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Help: Chromag Rootdown or Stylus M/L?

7K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  crashwins 
#1 ·
I have a Transition Scout and I'm looking for a different kind of ride, a new experience. As I've gotten more advanced I've actually come to enjoy more technical rock trails than the fast enduro stuff (I'm in New England). But I do like the do some fast flowy stuff now and then...I'm also 40 now and while I've kept in great shape, I also don't want to beat the hell out of my body, but I question whether a hardtail will do that if I'm not trying to go as fast as I was on my Scout.

I've never ridden a 29r, but I understand they've become much more dynamic. This is my understanding and I hope for some help on my impressions:

Rootdown: 29r, more a "point in a direction and go" bike, better rollover for roots and stuff that "hurts", maybe easier on the body, get places faster given the wheel diameter and rollover ability, less playful

Stylus: 27.5, more playful than the Rootdown, more "flick-able", more lateral side-to-side play, feel the bumps more, slower

The Stylus would be the easiest to transition to because I would just do a parts swap. But if I got the Rootdown, I'd build another bike from scratch. Anyway, thanks for reading!
 
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#3 ·
I own a Stylus. As you wrote, the playfulness/flickable/maneuverable is at 11. If that's your end-goal, hard to beat IMHO. However, given you have a lot of east coast rocks - you may be finding the rear wheel getting hung up when blasting chunder... If you think that's more your thing, maybe the 29er is going to be more all-around for you.
 
#4 ·
I have a different AM hardtail (Guerrilla Gravity Pedalhead with a 140mm fork) and I've got it built as a 29er with 2.6 rubber. I find it to be reasonably playful, but also quite capable and stable at speed in nasty terrain. I find myself getting a lot more air (especially little air) with this bike to ride it more smoothly through rough stuff than I used to do with full suspension bikes.

I'll also be 40 in just under 5 months, and I don't feel that riding a hardtail in rough terrain (I'm in Pisgah) is any more hard on my body than a full suspension. I get more muscle engagement and therefore more of a full body workout, but I don't feel "beat up" and certainly no joint or back pain as a result. It does reward a slightly different way of riding than a full suspension does. And that style suits me.
 
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