Here are my photos, map, and profile for today's "Intense" rides on the San Juan Trail. The Intense Bike Shop had a demo day on the San Juan Trail. Most of us rode the trail twice. Some rode it once on their own bike (like me) and some rode two different demo bikes.
This day gave me a great chance to meet some new friends and to compare my 2007 Specialized Stumpjumper Pro (26 incher) to the 2012 Intense Spider (29'er).
So, how did they compare. Pretty much as I expected, but with a few surprises. My Stumpie is more agile, making sharp turns (there are tons of these on the San Juan) easier. I struggled on many of those turns with the Spider. My Stumpie seemed to absorb the smaller bumps well, whereas on the Spider I seemed to notice each little jolt. The Spider had some definite advantages though … the large rocks embedded into the trail, drops, and climbing. When I came to rocky parts of the trail I found I didn't even need to search for a line on the Spider. I could ride right down the middle with the bike doing most of the work. I also found it easier to climb over large rocks without fear of destroying the big chain ring.
I thought the Spider would be kind of sluggish to turn, but, while not as easy as the Stumpie, I found it much more responsive than I had expected. Although I don't think I am quite ready to sell my Stumpie and buy a Spider, I must say I was impressed.
I personally want to thank all the people at Intense for all they did. The food was great, the drinks were awesome, and the workers were real polite and helpful. I also want to thank Mike, Drew, and all the guys from the ECC for making me feel welcome.
This day gave me a great chance to meet some new friends and to compare my 2007 Specialized Stumpjumper Pro (26 incher) to the 2012 Intense Spider (29'er).
So, how did they compare. Pretty much as I expected, but with a few surprises. My Stumpie is more agile, making sharp turns (there are tons of these on the San Juan) easier. I struggled on many of those turns with the Spider. My Stumpie seemed to absorb the smaller bumps well, whereas on the Spider I seemed to notice each little jolt. The Spider had some definite advantages though … the large rocks embedded into the trail, drops, and climbing. When I came to rocky parts of the trail I found I didn't even need to search for a line on the Spider. I could ride right down the middle with the bike doing most of the work. I also found it easier to climb over large rocks without fear of destroying the big chain ring.
I thought the Spider would be kind of sluggish to turn, but, while not as easy as the Stumpie, I found it much more responsive than I had expected. Although I don't think I am quite ready to sell my Stumpie and buy a Spider, I must say I was impressed.
I personally want to thank all the people at Intense for all they did. The food was great, the drinks were awesome, and the workers were real polite and helpful. I also want to thank Mike, Drew, and all the guys from the ECC for making me feel welcome.