.

I LOVE the bike. Zero complaints. I've set PRs going both up and down on everything.

I guess one or two complaints -- I miss Shimano brakes and the stock front rotor pings around more than I'd expect. But both of those are very minor complaints. The slack 65 degree front end is tougher to manage on tighter sections, but the way the bike allows me to roll over bigger obstacles (slack front end and 29x2.6 tires) is truly eye-opening.

And the bike truly rockets up hills. I'm a satisfied customer