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Stumpy Comp Evo vs Enduro Comp vs Rocky Mountain Slayer

9K views 25 replies 18 participants last post by  Projectnortheast 
#1 ·
Got the wife's go ahead to get a bike around tax time. Question is which one?budget is around 3K

The area that I ride so far has a bit of everything from technical climbs, rock gardens, tight single track through the trees, downhill runs, and a pump/flow trail.

I want a bike that can do it all and I figure that these three bikes fall in that category.

I know with the multiple personality disorder my local trails have that the dropper post on the Stumpy Evo would really come in handy.

Other than that particular feature though, what should I be looking at to help me decide?

I should be able to find an Evo and an Enduro to ride, however finding a Slayer is probably next to impossible in the middle of Oklahoma.
 
#3 ·
I think you could pick any one of these blindly and be thrilled. Downhill and rock gardens mean different things to different riders. But I would say if you want the most for these situations go Enduro or Slayer. If you want to focus on tech climbing and singletrack but still have a competent bike for the downs you might consider the SJ Evo. The SJ Evo for me is sort of like an Enduro lite (especially the 2012 versions). SJ Evo is lighter than the other two, likely will be a stronger climber, but will also give up a little on the downs. Depends on your focus, your strengths, and your trails.

I went from a 5in XC/Trail bike to the SJ Evo and can say without reservation it has elevated my confidence and made me a better rider in areas some areas (drops, small jumps less than 5ft, and descending through rocks and roots at speed). All the while I can still easily earn my downs with lots of climbing and fast flowy singletrack. The bike can do WAY more that I'm capable of (yet). I wish I could push my SJ like these guys (both are 2012 SJ Evo Experts) These Are The Days - Dylan Dunkerton on Vimeo
 
#6 ·
Obviously that fork ain't stock ;) But I believe it's fully capable in the hands of the right rider.

2012 comes with F32 150mm....the 2013 has the F34 150. Lots of good discussion in the Speshy forum regarding fork and build choice. Some have gone F36 160, some RS Lyrik, etc...all depends on your needs and style. Good luck, and hope you love it as much as I do mine.
 
#8 ·
I'm not sure what an evo or enduro is going for, but Jenson USA is currently offering some pretty sweet deals on Slayers. You can pick up a '12 Slayer 50 for around $2,500. If price is an issue that's pretty tough to beat.

If you can I'd recommend test riding each bike because I've found that the fit of bikes in this category varies quite a bit.
 
#10 ·
Stumpy evo videos are sooo sick to watch. It puts me in my place that I don't need to upgrade until I have coastal crew skills. That being said the new 2013 enduro is hot haven't been able to demo yet but I wonder how it would compare with my evo with a fox 36.

Like ebeer stated the EVO has made me a better rider also. I've had my for a year now and was itching to try something new so 3 months ago I demo a sb66c, pivot 5.7c, slash, nomad at the end of the day I could not find a reason to switch. Hopefully the 2013 s-works enduro with the DB will be convincing or maybe a transition carbon covert love how those look.
 
#12 ·
My buddy was riding an Enduro for 2 years and loved it. This year he actually got into a bunch of enduro racing on the East Coast, and found he was getting smoked by guys on shorter-travel bikes.

His solution:

-Get the Stumpy Evo frame
-Take the Lyrik off the Enduro and put it on the Stumpy
-Get rid of the heavy Speshy wheels that came stock on the Enduro, sub them with Stan's Flows
-Swap evertyhing else over.

He's faster than he has been ever before on anything but the super gnarly pure DH stuff. As if keeping up with him wasn't hard enough:madman:

The Stumpy Evo is a sick looking bike. Once I get some funding in I'm probably going to sell my Remedy frame and pick up the Stumpy Evo carbon frame.
 
#13 ·
I personally would be more in the market for an enduro... doesn't matter what people are doing on the evos, it's a matter of longevity. Sounds like you'll be having this bike for a long time. If you plan on going to any bike parks or whatever, as you mention "light freeride" I would be going for a bike that can handle it on a regular basis, the SJ evo is not that bike... for 3k I would be looking at the same bikes, enduro, slayer, and even the yeti sb-66.. I'm on Mojo HD an I can honestly say it's the best bike I've ever owned...
 
#14 ·
don't forget about the proprietary shock mounts that spesh uses..only if shock choice down the road is an issue for you.

i agree with manchvegas on the enduro pick. the 13s should be better with the tweaked leverage to sit higher with better mid-stroke support. if it's not a '13 it should get a tune if you are riding hard.
 
#15 ·
AHHHHHH You guys are killing me. Lucky I've still got a couple months to figure it out I guess. I was initially leaning towards the Enduro comp because it is basically a Do Everything bike. I hate climbing as it is, however I like the results. So that made me look towards the Stumpy Evo.

As manchvegas said above, the Enduro would be the bike for longevity.

After looking at the Enduro/SuperD section, I am intrigued by the format and am definitely thinking about doing something like that in the future. A trip to a bike park and most likely heading out west to Utah etc is in the plans for the future.
 
#17 ·
Not to confuse the issue even more...BUT...I would vote Slayer. I own a 2012 Slayer, nad am literally, truly, amazed at how well the bike climbs. Especially for a bike with 165mm travel, and my wheels are about 2500 grams.

Most of my riding is technical and chunky. The Slayer has a nice, stable wheelbase and pushes my limits when descending. It is NEVER beyond its capabilities...but probably beyond mine. The 66.5 HA is slack, but I have little issue with the front end lifting on climbs, and I run a 70mm stem.

I also owned a 2012 Enduro Pro. Nice bike for sure. It did not pedal as well as the Slayer. Nowhere near as efficient in my opinion. I also am no longer a fan of the QR rear dropouts...even though this is now different on 2013 models. I did not notice any stiffness deficiency with the QR dropouts...until i rode the Slayer's 142x12 dropouts. The tracking with the 142 rear end is much more precise. Point and shoot. Of course, the Enduro is very capable too...but...

All that blabber aside, do you think you ride where you need as much bike as the Enduro or the Slayer. I would give that serious consideration. The Stumpy EVO will pedal more efficiently, probably becuase it is lighter. If you are tending toward more "trail" riding, the Stiumpy might be the ticket. If you are tending toward more "agressive, chunk, drop" stuff, the longer travel bikes are more built for that purpose.
 
#19 ·
All that blabber aside, do you think you ride where you need as much bike as the Enduro or the Slayer. I would give that serious consideration. The Stumpy EVO will pedal more efficiently, probably becuase it is lighter. If you are tending toward more "trail" riding, the Stiumpy might be the ticket. If you are tending toward more "agressive, chunk, drop" stuff, the longer travel bikes are more built for that purpose.
Here's the deal: I'm the type of guy that tends to push things to the limit. Most of my riding thus far has been singletrack with some techy rock gardens and small/medium drops. I tend to pick complicated lines through the rock gardens just to see if I can make it. I'm over riding what my current bike can handle by leaps and bounds when the trail points downward. Given my lack of restraint in choosing tougher lines, maybe I should go with the bigger bike.
 
#22 ·
You're question is really subjective...

So I'll just make a general point.

You probably aren't going to break a high quality 5-5.5" bike. Let's not go off the deep end with bike strength/capability arguments. There are zero publications showing some kind of evidence that the Enduro is stronger or more durable than the SJ, to my knowledge. Neither is marketed/(designed?) for serious freeride. Short of that, a few ounces of frame weight... Component choices are going to go further toward what the bike can do.

Even more importantly, flow: flowy trails are all about pumping, cornering, and sprinting out of the corner and up the small rises. A short travel bike, as a general principle, is going to be better at all three.

Shorter travel is easier to pump, lower BBs (which you get w/ less travel) are better for cornering, and lighter, more pedally bikes are easier to sprint. Fun.

Saving grace is, all three on your list are great, so... do whatever. Good luck!

My last big ride of the season (S. Tahoe) was down an awesome, loose jump trail (Corral) and a big, rocky descent (Mr. Toad's Wild Ride), and this handled everthing great. The lowered Lyrik is awesome in the rock gardens. But, my buddy's '12 SJ evo comp seemed to go just as good all weekend, and weighs ~4? 5? pounds less.
 

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#23 ·
Was looking at a similar bike line up. Got lucky at a bike event in VT and was able to ride stumpy evo, enduro, slayer, sb-66, reign. My 2 favorite were the slayer and sb-66, both bikes climbed great and were a blast on the way down. Price was an issue for me so I ended up on a transition covert due to a great pre-owned price I found. I have been extremely happy with that bike and found it able to climb and handle bike parks as well. ( not to make your list grow anymore)

I think the 3 bikes you have are all going to provide you an enjoyable time. they will all prob need small tweaks to make them fit just right, ( bars stem, pedals, etc). After watching Wade and Thomas rip the north short on rocky mountain carbon xc bikes, I have determined that skills and confidence out weight the bike, and focusing on building those will make any of these 3 bikes do exactly what you want. Knowing that I would ask yourself what you would like to ride the most. Are you looking for a FR/AM bike that can climb,( enduro/Slayer) or a XC/Trail bike that can descend ( evo). Pick whichever style of riding you would like to see yourself doing in 5 months.

The big thing is that you can't make a wrong choice here. Unless your looking to become a professional racer, being a little slow on a hill climb knowing your going to enjoy every second of the DH is worth it.
 
#25 ·
I just purchased a 2011 enduro brand new for 2300 from my lbs. I originnaly owned an enduro then sold it for a nomad slayer xam reign and finally back to an enduro. I always found myself missing the enduro when things got rough. Its the best bike I've ever ridden. Don't get anything that does have a fox 36 or lyrik. It will flex like crazy when it gets rough. The 34 and 32 cannot keep up with the big boys. I use my enduro for freeride all the time. I just add more air to the suspension and tires. The enduro is the best am bike to me.
 
#26 ·
the stumpy can handle all these smooth transitions all day long, so can my stupid BMX bike! case a landing and see how that 32mm crown holds up etc... My buddy easily twisted his 32mm crown taking his "trail" bike to a bike park. IT's not the smooth landings you need a big bike, it's when you case it trying to learn... For such a minimal weight difference, I will never go back to a short travel bike with anything less than a 34mm fork, tapered HT, 142 rear, and 20mm axle...
 
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