I usually am reserved about bike industry trends (like gravel bikes), but I bought into the hype about "backcountry" bikes and got a Spur. Hype is real on this one. It's unbelievable what a 120mm bike with the right geo can do. It's pretty wild and without a doubt, one of my favorite bikes of all time.
I have a Spur and it rips! I was able to build it up at 10.7kg size L with pedals and proper trail tires (Bontrager XR4 2.35”). This weight is on par with a proper XC bike. To me this can be your ultimate lightweight trail bike that gives you confidence on any trail.
Absolutely love my Spur! Perfect bike for midwest shredding! Always looking ahead at what my next bike will be until I bought this one...I feel like anything I buy now would be a downgrade so now I just upgrade my Spur instead. Great sizing and geometry and I"ve raced it in an enduro and an XC race.
I have an OG Deep Sea Green Spur. 4 years on and other brands are only just now catching up to this thing. Definitely a trendsetter. It's also such a versatile frame - run it in stock 120/120 XC mode for the definition of downcountry, or put a 130mm trail fork / bigger shock on the back and you have a "Spur-Duro."
I too am looking for a bike in the Downcountry / trail bike. What else are you considering?? This Spur does seem to cover a lot of features/charateristics that would be desirable.
@@zac9080 I just got the new Riley V5 ! Review coming to my channel soon as well. Heads up the new Ripley is now more trail oriented than pure XC 👍. Downcountry /trail, similar to Santa Cruz tall boy.
Just picked up this bike (in this color!). It's sick - totally love it. Coming from a 27.5" Santa Cruz 5010 in 130/140, I don't really miss the extra travel.
I feel like 800mm bars are available so you can cut them down to what you want. I'm 6'3" and 760 is my go to size. Down in FL we have tight trees on every trail, but going to NC I've never once wanted wider bars than 760.
My ‘21 Spur GX has taken me all over the country and has 4,500 miles now. I replace whatever parts wear out. This bike has helped me become a better and happier rider for sure. It seems more folks want Spurs, Epics, and other shorter travel fun bikes such as this. It’s interesting to hear from others about their tire choices - never realized just how much your home trails dictate tire choice. The only issue I have is constantly taking the SID fork in for maintenance. Perhaps it’s time to upgrade to a different fork while keeping same 120mm or maybe 130 mm travel?
I would love to see your thoughts comparing the Spur to the Tallboy. In my opinion the Tallboy picks up where the Spur leaves off and takes it to the next level while still at 120mm of squish.
Great review from a good rider. Thanks. Agree with everything you said. On a Spur for a few months. Great bike. Only thing I’ve not yet determined is if the Sid (2024 Ultimate at 120mm) is holding this bike back? I don’t have the fork dialed yet, probably just me. I wish I could add in a bit more compression damping in the open setting. What do you think? I’d trade in the three position “lockout” for a LSC knob. Ha, agree, never thought there’s such a thing as too much engagement on a rear hub!
i think the rocky mountain element is on par with this bikes ability to do terrain above its weight class. Removed the 10mm headset cup on my size large and put a 140 fork on without changing the geo.
I just did a time test between my Spur and my Spire on a gnarly enduro track. The Spur was 9 seconds slower on a 1650’ descent. Hit a 6-8’ drop no problem. It’s a burly little bike. So fun to ride!
I had a 2019 Stumpjumper comp alloy and wanted something lighter as it bogged me down especially on hotter days. So I ended getting a Spur. Took me a while to get the suspension dialed in as the Stumpy was actually pretty plush for what it was and missed that feeling. I got a TruTune insert for the Sid Select fork and got it feeling better as I thought it felt harsh and inconsistent so this helped. After a while as the suspension broke in this bike felt good all around. It was a good climber that sprung up hills especially after coming from a downhill section. Descending it handled really well in most scenarios compared to the Stumpjumper it was lighter footed but not as planted. Still the Stumpjumper which has more suspension of course could really soak up good sized pot holes and really missed that with this bike as the rear end seemed to get hung up or snap back at you with much smaller pot hole type features. I ended up selling it for a Giant Trance as I thought that would be more trail with a 130mm fork and slacker head angle, although it had Fox Live Valve which I didnt like. Surprised the Trance didnt feel much more trail than the Spur, really surprising for me. So I got rid of the Live Valve and think now its the Trance I wanted in the first place(fork still feeling a little more harsh than I would like on the Fox Grip X 130 but just got it). Having said that I did have a couple of issues with the Spur. The paint flaked off near the rear hub which took some carbon off with it. Not anything detrimental to the frame but it looked ugly and was bummed I only had the bike for a week and they wouldn't offer a crash replacement. Another issue the rotor wouldn't line up with the caliper and took it to a shop and found it was loose and the cassette was over tightened. I Think the Spur is a special bike Just wish they had a little bit more quality fit and finish frame wise.
imma say this again.. ride the Spot Ryve gen II vs this Spur. tell me what you think. i dunno how the Ryve isnt making all the front news pages, its' simply a better performing bike than most in this class. very few reviews on it, i suppose
What are your thoughts on how the Spur would stack up on long distance XC rides? I’m in a bit of a conundrum. I live in the PNW and ride a combination of machine built flow trails and backcountry adventure trails. Seems like the Spur is a great fit for the former, but not sure on the latter. Would it be insane to consider the Spur to handle 30-40 miles rides with 5-7K of elevation?
MTW rode a spur in the state xc series, bike just under 12kgs. He’s a beast but podiumed regularly and he rides it on epic backcountry 80k rides as well.
Thanks for another great review. Too much engagement? Really? I have I9 hydras on my bikes and I don't know if I'd turn down instantaneous over near-instantaneous. Curious if Mrs. Awesome had the same opinion :-)
I'm 6'4, 260 lbs and I only ride 800mm. All I know is the stock 730mm bars on my Levo SL was giving me so my hip flexor issues. Since going to 800mm, that issue is long gone.
@@moandhannahtravelI remember because I ended up getting a Patrol in part because of your thoughts on the Spire. :) th-cam.com/video/uH22TyzoLj8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=FHyzw5UrTiw8hvGM
I usually am reserved about bike industry trends (like gravel bikes), but I bought into the hype about "backcountry" bikes and got a Spur. Hype is real on this one. It's unbelievable what a 120mm bike with the right geo can do. It's pretty wild and without a doubt, one of my favorite bikes of all time.
I have a Spur and it rips! I was able to build it up at 10.7kg size L with pedals and proper trail tires (Bontrager XR4 2.35”). This weight is on par with a proper XC bike. To me this can be your ultimate lightweight trail bike that gives you confidence on any trail.
Can you share the build specs?
@@Lensernot that hard to make a bike lighter if you have money and buy the lightest group set and wheels
And I thought the Bible of Bike Review were dead. Good series, great job!
Thank you!!!
Your passion for bikes, really shows through!! Keep up the great reviews I love it!! Thinking of a spur right now!!
Absolutely love my Spur! Perfect bike for midwest shredding! Always looking ahead at what my next bike will be until I bought this one...I feel like anything I buy now would be a downgrade so now I just upgrade my Spur instead. Great sizing and geometry and I"ve raced it in an enduro and an XC race.
I have an OG Deep Sea Green Spur. 4 years on and other brands are only just now catching up to this thing. Definitely a trendsetter. It's also such a versatile frame - run it in stock 120/120 XC mode for the definition of downcountry, or put a 130mm trail fork / bigger shock on the back and you have a "Spur-Duro."
Solid review and glad to see this one in the mix as it’s one of the bikes I’m considering for a Downcountry /trail bike.
Such a fun one!
I too am looking for a bike in the Downcountry / trail bike. What else are you considering?? This Spur does seem to cover a lot of features/charateristics that would be desirable.
@@zac9080 I just got the new Riley V5 ! Review coming to my channel soon as well. Heads up the new Ripley is now more trail oriented than pure XC 👍. Downcountry /trail, similar to Santa Cruz tall boy.
great review bro !
Thank you!!!
Just picked up this bike (in this color!). It's sick - totally love it. Coming from a 27.5" Santa Cruz 5010 in 130/140, I don't really miss the extra travel.
I have a Spur and it’s a banger. Very similar to this build but with Berd Hawks and a Butcher T9 in the front. Mine is 25.5 pounds. So fn fun
Such a good bike!
I feel like 800mm bars are available so you can cut them down to what you want. I'm 6'3" and 760 is my go to size. Down in FL we have tight trees on every trail, but going to NC I've never once wanted wider bars than 760.
i used the formula for bar width that is commonly accepted as height in CM x 4.4
at 66" tall, my bar width is 740mm (rounded up) and it seems legit.
Transition Spur looks like the best!! ❤
My ‘21 Spur GX has taken me all over the country and has 4,500 miles now. I replace whatever parts wear out. This bike has helped me become a better and happier rider for sure. It seems more folks want Spurs, Epics, and other shorter travel fun bikes such as this. It’s interesting to hear from others about their tire choices - never realized just how much your home trails dictate tire choice.
The only issue I have is constantly taking the SID fork in for maintenance. Perhaps it’s time to upgrade to a different fork while keeping same 120mm or maybe 130 mm travel?
I would love to see your thoughts comparing the Spur to the Tallboy. In my opinion the Tallboy picks up where the Spur leaves off and takes it to the next level while still at 120mm of squish.
@freshiest9 Tallboy is much heavier and cumbersome..
We will try and test it!
Great review from a good rider. Thanks. Agree with everything you said. On a Spur for a few months. Great bike. Only thing I’ve not yet determined is if the Sid (2024 Ultimate at 120mm) is holding this bike back? I don’t have the fork dialed yet, probably just me. I wish I could add in a bit more compression damping in the open setting. What do you think? I’d trade in the three position “lockout” for a LSC knob. Ha, agree, never thought there’s such a thing as too much engagement on a rear hub!
130 Pike on miner..... love it
i think the rocky mountain element is on par with this bikes ability to do terrain above its weight class. Removed the 10mm headset cup on my size large and put a 140 fork on without changing the geo.
I just did a time test between my Spur and my Spire on a gnarly enduro track. The Spur was 9 seconds slower on a 1650’ descent. Hit a 6-8’ drop no problem. It’s a burly little bike. So fun to ride!
Such a good bike!
Would like to see how this compares to the Revel Ranger
How does the Spur compare to the Epic evo?
Intense Sniper or Sniper trail?
I had a 2019 Stumpjumper comp alloy and wanted something lighter as it bogged me down especially on hotter days. So I ended getting a Spur. Took me a while to get the suspension dialed in as the Stumpy was actually pretty plush for what it was and missed that feeling. I got a TruTune insert for the Sid Select fork and got it feeling better as I thought it felt harsh and inconsistent so this helped. After a while as the suspension broke in this bike felt good all around. It was a good climber that sprung up hills especially after coming from a downhill section. Descending it handled really well in most scenarios compared to the Stumpjumper it was lighter footed but not as planted. Still the Stumpjumper which has more suspension of course could really soak up good sized pot holes and really missed that with this bike as the rear end seemed to get hung up or snap back at you with much smaller pot hole type features. I ended up selling it for a Giant Trance as I thought that would be more trail with a 130mm fork and slacker head angle, although it had Fox Live Valve which I didnt like. Surprised the Trance didnt feel much more trail than the Spur, really surprising for me. So I got rid of the Live Valve and think now its the Trance I wanted in the first place(fork still feeling a little more harsh than I would like on the Fox Grip X 130 but just got it). Having said that I did have a couple of issues with the Spur. The paint flaked off near the rear hub which took some carbon off with it. Not anything detrimental to the frame but it looked ugly and was bummed I only had the bike for a week and they wouldn't offer a crash replacement. Another issue the rotor wouldn't line up with the caliper and took it to a shop and found it was loose and the cassette was over tightened. I Think the Spur is a special bike Just wish they had a little bit more quality fit and finish frame wise.
breath in..breath out.. but informations are sooo good.
Better all arounder Spur or Ripley V4s?
imma say this again.. ride the Spot Ryve gen II vs this Spur. tell me what you think.
i dunno how the Ryve isnt making all the front news pages, its' simply a better performing bike than most in this class. very few reviews on it, i suppose
We will look at it!
"gotta be careful through the chatter as the rocks are really slippery" then proceeds to hit them at 400 mph....
What are your thoughts on how the Spur would stack up on long distance XC rides? I’m in a bit of a conundrum. I live in the PNW and ride a combination of machine built flow trails and backcountry adventure trails. Seems like the Spur is a great fit for the former, but not sure on the latter. Would it be insane to consider the Spur to handle 30-40 miles rides with 5-7K of elevation?
MTW rode a spur in the state xc series, bike just under 12kgs. He’s a beast but podiumed regularly and he rides it on epic backcountry 80k rides as well.
Thanks for another great review. Too much engagement? Really? I have I9 hydras on my bikes and I don't know if I'd turn down instantaneous over near-instantaneous. Curious if Mrs. Awesome had the same opinion :-)
I have both I9 and Onxy and much prefer the soft instant engagement feel. The paws or ratchet engagement is too sudden for my liking.
Nice bike
Sure is!!
I'm 6'4, 260 lbs and I only ride 800mm. All I know is the stock 730mm bars on my Levo SL was giving me so my hip flexor issues. Since going to 800mm, that issue is long gone.
I don’t know what it is about Purple frames. They are sexy !!
good looking bike!
Your first Transition? I thought the Spire would've left a more memorable impression on you Mo. 😀
I don't remember testing that one! haha
@@moandhannahtravelI remember because I ended up getting a Patrol in part because of your thoughts on the Spire. :)
th-cam.com/video/uH22TyzoLj8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=FHyzw5UrTiw8hvGM
It's a baddie!
Now please make an aluminium version so the rest of us can afford one.
Disagree that it’s an amazing Xc bike but it’s a very good trail bike. I’ve owned one for four years
Best bike I’ve ever owned
good bikes are all good but th rider is the key!!
stock build with carbon wheels? uh what?
Bro whats loose on that bike it sounds terrible
800mm bars are meant to be trimmed.
just watching that climb makes me appreciate my levo sl haha just way more fun
Makes sense coming from the PNW