Sold my Sentinel for a Stumpy Evo. Evo is the best of both worlds imo. Adjustable headset angle allows me to steepen it up for my local trails and then slacken it out for bike park days or some trails at Pisgah. Also, swat box is game changer. Don’t think I can own another bike that doesn’t have internal frame storage.
That Butcher on the Stumpjumper has a ton of drag. Went with a DHF/Dissector on the factory wheels that came with my Stumpjumper Expert. And Dissector/ Rekon on my carbon wheel set. Much faster rolling even on the DHF setup.
It depends on the type of parks in your area where you ride 90% of the time. Parks by my house are mostly for trail bikes so I ended getting trail bike. My buddy has the Ibis Mojo and I have the Pivot Trail 429. We ride together at our local trails and my bike is more nimble than his.
Good debrief! Seeing all the leaves made me miss my old Chicopee Woods and Big Creek loops. I have a Stumpy EVO in CA and I feel it blends the best of those two bikes. And while I understand the allure of underbiking (love gravel), keep in mind the consequences of a crash. The hassles of a heavy bike are worth it if it keeps you alive, unbroken, and able to ride out of the backcountry.
I’m currently on a Epic EVO and love it. It’s a great all around bike for home trails and the SE mountains but under biked at Pisgah. I ride those SE mountains a good bit. Your right, a 25 lb 130-140 mm travel bike is coming and it would rip it up there.
Per usual, Clint provides the best insight, even more so than the paid reviewers. Being underbiked is way undersold for most riders. Having a bike you can completely taking advantage of, then navigate, makes your skill shine and brings out more satisfaction IMO. Though being overbiked can really make you understand the quality of having bigger can be better… which can lead to growth in different areas too. It comes to 2 things, what you ride 95% of the time, and what you enjoy when you ride. To me this tells me the type of bike you should buy. Or just buy 3.
It's interesting when I started researching mtbs the Sentinel was always highly praised but I eventually discovered that usually 2 things eventually happened with some of the owners I watched, either your crazy dedicated and blessed with where you live and only ride diamond trails and parks and those riders stick with the bigger 170mm+ enduros, or, the previous Sentinel lovers sold their bike for something just as capable but more playful like the Revel Rail 29 or Ibis Ripmo. Seems like the Sentinel finds itself in an awkward middle ground where similar geo bikes are just as capable but play better on the trail, or a bigger bike just does it's job better when your fully committed to smashing diamond trails, parks, and racing.
And the fact that the new Patrol is both more playful and probably more nimble than the Sentinel due to being a dedicated mullet bike is making the Sentinel a hard sell. The Ripmo rules the 150/160 travel class by virtue of being a bike that really is good at everything. I have a Ripmo and it climbs better than many trail bikes and descends almost as good as a full on enduro bike while being fairly playful to boot, the big thing with the Ripmo is you're down in the bike when descending so it feels more like a full on enduro bike on descents than say a Stumpy Evo which feels like a trail bike with extra travel
I think that there are only two bikes that make sense for most people. The first is the light-weight, 120/120mm travel, efficiently pedaling and climbing Downcountry bike like the Transition Spur. The second is the more capable and progressive, 150/160mm or more travel All-Mountain/Enduro bike like the Stumpjumper Evo. The range between 120/120mm and 150/160mm travel I call the no go zone. If I could have only one bike like many of us, I would choose something like the Stumpjumper Evo and then put on the lightest fastest-rolling tires that make sense for where you ride. And that's exactly what I have, a Stumpjumper Evo Expert with 2.6 front and 2.4 rear Maxxis Rekon tires. Very capable on the steep and rough while still rolling very fast.
Where are you riding Mark? I’m just hitting UK winter and the butcher/eliminator combo doesn’t feel as grippy as the schwalbe mm/hd combo I was coming from, it also feels like it’s been slower rolling in summer. A bad combo all round really!
@@markbrown9803 I live in the southwest US. Very dry with hardpack, loose over hardpack, and loose, moon dust, sand, gravel, cobble. The stock tires were OK but they rolled very slow. Putting on the Rekons put the pep back into the bike. A little less grippy on the descents but much faster everywhere else. The Rekons would probably be terrible someplace wet.
@@marksandoval5361 ah, we’re probably considering slightly different tyres then! I agree with you 100% though, the stumpy evo is probably all the bike I ever need and more. A set of lighter wheels/tyres will hopefully just make it a little bit livelier. I couldn’t believe how far bike tech had moved on coming from 26” 10 year old mtb
@@markbrown9803 I don't know what riding in the UK is like. I would be looking for the lightest fastest-rolling tires that you can be happy with. Maybe the newly redesigned 29x2.4 Maxxis Forekaster. Grippier than the Rekon and better at clearing mud.
I have a 21 Stumpy and a 22 SJ EVO. The regular Stumpy is better for most stuff if speed is a concern. The EVO is more capable/comfortable on hairy terrain. EVO is the go to for parks too. If I could have just one probably the regular Stumpy but tough call because lighter wheels and tires on the EVO would be somewhat of an equalizer.
Transition smuggler is the middle bike between the spur and sentinel. Maybe it wasn’t released at the time of your video. Same travel as the stumpy. I couldn’t decide on which bike to get between the two so I went with the stumpy expert. I’m a fan of the swat box
I think the number one selling point of the Evo is the adjustability. You can literally turn it into a sentinel for a park day and steepen it back out for local trails
I would like to see the Stumpjumper EVO in this comparison. It is a little more travel, I think it might split the difference between the Transition and the Stumpjumper.
It's the exact same travel as the Sentinel and can be made slacker than the Sentinel with its geo adjustments. The feel of the two is different. The Evo feels like a trail bike with extra travel, it does corner VERY well but is maybe a bit too plush on jumps.
Great Video. I have a 2022 sentinel and experiance some of the problems you mentioned. Ive been tossing around the idea of short forking it to 150mm to make it a little more nimble.
Thanks Clint, I needed this video. I’m on the cusp of making a new bike purchase and I’m going back and forth between 120-130R/140F trail bikes and 150R/160F enduro bikes. I’m on the east coast and most of my local trails definitely pair best with a trail bike, but I’d like to visit a lift access bike park a few times a year. This video offered some good food for thought. Thanks.
The trail bike will hold its own in a lift access park at least up to single black trails, in my experience. You also have some trail bikes that are on the rowdier end like the newest version of the Trek Fuel EX, the Giant Trance X and the Fezzari Delano Peak. The Fuel EX in particular looks very compelling as a one bike solution, it's 140R/150F out of the box, with a lot of flip chip adjustments, supports running 160 travel up front, and can be converted to mullet by just running the flip chip in high and putting a 27.5 wheel on the back
Look into the Stumpjumper EVO or something with 140 rear 150/160 front like the Commencal META TR. I ride the META on the East Coast. Like to visit the bike parks a few times a year. Sometimes I feel under biked at the park, but that is only on the double black diamonds. To Clint's point, it is more fun to be under biked.
I agree with your major points: it’s better to be underbiked and the overall weight of the bike plays a significant role in how the bikes climb and how responsive they are in technical situations. However I think that there is a size related factor here. And that is if you’re 6’2- 6’4” taller you’re going to get on an XL bike whether it be a down country bike or Enduro bike, and the wheelbases is are not that different these days. And in my experience an XL Enduro fits better than anything 140 and under. If you can get that bike with Enduro level travel to have a 64 degree head angle and stay at or under a 50 inch wheelbase it can be very responsive IF the bike has a good pedaling platform like a trailing 4 bar link bike. And IF you can set up the suspension properly. If you can get it to a lower weight like a down country bike it can fill all of those gaps. If you do the same thing and you put somebody who’s 5 foot eight or 6 foot tall or whatever on an enduro bikes they’re always going to choose something like you did with the stump jumper because it fits better and it feels more responsive because the enduro bike is materially too much bike, literally. But in my experience when you go to a down country bike at 140 travel in the front your hand position becomes so much lower overall on those bikes if you’re a taller rider that it’s actually better to ride the Enduro and try to get the bike weight down. Overall the body position things that you need to do on a climb keeping it in a straight line are just not as big a deal for a large rider. Also, One other often overlooked point on this is the fact that most people are riding Enduro casing or heavier casing tires by all the manufacturers when really all they need is a cross-country tire for the trails that they ride. If you put a cross country tire on most Enduro bikes they can transform the bike into a much more responsive machine than what you get when you ride Enduro casing or heavier tires. It’s a great way to transform a long wheelbase, long travel heavier bike into something more agreeable to cross country type riding; or what most of us over a certain age would consider Enduro riding: going out for three or four hours on a killer trail and having a bike that doesn’t beat you up at the end.
At 6’5 and 230, I agree that a little more travel and stack height definitely makes a difference. I rode a xl ripely vs my xl ripmo af in Pisgah and the ripely beat me up big time and I was much slower on the descents. Climbing wasn’t much different even though there’s a 3lb difference, id take the Ripmo over the ripely on everyday rides in NC. Great video Clint thanks
It comes down to the individual bike model too. Enduro bikes on the smaller end of the scale like the Yeti SB150 and Rocky Mountain Altitude can absolutely replace your trail bike and not feel like you're riding a barge on XC trails. Then you of course have the Ibis Ripmo which is still probably the ultimate "do everything well" bike
@@snat6299 The Ripmo also is a very comfortable bike, the riding position isn't stretched out, but it still feels more like an enduro bike than a trail bike when you point it downhill, but feels like a trail bike on the climbs and tech climbs extremely well thanks to the DW link.
@@mrvwbug4423 Yes the model definitely makes a difference. I’d like to ride many different models but its been a very limited stock and demos for the last couple years.
Hey Clint, I find you to be one of the most objective and structured reviewers of bikes... this is my first comment to any of your videos. In reality this is not the right comparison since it's apples to oranges. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it.... it's awesome... really how you break down the 'whys'. But in reality, I wish you had kept the Spur and compared that to the Stumpy. That would be a really good video. Maybe someone can lend you a Spur? On the flip side, the Sentinel vs the Stumpjumper Evo would be a great comparison of two bikes with similar purpose and geometry. What do you think?
Thank you for your comment. The purpose of this video is not to compare 2 trail bikes, but to decide if an Enduro bike or trail bike would be the best option for these types of trails.
It definitely depends on where you ride. I have an Ibis Ripmo, which is a direct competitor of the Sentinel, the Ripmo does pedal and climb better than the Sentinel so actually does trail bike duty pretty well. I mostly ride in Colorado and Wyoming, where we do have steep and techy trails, and the Ripmo is very at home on those. Though when I've taken my Ripmo to the PNW and hit some of the black DH runs there I actually felt maybe a hair underbiked and would probably get a full on enduro bike if I lived on the wet side of Oregon or Washington.
Hey I know this comment is old but incase you see it, I’m currently shopping around for a bike. I’m looking at a 2023 Sentinel, I’m in CO as well. I currently have a 2020 Fuel EX 5, do you think I should keep the fuel EX or make the jump to the sentinel. I have also been looking for a Ripmo AF but can’t find any my size for a good price. Thanks!
I went from a hardtail to the 2021 Scaple se . Upgraded the rear shock to be a bit beffeir . Put a shorter stem and put a 28 tooth chainring for my big western climbs . I have taken this xc type bike to a light weight trail bike . Coming from a hardtail my 120 travel capacity on the Scaple to me is plush even with me using a bit more air pressure on the suspension above a normal sag .
I'd also be interested in the middle bike onf the Spur/Sentinel. For now, 145/150 Salsa Blackthorn at 28-pounds and a one-off 125/130 2023 27-pound Trek Top Fuel. ...The Top Fuel is my preferred choice. It has the middle shock setup that would be found if there were a bike between the Spur / Sentinel: 185 x 50/55. I like the negative air volume of the 185/210 shock vs the 165/190. The 205/230 shock is generally a bit slow to react. But, the 205 seems to be the best as far as "responseinvess" in the Enduro category. I guess, I'm saying your test here is unique and very well warranted. Technically, there's a huge difference in the rear shock perameters, but the large negative air chamber in combination with the wheelbase is quite a powerful combo. It does have an edge over 165/190 shock-tuning perameters.
The 205/230 vs 165/190 is almost like running lower psi in tubeless tires. You get the traction, but your working to keep it rolling. Lately, I've been adding fast rolling tires to my slack Enduro/trail bikes and having a blast. But, I always come back to a lightweight 185/210 shock setup as it seems to handle double-duty as far as long days on tough singletrack. If I were a snappy 1-2 hr rider, I'd absolutely be in the 165/190 club... I've got lots of free time. ;-)
I like the 160/150ish bikes personally if I had to have just one bike. Something like the Ripmo or Switchblade which takes advantage of the DW Link to make climbing much easier and all the benefit of the extra travel. Swapping between coil/air and DH/light duty tires completely changes those bikes too.
Having ridden a Sentinel (not really an enduro bike more like a long travel trailbike), the Stumpy is a good choice but after riding the Spire there was no need to be under biked, the Spire does it all like a champ, mullet or 29 its hard to beat.
I often wonder what it would be like to have a 120/160mm travel bike. Let's say you take the Transition Spur with the single pivot flex stay suspension, put on a 160mm fork and then correct the geo to something like 77* STA and 65* HTA. You get a light-weight efficient-pedaling/climbing Downcountry rear end with an Enduro front end and progressive geometry with out getting too long. Would it work well or would it just be unbalanced?
It would be unbalanced. Upforking to 130 or so usually works well though. Geo can make a short travel bike ride surprisingly well on rowdy trails, prime example being the Rocky Mountain Element which is a downcountry bike.
In the last two years I owned a 2021 Stumpjumper expert, 2021 Canyon Spectral 29 CF8, a 2022 Propain Tyee and spent significant time on a 2022 Evil Wreckoning (200+ miles). I ride in the PNW so I am no stranger to longer steep climbs and steep downhill with plenty of slippery rocks and roots. Honestly all these bikes were awesome and could handle all the trails I rode. The Stumpjumper climbed slightly better and was a little more energetic on tamer trails, but got a little overwhelmed when things things got gnarly or when doing bigger drops. It could do it, but was not as composed as the other bikes. The Spectral was sort of in the middle, pretty quick accelerating, active, poppy and felt great on any trail and the suspension felt pretty bottomless with some bigger hits. The Tyee has a coil and feels a bit more plush on chunky terrain, but still pedals very well and has good pop. The longer chainstay requires a little different riding position compared to the other bikes, but offers great traction and confidence once you adjust. The Wreckoning was the bruiser of them all, but still climbed well and the short chainstay made for some fun cornering and was easy to get the front up and throw about while still being able to smash into stuff if you wanted. The Propain Tyee ended up being my favorite all rounder, just edging out the Canyon for my needs and is now my only bike.
I just ordered a Sentinel (coming from a 2019 Pivot Mach 6). I chose it because I like to ride bigger stuff like Avery and Bennet and kinda wanted a one bike to do it all. The stumpy isn’t a bike I would want to bring to the Enchilada. If I could have a few bikes I would like a shorter travel bike.
I put a +1 angleset on my sentinel and it mostly fixed all the drawbacks of the sentinel you described …feels much more agile and better all around. I have an XC bike, had the 2022 Stumpy, and have the V2 Sentinel…but I always was reaching for the other bikes and not the stumpy, so I ended up selling. The XC bike is hands down the best for local stuff…but the Sentinel was the better choice for Pisgah, although I had a blast on the stumpy too…just had to tone it down a little. But…If I only could keep one bike…Stumpjumper it would be
Buddy got a SJ a few months ago. I agree it feels very low center of gravity. Also very stiff bike and efficient. Like more of your energy is going to pushing you forward. I ride a tallboy and it sounds more like your transition. The SJ felt like a rocket but I wonder if it would beat you up because it's so stiff.
Couple of thoughts: 1) When you mention your contact Lars at Transition, that's the owner Lars correct? Pretty solid contact. 2) Ive seen some very recent photos of a new Smuggler that been making the rounds on the internet so I think its coming soon (which based on #1 you might already know)
Chew on this… How about building up a BURLY RIPLEY or a LEAN RIPMO / let’s talk about it?!!? i ride a burly ripley in cen TX… im over 40 and consider black trail to be my limit, i want one bike to do it all… i do lust after long travel 29erz cuz they are so sexy:) but dang… my v4 ripley is gettin’ it DONE
@@MikeesTexas Ripley v4 was what I had before the stumpy. That was the funnest bike (Ripley) I've ever owned, and I'll likely own another one at some point.
I haven't ridden an enduro yet but ride an Optic with 140/125 and modern geometry and other than high speed, there doesn't seem to be anything the bike can't do if I had the skill to ride it. Trail bikes seem to be the sweet spot for 95% of what most riders require unless you're riding park or more downhill type places like BC all the time.
Have you tried the Flight Attendent or Fox Live equipt bikes? i modified my Niner Jet 9 with the handelbar mounted Open-Pedal-Closed control, and know how effecive that is, and am picking my next bike. I also have a YT Decoy E Bike, so i know what easy is.
I have not tried those yet. I’m still not convinced the extra expense is worth it, but I could be wrong! Looking forward to trying Fox live valve one day.
Your trails look like a ton of fun, though not terribly technical, similar to most of what I ride around my home. I have an older SC 5010 (trail) and a newish SC Hightower (all-mountain). The Hightower is a ton of fun locally, even though sometimes I’m a little bit over biked. Likewise, I’ve ridden the 5010 in Moab and southern Utah, also fun, but I definitely felt under biked sometimes. I did a Sentinel demo in Southern Utah; it felt awesome on gnarlier terrain (and there’s lots of gnarly terrain there), while still being fun (though admittedly overbiked) on some of the gentler blue trails. I found a deal on one, so I’m buying it to leave family that live there (who I visit often). The Sentinel would not be my first or second choice for my local home trails though. If you’re a recreational 1-bike rider, get a bike tailored to what you write 80% of the time and remember a good trail bike (and some skill) can flex from XC to an occasional black-run park day. A balanced all-mountain bike can flex from turquoise to (some) double black, assuming you have the balls for it (which I don’t). In spite of it’s geometry, most people consider the Sentinel an all mountain bike, with a decided lean towards descending &/or gnar.
This video accurately demonstrates that bikes are like golf clubs - sure you you can play an entire round with only a 2 iron but what fun is that. Work hard , save your money, and have an assortment. The only question is which bike style do you begin with - and the answer to that is …………..
I am looking a lot at a stunt jumper to pull all the parts off my Hard tail and build up a single FS bike. I am running a 140mm pike and am really considering a SJ.. are they worth it ?
I think when bike companies made All Mtn Enduro bikes, the intent was a bike that could climb good and be able to take on the most challenging descents. (High speed, chunky with rocks, ruts,roots jumps, drops and gaps) True a 130-140mm Trail Bike can do this but probably not feel as strong and confident. But honestly, most daily riders on their local loops are probably not encountering trails that have sections that require an Enduro bike to clean. Plus, being under-biked builds up your skills anyway.
Where the big bikes come into their own is on high speed trails, especially when they get rowdy. The trade off is a big bike is going to feel dead on an easy trail and awkward on slow, trials-y tech. I've only ridden a few trails where I felt an enduro bike would have been a better choice than my Ripmo which is an All Mountain bike, those trails were steep and fast PNW blacks where you have to carry a lot of speed for the trail to flow properly and not feel awkward and I was able to carry that speed on the Ripmo, but was maybe starting to feel the limits of the travel a hair.
@@mrvwbug4423 completely agree. A big burly 38Fox 160-170 or a big RS Zeb with a matching beefy coil rear shock really make a difference when you hitting steeps at high speeds.
In the market for a new ride and was able to get on a Scout with some custom riser bars and absolutely loved the way it felt. Rode a stock GX Scout and did not love it (same with stock Sentinel XT build). I am new to modern geo and did feel both bikes come alive when getting a little more forward which was a little uncomfortable for me to be honest. Keep telling myself that the Scout is the bike for me as it feels so playful with the riser bars and smaller wheels. Then I demoed a Reeb SST this past weekend and loved it....felt so natural popping off rocks and any time in the air. Now I here teasing of maybe a new Smuggler like bike from Transition....I am so ready to pull the trigger on the Scout but now I am worried they will drop this new ride as soon as I do. Could a new Smuggler convince me to go 29r finally 😩. Could see myself on the SST (steel is real....quite) but I am a huge Transition fan...hopefully something is coming soon. So many good options out there.
Ha! It's funny, the entire time I was watching this I couldn't help thinking about the "down-country" trend that's been going on with XC in recent years. And then you made your prediction at the end about the potential emergence of a trail-enduro hybrid. I used to ride XC exclusively until I discovered the overwhelmingly shameful amount of fun downhill bike parks can be. I almost didn't want my XC buddies finding out I was riding a chairlift back up the hill (I felt so cheap and dirty). For the past two years I stayed the day after the UCI World Cup event at Snowshoe to ride the park after it opened back up and both times I rode my Canyon Lux. That may sound insane to most people who can visualize how limiting 100 mm of travel can be but if you stay on the green and blue trails it is surprisingly manageable. I have since visited Snowshoe again and on that occasion I decided to rent one of their Commencal Clash downhill bikes so that I wouldn't destroy my XC baby (or myself, I guess). Although the Clash is normally their enduro model, this unit was coined the "Ride Park edition" and it was equipped with several variations I suspect in an attempt to get the best of all worlds. Now, I realize my opinion may be extremely biased, but I discovered several things from the experience: I hate 27.5 wheels, riding flat pedals is extremely unnerving, a lack of a dropper post is a major disadvantage and 180 mm of travel is worthless if your riding entry level suspension components (I'd take my 100mm Fox step cast forks over that any day). But in reference to your concluding comment, I'm curious to know how a well equipped trail bike (such as your Stump jumper) would perform with a decent 180 mm fork on the front. Doing so would increase the downhill effectiveness without sacrificing all of the trail riding capabilities and theoretically preserve some of the agility of a lighter bike with a somewhat shorter wheelbase. Thanks for your video. Another great one!
Bikes like the Ibis Ripmo and Transition Sentinel are that trail/enduro hybrid. There is also the park/freeride bikes that slot in between enduro bikes and DH bikes, those are bikes like the Rocky Mountain Slayer and Propain Spindrift, those are usually 180 travel but still normally single crown and pedal decently. Downcountry is a hybrid of XC and Trail and they actually work quite well. I demoed a Rocky Mountain Element and despite only 110/120 travel it just felt like a super light and responsive trail bike, comfortable upright riding position, no hunched over XC race position, would feel perfectly comfortable taking it down many black rated trails thanks to the trail bike geo, but would also feel comfortable entering it into an XC race
I’m a Fl girl and have been getting out there and riding trails. I mostly ride Big Shoals trails Mossy Ravine trail at White Springs. There are some hills and the river trail, I broke down about 6 miles in the woods lol had to walk it out of there. I need a good bike . I thought mine was good until I saw your channel lol lol. Anyway what kind of bike would you recommend for me ?
It’s really going to depend on your budget. If you can give me an idea what that is I’ll give you some recommendations. Also, what brands does your local bike shop carry?
@@ClintGibbs My husband and I bought our bikes at REI store a entry level mountain bike paid 500 bucks . The problem with my bike was a bent derailer from a stick that got wedged up in it and one time his back wheel fell off because the clamp got loose. Not a good situation, the back wheel fell off on a highway in Largo Fl lol not fun. 1500 -2000 bucks is my budget. He fixed my bike today and we rode Anderson Springs trail had a blast but my bike gears got messed up and he had to fix it on the trail. We are loving biking these trails .
At minimum I would consider the Sentinel an all mountain bike. I’ve ridden a lot of trail bikes and the Sentinel definitely is above the trail bike category in my opinion. With a 63.5°, head angle and 160mm travel up the front, it leans more towards Enduro. Riding these bikes back to back really showed me that they are in different categories. Before the Spire, the Sentinel was Transition’s Enduro team bike.
Sold my Sentinel for a Stumpy Evo. Evo is the best of both worlds imo. Adjustable headset angle allows me to steepen it up for my local trails and then slacken it out for bike park days or some trails at Pisgah. Also, swat box is game changer. Don’t think I can own another bike that doesn’t have internal frame storage.
I love my stumpy evo too. It’s a game changer
I thought that too after selling my SJ a year or two ago. It's not that big of a deal to go back to a hip pack or tool storage elsewhere on the bike.
That Butcher on the Stumpjumper has a ton of drag. Went with a DHF/Dissector on the factory wheels that came with my Stumpjumper Expert. And Dissector/ Rekon on my carbon wheel set. Much faster rolling even on the DHF setup.
It depends on the type of parks in your area where you ride 90% of the time. Parks by my house are mostly for trail bikes so I ended getting trail bike. My buddy has the Ibis Mojo and I have the Pivot Trail 429. We ride together at our local trails and my bike is more nimble than his.
Good debrief! Seeing all the leaves made me miss my old Chicopee Woods and Big Creek loops. I have a Stumpy EVO in CA and I feel it blends the best of those two bikes. And while I understand the allure of underbiking (love gravel), keep in mind the consequences of a crash. The hassles of a heavy bike are worth it if it keeps you alive, unbroken, and able to ride out of the backcountry.
Great comparison and perspective. You don't always need the burliest bike on the chunkiest stuff.
Nice! Very accurate. Still loving the sentinel for the rough trails I ride. But it only gets fun when you are really pushing it!
I’m currently on a Epic EVO and love it. It’s a great all around bike for home trails and the SE mountains but under biked at Pisgah. I ride those SE mountains a good bit. Your right, a 25 lb 130-140 mm travel bike is coming and it would rip it up there.
Per usual, Clint provides the best insight, even more so than the paid reviewers. Being underbiked is way undersold for most riders. Having a bike you can completely taking advantage of, then navigate, makes your skill shine and brings out more satisfaction IMO. Though being overbiked can really make you understand the quality of having bigger can be better… which can lead to growth in different areas too.
It comes to 2 things, what you ride 95% of the time, and what you enjoy when you ride. To me this tells me the type of bike you should buy. Or just buy 3.
It's interesting when I started researching mtbs the Sentinel was always highly praised but I eventually discovered that usually 2 things eventually happened with some of the owners I watched, either your crazy dedicated and blessed with where you live and only ride diamond trails and parks and those riders stick with the bigger 170mm+ enduros, or, the previous Sentinel lovers sold their bike for something just as capable but more playful like the Revel Rail 29 or Ibis Ripmo. Seems like the Sentinel finds itself in an awkward middle ground where similar geo bikes are just as capable but play better on the trail, or a bigger bike just does it's job better when your fully committed to smashing diamond trails, parks, and racing.
And the fact that the new Patrol is both more playful and probably more nimble than the Sentinel due to being a dedicated mullet bike is making the Sentinel a hard sell. The Ripmo rules the 150/160 travel class by virtue of being a bike that really is good at everything. I have a Ripmo and it climbs better than many trail bikes and descends almost as good as a full on enduro bike while being fairly playful to boot, the big thing with the Ripmo is you're down in the bike when descending so it feels more like a full on enduro bike on descents than say a Stumpy Evo which feels like a trail bike with extra travel
The internet needs a Clint Gibbs review of the SJ Evo.
I think that there are only two bikes that make sense for most people. The first is the light-weight, 120/120mm travel, efficiently pedaling and climbing Downcountry bike like the Transition Spur. The second is the more capable and progressive, 150/160mm or more travel All-Mountain/Enduro bike like the Stumpjumper Evo. The range between 120/120mm and 150/160mm travel I call the no go zone. If I could have only one bike like many of us, I would choose something like the Stumpjumper Evo and then put on the lightest fastest-rolling tires that make sense for where you ride. And that's exactly what I have, a Stumpjumper Evo Expert with 2.6 front and 2.4 rear Maxxis Rekon tires. Very capable on the steep and rough while still rolling very fast.
Where are you riding Mark? I’m just hitting UK winter and the butcher/eliminator combo doesn’t feel as grippy as the schwalbe mm/hd combo I was coming from, it also feels like it’s been slower rolling in summer. A bad combo all round really!
@@markbrown9803 I live in the southwest US. Very dry with hardpack, loose over hardpack, and loose, moon dust, sand, gravel, cobble. The stock tires were OK but they rolled very slow. Putting on the Rekons put the pep back into the bike. A little less grippy on the descents but much faster everywhere else. The Rekons would probably be terrible someplace wet.
@@marksandoval5361 ah, we’re probably considering slightly different tyres then! I agree with you 100% though, the stumpy evo is probably all the bike I ever need and more. A set of lighter wheels/tyres will hopefully just make it a little bit livelier. I couldn’t believe how far bike tech had moved on coming from 26” 10 year old mtb
@@markbrown9803 I don't know what riding in the UK is like. I would be looking for the lightest fastest-rolling tires that you can be happy with. Maybe the newly redesigned 29x2.4 Maxxis Forekaster. Grippier than the Rekon and better at clearing mud.
I have a 21 Stumpy and a 22 SJ EVO. The regular Stumpy is better for most stuff if speed is a concern. The EVO is more capable/comfortable on hairy terrain. EVO is the go to for parks too. If I could have just one probably the regular Stumpy but tough call because lighter wheels and tires on the EVO would be somewhat of an equalizer.
Those autumn colours are just beautiful thanks Clint!👍 Oh and the bikes and your thoughts on them were also great. 🤣
Transition smuggler is the middle bike between the spur and sentinel. Maybe it wasn’t released at the time of your video. Same travel as the stumpy. I couldn’t decide on which bike to get between the two so I went with the stumpy expert. I’m a fan of the swat box
I think the number one selling point of the Evo is the adjustability. You can literally turn it into a sentinel for a park day and steepen it back out for local trails
I would like to see the Stumpjumper EVO in this comparison. It is a little more travel, I think it might split the difference between the Transition and the Stumpjumper.
It's the exact same travel as the Sentinel and can be made slacker than the Sentinel with its geo adjustments. The feel of the two is different. The Evo feels like a trail bike with extra travel, it does corner VERY well but is maybe a bit too plush on jumps.
Great Video. I have a 2022 sentinel and experiance some of the problems you mentioned. Ive been tossing around the idea of short forking it to 150mm to make it a little more nimble.
Thanks Clint, I needed this video. I’m on the cusp of making a new bike purchase and I’m going back and forth between 120-130R/140F trail bikes and 150R/160F enduro bikes. I’m on the east coast and most of my local trails definitely pair best with a trail bike, but I’d like to visit a lift access bike park a few times a year. This video offered some good food for thought. Thanks.
The trail bike will hold its own in a lift access park at least up to single black trails, in my experience. You also have some trail bikes that are on the rowdier end like the newest version of the Trek Fuel EX, the Giant Trance X and the Fezzari Delano Peak. The Fuel EX in particular looks very compelling as a one bike solution, it's 140R/150F out of the box, with a lot of flip chip adjustments, supports running 160 travel up front, and can be converted to mullet by just running the flip chip in high and putting a 27.5 wheel on the back
Look into the Stumpjumper EVO or something with 140 rear 150/160 front like the Commencal META TR. I ride the META on the East Coast. Like to visit the bike parks a few times a year. Sometimes I feel under biked at the park, but that is only on the double black diamonds. To Clint's point, it is more fun to be under biked.
I agree with your major points: it’s better to be underbiked and the overall weight of the bike plays a significant role in how the bikes climb and how responsive they are in technical situations. However I think that there is a size related factor here. And that is if you’re 6’2- 6’4” taller you’re going to get on an XL bike whether it be a down country bike or Enduro bike, and the wheelbases is are not that different these days. And in my experience an XL Enduro fits better than anything 140 and under. If you can get that bike with Enduro level travel to have a 64 degree head angle and stay at or under a 50 inch wheelbase it can be very responsive IF the bike has a good pedaling platform like a trailing 4 bar link bike. And IF you can set up the suspension properly. If you can get it to a lower weight like a down country bike it can fill all of those gaps. If you do the same thing and you put somebody who’s 5 foot eight or 6 foot tall or whatever on an enduro bikes they’re always going to choose something like you did with the stump jumper because it fits better and it feels more responsive because the enduro bike is materially too much bike, literally. But in my experience when you go to a down country bike at 140 travel in the front your hand position becomes so much lower overall on those bikes if you’re a taller rider that it’s actually better to ride the Enduro and try to get the bike weight down. Overall the body position things that you need to do on a climb keeping it in a straight line are just not as big a deal for a large rider. Also, One other often overlooked point on this is the fact that most people are riding Enduro casing or heavier casing tires by all the manufacturers when really all they need is a cross-country tire for the trails that they ride. If you put a cross country tire on most Enduro bikes they can transform the bike into a much more responsive machine than what you get when you ride Enduro casing or heavier tires. It’s a great way to transform a long wheelbase, long travel heavier bike into something more agreeable to cross country type riding; or what most of us over a certain age would consider Enduro riding: going out for three or four hours on a killer trail and having a bike that doesn’t beat you up at the end.
At 6’5 and 230, I agree that a little more travel and stack height definitely makes a difference. I rode a xl ripely vs my xl ripmo af in Pisgah and the ripely beat me up big time and I was much slower on the descents. Climbing wasn’t much different even though there’s a 3lb difference, id take the Ripmo over the ripely on everyday rides in NC. Great video Clint thanks
It comes down to the individual bike model too. Enduro bikes on the smaller end of the scale like the Yeti SB150 and Rocky Mountain Altitude can absolutely replace your trail bike and not feel like you're riding a barge on XC trails. Then you of course have the Ibis Ripmo which is still probably the ultimate "do everything well" bike
@@snat6299 The Ripmo also is a very comfortable bike, the riding position isn't stretched out, but it still feels more like an enduro bike than a trail bike when you point it downhill, but feels like a trail bike on the climbs and tech climbs extremely well thanks to the DW link.
@@mrvwbug4423 Yes the model definitely makes a difference. I’d like to ride many different models but its been a very limited stock and demos for the last couple years.
Hey Clint, I find you to be one of the most objective and structured reviewers of bikes... this is my first comment to any of your videos. In reality this is not the right comparison since it's apples to oranges. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it.... it's awesome... really how you break down the 'whys'.
But in reality, I wish you had kept the Spur and compared that to the Stumpy. That would be a really good video. Maybe someone can lend you a Spur?
On the flip side, the Sentinel vs the Stumpjumper Evo would be a great comparison of two bikes with similar purpose and geometry.
What do you think?
Thank you for your comment. The purpose of this video is not to compare 2 trail bikes, but to decide if an Enduro bike or trail bike would be the best option for these types of trails.
It definitely depends on where you ride. I have an Ibis Ripmo, which is a direct competitor of the Sentinel, the Ripmo does pedal and climb better than the Sentinel so actually does trail bike duty pretty well. I mostly ride in Colorado and Wyoming, where we do have steep and techy trails, and the Ripmo is very at home on those. Though when I've taken my Ripmo to the PNW and hit some of the black DH runs there I actually felt maybe a hair underbiked and would probably get a full on enduro bike if I lived on the wet side of Oregon or Washington.
Hey I know this comment is old but incase you see it, I’m currently shopping around for a bike. I’m looking at a 2023 Sentinel, I’m in CO as well. I currently have a 2020 Fuel EX 5, do you think I should keep the fuel EX or make the jump to the sentinel. I have also been looking for a Ripmo AF but can’t find any my size for a good price. Thanks!
I went from a hardtail to the 2021 Scaple se . Upgraded the rear shock to be a bit beffeir . Put a shorter stem and put a 28 tooth chainring for my big western climbs . I have taken this xc type bike to a light weight trail bike . Coming from a hardtail my 120 travel capacity on the Scaple to me is plush even with me using a bit more air pressure on the suspension above a normal sag .
I'd also be interested in the middle bike onf the Spur/Sentinel.
For now, 145/150 Salsa Blackthorn at 28-pounds and a one-off 125/130 2023 27-pound Trek Top Fuel.
...The Top Fuel is my preferred choice. It has the middle shock setup that would be found if there were a bike between the Spur / Sentinel: 185 x 50/55. I like the negative air volume of the 185/210 shock vs the 165/190. The 205/230 shock is generally a bit slow to react. But, the 205 seems to be the best as far as "responseinvess" in the Enduro category. I guess, I'm saying your test here is unique and very well warranted. Technically, there's a huge difference in the rear shock perameters, but the large negative air chamber in combination with the wheelbase is quite a powerful combo. It does have an edge over 165/190 shock-tuning perameters.
The 205/230 vs 165/190 is almost like running lower psi in tubeless tires. You get the traction, but your working to keep it rolling.
Lately, I've been adding fast rolling tires to my slack Enduro/trail bikes and having a blast. But, I always come back to a lightweight 185/210 shock setup as it seems to handle double-duty as far as long days on tough singletrack. If I were a snappy 1-2 hr rider, I'd absolutely be in the 165/190 club...
I've got lots of free time. ;-)
I like the 160/150ish bikes personally if I had to have just one bike. Something like the Ripmo or Switchblade which takes advantage of the DW Link to make climbing much easier and all the benefit of the extra travel. Swapping between coil/air and DH/light duty tires completely changes those bikes too.
Having ridden a Sentinel (not really an enduro bike more like a long travel trailbike), the Stumpy is a good choice but after riding the Spire there was no need to be under biked, the Spire does it all like a champ, mullet or 29 its hard to beat.
I often wonder what it would be like to have a 120/160mm travel bike. Let's say you take the Transition Spur with the single pivot flex stay suspension, put on a 160mm fork and then correct the geo to something like 77* STA and 65* HTA. You get a light-weight efficient-pedaling/climbing Downcountry rear end with an Enduro front end and progressive geometry with out getting too long. Would it work well or would it just be unbalanced?
It would be unbalanced. Upforking to 130 or so usually works well though. Geo can make a short travel bike ride surprisingly well on rowdy trails, prime example being the Rocky Mountain Element which is a downcountry bike.
In the last two years I owned a 2021 Stumpjumper expert, 2021 Canyon Spectral 29 CF8, a 2022 Propain Tyee and spent significant time on a 2022 Evil Wreckoning (200+ miles). I ride in the PNW so I am no stranger to longer steep climbs and steep downhill with plenty of slippery rocks and roots. Honestly all these bikes were awesome and could handle all the trails I rode. The Stumpjumper climbed slightly better and was a little more energetic on tamer trails, but got a little overwhelmed when things things got gnarly or when doing bigger drops. It could do it, but was not as composed as the other bikes. The Spectral was sort of in the middle, pretty quick accelerating, active, poppy and felt great on any trail and the suspension felt pretty bottomless with some bigger hits. The Tyee has a coil and feels a bit more plush on chunky terrain, but still pedals very well and has good pop. The longer chainstay requires a little different riding position compared to the other bikes, but offers great traction and confidence once you adjust. The Wreckoning was the bruiser of them all, but still climbed well and the short chainstay made for some fun cornering and was easy to get the front up and throw about while still being able to smash into stuff if you wanted. The Propain Tyee ended up being my favorite all rounder, just edging out the Canyon for my needs and is now my only bike.
I just ordered a Sentinel (coming from a 2019 Pivot Mach 6). I chose it because I like to ride bigger stuff like Avery and Bennet and kinda wanted a one bike to do it all. The stumpy isn’t a bike I would want to bring to the Enchilada. If I could have a few bikes I would like a shorter travel bike.
The Sentinel on Avery and Bennett is about as much fun as you can have on two wheels. Congrats!
I put a +1 angleset on my sentinel and it mostly fixed all the drawbacks of the sentinel you described …feels much more agile and better all around. I have an XC bike, had the 2022 Stumpy, and have the V2 Sentinel…but I always was reaching for the other bikes and not the stumpy, so I ended up selling. The XC bike is hands down the best for local stuff…but the Sentinel was the better choice for Pisgah, although I had a blast on the stumpy too…just had to tone it down a little. But…If I only could keep one bike…Stumpjumper it would be
which headset did you put on? Ive got a sentinel I was thinking of short forking to 150 or installing a angleset.
@@bencude4284 I used a works angleset…I’d rather do that instead of changing front travel…you’ll drop the bb even lower than it already is
Buddy got a SJ a few months ago. I agree it feels very low center of gravity. Also very stiff bike and efficient. Like more of your energy is going to pushing you forward. I ride a tallboy and it sounds more like your transition. The SJ felt like a rocket but I wonder if it would beat you up because it's so stiff.
I steepened the fork angle on my sentinel by 1 degree. Noticeable improvement in climbing and fork suppleness. The 64 head angle was a crutch.
How did you steepen the head angle? I have a sentinal I was thinking of short forking with a 150 fork vs 160 to combat thoes issues.
Couple of thoughts:
1) When you mention your contact Lars at Transition, that's the owner Lars correct? Pretty solid contact.
2) Ive seen some very recent photos of a new Smuggler that been making the rounds on the internet so I think its coming soon (which based on #1 you might already know)
I have a stumpjumper expert, but if Ibis made a bike between the Ripley and Ripmo, as you say "I'm in".
Chew on this… How about building up a BURLY RIPLEY or a LEAN RIPMO / let’s talk about it?!!? i ride a burly ripley in cen TX… im over 40 and consider black trail to be my limit, i want one bike to do it all… i do lust after long travel 29erz cuz they are so sexy:) but dang… my v4 ripley is gettin’ it DONE
@@MikeesTexas Ripley v4 was what I had before the stumpy. That was the funnest bike (Ripley) I've ever owned, and I'll likely own another one at some point.
Nice shout out to Lars! He is awesome
I haven't ridden an enduro yet but ride an Optic with 140/125 and modern geometry and other than high speed, there doesn't seem to be anything the bike can't do if I had the skill to ride it. Trail bikes seem to be the sweet spot for 95% of what most riders require unless you're riding park or more downhill type places like BC all the time.
Have you tried the Flight Attendent or Fox Live equipt bikes? i modified my Niner Jet 9 with the handelbar mounted Open-Pedal-Closed control, and know how effecive that is, and am picking my next bike. I also have a YT Decoy E Bike, so i know what easy is.
I have not tried those yet. I’m still not convinced the extra expense is worth it, but I could be wrong! Looking forward to trying Fox live valve one day.
Nice perspective on the topic. Thanks, well done video.
Your trails look like a ton of fun, though not terribly technical, similar to most of what I ride around my home.
I have an older SC 5010 (trail) and a newish SC Hightower (all-mountain). The Hightower is a ton of fun locally, even though sometimes I’m a little bit over biked. Likewise, I’ve ridden the 5010 in Moab and southern Utah, also fun, but I definitely felt under biked sometimes.
I did a Sentinel demo in Southern Utah; it felt awesome on gnarlier terrain (and there’s lots of gnarly terrain there), while still being fun (though admittedly overbiked) on some of the gentler blue trails. I found a deal on one, so I’m buying it to leave family that live there (who I visit often). The Sentinel would not be my first or second choice for my local home trails though.
If you’re a recreational 1-bike rider, get a bike tailored to what you write 80% of the time and remember a good trail bike (and some skill) can flex from XC to an occasional black-run park day. A balanced all-mountain bike can flex from turquoise to (some) double black, assuming you have the balls for it (which I don’t).
In spite of it’s geometry, most people consider the Sentinel an all mountain bike, with a decided lean towards descending &/or gnar.
This video accurately demonstrates that bikes are like golf clubs - sure you you can play an entire round with only a 2 iron but what fun is that. Work hard , save your money, and have an assortment. The only question is which bike style do you begin with - and the answer to that is …………..
Can't imagine doing Stanley Gap back to back. That's a one and done trail for me lol. Maybe do it again next year.
I am looking a lot at a stunt jumper to pull all the parts off my Hard tail and build up a single FS bike. I am running a 140mm pike and am really considering a SJ.. are they worth it ?
Throw a carbon wheel set up with fast rolling tires
I think when bike companies made All Mtn Enduro bikes, the intent was a bike that could climb good and be able to take on the most challenging descents. (High speed, chunky with rocks, ruts,roots jumps, drops and gaps) True a 130-140mm Trail Bike can do this but probably not feel as strong and confident. But honestly, most daily riders on their local loops are probably not encountering trails that have sections that require an Enduro bike to clean. Plus, being under-biked builds up your skills anyway.
Where the big bikes come into their own is on high speed trails, especially when they get rowdy. The trade off is a big bike is going to feel dead on an easy trail and awkward on slow, trials-y tech. I've only ridden a few trails where I felt an enduro bike would have been a better choice than my Ripmo which is an All Mountain bike, those trails were steep and fast PNW blacks where you have to carry a lot of speed for the trail to flow properly and not feel awkward and I was able to carry that speed on the Ripmo, but was maybe starting to feel the limits of the travel a hair.
@@mrvwbug4423 completely agree. A big burly 38Fox 160-170 or a big RS Zeb with a matching beefy coil rear shock really make a difference when you hitting steeps at high speeds.
Great Video!!! I love my Stumpjumper Comp. Great bike…
Transition Scout FTW (just needs a mullet set up)
What don't you consider the Transition Scout a bike between the Sentinel and Spur?
It is, but I prefer 29ers.
@@ClintGibbs That makes sense, thanks!
In the market for a new ride and was able to get on a Scout with some custom riser bars and absolutely loved the way it felt. Rode a stock GX Scout and did not love it (same with stock Sentinel XT build). I am new to modern geo and did feel both bikes come alive when getting a little more forward which was a little uncomfortable for me to be honest. Keep telling myself that the Scout is the bike for me as it feels so playful with the riser bars and smaller wheels. Then I demoed a Reeb SST this past weekend and loved it....felt so natural popping off rocks and any time in the air. Now I here teasing of maybe a new Smuggler like bike from Transition....I am so ready to pull the trigger on the Scout but now I am worried they will drop this new ride as soon as I do. Could a new Smuggler convince me to go 29r finally 😩. Could see myself on the SST (steel is real....quite) but I am a huge Transition fan...hopefully something is coming soon. So many good options out there.
@@scott8290 I test rode a Scout and, like you, love how it handled. You can’t go wrong with one.
Ha! It's funny, the entire time I was watching this I couldn't help thinking about the "down-country" trend that's been going on with XC in recent years. And then you made your prediction at the end about the potential emergence of a trail-enduro hybrid. I used to ride XC exclusively until I discovered the overwhelmingly shameful amount of fun downhill bike parks can be. I almost didn't want my XC buddies finding out I was riding a chairlift back up the hill (I felt so cheap and dirty). For the past two years I stayed the day after the UCI World Cup event at Snowshoe to ride the park after it opened back up and both times I rode my Canyon Lux. That may sound insane to most people who can visualize how limiting 100 mm of travel can be but if you stay on the green and blue trails it is surprisingly manageable. I have since visited Snowshoe again and on that occasion I decided to rent one of their Commencal Clash downhill bikes so that I wouldn't destroy my XC baby (or myself, I guess). Although the Clash is normally their enduro model, this unit was coined the "Ride Park edition" and it was equipped with several variations I suspect in an attempt to get the best of all worlds. Now, I realize my opinion may be extremely biased, but I discovered several things from the experience: I hate 27.5 wheels, riding flat pedals is extremely unnerving, a lack of a dropper post is a major disadvantage and 180 mm of travel is worthless if your riding entry level suspension components (I'd take my 100mm Fox step cast forks over that any day). But in reference to your concluding comment, I'm curious to know how a well equipped trail bike (such as your Stump jumper) would perform with a decent 180 mm fork on the front. Doing so would increase the downhill effectiveness without sacrificing all of the trail riding capabilities and theoretically preserve some of the agility of a lighter bike with a somewhat shorter wheelbase.
Thanks for your video. Another great one!
Bikes like the Ibis Ripmo and Transition Sentinel are that trail/enduro hybrid. There is also the park/freeride bikes that slot in between enduro bikes and DH bikes, those are bikes like the Rocky Mountain Slayer and Propain Spindrift, those are usually 180 travel but still normally single crown and pedal decently. Downcountry is a hybrid of XC and Trail and they actually work quite well. I demoed a Rocky Mountain Element and despite only 110/120 travel it just felt like a super light and responsive trail bike, comfortable upright riding position, no hunched over XC race position, would feel perfectly comfortable taking it down many black rated trails thanks to the trail bike geo, but would also feel comfortable entering it into an XC race
I’m a Fl girl and have been getting out there and riding trails. I mostly ride Big Shoals trails Mossy Ravine trail at White Springs. There are some hills and the river trail, I broke down about 6 miles in the woods lol had to walk it out of there. I need a good bike . I thought mine was good until I saw your channel lol lol. Anyway what kind of bike would you recommend for me ?
It’s really going to depend on your budget. If you can give me an idea what that is I’ll give you some recommendations. Also, what brands does your local bike shop carry?
@@ClintGibbs My husband and I bought our bikes at REI store a entry level mountain bike paid 500 bucks . The problem with my bike was a bent derailer from a stick that got wedged up in it and one time his back wheel fell off because the clamp got loose. Not a good situation, the back wheel fell off on a highway in Largo Fl lol not fun. 1500 -2000 bucks is my budget. He fixed my bike today and we rode Anderson Springs trail had a blast but my bike gears got messed up and he had to fix it on the trail. We are loving biking these trails .
Nice video quality, Clint! Which camera did you use and what settings are you on? Thanks
GoPro Hero 11 (iPhone 13 for opening scene). I’ll post a video soon with all my settings.
@@ClintGibbs Thanks, appreciate the great videos!
You have two trail bikes there mate. Get the stumpy evo, or get a proper 170mm enduro bike and sell the transition.
At minimum I would consider the Sentinel an all mountain bike. I’ve ridden a lot of trail bikes and the Sentinel definitely is above the trail bike category in my opinion. With a 63.5°, head angle and 160mm travel up the front, it leans more towards Enduro. Riding these bikes back to back really showed me that they are in different categories. Before the Spire, the Sentinel was Transition’s Enduro team bike.
So is what you’re saying is…. it depends?
Great video, but more importantly, it looks like it's time for a new cross country/down country bike!
I am trying! Still very difficult to get bikes.
Are we not gonna talk about the (dropper?) cable is detached and flopping around at 6.40 ish?
That’s another video topic coming soon
Excellent video!
what camera are you using when you are standing next to the two bikes.....very clear.
At the beginning of the video or the 2nd scene?
@@ClintGibbs I guess the beginning ....
@@frankstrobel4350 that was an iPhone 13 Pro Max. The 2nd scene was a GoPro Hero 11.
Clint where in GA are this Trails?
Stanley Gap in Blue Ridge
Hey Clint, thanks for the edit. What's the weight difference between the two?
about 2 pounds
Autumn forest at it's best
Absolutely
Hi there wTching here .. From canada
Trail bike
Get a commencal meta tr!
Well… the sentinel is an aggressive trail bike, not and enduro..
So you'd be looking for a Transition Smuggler .... If or when Transition releases a new Smuggler
Yes. I’m hoping they release a new smuggler, or whatever name they use.
On these trails obviously transition is overkill. You probably would be fine on xc bike.