Vital MTB Test Sessions: Five of the Best Long-Travel Enduro 29ers Raced and Reviewed 163

Multiple back-to-back tests of the Evil Wreckoning, Orbea Rallon, Specialized Enduro, Transition Sentinel, and Trek Slash revealed their strengths and weaknesses, and then we raced them against the clock!

bturman
3/3/2018 10:32pm
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Related:
Trek
Specialized
Transition
Orbea
Test Sessions
29er
Tested
Evil
Enduro
LITPro
163 comments

View replies to: Vital MTB Test Sessions: Five of the Best Long-Travel Enduro 29ers Raced and Reviewed

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Tim_Sim
6 years ago
i think we find the difference, just call me for tests) i ride on Trek Remedy29c 2016 almost 2 years and this is my favorite allround bike , last week i ride on intense new carbine and like it , now i think about YT Capra29
pro race with 170mm rear travel this bike is sickest on moment and also for best price on market!
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Sink
6 years ago
This is one of the best reviews I have read online or in-print. Well done Vital! Thanks for continuing to bring original content. Look forward to more.
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boom
6 years ago
This looks like it was a lot of work... just want to say it is great and well done!
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Dave113
6 years ago
Great job on the review, this is one of the best I've ever seen.

Despite the calls for using the same tires the times were still very close. Comments about how fatigued you got on the run and how confident you feel on the bike are great. Frame suspension data is also appreciated. Stiffness and tracking are also really important to me, I see some mention but imo this metric deserves it's own parameter. Frame build quality is also important but not fully apparent just from looking at the frame, the type of carbon used, impact resistance, etc. was a factor for me but info is limited. You guys might be able to get a little more info from the manufacturer that others may not have access to.

The Slash is the only one that checks all the boxes for me, others have linear sus curves or heavy/not so awesome climbing abilities. The 9.8 is a fairly heavy build, my build is ~4 lbs lighter in size 19.5 vs the 9.8 according to the review of the size 19.5 9.8 on your site. It's also the stiffest, lightest and most impact resistant choice on the market. IMO, Trek with the '09 Session and now the '17 Slash has set the standard for an entire category of bike. They work for me but it seems like it's impossible to make a poor choice these days.
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Matt Dogg
6 years ago
Thanks Dave. How does your Slash climb? Curious as this is one of my two hesitancies to swapping to a longer travel 29er (1. climbing, 2. making descending too easy / boring in non-tech terrain).
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Meeko19
6 years ago
I have a 2018 Slash Frameset and I feel it climbs just as well as my previous 2015 Remedy 29er with the thrushaft shock. However I have a dual position lyrik up front so when you lower it to 130mm, the BB drops to 335mm ish and the HT drops down to about 66 deg and it kind of gets transformed from an Enduro bike to more of a trail bike. You can tune a Dual Position Lyrik with Volume spacers (I have 3 in mine) but don't think you can with a Talas so reviews of that fork on the 2017 RSL Slash wasn't as positive. I have since installed a coil shock on the slash and long stroking it at 230x60 rather than 230x57.5 so my rear travel is about 156mm. It's a total monster. My 17.5 frame with pedals weighs 30.7lbs with 2.5/2.5WT DHF EXO tires. It started life at 27.XX lbs w/o pedals when I had 2.4/2.4 XR4's on it and then I started upgrading stuff and it kept adding weight.
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Matt Dogg
6 years ago
Thanks for the replies Dave & Meeko. I'll try to demo one this summer. Funny my Lyrik 160-130 for my Stumpy was a new take off from a Slash. I'm not against going all in next time and trying a coil on my next bike as long at it meshes well with the kinematics and has a climb switch.
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Dave113
6 years ago
Surprisingly well... I think this review didn't quite grasp it's foremost quality, and that's efficiency... up and down. It's a very efficient climber, it pedals well and just kills it on the dh. The review does say Steve was noticeably less fatigued on the Slash vs the Tranny at the bottom of the dh run. If the trail they timed the bikes on had some pedaly or even short uphill sections I think you'd see the Slash easily win over the others. IMO it's efficiency is closer to the SC Hightower and Yeti 5.5, but it's better on the dh vs those choices.

The Slash won't make descending too easy... you can always go faster! It does demand a certain amount of commitment and skill to ride it fast. At a certain point it sort of transforms and demands you pay attention and really commit by weighting the front end and leaning the bike over in corners. It's easy to ride fast if your technique is dialed, but it's less forgiving vs the 27.5 Slash. If what you want is a good all-purpose mt bike with a super-wide sweet spot, this is it. I can grab my bike as-is and be ok with long epics or black diamond bike park terrain. Or kill it at Enduro races...

One caveat... I'm on my 3rd shock and the rear sus bearings already have play, and I haven't even worn through my 1st rear tire... The 3rd shock does not seem to hold air over several days so I'll soon be on shock #4. However, you can fit an X2 just like the '17s... and I may ask Trek to buy me one if the RS can't be reliable. It's a good shock when it works and it adds to the efficiency of the bike by controlling sus movement, imo it still has a light pedaling platform in open mode but it's subtle. So, not all roses but I'm hopeful RS can get me a reliable shock and the bearings seem to be ok after they are replaced, I'd guess they got a bad batch. I had my 27.5 Slash for over 3 years and never touched the bearings.
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hbelly13
6 years ago
Nice reviews, fellas. I personally ride a Wreckoning and will simply agree to disagree with your feelings. However, beyond your misgivings over the Evil are there any bikes in this test that either of you would spend your money on (assuming you had the kale to do so) personally to buy? A bike that out rides whatever personal rig you have at this point. There was no clear winner chosen here and you both took a lawyer-esque approach in your criticisms/praises. Previous tests/shootouts/bibles or whatever testers have come out and said which bike knocked their socks off and/or which one they actually would or did purchase. So whatcha got?
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fedfox
6 years ago
great review! does any one as tried the santa cruz reserved 30 and we are one agent wheel set?? thanks for any feedback
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Jaybirdy
6 years ago
Please Review some 27.5 bikes next.. maybe bikes around the new 160-170 category for enduro~ I'm Thinking Slightly more travel then just a standard 160Front 160Rear.. Maybe The Nomad, Reign SX, Transition Patrol, Norco Range, Specialized Enduro, Devinci Spartan, Commencial,, Cannondale Jekyll so on so forth?!? Purrrrease!
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Serge-W
6 years ago
Great stuff, more of it please! Neeeerding out on bikes, gotta love it!
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denis0082
6 years ago
This is probably the best comparative review i've ever read on any medium. The video format is also spot on. Very well done and I look forward to further test sessions.
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Zoro
6 years ago
You guys are awesome. Great bike review(s).TRINIDAD COLORADO!!!! Hahaha!! It's becoming a classic Vital joke!!
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wangamachang
6 years ago
I would love to see, as a control, what the effect of learning a trail better is. I think having the first bike be the slowest indicates that a bit more familiarity, is a hell of a lot more speed (home field advantage for the enduro races...).

That being said, this is easily the best bike review / comparo I've seen, and I love that BT / SW can articulate what they feel / what changes they make / it's actually in line with how the bike looks on anti-squat / pedaling / braking / progressivity. Rad rad review guys!
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bturman
6 years ago
Thanks for the props!

We ensured that we had ridden the trail a ton prior to the race. Each bike saw multiple laps down the trail, and the filming process was a GREAT way to get very familiar with the trail which lessened variability in line choice, etc. We also both did two warm up laps the day of the race so we weren't dropping in blind to the day's dirt conditions on our first test bikes.
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zhendo1990
6 years ago
Really rad review, and I appreciate the individual writeups for each bike. I actually just bought a Sentinel after a (albeit snowy) test ride up in Bellingham, and some recommendations from Brandon towards the Transition line.

I noticed that you guys felt like the casing wasn't substantial enough on the Transition's tires. However, the Orbea was also running the Exo casing, but just had a wider front tire. Did similar complaints carry over to the Orbea, or was it more a product of the narrower tires on the Sentinel?

Additionally, did you guys ever try throwing another volume spacer in the DPX2 on the Sentinel to combat the feeling of frequently reaching the end?
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bturman
6 years ago
Given the same casing, the rim + tire width can make a big difference. Maxxis WT tires are pretty sick up front.

We did not add a spacer to the DPX2. While we were reaching full bottom out a few times a run, it wasn't so common that it was overwhelming. Many will appreciate a little extra ramp, however.
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LTrumpore
6 years ago
I know both Brandon and Steve can rip on just about any bike, but I'd be curious to to see a 'base line' time put down on their own personal bikes (even if they don't necessarily fit the spec of the bikes on test). The actual brand/spec could remain anonymous, just give the wheel size/travel figures and the time. While the actual race times for each bike is a just one piece of data among many, and I wouldn't want to give it undue weight in determining a bike's capabilities, I would be curious to see the difference in time one side or the other compared to their own bikes that presumably they are most comfortable riding. Also I think Spomer should be get in on the racing action, at the very least to put down a marker for the everyman 'dad-with-two-kids-and-a-desk-job' demographic.
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mrbunj
6 years ago
I'd also like to see comments on Spec weakness or disadvantage. Like this Bike was a great climber, but the only one with Eagle, or this is the only bike with Shimano Brakes, etc... you did this a bit for tires, but not other components. Also, could we have you rank which is the best "race" bike, and which is the "fun" bike you'd ride with your friends/casual? Most people don't race and I think would benefit from getting your perspective here.
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bturman
6 years ago
mrbunj, be sure to check out the individual bike reviews for more detail on component choices. As far as race vs fun rankings, we've laid out times above. Looking at the performance ratings will give you an idea of the fun factor each. The concept of "fun" is a very personal thing, so I'd look to a bike that does well in the terrain/features that you like riding most.
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matmattmatthew
6 years ago
Just curious. Which two bikes would you say were the most opposite of eachother? Trek and the evil?
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briceps
6 years ago
This was awesome to watch, however, I wanna hear more about the comparison of these bikes to the DH bike. I'm always the dissenting opinion on the "you can totally ride you're enduro bike like a DH bike" argument.

Can't wait to get my Sentinel frame!
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bturman
6 years ago
More soon! There's a hint about the results vs a DH bike near the end of the video.
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YYCMTB
6 years ago
Love this format! I thought there would be a bit more of a gap in times, but as others have said, these are all top-tier bikes so they should be close. Regardless, nice work!
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astrizzle
6 years ago
Great review guys, I also like the video format better. Saves my tired eyes from having to read all that stuff hahaha. It did change my opinion on the Trek, so thanks. Even though I am in the market for a long travel 29er like the ones you are testing, I am still gonna get the Capra 29 AL comp, you just can't beat that price right!
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duc
6 years ago
How all reviews should be done. This is the new bar. Awesome.
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WolfpackFBNS
6 years ago
I love the suggestion someone made of doing the comparison you all did, which is great, and then trying to standardize throw away components (e.g. tires). I hate magazine reviews of bikes that say how awesome some bike is because it came with XYZ tires. Everyone will eventually burn through a set of tires and change them. I like seeing bikes come with great tires but even if they don't I'll put them on when I need too.

So, if logistically possible, do what you did then try to standardize the bikes as much as possible with parts that normal people will have to change eventually (tires, brake pads, grips, etc...) then another comparison in similar fashion!

Great Job Vital! Great read and video!
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Stephan_Becker
6 years ago
Bturman, what are your overall thoughts on 29er fork offset? Was the 44 vs 51 noticeable when switching between bikes?
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bturman
6 years ago
Good question. Both the Transition and Orbea displayed similar handling traits with excellent calm cornering manners, but only in the slackest setting on the Orbea. Interestingly, the Orbea was launched with a larger offset and then they switched to the shorter one later on.

Be aware that it's not very clear cut, however, as a lot of variables play into steering geometry. When Transition launched their new SBG bikes, we got in touch with engineers from both FOX and RockShox who had been playing with this for a while on a variety of bikes. You can read their thoughts here: https://www.vitalmtb.com/features/Speed-Balanced-Geometry-Transitions-A…
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Fox
6 years ago
I’ve ridden my personal steed, XL ‘18 Yeti 5.5 with both 51 and 44mm offset forks, all else the same. I liked the 44 better. The bike goes around tight switchbacks easier and seems to have slightly more front traction than with the 51. As far as “calmer?” Not really sure, but I’m sticking with the 44. I would not be surprised to see more and more shorter offsets coming in stock spec builds.
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Eoin
6 years ago
Awesome test, seems like overall the performance of all the bikes is very similar.

Other timed tests I would love to see:
Capra 27.5 vs Capra 29 (same build)
Entry level vs top spec bike (same tyres please)
Commencal Meta 4.2 vs Commencal Meta Power with power off on descents
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thelobos
6 years ago
Great review!
Please test short travel 29ers, like Following, Jeffsy, Smuggler etc.
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ryan_daugherty
6 years ago
Agreed but disregard wheel size. Bikes fit in the same category regardless of wheel size. I'm not exclusive to wheel size when I shop for a bike. In my opinion the wheel size isn't that big of a factor when classifying the bike.
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