Originally Posted by
Deshi
Well good to know. I am just starting to frequent the MTB forums so I dont know everyone here just yet. Sorry the Safire didnt work out for ya. In my opinion, Specialized makes a really good bike. Hope whatever you have now fits great and is working just as good.
The Safire was a cool bike. On paper, it was perfect for what I wanted, and it was on sale too. Riding it was fine as long as both wheels were on the ground, but as soon as I wheelied or jumped the bike, it just felt awkward. This was outside the bike shop too, so it was inches of curb air...God only know what it would have been like with actual jumps. This is despite the fact that I ride a Specialized's women's road bike, so it's not like my proportions don't work with any Specialized WSD bikes. I ended up with an AS-R, so no big loss.
I compromised a little on the travel, but when I sat on that bike, it just felt like an extension of my body, and honestly, I'm happy with the purchase. But I guess the moral of the story is when the bike is perfect, you know as soon as you sit on the bike.