Johnny-Laroux profile

I'm living this dream right now. I'm 56, and working as head wrench at a local shop. I worked over 30 years in a high stress corporate job, traveling constantly,  until one Friday night coming home from yet another business trip I realized that if Things didn't change I was going to have a breakdown. I've always been a bike geek, so I went to UBI in Portland to get "certified" , and have been doing what I love doing everyday for the past 3 years. Sure the money isn't the best, but the trade-off in happiness and mental well being is more than worth it. 

And yes, a tool addiction can be expensive!

I work in a shop that sell Marin. I keep eyeing the Rift Zone thinking what awesome mods could be done to it, at a low price point. Never considered a 160mm fork though!

I was having a hard time determining the level of sarcasm in this article, but as I read on I realized that it hit pretty close to home. I'm 50-ish, and can relate to most of this. Canuck477's points are totally on the mark though. Fortunately, my youngest son got the biking bug at an early age and now races, so I get to ride most weekends at least, at some pretty amazing locations. It's still hard getting out mid-week, but I built up an old grocery-getter, and leave the car in the driveway as much as possible.

As for the shrinking of the Mojo…that's a bit harder to deal with. I ride with fast riders, and have stepped up to the middle age "super-bike", but I've also had enough injuries in the last few years that there is always that nagging voice in the back of my head whenever I'm pushing a little harder than I'm used to…
So old so soon, so wise…so late!

I seem to recall that back in the early days of 27.5 some people were using 26″ X Fusion Vengeance forks with 27.5 wheels as the A-C distance allowed them to fit. I had one on an older bike and it was a pretty good fork, for not a lot of money.

Thanks Omar. Seeing that we are about the same height and build, and seems we like riding similar territory…have you spent much time on 27.5″ bikes to compare to 29″? I don't want to open that dreaded wheel size debate, and I haven't had any time on a 27.5, but really love the way my 29er feels. Just wondering if I should explore that option before jumping at another 29″ bike.

I did the same with my Trance 29, but with a 140mm Revelation with 20mm axle. It definitely made the bike much better overall than the 120mm fork, but I still feel its not as capable as an overall bike as I'd like. Great for trail riding, but it gets overpowered when it gets a bit rough.

"I would definitely question where you live and what style of riding you do before choosing between the enduro or the stumpy."

I guess that is the deciding factor isn't it? My inner boy-racer says Enduro, but my sensible 51 year old self says stumpy Evo. I not into standing in lift lines or shuttling anymore. I'd rather spend a few hours out exploring trails, with a good descent afterward. Maybe try an Enduro race for fun. I find my Trance X 29 a bit too XC a lot of the time, and feel it's overwhelmed, but not sure if the stumpy evo will be enough. From what you say, it is.

Are the Roval wheels on the SJ expert the same as the comp?

I was wondering about the stock Roval wheels on the Comp… Maybe I will keep my Havens if I end up pulling the trigger.

Thanks for the input. I'm currently on a Trance X 29, and while it's a decent climbing bike, I wish for a bit more on the descents. Sounds like the SJEVO29 may be too close to what I've got, and the E29 is closer to what I want. I'll just have to man-up for the climbs. I demo'd an E29 at crankworx last year and it climbed very well, but it was a full blown S-Works with carbon wheels. Not really fair, as my pocketbook can't afford that. Also demo'd a trance 27.5, but at 6'4″ the 29 just feels so much better.

Nice review! Now I'm even more undecided between an Enduro 29 or the SJ Evo 29…I'm becoming more inclined to head to the trails where I have to earn my turns rather than waiting for shuttles or lift lines, and contemplating selling the DH bike and XC/Trail bike for one of the afore mentioned bikes. Just not sure how the Enduro would be on a long ride with lots of climbing vs. the benefits on the way down. Anyone ridden both enough to form an opinion?

http://www.prowheelbuilder.com/spokelengthcalculator

Sounds like a bunch of sour grapes to me. I am one of the " owning class " , and I got here through a combination of hard work , good timing, and a bit of luck. I consider myself incredibly fortunate but don't feel bad about the position I am in that's for sure. I do feel sorry for people just starting out in their careers and trying to break into the market though. Definitely going to be harder for my kids than it has been for me.

I agree that good timing and luck play a large part in any housing market. I bought a house in Edmonton in 2001 for $190k, (gladly) accepted a transfer to Vancouver in 2007 and sold the same house for $540k. Two weeks later, the market in Edmonton tanked and it would have been worth $300. Timing and luck allowed me to buy a house in the lower mainland for about the same money. The situation in Edmonton illustrates that most cities other than Vancouver are susceptible to huge fluctuations, because they rely on industry to drive the economy, and go through peaks and valleys. Vancouver on the other hand is recognized worldwide for its beauty, proximity to all it offers and quality of life. I agree that something should be done about offshore owners holding empty properties, and not contributing their fair share to the economy. But I also think that people will continue to flock to our fair city regardless, although a lower cost of entry would be nice.

I posted a very similar question a few years ago when I was just starting to ride the bike park more. The advice then was the same as now, and very accurate.

I was trying to get by with a "do-it-all" 6" bike for everything, but the truth is, a DH bike is just better for long days, or multiple days in the bike park. Once the trails get well ridden, and the braking bumps are more pronounced, a "little" bike just beats you up so much more.

Now I have a DH bike and a 130mm 29er. I usually bring both to Whistler, as the trails outside the BP are sooo good. Then if I want to do a day in the park, the DH is the better choice. That being said…I will often go and grab the 29er at the end of the day for a few laps on Ninja Cougar, B Line, HOD and it is a BLAST!! But..I wouldn't take it on many other trails, or ride it all day.

Thanks for the heads up. Maybe I'll try snowshoeing at Callahan.

I'm taking my son up to Whistler to ski with his buddies tomorrow, but I think I will avoid to gong show on the hill…

Does anyone know what the conditions are around Lost Lake trails? It doesn't look like they are XC skiing there yet. Are the trails rideable? Or is there even enough snow for snow shoeing?

[QUOTE= Im just not sure about dropping KTM enduro type guap on a pedal bike.

I agree. It's hard to get excited about the Next Big Thing that bike companies release every week it seems, only to choke on the MSRP, and convince myself that my existing ride is still going to give me smiles at the end of each ride. Since when was it considered "normal" to pay $5000 - $6000 for a "mid level" build?

Red Camaro convertible.

Nah, I'm way past that midlife crisis thing, and cars don't do anything for me…

It's just remembering how much fun it was to ride a hardtail when I was younger, but the bitter reality of the bodys inability to heal like it used to!

Very nice! Love the uncomplicated look of the Honzo.

Somewhere deep inside I feel this strange need to get a hardtail 29er , like the Honzo, because it just seems so bas-ass, and my son rides a Chromag Stylus for AM and loves it.

But then my 50 year old back tells me it might be better to just get a tattoo or something.

Some good info in this thread, I've been lurking for awhile. I too have been waffling back and forth on buying a long travel 29er for awhile now. I had a Gary Fisher Rig SS hardtail about 6 years ago, and loved the feel of the big wheels, until I moved to Vancouver and rode it down Pipeline once. I've been on 26" bikes since then, but have been waiting for the fs 29 to evolve to the point where it could be my do-it-all bike.

When Specialized released the Enduro 29er a couple of weeks back I got on the phone to my LBS to place my order for an XL Comp! I thought…at last! The bike I've been waiting for! Alas, I was recently informed that all the Enduro 29ers have been pre-ordered, and there are none available in Canada this year. The shop didn't even get a heads up that they were available. Not sure if that means Specialized underestimated the demand, or they just did a small run to test the waters. At any rate, after reading some comments here about the short chain stays and rearward weight bias, I'm not so sure. I have a 95cm inseam, so when my saddle is extended for climbing I'm pretty far off the back as it is.

I have owned a 2010 Enduro 26, and really liked the bike, but in an XL it just looked goofy. Tiny wheels with this huge X-wing frame. I now ride an XL Pitch that I built up from a frame, with a Pushed RP2 and Float 36. I think its a very underestimated bike, and does most of what the Enduro could do, but is a little longer and lower. In looking at the geometry, its pretty similar to the newer Stumpy Evo. I find that Specialized bikes just fit my 6'4" frame well, and my 1st choice for a 29er (prior to the Enduro fiasco) was a Stumpy Evo 29er. Its good to hear someone else say that they find the Transiton frames a little short in the reach, as I've always felt that as well. I'm interested in the Tallboy LT though…although I always thought they were a bit short as well.

Keep the posts and reviews coming! It's not easy to find all these bikes to actually test ride, so hearing reports from others (especially riders my height) is great.

I went to Cumberland this past spring for the DH race, and have been figuring on how to swing an early retirement over there ever since. We've been back a couple of times, and it just keeps getting better. Now, if the house prices stay reasonable until we can get there….
Its just my opinion, but I think the riding on the Island in general has the Lower Mainland beat.