Full susser "No brainer" ?? Single pivot vs .....

trouty

Hi guys i ride a Kona caldera and to be honest have not been out much due to lack of enthusiasm. When i was riding a lot last year i was contemplating buying a full susser but never got there due to finances.
I have been thinking of getting out on the bike again and now something has come up that i may not be able to turn down.
This is where i need your help please.
a friend has offered me a specialized stumpjumper fsr elite 2007 model that has only really been ridden around the block for a very good price to try and help renew my entusiasm.
My dream bike would probably be either an orange 5 or heckler but as i cannot afford either of these bikes i now have the opportunity to purchase the stumpy (almost new) for £750:00
Would this bike make a big difference over my caldera to my trail riding ?
I test rode the orange 5 last year and really liked it but could not justify forking out 2k to buy.
MBR have just given the 08 stumpjumper 10/10 does anyone know how different the 07 model is to the 08 and at £750 would i be crazy not to upgrade.
I have always wanted a full suspension bike since my off roading has got more serious even tho my kona has served my very well.
I am getting chance to test ride the bike tomorrow but just wanted some feedback asi am a bit out of touch at the mo.
my riding is mainly single track over leith hill and holmbury but with a view to maybe doing a randonee like the southdowns way 100 miler.

any advise appreciated

thanks

paul

Kiwi Kranker

Buy it.

That is an extremely well sorted bike and willl easily handle what you throw at it. Setting up the suspension will be a pain at first but once you have it how you like it you will love it. You will notice that the trails you used to ride you will now ride faster especially as your skills come from riding a hardtail.

As to upgrading to the 08 stumpy vs the 07 IMHO I think for the price the 07 is the better option. 07 was the last of the interrupted stumpy seat tube design and has been tweaked to the max and comes with M5 ali frame which is great. There have been arguments that the 07 stumpys are more engaging than the new 08's which are apparently more 'neutral'. As the 08 design is new it may still have a few kinks to be ironed out over the coming year or so.

Best bet would be to ride an 08 then the 07 and see what you think. Plus there are bound to be loads of guys on here who have the 08 stumpy that can give their opinion.

Good luck!

toasty

Good price! You're not going to get much that good for anywhere near that. Last years was a fantastic bike too, it received rave reviews all round too.

£300ish more for a brand new Meta 5.5.3 would be closer to the Orange? A good frame to build upon as well, same as the top Metas.

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=product&productId=1293&categoryId=129

Lower spec though obviously and quite a bit heavier than the Stumpy.

Edit: I'd keep hold of the Caldera if you can as well. Let the full sus spark your enthusiasm and a hardtail to get around and go fast Hard tails still shine on the right tracks.

tjm

could rekindle the enthusiasm or it could be good money after bad.

Why did you lose enthusiasm in the 1st place?

Is there something wrong with the Kona that you think FS will fix?

My personal view is that, with the right attitude any bike is fun to ride. But without the right attitude no bike is fun. So sort the attitude before changing bike.
On the other hand, if the attitude is right then there is no harm in getting a nicer bike

Chaka Ping

Got to agree with tjm, why did you stop riding? Will the Stumpy just sit in your garage too?

Still, looking at it the other way, spending £750 might be the motivation you need to use the thing!

And it is a good deal, yeah.

trouty

I stopped riding as i kitesurf as well and have devoted more time to that.
I have been thinking about riding again for a while but every time i look at my old kona i just get back on that "If only i has a full susser thing" which is where i i left off.
I realise a new bike may not be the answer to my enthusiasm but it might be the kick i need.
i turned down the challenge of the south downs 100 miler this year as my heart was not init.
A couple of mates have just completed it and i feel gutted that i did not take part. I missed all the training they did and many good rides.
I have tried to make my kona a more trail orientated bike but have never been happy with the results.
i cannot justify parting with 2k for a single pivot dream bike but i can push to what seems to be a real bargain. The bike is showroom condition and my only concern is how different it will ride to a single pivot.
I know its not 5 inches of travel but am sure it will be perfectly adequate for the fast single track that i mainly ride on the North downs. (leith hill/ holmbury hill)
I know that the bike will probably not make a lot of diffence to my speed at the moment. A fit and experienced rider that is on form will get the best out of any bike and i am off the pace at the moment.
Just seems like a great chance to enter the realms of full suspension but a test ride tomorrow should confirm this.
Took the bike for a spin round the block but cant judge it till i get on the trails tomo. Coming off a hard tail and getting on this bike to be honest just felt "Boingy" !!
im hoping that it will be a more comfortable ride than my trusty old kona as that will probably do it
I seem to remeber moaning about wrist /back ache on the lsat rides i did and always thought a full susser would help in this dept.
Have not seen any on e bay so cant compare the price but £750 seems like a steal.

Ive just looked on specialized web site and am sure that it might even be an 08 model as last years has the shock mounted more at 45 degrees through the frame ? is this right ?

thanks

paul

papasmurf.

get a decent hardtail.

the stumpy is a dull and unexceptional ride.

like the others why you're not riding is less about more travel and suspension..

trouty

"get a decent hardtail.
"The stumpy is a dull and unexceptional ride".

a decent hardtail would be ?

could you define "Dull" and "unexceptional" in what way ?

thanks

paul

warrerj

Buy It !!!

They had fantastic reviews last year and I was very close to getting this years. THey seem to do nothing exceptionally well but everything well.

I know what you mean I lost my with my riding a few years back. I didn't know if iwas beacse the bike was not right for me or if it was just me. I changed my bike to a better fit and istantly loved it and got back into it.

At the end of the day if it doesn't give you the kick you need and after a few rides it's still sat in the shed you'll get £750 (or more ) back for it if it's still in top nic !!

rob cole

NOTHING like buying a new bike to re-kindle the riding fire

your friend is offering his bike at an awesome price, and its a really good ride

do it. you won't regret it

toasty

warrerj wrote:

At the end of the day if it doesn't give you the kick you need and after a few rides it's still sat in the shed you'll get £750 (or more ) back for it if it's still in top nic !!

Very true actually, you can't go too wrong.

supersonic

Make your decision after you have tested it. On the value front it is a good deal.

Only you can decide wheter you like the ride - it is subjective. One man's exciting ride can be a bike that doesn't perform that well and they have to keep on top of it! Anothers may be the ability to blast head on through rocks and let the bike do all the work.

toasty

True, look at Supersonic for example, he single-handedly represents GTs fanbase :P

supersonic

Ah yes, sod the FSR, buy a man's bike, a GT ;-)

stumpyjon

I'd rip his hand off. Dull & unexceptional ride, did you forget to put air in the shock & fork PapaSmurf.

I've got an 07 Elite and think it's great. Certainly rekindled my biking habit last year and I paid full price for mine (£1799). provided you like it (can't see how you wouldn't provided it's the right size) it is cracking value at that price. Personally I think the 07 model was better specced than the 08 (IMHO).

Linkage wise there can be some issues with the Stumpies increased number of bearings, had to strip mine down and completely regrease this year (took all of an hour). That said there are many people out there who think the multi pivot designs are better than single pivots (maintenance issues aside). I haven't ridden a single pivot bike so can't directly comment but the FSR design on the Stumpy works well, especially with the Pro-Pedal on the FOX Triad shock. I usually leave it in Pro-Pedal and it descends and climbs fine. Only time I fiddle with the setting is on big rocky downhills (fully open) and on road (sometimes lock it out but it's not really necessary). I personally also love the Fox Talas forks, I regularly change the travel (100mm-120mm-140mm) whilst moving.

Test it - buy it.

Steve_F

If you're getting the feeling "If only I'd bought...." at the moment, how long before that appears again?

Riding an exciting trail I want to go back the next day. I've missed the last 3 weekends due to a broken bike and if it isn't fixed this weekend I'm hiring!

A new bike may cure your lack of enthusiasim but for how long?

Steve_F

Steve_F wrote:

If you're getting the feeling "If only I'd bought...." at the moment, how long before that appears again?

Riding an exciting trail I want to go back the next day. I've missed the last 3 weekends due to a broken bike and if it isn't fixed this weekend I'm hiring!

A new bike may cure your lack of enthusiasim but for how long?

That said, BUY IT - like someone else said if you don't get back into it sell it on.

Kiwi Kranker

trouty wrote:

I know its not 5 inches of travel but am sure it will be perfectly adequate for the fast single track that i mainly ride on the North downs.

120mm = 4.7 inches...it may aswell be 5! It will definitely be adequate, I have ridden the same areas you have on my Stumpy Comp and have had no issues with my lower specced version at all.

Oh and you will need to maintain the rear a bit more but it is very simple to do though as already said it takes about an hour to do a good job.

I disagree about the unexceptional ride, as already said Stumpys tend to do most things really well so you may not get a real 'wow' moment, the bike tends to deal with most things you throw at it. This generally leads to just a plain stackload of enjoyment no matter what you ride rather than a few ok moments with one awesome one....if you kinda get my meaning!

This ability should not be taken for 'boring'.

From what you have said, this bike with its capability and price sounds ideal to get you back into riding and if you have had enough you shouldnt have any trouble selling it. When you know exactly what you want from your riding and a bike, thats when (IMHO) should start looking at bikes which excel in the style of riding you have/develop.

Just my 2p!

Good luck!

trouty

Thanks guys for your replies test rode the bike today and thought it was awesome. its the 08 version as well. bottom line is ive bought it but my only concern was .............

please read this as ive posted it elsewhere thanks.

I am 5 ft 9 + 3/4 and have purchased a Med stumpy fsr. At 1st the bike seemed cramped and small but as i have not rowned a full susser i didnt really know what to expect.
I have moved the seat back and rolled the bars forward which has made my position much better and feels like what im used to but i am paranoid i have made the wrong decision.
Have just come back from my LBS and the mechanic there has stressed that for my size the Med will be fine. He reckons the large would be too much reach and im better off with a skightly smaller frame and if need be buy a Thomsom swept back seat post to give me a bit more room.
He stated that as i have only ridden the bike once give it a few more rides as it may take a bit of getting used to.
Bike was an absolute bargain as its an 08 nstumpy fsr elite showroom condition and i got it for £750:00
Think my Kona is 19" frame so bike would feel small i guess.
have been advised that after a few more outings if i still feel the need then go seatpost then if necessary a longer stem ? stem at present is 95mm so i could i go longer if necessary without messing the geometry up ?

what do you think for a me being just under 5.10 ? (sure i read on one size chart that med goes up to 5.10 or 5.11 ?

Just measured my kona and from centre of crank to where seat post goes in its 18" and on the spesh its 17.5 can this be comparible on a hard tail to full susser ?

thanks

paul

rob cole

sizing is spot on, i am 5'10" with long legs and always ride medium specialized bikes, or 56cm in their road bikes

the next size up would probably feel too stretched which would make it hard work in technical terrain, and a bit of a handful off-road, as larger-than-you-need bikes can "drag you along for the ride" rather than allow you to have lots of input into the riding

try riding it some more, you can always fine tune it with stem and seatpost, but don't go too long on the stem otherwise you will sacrifice the handling

tjm

I'd ride it a fair bit before changing any bits. When I first got my bike I was convinced the bars were too high. I now have them 1/2 inch higher

Lets face it, you said " test rode the bike today and thought it was awesome"
So what if it feels different to the Kona then?

BlackSpur

supersonic wrote:

Ah yes, sod the FSR, buy a man's bike, a GT ;-)

Here here!

Good purchase . If it's the 08 version then that is a real bargain! I've recently had the same feeling with regard to size on my GT Avalanche - I'm just over 5 11 and i got a medium. However, sliding the seat back, rolling the bars and riding it some more has suppressed my doubts!

trouty

Nice one guys im out again tomorrow and have made just a few adjustments which have made me feel at home for now.
I just spoke to a friend of who reckons he always buys small as it enables him to be really on top of the bike and can throw it around on technical single track.
Another friend of mine prefers a slightly larger frame and will shorten things to get a more planted feel at speed so i guess its horses for courses.
The bike fely great today so i guess it will be better to leave any more adjustment untill i get a better feel for it. Ive just changed the tyres and seat and have set the sag correctly front and rear.
Having never had a full susser im inpressed with the bikes climbing and ability and how light it feels (its lighter than my Kona). The ride is silky smooth and i cant wait to get out again tomorow

keep you posted on how i get on thanks

paul

toasty

trouty wrote:

Have just come back from my LBS and the mechanic there has stressed that for my size the Med will be fine. He reckons the large would be too much reach and im better off with a skightly smaller frame and if need be buy a Thomsom swept back seat post to give me a bit more room.

Very good seat post but the Thomson doesn't have any more lay back than any other lay back seat post, due to it's straight connector at the top, sounds like he's trying to sell you a £70 seat post there

You don't need to spend that much, in fact the seat post that came on my Stumpjumper had just as much lay back (although you wouldn't have known by looking at it). For reference, the Thomson has 16mm of lay back.

Kiwi Kranker

08 model! That is a bargain!

Glad you are enjoying it and hope it gets your enthusiasm back

trouty

Thanks again guys ! I rode again today and am now in love with this bike. Played with the rebound and got it just right i cant believe the adjustments make sooo much difference.
The bike is awesome !!! I love the way the bike climbs and the decents are way more fun than before. I now have room in the cockpit and love the way i can get off the back so easy. The bike turns on a dime and inspires confidence for sure 8)
Rode today with a guy who's 6 ft 3 and rides a medium heckler :shock: he loves being able to over power the bike and be totally on top of it on technical single track.
I just had to be sure as i hate nagging doubts.
I have my yearning back again and cant wait to ride again (tomorrow hopefully wife permitting)
After coming off my trusty Kona hardtail this bike really is a dream to ride. I now totally beleive the hype over full suspension bikes and i am sure that they have come a long way over the years. Ive never spent so long cleaning and checking/preparing a bike for its next ride
Once ive got my legs back theres gonna' be no stopping me
I must have it bad as there is wind this weekend and all i want to do is ride me bike again rather than going kitesurfing :shock:

Afan here we come again !!! i cant wait

thanks again fellas'