I'm completely happy with it. I test rode the bike several times before deciding to buy one and only on a couple of steep gravel road pitches did I wish for a steeper STA. As it sits, the bike is very well balanced and is perfect for 95% of the riding that I do. The eSTA is neither slack nor steep.
Going only on feel, it is steeper than a Following and Slash. My legs aren't very long for my height so I don't have a ton of seatpost showing (I can fit a 170mm dropper with plenty of room though).
I've ridden bikes with steeper STAs and find that they can be a bit awkward on swoopy singletrack because the fore/aft balance is a bit off. They have to be REALLY long in reach to feel balanced and the HTLT is about as long as I can handle on our local trails. My Honzo isn't quite as long as the HTLT but I find that the STA is too speed and the cockpit feels too tight on many trails.
Jan. 16, 2018, 8:41 a.m. - Bogey
I'm completely happy with it. I test rode the bike several times before deciding to buy one and only on a couple of steep gravel road pitches did I wish for a steeper STA. As it sits, the bike is very well balanced and is perfect for 95% of the riding that I do. The eSTA is neither slack nor steep. Going only on feel, it is steeper than a Following and Slash. My legs aren't very long for my height so I don't have a ton of seatpost showing (I can fit a 170mm dropper with plenty of room though). I've ridden bikes with steeper STAs and find that they can be a bit awkward on swoopy singletrack because the fore/aft balance is a bit off. They have to be REALLY long in reach to feel balanced and the HTLT is about as long as I can handle on our local trails. My Honzo isn't quite as long as the HTLT but I find that the STA is too speed and the cockpit feels too tight on many trails.