brettf Enduro SL Review Thread

^^ Thanks woo. I got the same measurements (within .1 mm) when I did some measuring and fitting. Had to go through quite the pile of reducers...

Anyway, onward. So. I've got an RP23 on the bike now! I went to a local shop and they couldn't believe what they were hearing and then seeing with me trying to get the Fox shock to the same width as the AFR from Specialized. Apparently, I'm nuts to try to replace the AFR with the Fox. Hmm....

Anyway. It is better. A lot better. Still not 100% perfect, but much much better. This shock behaves a lot more predictably when descending and even while climbing. It feels more plush, like it gives some better feedback from the trail so you can actually feel things. As far as I'm concerned, it is a drastic improvement over the AFR.

Climbing is interesting. With this shock (and yes, you can have them revalved to completely change characteristics - in fact, maybe the AFR shock could have been revalved to play a little nicer...) you have to pick between an active rear suspension and one with very little movement and activity while climbing. Flipping the switch to the firm side of the ride really reduces pedal bob/feedback greatly. Which is great unless you want some plushness while climbing and want the rear to conform to the trail better through and over roots/rocks/kittens... I spent a great deal of time yesterday on a long climb (road, smooth trail, very rough trail, very technical trail - in that order) playing with the firmness. I found that on rough trail sections and (where I spent most of my time) if I could sit and spin reasonably smoothly, I'd prefer to leave it wide-open, letting the system do its thing and to actually smooth out the trail. Any extended standing efforts required throwing the switch into the firm setting. It just moved too damn much. Which is a compromise I can deal with. Obviously on the road, and on smooth trails where I wanted to stand, I'd leave it firm and hammer away. Very technical riding (Waldrop trail, anyone?) was interesting - I never felt like I had it where I wanted it.... but in the end, I left it open and used the kush to plow through the techy climbing/rolling terrain...

Descending was far better than with the AFR shock. It handled high speed stuff well and never seemed to dive too much when I'd pump/throw it into corners. It also was nice on slower speed descents through trails with more rock than dirt, a steep grade, water bars with 2' roller step-downs into rocky boulders... Just very predictable and easy to descend with. The "dead" or "hollow" feeling I experienced before is gone. Awesome.

After all this, I'm left with a question. This shock was valved (supposedly, right?) for use with a 6.6. Is there a difference in valving for shocks mounted horizontally vs vertically? I ask because I think this shock should feel a bit better. I'm being picky again, and maybe it is because of my limited experience with 4-Bar/Faux-Bar/Whatever suspensions... but it doesn't feel quite as plush as it should. But, I've only got two rides on it and it is a vast improvement over the stock setup. Anyway, sorta curious about valving for that stuff.

Bottom line: IMHO, this shock is much better for riders really wanting to feel the trail. It fits a more aggressive riding style and is a great compliment to the rest of the bike. So, now I'm left with time to get a lot more miles on the bike, really evaluate how I feel on it, and make some more changes to it... I'm also still really happy with the weight. Even with a Speedball seatpost, the bike climbs easily for a 6" travel trail bike. Okay, that's enough for now.

You need to write for MBA.:)


As far as I know, intense doesn't get fox to mess with shocks for their frames. Iron Horse and specialized are the only ones I know of that have requested custom valving on their OEM shocks.

The one I have was something I bought years ago to fit an 03 enduro. I got it straight from fox and it was just the standard aftermarket setup.

Mine's also a standard RP3, not the newer RP23.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kidwoo

As far as I know, intense doesn't get fox to mess with shocks for their frames. Iron Horse and specialized are the only ones I know of that have requested custom valving on their OEM shocks.

---

Interesting. I hadn't really thought about it until later yesterday. I had always figured that companies just bought whatever suspension components and slapped them on there.... but maybe valved differently for OEM use depending on orientation of shock body. Not that I have any idea if that makes any kind of difference.

Oh, and I still haven't measured my fork from seals to crown, but I'm back to running the crown at *just* under the top line marking the max extension on the tubes. So, as high as possible. I think I'm going to try that for a while. Seems a tad high, but much more comfortable than I'd have thought. Slow speed steering suffers though. Edit - well, very slow speed steering suffers anyway... like barely moving.

Yeah, I think I said the same thing.........it's a slack enough bike that the 1mph climbing situations kind of suck.


Shock orientation is irrelevant to how it will perform. Obviously the air chamber doesn't change and the fluid is in a sealed cartridge.

But yeah, most companies do just buy whatever is available without making special demands on shock design.

Another thorough review brett, thanks. I think I've decided I'm going to try a Marzocchi Roco Air. The limited reviews I've found make it sound like a great shock. It has no pro-pedal though but I think I'm OK with that. It looks like I have to wait a couple of months though, no one seems to have them in stock.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by brettf

After all this, I'm left with a question. This shock was valved (supposedly, right?) for use with a 6.6. Is there a difference in valving for shocks mounted horizontally vs vertically?

---

Don't quote me on this, I'm not an engineer, but I'm pretty sure that the rear damper doesn't know whether it is horizontal, vertical, or anything in between.

I think the valving/tuning would depend on the type of suspension system, the leverage ratio, and the rider.

But anyway, your review text kicks ass, great detail! You should take over for those little kids over at Decline.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dfinn

Another thorough review brett, thanks. I think I've decided I'm going to try a Marzocchi Roco Air. The limited reviews I've found make it sound like a great shock. It has no pro-pedal though but I think I'm OK with that. It looks like I have to wait a couple of months though, no one seems to have them in stock.

---

Try dropping an e-mail to Noel Buckley at Knolly Bikes. Noel spent a lot of time on different rear dampers and he can tell you how well the Rocos work relative to other rear dampers.

The plush on the fox shock sound intriguing to me. My enduro sl is my first full suspension bike, so I don't really know what to expect. One thought though, was "man, I thought the ride would be smoother than this" It seems to absorb big hits well, drops, big rocks etc.... but the littler stuff it feels really stiff. I've played with comp and rebound dampening and I don't think its either of those.

All around though, I'm really liking the bike. No bob climbing with the afr shock.

(If I had much of a clue what I was talking about, I'd post a review, but Brettf and Kidwoo are handling it nicely)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dfinn

Another thorough review brett, thanks. I think I've decided I'm going to try a Marzocchi Roco Air. The limited reviews I've found make it sound like a great shock. It has no pro-pedal though but I think I'm OK with that. It looks like I have to wait a couple of months though, no one seems to have them in stock.

---

Hit us up with some details about the Roco once you've had a little time on it. I've always liked their approach - that you leave it wide-open and build a better suspension... I'm hoping for a good review on this one - very curious. Keep us posted.

a shock is not valved because it is horizontal or vertical (maybe except for that brain shock business)

its "valving" is determined primarially by piston velocity which is a function of motion or leverage ratio, terrain, and rider inputs.

since the terrain and rider inputs are identical when you consider the difference between a 6.6 and enduro, at least as far as the "valving" is concerned, your only variable is the motion ratio. chances are its just an off-the-shelf stock shock that was on your 6.6 and is now on your enduro.

the valving that most people speak of has nothing to do with valves and everything to do with shim stacks on the pistons.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pechelman

the valving that most people speak of has nothing to do with valves and everything to do with shim stacks on the pistons.

---

.........unless they're talking about what push does.......which is widen the exchange orifice/valve of the damper fluid:D (at least on the vanilla RCs)

which orifice do they widen?

the one under the blue knob, the one in the main piston under the head of the needle which is controlled by the red knob, or the one in the resevoir piston?

just curious for my own sake

Update 8/16/07.

OK. I've put lots of miles on my SL already. I feel like I've had a chance to really feel-out the suspension, geometry, and the like.

The Fork. First of all, I still really like the fork. I've put some smooth 7' drops, some very rough descents, and good mileage. I still sort of secretly expected this fork to blow up on me, have problems, or just generally start to suck based on some things I’ve heard out there. I can’t report any problems. It leaves a little oil on the stanchions now and then, but nothing that I’m concerned about yet, and no more than my Fox or Boxxer….

I’ve found that I use the compression adjuster on the right fork leg quite often and once you get used to it, you can adjust it for trail coming up to better adapt to what you’ll hit. Berms are a good example. If you know you’ll be rocking a rough trail, adjust for a little “softer” (less compression dampening?) ride and then when you are on a trail that is smoother and has some berms that you’ll want to pump, adjust it a bit “firmer” (more compression dampening?) so you can push/pump the berms without wallowing in the stroke of the fork. Very nice. Stoked.

Geometry. I still really dig the geo on the bike. I dropped my crown down a little more from the max extension (it was a little extreme and anything but SUPER-PINNED-high-speed-radicallness was tough to steer. It is about 5mm below the max extension line now (where the top of the crown is located). The low BB took a little getting used to on a trail bike in terms of smashing pedals, but that’s what I bought this bike for and it really puts that weight where I want it. Stoked on that. Slash and weight and pump those corners.

Parts. Same gripes as before. Wheels suck. Juicy 5s are not very good brakes IMO. Whatever. See earlier posts if interested in details. The rest of the parts are fine. Still getting used to the SRAM shifters. I think I officially like there more than the Shimano shifters on other bikes I have, but going back and forth is tough. The only complaint I have is double-shifting the chainring accidentally when I am shifting it and hit a bump. Suddenly my shift to the middle from the big goes to the little… and instant circus pedaling ensues.

Rear Suspension. I still am not happy with it. The Fox RP23 is worlds better than the AFR Spesh offers. I initially thought this after swapping, but now I’m 100% convinced that the Fox is much, much, much better. I can feel the trail, I don’t have any question as to which of the pro-pedal AFR settings I’m running, and it feels WFO and good. BUT I’m just not impressed with the suspension design.... It clearly has more squish, but often times I think my Blur feels smoother through rough sections than this bike does. And isn’t that what the suspension is about? Smoothing the rough stuff? It is almost like the rear just gets hung up on trail obstacles more than I expect it to.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I like it. I just think the VPP is a better performing suspension. Maybe I’m just too used to the VPP and I haven’t let go of how I expect the bike to feel over the bumps… but I’m going to try out somebody’s Nomad and see how I think it feels. I think I’d like to check out some of the other designs like Felt’s and the DW Link (neither of which I’ve tried). I don’t think either company makes frames that have the numbers I want, but it can’t hurt to check out the suspension…

At any rate, I’m still impressed with the bike. Very impressed. Even more so when I think about the price-point. I bought it for the geometry… and it is a hell of a deal. We’ll see if I end up going with a VPP offering. It would be a shame to lose the low BB (and the fork really!). There are other bikes out there with low-ish slung frames and good, slack HT angles, but this is the total package.

Anyway, my next thing to figure out is exactly where I want the rear air-pressure. I might be able to fine-tune it better and see if I can get it to stop feeling hung-up and more supple. That and I’ll try out some other bikes out there and see what I think.

Onward…. Man – I can complain about anything, can’t I? The good news is that the bottom line is that I’m always riding bikes while testing this stuff out!

Just out of curiosity where DO you leave the propedal settings?


There's only one thing I'd change about the bike......shorter chainstay. I can't say I agree with you about the suspension performance climbing.....feels great to me....and definitely feels great on the descents. But I wonder if a shorter chainstay would help your scooting over things easier.

I know it would help me manual this thing a little better. That slacker head angle puts the front wheel pretty far out and I think the longer wheelbase gives short guys like me some work to get it up when going mach stupid.

Dang Brett, you're a detailed reviewer! I said it earlier in this thread -- you pay great attention to the sorts of details that I look at when I ride a bike.

I recently got a Turner Sultan to replace my Turner 5-Spot. The Sultan has a RP23, the 5-Spot had DHX-Air.

I prefer the DHX-Air feel, more supple, smoother, better compliance all the way through the stroke, and better bottom out resistance.

With the RP23 I have to put in a lot of PSI to prevent bottom-out, and then it loses the small bump and mid-stroke plushness. I'm not too stoked on the RP23.

+++++++++++++

Kidwoo, what's the CS length on the Enduro SL? 16.7?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by uncle crud

I prefer the DHX-Air feel, more supple, smoother, better compliance all the way through the stroke, and better bottom out resistance.

With the RP23 I have to put in a lot of PSI to prevent bottom-out, and then it loses the small bump and mid-stroke plushness. I'm not too stoked on the RP23.

---

Good points here.

Brettf, sounds like you would like a DHX air in there, with just a tad bit more air than you would normally run. Turn the propedal on about halfway, and get a little stiffer feel on the rear suspension while still having some travel. The nature of the RP23 is that with the lockout switch turned to firm, it turns the rear travel down to about 1" and nothing beyond that. The DHX can still give you somewhat of a locked out feeling without the jarring stiff feel of the RP23.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by uncle crud

Kidwoo, what's the CS length on the Enduro SL? 16.7?

---

17 even

Every xc bike spec has ever made has had this measurement.

It never bothered me in the past but with this slack a bike, I think shortening it would be an improvement.


especially for short people like me

brett writes up a great review. he also takes his trail-beta giving very seriously too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kidwoo

17 even

Every xc bike spec has ever made has had this measurement.

It never bothered me in the past but with this slack a bike, I think shortening it would be an improvement.

especially for short people like me

---

I hear ya. My 6-Pack has 17.0 CS, my 5-Spot had 16.9 CS, and that little difference is very noticeable in manual ease. The same weight shift that got the front wheel up on the 5-Spot mostly just puts more load on the rear shock when I do it on the 6-Pack.

You want tough manualing? Try a 29er. Sheesh. I feel like I'm learning all over again, the weight shift and pull on the handlebar are so exaggerated compared to my older techniques.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by uncle crud

You want tough manualing? Try a 29er. Sheesh. I feel like I'm learning all over again, the weight shift and pull on the handlebar are so exaggerated compared to my older techniques.

---

Yeah but that's why people buy 29ers.

They have no idea how to finesse a bike and just want something they can sit on that does all the work.:D

Aaaaahhh, that was excellent comedy, kidwoo!:biggrin:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kidwoo

Just out of curiosity where DO you leave the propedal settings?

---

Wide-open unless I know I'll be sprinting up something or I'll be switching between standing and sitting often. But I'd say 50% of my climbing is with the RP23 set to wide-open. What can I say, I just prefer a more active rear-end... even at the expense of some pedaling efficiency at times. Of course 100% of descending is wide-open. I do think "wide-open" is a relative term when talking about pro-pedal shocks though... (however, I think the RP23 feels pretty darn good).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kidwoo

There's only one thing I'd change about the bike......shorter chainstay. I can't say I agree with you about the suspension performance climbing.....feels great to me....and definitely feels great on the descents. But I wonder if a shorter chainstay would help your scooting over things easier.

I know it would help me manual this thing a little better. That slacker head angle puts the front wheel pretty far out and I think the longer wheelbase gives short guys like me some work to get it up when going mach stupid.

---

I'd agree that the shorter chainstays would be nice for manualling. I do feel like I really have to plan my manuals on that bike or they just don't happen right – especially at speed. Maybe that has something to do with my feeling of getting hooked up on things... the stays don't seem overly long, but they aren't short. Hrmmm.... anyway. Short people unite!

(not that I can manual worth a dookie – but I do try)

And I don’t think the suspension climbs poorly. It climbs surprisingly well, but not as well as a VPP bike IMO. The descending part is my issue right now. And it feels plush, just not smooth. I am really frustrated that I can’t find a better way to describe what I’m feeling. Give it time. I’m sure I’ll come up with some sweet buzzwords to describe what I don’t like… or maybe I’ll adapt better and love it. It did take me a long time to fall in love with the VPP “feel”.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by uncle crud

I prefer the DHX-Air feel, more supple, smoother, better compliance all the way through the stroke, and better bottom out resistance.

With the RP23 I have to put in a lot of PSI to prevent bottom-out, and then it loses the small bump and mid-stroke plushness. I'm not too stoked on the RP23.

---

I have yet to really give a DHX Air a good test. From my parking lot tests, the only thing I can tell is that if you don't have it set right, it can feel like a really expensive turd bolted to your frame. I did spend some time playing with a buddy's and after getting it where I wanted, it did feel good. I wish I had a chance to ride it on a trail instead of stairs and curbs etc, but I remember thinking it seemed to ride pretty well and 'ramp-up' well. This behavior in shocks can go a long ways in describing how a bike can feel so 'bottomless'...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kellen

Brettf, sounds like you would like a DHX air in there, with just a tad bit more air than you would normally run. Turn the propedal on about halfway, and get a little stiffer feel on the rear suspension while still having some travel. The nature of the RP23 is that with the lockout switch turned to firm, it turns the rear travel down to about 1" and nothing beyond that. The DHX can still give you somewhat of a locked out feeling without the jarring stiff feel of the RP23.

---

It would be nice to have a firm pedaling shock with some activity. The RP23 seems to really provide very little squish on the firm setting. And honestly, maybe I should just play with the "3" part of the RP23 to get it where I want for pedaling, but it just doesn't seem active enough for me when climbing - maybe the DHX would be better. Thanks for the input... but unless Ron has a DHX Air sitting around unused also... :) I'll probably rock the RP23 for a while longer.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rontele

brett writes up a great review. he also takes his trail-beta giving very seriously too.

---

thanks - i'm not good at wrapping things up into conclusions though... bottom lines are tough for me when reviewing. you didn't know what you were getting into when you asked for the crest beta, did you? :)

Hey brett....I've been running an old rp3 on my bike up until now. It needs a rebuild so I bought an rp32 and put it on yesterday. Not like it's broken in yet but I'm curious to see the difference. The canister on the 23 is definitely more hugerer.

And soon I'll have a pushed rp3 for even more comparison.


What you may be feeling in reference to the vpp bikes is the difference in axle path. VPPs move a little rearward and close to vertical before they begin to arc towards the frame. The enduro (and all spec bikes) arc forward almost entirely. This creates a little sharper feeling from bumps. It's better on the turner rip off design that the enduro has than their older models but still there. As far as that goes....yeah it's the frame and you'll never get that corrected with shock settings.

At least with the intense bikes, they know they needed to throw shorter chainstays on there to help the bike corner better when preloading turns because of this characteristic of the vpp setup. Spec just relies on a constantly shortening rear end to tighten up the wheelbase in corners. But that's something I've always thought of spec bikes......they corner better than they plow.

What's funny is how 'platformy' the stock AFR shock is coupled with what I described. Feels like ass compared to the rp3 on descents.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by brettf

you didn't know what you were getting into when you asked for the crest beta, did you? :)

---

The only conclusion reached was that of the three suggestions you provided, they were all your "favorite" for one reason or another. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kidwoo

Hey brett....I've been running an old rp3 on my bike up until now. It needs a rebuild so I bought an rp32 and put it on yesterday. Not like it's broken in yet but I'm curious to see the difference. The canister on the 23 is definitely more hugerer.

And soon I'll have a pushed rp3 for even more comparison.


What you may be feeling in reference to the vpp bikes is the difference in axle path. VPPs move a little rearward and close to vertical before they begin to arc towards the frame. The enduro (and all spec bikes) arc forward almost entirely. This creates a little sharper feeling from bumps. It's better on the turner rip off design that the enduro has than their older models but still there. As far as that goes....yeah it's the frame and you'll never get that corrected with shock settings.

At least with the intense bikes, they know they needed to throw shorter chainstays on there to help the bike corner better when preloading turns because of this characteristic of the vpp setup. Spec just relies on a constantly shortening rear end to tighten up the wheelbase in corners. But that's something I've always thought of spec bikes......they corner better than they plow.

What's funny is how 'platformy' the stock AFR shock is coupled with what I described. Feels like ass compared to the rp3 on descents.

---

True dat. I'm still amazed at how bad I thought the AFR was considering how revolutionary it is 'supposed' to be...

Let us know what you think of the Pushed RP3. I know someone who works up there and have seen a lot of good products come back from the shop. Very impressed with what they are doing...

I would also agree with you saying that these bikes (specialized) ‘corner better than they plow’. I think they also tend to pump better than many other bikes – which you may have explained with the axle-path description. A downside of some other designs I've thought...

I've not spent much time thinking about the axle-paths of the different designs, but that's approaches describing what I'm feeling better than I was able to describe. The different designs should result in vastly different axle movements. A sharper, funny feeling where the bike almost feels "pulled apart" maybe is a good way of saying it... as the rear of the bike is pulled up and over instead of moving with the obstacle… but then when pumping, you’d get the same phenomenon… which would change the ‘length’ of the bike maybe? I dunno… I’ve reached my nerd ceiling for how to describe this bike. I think I’ll just have to go ride it some more. Anyway… that’s enough for now…

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rontele

The only conclusion reached was that of the three suggestions you provided, they were all your "favorite" for one reason or another. :D

---

Exactly!

OK. More bullsh!t from brettf. Lots of garbage here. Ignore if not interested. That is all.

Here is my final(?) update on this thread as far as reviewing details. Most of this I’ve said before. I’ll say in advance (again) that I like the VPP suspension a lot and have a hard time not comparing this to VPP bikes… so take with grain of salt.

I've now put a lot of miles on it. Many miles and much vert up and down. I finally truly like this bike. I like it as a rig that can do everything pretty well, but nothing really, really (think purpose built) well. The curse of being well-rounded I guess. I've come to terms with what it is and isn't. It is a good ‘do most everything’ bike. It is not a very specialized tool for big hits or for light weight racer boy XC stuff.

The SL climbs well enough (I've said before I think the VPP is better at this - would like to check out DW link bike). It descends very well and handles rough terrain like a champ within reason (again I think the VPP is “better” with a smoother axle path for a given amount of travel). For the weight, it is a fantastic climber that straddles that line between middle ring and small ring climbing for strong climbers. One comment about climbing – I now climb with the RP23 wide open and the fork in normal (high) position like 99% of the time. I think it hooks up better with sitting climbing this way. Only on very short and steep, slick-rock like climbs do I adjust the fork’s attitude. Your results may vary.

While descending it rails corners quite well with it's low center of gravity and is very competent in most situations from smooth trails to pump track type trails to very rough stuff. It, however, is not a big-hit bike. You can fake it with some smaller stuff... but “big hits”, especially to rock really sketch me out on this bike. By “big hit” I mean a 6'-8'+ drop to a so-so transition for this bike. I have a very, very hard time dialing the fork for the purpose of hitting anything bigger or with rough terrain after such a hit. It can be done, but I felt like I had to set it up for big hits or fun compliance for normal riding. Big landings with rough terrain after seemed to be this fork's worst enemy. I felt like it just couldn't keep up...

The bike responds well to jumping. Not my favorite to throw around, but for trail riding jumping purposes, it is pretty fun. The weight of the bike and the distribution of it makes it predictable in the air and easy to control. For all the jumping and dropping I’ve done on it I feel like I’m starting to push the limits of what the bike is designed to do. This may or may not be in my head… just how I feel.

The air suspension is quite good with regard to the fork. Good adjustability, few problems (I seem to be the exception for the 2007 SL crowd), smooth stroke, good ramp-up. Decent low-speed compression – I could quickly change the compression to tailor the ride to a rougher trail or a “pumpier’ trail. Highly impressed. I hated the AFR rear shock. It sucked. For those fans of gobs of low-speed compression ala Pro-Pedal, you might like it. I went RP23 and never went back.

Here's a list of the things I changed on the bike and why:

1. New rear shock. I've covered this ad nauseam. I hate the AFR. RP23 is moch beta.
2. New grips - whatever. I like lock on ODIs...
3. New brakes. I've also covered this. All preference, but I hate Juicys. Fives, Sevens, whatevers. I'm not an AVID fan (haven't tried the CODES yet though). I had Magura Martas and instead of selling, was going to put on this bike, but the gf hijacked them while her brakes are being warrantied. I love the power the Martas provide at a solid weight. And they don't use DOT fluid! Mineral oil never effed up anything I've owned from bleeding mishaps and isn't crazy-scary bad for your health. I hate bleeding DOT brakes. 8" front is stupid on this bike. Get a 7" or even 6". 7" rear is even more dumbererer. Get a 6" and be done with it (requires new adapter if you keep the same brake for those who dunno)... and yes. So until I get my Martas back, I'm on the Juicy Fives with poor feel, a squishy stroke that while adequate, doesn't give as much feel or control... they, however, are very low-maintenance, which is a huge plus.
4. New tires. Many tire threads on here. I'm partial to light, high volume, aggressive front tires. I'll take a slight weight penalty on the front. I like a slightly more narrow rear that rolls fast, is lighter, and generally less aggressive than my front. The Resolution 2.3" that comes on the SL is too easily punctured for the kind of riding you can do with this bike. Upgrade.
5. New cassette - get rid of the boat anchor they give you stock. It sucks.
6. New wheels. I hated the rims. I felt like I could actually feel them flexing while riding. They are also narrow. The rear hub sucked. Heavy, was developing slop, and spokes were not staying tensioned for even half a ride. Started breaking spokes because of this. Get a light, strong, wide(r) rim and lace it to the proprietary stock front hub and a nice rear. You'll never look back, lose weight, and have stiff wheels. Nice. I went with a Hadley I was able to get a deal on. I love Hadleys.
7. New seatpost. I got an adjustable seatpost and was stoked. I'm a big fan of dropping your seat waaay low to get it out of the way. You can rip corners with a seat low. Without an adjustable seatpost, the interrupted tube on the Enduro SL will keep you from being able to drop it very far. In fact, even with the adjustable seatpost, I still can't get it as low as I want. Big, BIG deal to me. I went with a Maverick Speedball. I like the concept, hate the execution. I even paid retail because I was in a hurry. Developed 1.5cm+ of side-to-side play and is now experienceing other problems. I've seen fewer issues with the Gravity Seatpost Dropper ("Turbo" model is cool - just watch your beans, dudes. Hit that remote button and wasn't standing high enough on a test ride. That seat hit me like a bull... I almost ran into a parked car before I fell off the bike), but haven't owned one yet. BTW - if you are one of those people who thinks that you ride just as well with your seat at your climbing height... you don't. Period. Try it. [/rant]
8. New seat - I didn't like the Spesh one... but go with what is comfortable. If you get a lower profile saddle, you'll have more room to get that seat-top lower.

This list wasn't an accident. I knew I'd change these things. That’s why I bought the lowest end model.

Bottom line – this is a great, well-rounded bike that will climb well, descend well, be a good weight, and a pretty good deal (2007 anyway – sweet job on pricing for 2008 Specialized….. ugh).

Get this bike: if you want one bike to do everything you do without going huge.

Don’t get this bike: if you want a huge quiver of bikes. You’ll find a better lightweight rippin XC/AM bike… you’ll find a better bigger hit bike. But you might not find one that blurs the lines in the middle...

Still get it: if you want a bike to fill in the gap between the stuff and you spend too much $ on bikes.

That is all. Just in time for winter to ramp up and the mass exodus from SR back to the Ski forums begins.