I’m planning to upgrade from my 10 year old Specialized P.1 AM. I had wanted to upgrade the drivetrain and fork on my current bike but for what I’ll spend on it I may as well go for some new hotness.
I plan to stick to hardtail (because price) and will ride primarily single track in southern Ontario, which includes a good mix of tighter, technical rooted/rocky bits and faster flowy sections.
The main reason for considering 27.5+ bikes is to get more grip and comfort on the rooted, rocky parts that I never really enjoyed on my smaller wheel/narrow tire bike. I’m far from the most skilled rider so I’m hoping the extra purchase in the more technical stuff makes it more forgiving as well.
Top contender is a Salsa Timberjack SLX right now. Opinions on this type of bike and comparison experience with 29ers are very welcome.
Cheers.