Hello there,
I've been looking for some advice about mountain bikes. But first off let me tell you a bit about myself:
-I'm 6'3", 180 pounds
-I don't really enjoy rides over 2 hours
-I enjoy shredding trails

I was considering buying a carbon hardtail, to make it easier on me for the climbs, but I really don't think it'll keep up with me, and the closest carbon repair shop is a plane-ride's away. I then came across a second-hand 'Specialized Enduro 29er 2015 model', with 160mm travel up front, and 155 rear. I believe it weighs around 30 pounds. It has a 1x11 SRAM groupset with an oval chainring.

The bike was for sale for about 700 dollars, but i'm not sure whether i'll be able to survive the climbs with a 30lb bike. On the other hand, of course, I have all the travel to play with on the downhill. I've got a 30lb Aluminium hardtail 26er with a 2x9 drivetrain, and it doesn't seem too bad on full-out climbs.

In addition, the price is really good, and I will definitely check the entire bike over and add up the costs of what I need to do to it.

Would I be better off getting a carbon xc bike and working on my endurance on the uphills, or having fun on the downhills with an enduro? Sidenote: I don't have any MTB specific trails where I live, although there are quite a few great walking trails which people use for cycling.


Here's a picture to give an idea of how good the price is:

The 30lb bike weight isn't the problem with that bike for climbing hills. It's the slack head tube angle that will give you more of a problem.

Great, thanks. I'm sorry for the newbie questions, i've only experienced xc bikes and I'm a bit nervous going big. I might just take the bike on a test-ride just to see how it feels. I definitely bottom out my 100mm coil fork way too much.

I just switched to an enduro bike and the steeper seat tube really helps. Unless you are looking for race speeds going up, the enduro bike will be fine.

I also have a Trek Fuel Ex 8 27.5 + for my trail bike, and its also quite slack compared to some bikes.

Personally I wouldn't have it any other way, and I commonly climb long technical mountains for long descents. Its a good compromise with todays bikes.

Yeah it is all in the geometry. I bought two slackish hardtails, one is a 67 140mm fork and the other is a 68 120mm fork. I'm not going to look up the all geo numbers on them but the 67 which I still have climbs like poo, it is hard to keep the front well on the ground when things get steep. The 68 was alright but still a bit light in the frontend. Just for a goof at a demo day I tried out a pivot firebird with 170mm of suspension and a 65 degree headangle. That thing climbed nearly as well as my 71 degree rigid. Obviously it was heavier but it was as planted as could be and I believe a lot of that is the 74.5 degree seat angle. Convinced me I'd be fine with a 140mm full squish trail bike with good geo on my local trails and well I have been.

Would you say it's pretty good value for money? the seller just upgraded it with a hope pro 4 hub and the price is still the same. hmmm