Fish on a Bike

I am trying to decide between these two bikes

https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkM...keTab=techspec

and

https://www.cannondale.com/bikes/06/CUSA/model-6VE1.html


They are both about the same price. I mostly plan on doing XC trail riding. Quality and durabilty are main concerns. Test rode both and like the suspension of the Stumpy but the drivetrain of the Prophet is much smoother.

Any insights or opinions?

J-McKech

It's hard to pick man. They are both sick and awesome bikes. Honestly, I'd say go with your heart, as cliche as it sounds but its the only way to pick the one you really want.

mtb-chop

You can always upgrade the feel of a drivetrain - it's pretty darn hard to upgrade a suspension though. The SJ is a really nice feeling ride - go with that and you absolutely cannot go wrong. If you want, change out some drivetrain parts as stuff wears out or breaks while you are loving that suspension the whole time.

Another one - that TALAS is a much better fork than that Lefty (in my opinion). Having just one fork leg is scary as hell to me; just seems pretty unnatural, but then again, I'm not a fan of proprietary anything that will limit my future parts choices.

My two bits.

Fish on a Bike

The stumpy's talas was very nice and quiet too. I think that the main thing that stuck out about the Prophet though was its beefiness and seemed put together really nice too. Maybe the Stumpy just needs some lovin and new drivetrain?

The stumpy is billed as an XC bike whereas the Prophet is an all mountain bike, but could I really expect more from the Prophet in terms of DH handling or durability?

MattP.

I wouldn't trust one of those lefty forks, scary as heck if you ask me.

harris

The Prophet will dominate the Stumpy in DH handling and longevity. I rode my friends prophet 800 and there is no prob on dh, jumps, etc. Nor on trail, however, or climbs. It truly can do it all. There is no prob with the durability of the "fork." It is actually much stronger than a regular fork with a QR axle. Think, if you like, of the prophet as a comparable ride to an enduro. It is in the same class.


cheers
harris

Fish on a Bike

Any comments about the differences in the front suspension? Is the Fox Talas a comparable front suspension solution to the Lefty Max or are they even in the same class?

Tequila Joe

For me, Stumpy without a doubt.

I like the on the trail adjustable Septune & Talas fork better than the Swinger & proprietary Lefty.

I like Hoerst Link bertter than single pivot. Less brake jack, pedal feedback and more efficient pedaling.

The Stumpy head angle was relaxed a bit for 2006 to be more All Mountain oriented but it's breed is a XC trail bike.

Reviews on both bike in (MBR & MBA) have favoured the Stumpy.

enduro

I've ridden both bikes recently, as I'm in the market for a new trailbike to replace my aging 2000 Enduro expert. The Prophet felt really dead and unresponsive to me, compared to the Stumpjumper. The lefty fork (can you really call it a fork?) was very impressive however, it is much stiffer torsionally than a conventional fork. I weigh 140 lbs and I like a really agile, responsive bike. I ride plenty of extremely technical downhill singletrack, as well as trails with super-long, steep climbs. I'd rather use skill to clear downhill obstacles than simply crash through them on a long travel, relaxed geometry bike. Also, I don't weigh enough to need an extremely tough bike.

The one bike that really blew me away was the Rocky Mountain ETSX. I rode the 2005 model with 4.5" travel and it was incredibly responsive. There's a quick release for the rear travel adjustment, and when it's in its minimum 3.5" travel setting it's nearly as responsive as a hardtail in out-of-the saddle sprints. For 2006 they've upgraded the travel to 5"; I can't wait to test-ride the new model.

Anyway, those are my thoughts; I've read very good reviews about both bikes that you're considering, but the Prophet was kind of disappointing to me (except for the "fork")