mrt profile

Word.  Me too.  

Chilcotin, Spur, Arcturian and Stumpy.

No issues on the XTR derailleur(s) here... I've heard people have issues, but I'm guessing must be batch related. I'm on 3 bikes with 180 days in the saddle across stable in 2020 and no issues on derailleur (nor on 2 bikes over 2019 season), purchase of the 3 derailleurs occurred between XTR release and March of last year so fairly spaced out.  Hopefully it is a batch issue.

Agree on cassette, I'm blown away as my 10 speed and 11 speed XTR were like timex watches.  The new XTR cassettes are like ninja stars after a season.  Its nuts, all 3 were new in March 2020 and I'm wondering if a better option is SRAM or eThirteen... but swap from Microspline to Xd is a PITA.

Tallboy really didn't give me the pop or playfulness I want in a short travel/snappy rig.  I do think Evil The Following and Tallboy are much more comparable to the Spur.

I was on the Tallboy all of last season, albeit on East Coast New England rocky rooty and short punchy up/down terrain and just didn't love the bike vs. my Knolly Fugitive or Stumpy.  Maybe VPP =/= Clydesdale bike?  I would actually say its better to compare the Evil Following (had Mk I and MB but not MkIII) to the Tallboy, where I'd say its no where near as good in the all-rounder up/down and even send it category.

Picked up the Spur for this season so will see how it goes, that said I do have a big squishy Enduro/Freeride rig and want something snappier for quick "dad break" rides or for long days in Pisgah or (hopefully) out and about in Whistler Valley for a couple weeks every (normal) summer... LOTS, Duncan's, Uncomfortable Bum, Out There, etc.

First Spur ride was yesterday, but on top of 10 cm of well packed snow so about as useful for gathering an opinion as riding a bantha.  It is wicked light and the two little drops that were packed in nicely the Sid Rear handled smoothly (I have a Pike dropped to 120mm and stuff with custom bits and tune for the Spur).  The tech was buried by the snow so more to come.

I picked up the new Tallboy (alloy) tossed on a new 2021 Fox piggy back and did a helm 130/i9/XTR full build.  It is not nearly the bike it is replacing, a mkII Evil The Folllowing (aka MB).  I’m disappointed in the Tallboy not holding a flame to the Evil... the Spur and the Evil mkIII are both likely replacements later this year.   But totally underwhelmed by the Santa Cruz, mediocre vs the Evil and even though massively different than my Fugitive LT, still just disappointing.   Skip the Tallboy.

Note: does not fit XL Knolly Warden or XL Evil The Following. Seriously rained on my parade