Probably the best articulation of short vs long CS ride characteristics I’ve heard. I was on the short CS bandwagon years ago but have since seen the light. 475/450 is the best ratio IMO
Yep what you guys articulated in the past about the enduros weird FC ratio explained it all for me. I hated that bike and I ended up putting the twenty bikes I’ve owned in excel and suddenly I realized what all my favorites had in common (longer cs)
and this is exactly the reason I came to like shorter sc because I need a reach around 430 mm, so the chainstay would be 407 mm which does not even exist on the market. it's insane to me how we have to live with completely different bike geometries on different size. all the discussions about geometry of the last 20 years have been completely useless.
I came here to say this as well, particularly the part where he said the highs were higher and the lows lower on the spesh. Very well put and IMO miles ahead of the big, well known reviewers. Keep it up!
"...get me excited to go out and ride, and chase that high..." Very well articulated, and it resonated with me. Well done sir, keep up the good work. Cheers!
New Stumpy looks cool, but I feel like Spec. did not make a bike that is very compelling for current Evo owners to shell out the cash for the Stumpy15. Either way bikes are fun and I bet it rips.
I kept my Evo as I didn’t want less travel and a shorter chainstay, so bought the Hightower instead. Definitely want longer chainstay next. Looking at 450is to try on size L.
On the stumpy 15, Shock spacers in the main chamber made a bigger difference for support and traction balancing. I increased pressure first and agree it fixed one problem and created another. I’m running 2 spacers in the main, the bigger spacer in the bottom out chamber, and it feels pretty magical although I’m not racing. I ride hard but usually not race pace pushing the envelope. Great comparison.
I'm 6'3" and the 443mm chainstay on my Santa Cruz Megatower is let's say SUFFICIENTLY long for me (size XL frame). I'm keen to try some bikes with even longer chainstays but I worry that once I start to get past 1300mm wheelbase, the whole package will just not be maneuverable enough for some tight pacific northwest trails. Seems the Druid avoids the wheelbase dilemma because the headtube angle isn't ultra slack.
Great compare.. Having watched numerous reviews, and tested a Druid V2, I am pretty smitten with it.. I just want to learn more about the new Bronson before pushing the button.
my 2023 stumpy evo mullet has 451 chainstays, but it's a S6. S2-S5 is 441mm. I went alloy frame with carbon Roval Traverse SL ratchet 54 DT240 wheels, 38 rise PNW carbon bar, 42mm Oneup stem, X01/GX drivetrain, Smashpot fork, T9 Butcher front, Kryptotal Re enduro soft rear. Kept the Code R brakes so far, see how it goes. I think I hit the sweet spot for me.
I'd be really interested to hear your opinion on the new 2024 Norco Optic, which seems to be using the high pivot as a means of shortening the chainstay, especially with your experience riding the Druid. The Druid is kind of my dream bike in a lot of ways, but I am VERY attracted to the price point on the Optic AL framekit.
The Stumpy 15 v the 2024 Rocky Mountain Instinct C90 would be a nice head to head comparison on Horst link suspensions. The Rocky has chain stay chips, so you can go up 448mm from 438 mm on Med-XL, headset offsets, and a suspension flip chip. It may be more adjustable than this new Stumpy, except it cannot go mullet... I think?? This was interesting bc both bikes do the same things but have much different mannerisms.
Great idea for a comparison between these two bikes. Really enjoyed it. What stem are you running on the Stumpy? Edit...nvm... think found it... Fraezen!
The S5 stumpy can be setup to achieve a 451mm chainstay and I’m really looking forward to trying it out. At 6’4”, I go back and forth between size L and XL bikes. I chose the S5 because I think it will have the most balanced geo
S5 for sure. Stay tuned for my video comparing the s4 vs s5. If people are looking for a more confidence inspiring ride in the stumpy platform the s5 is a great option
6’4”, just purchased a size S5 and have it set up with a 50m stem. Bike feels perfect from a DH perspective and seated climbing. I do think that the chain stay variations make this bike handle different across the ranges. I have mine setup at 445 and it feels plenty stable, a bit different than the review. This could be size dependent where the S4 ends up on a pretty short chainstay. Coming from a Spire, the Stumpjumper 15 feels very quick but confident enough in the fast rocky sections.
Nice comparison. I've had my Stumpy 15 Expert for about a month now and I've been loving it. I haven't noticed any front end pushing, possibly because the trails here are very loamy at the moment (end of winter/start of spring). I'm also on the S5 which I believe has a 10mm longer chainstay so maybe that has something to do with it as well. So far I have been very pleased with the way the bike handles and that rear shock really does soak up the bumps amazingly well. I reckon you will find that balance between plush and poppy when you put 1 or two more spacers in the outer can. Good luck!
The s5 doesn’t suffer from the same front end lightness. More room to ride the bike more aggressively over the front and a longer CS. I’d say the s5 would be the better choice for me for most of my riding.
Interesting take. I do wonder how these bikes would compare if they were both set to dual 29er configuration. I suspect that for a racer who is good at nailing their braking points, the higher anti-rise of the Druid would be ideal. That said, the stumpjumper is going to be much more forgiving when braking through rough stuff in terms of suspension feel. Personally, I am a bit of a "smasher", especially when I am pushing hard into a bike - so I prefer quite low anti-rise to keep things active and grippy during hard braking. I also suspect that you'd like the genie shock much more with lower air pressure and more of the volume spacers installed. Curious how the added support and reduction in "flutter" would impact your ability to weight the front wheel. Would be very cool to see a comparison if the stumpjumper had a longer chainstay, or if the Druid came with 145mm of travel. I feel like either of these moves would create even better bikes from both brands!
Very cool and detailed video !!! Would you race enduro in those bikes… or do you consider it would be better to go to a bigger bike (Enduro or Dreadnought) in order to race? Cheers mate!!! I really like your videos!
Depends on the enduro. For california style enduro racing I think both bikes would be good options, but if i were to choose the stumpy I would definitely go s5 for racing
Wait until you try the V2 Dready. I just built mine up after being on the V2 Druid for a year. The Dreadnought as a whole feels more refined. It's barely any heavier, pedals damn near the same, and picks up speed in all the spots the Druid doesn't want to. It's so good 🤤
I have but not for the most part. I usually go with a double down or exo+. I will say riding dh tires on these smaller bikes ups the dh threshold a decent amount though
I'm still scratching my head on phasing out the Stumpy Evo. In the next year I'm thinking about buying an extra carbon Evo frame as a spare for however long it takes to replace the current frame. I've got my Evo dialed but it's definitely not stock but it's the perfect bike for what I ride. Running mixed wheel, 155mm cranks, 170mm Fox 38, Cascade link, WRP yoke, and EXT E-Storia coil. It's definitely a different bike but it's perfect with every upgrade possible.
I went Mullet alloy frame with carbon Roval Traverse SL ratchet 54 DT240 wheels, 38 rise PNW carbon bar, 42mm Oneup stem, X01/GX drivetrain, Smashpot fork, T9 Butcher front, Kryptotal Re enduro soft rear. I think I hit the sweet spot for me. I think I'll get the EXT Storia at some point too. Great bike!
Maybe you could get a set up with a shop and start doing reviews regularly and do some light advertising for the shop that's loaning you the demo bikes. There's a guy well many guys but like yum yum on TH-cam. His reviews are pretty s***** though. I'd like to see you review Like him but your reviews are more critical and exceptional
Love the comparison! Your riding also frustrates me 😂 - incredible how this is possible on the Druid.... I put mine through a long term test, but with significantly less steez 👉🏽 th-cam.com/video/13DF3G5HUQA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=rECwqrkeUiXxcwUU
“Overall I’ve hit my head a lot” 😂 best one liner
I just bought a Druid based off your reviews. I'm excited should arrive next week.
Probably the best articulation of short vs long CS ride characteristics I’ve heard. I was on the short CS bandwagon years ago but have since seen the light. 475/450 is the best ratio IMO
I agree, that seems to be a really good sweet spot. 480/455 on the @frameworks bike seems really good too
Yep what you guys articulated in the past about the enduros weird FC ratio explained it all for me. I hated that bike and I ended up putting the twenty bikes I’ve owned in excel and suddenly I realized what all my favorites had in common (longer cs)
and this is exactly the reason I came to like shorter sc because I need a reach around 430 mm, so the chainstay would be 407 mm which does not even exist on the market. it's insane to me how we have to live with completely different bike geometries on different size. all the discussions about geometry of the last 20 years have been completely useless.
I came here to say this as well, particularly the part where he said the highs were higher and the lows lower on the spesh. Very well put and IMO miles ahead of the big, well known reviewers. Keep it up!
"...get me excited to go out and ride, and chase that high..." Very well articulated, and it resonated with me. Well done sir, keep up the good work. Cheers!
Love these vs videos
Great video backed up by good riding. Very good descriptions. Well done.
PREACH about Northern California trails. Clapped out. I love the options we have but thank you for keeping it real.
Great comparison. Both promise enduo bike potential with trail bike travel numbers. Id take the druid based off looks alone. Cheers
never been into the technical side of mtb but these vids have really gotten me super interested
Great video and nice thorough comparison man
New Stumpy looks cool, but I feel like Spec. did not make a bike that is very compelling for current Evo owners to shell out the cash for the Stumpy15. Either way bikes are fun and I bet it rips.
With geometry so similar it is a big leap to take. The old Evo is still a great bike
I kept my Evo as I didn’t want less travel and a shorter chainstay, so bought the Hightower instead. Definitely want longer chainstay next. Looking at 450is to try on size L.
On the stumpy 15, Shock spacers in the main chamber made a bigger difference for support and traction balancing. I increased pressure first and agree it fixed one problem and created another. I’m running 2 spacers in the main, the bigger spacer in the bottom out chamber, and it feels pretty magical although I’m not racing. I ride hard but usually not race pace pushing the envelope.
Great comparison.
15 Shock spacers is alot my friend 😁😇
@@IIISentorIII fixed, although I can’t account for the rest of my grammar as ignant.
I'm 6'3" and the 443mm chainstay on my Santa Cruz Megatower is let's say SUFFICIENTLY long for me (size XL frame). I'm keen to try some bikes with even longer chainstays but I worry that once I start to get past 1300mm wheelbase, the whole package will just not be maneuverable enough for some tight pacific northwest trails. Seems the Druid avoids the wheelbase dilemma because the headtube angle isn't ultra slack.
Would really love to see and hear about you riding the new Norco Sight and especially the ibis ripmo v3
Great compare.. Having watched numerous reviews, and tested a Druid V2, I am pretty smitten with it.. I just want to learn more about the new Bronson before pushing the button.
my 2023 stumpy evo mullet has 451 chainstays, but it's a S6. S2-S5 is 441mm. I went alloy frame with carbon Roval Traverse SL ratchet 54 DT240 wheels, 38 rise PNW carbon bar, 42mm Oneup stem, X01/GX drivetrain, Smashpot fork, T9 Butcher front, Kryptotal Re enduro soft rear. Kept the Code R brakes so far, see how it goes. I think I hit the sweet spot for me.
I'd be really interested to hear your opinion on the new 2024 Norco Optic, which seems to be using the high pivot as a means of shortening the chainstay, especially with your experience riding the Druid. The Druid is kind of my dream bike in a lot of ways, but I am VERY attracted to the price point on the Optic AL framekit.
I am interested as well on the new norco optic. Not a lot of review. I am eyeing the new sight but the optic i love to see more review
The Stumpy 15 v the 2024 Rocky Mountain Instinct C90 would be a nice head to head comparison on Horst link suspensions. The Rocky has chain stay chips, so you can go up 448mm from 438 mm on Med-XL, headset offsets, and a suspension flip chip. It may be more adjustable than this new Stumpy, except it cannot go mullet... I think??
This was interesting bc both bikes do the same things but have much different mannerisms.
Great idea for a comparison between these two bikes. Really enjoyed it. What stem are you running on the Stumpy? Edit...nvm... think found it... Fraezen!
At a quick glance it looked like your Crown Jewels we’re hanging out whilst sat on that chair 😂😂
Drood
😂
The S5 stumpy can be setup to achieve a 451mm chainstay and I’m really looking forward to trying it out. At 6’4”, I go back and forth between size L and XL bikes. I chose the S5 because I think it will have the most balanced geo
S5 for sure. Stay tuned for my video comparing the s4 vs s5. If people are looking for a more confidence inspiring ride in the stumpy platform the s5 is a great option
@@briancahal great news! I’m looking forward to watching the video for sure! I appreciate you’re honest, straightforward reviews
@@briancahal the joke is on you because I just subscribed to your Patreon and got the vid early! 🤣 I appreciate your content!
@@andersonsridebikesthanks for the support!
6’4”, just purchased a size S5 and have it set up with a 50m stem. Bike feels perfect from a DH perspective and seated climbing. I do think that the chain stay variations make this bike handle different across the ranges. I have mine setup at 445 and it feels plenty stable, a bit different than the review. This could be size dependent where the S4 ends up on a pretty short chainstay. Coming from a Spire, the Stumpjumper 15 feels very quick but confident enough in the fast rocky sections.
Great vid! Why don‘t you run a TTX2 air on the druid? Cheers!
Nice comparison. I've had my Stumpy 15 Expert for about a month now and I've been loving it. I haven't noticed any front end pushing, possibly because the trails here are very loamy at the moment (end of winter/start of spring). I'm also on the S5 which I believe has a 10mm longer chainstay so maybe that has something to do with it as well. So far I have been very pleased with the way the bike handles and that rear shock really does soak up the bumps amazingly well. I reckon you will find that balance between plush and poppy when you put 1 or two more spacers in the outer can. Good luck!
The s5 doesn’t suffer from the same front end lightness. More room to ride the bike more aggressively over the front and a longer CS. I’d say the s5 would be the better choice for me for most of my riding.
Interesting take. I do wonder how these bikes would compare if they were both set to dual 29er configuration. I suspect that for a racer who is good at nailing their braking points, the higher anti-rise of the Druid would be ideal. That said, the stumpjumper is going to be much more forgiving when braking through rough stuff in terms of suspension feel. Personally, I am a bit of a "smasher", especially when I am pushing hard into a bike - so I prefer quite low anti-rise to keep things active and grippy during hard braking.
I also suspect that you'd like the genie shock much more with lower air pressure and more of the volume spacers installed. Curious how the added support and reduction in "flutter" would impact your ability to weight the front wheel.
Would be very cool to see a comparison if the stumpjumper had a longer chainstay, or if the Druid came with 145mm of travel. I feel like either of these moves would create even better bikes from both brands!
Which compression setting are you running the stumpy on? Setting 2 almost feels like my epic 8 evo yet can still take bigger hits.
Very cool and detailed video !!!
Would you race enduro in those bikes… or do you consider it would be better to go to a bigger bike (Enduro or Dreadnought) in order to race?
Cheers mate!!! I really like your videos!
Depends on the enduro. For california style enduro racing I think both bikes would be good options, but if i were to choose the stumpy I would definitely go s5 for racing
Is the druid classified as a trail or enduro bike?
Wait until you try the V2 Dready. I just built mine up after being on the V2 Druid for a year. The Dreadnought as a whole feels more refined. It's barely any heavier, pedals damn near the same, and picks up speed in all the spots the Druid doesn't want to. It's so good 🤤
Can’t wait!
I want to try a v2 dread! I love my Druid though
I love your video sir good luck every ride sir from 🇵🇭
"Drood"
Man id love for you to get your hands on a frameworks enduro bike 🙏
Me too man, me too.
Hey Brian. Do you run DH tires on these bikes? Cheers.
I have but not for the most part. I usually go with a double down or exo+. I will say riding dh tires on these smaller bikes ups the dh threshold a decent amount though
Druid looks sick 🤙 want 1
I have a new frame kit s3 I need to sell
Sounds like that forbidden is an enduro bike trapped in a trail bikes body.
great content
sick vid thanks brian
Thanks for watching!
please do a review of a DEVIATE highlander please!!!!
As soon as someone sends me one
drood
I'm still scratching my head on phasing out the Stumpy Evo. In the next year I'm thinking about buying an extra carbon Evo frame as a spare for however long it takes to replace the current frame. I've got my Evo dialed but it's definitely not stock but it's the perfect bike for what I ride. Running mixed wheel, 155mm cranks, 170mm Fox 38, Cascade link, WRP yoke, and EXT E-Storia coil. It's definitely a different bike but it's perfect with every upgrade possible.
I went Mullet alloy frame with carbon Roval Traverse SL ratchet 54 DT240 wheels, 38 rise PNW carbon bar, 42mm Oneup stem, X01/GX drivetrain, Smashpot fork, T9 Butcher front, Kryptotal Re enduro soft rear. I think I hit the sweet spot for me. I think I'll get the EXT Storia at some point too. Great bike!
Druid with ohlins is my choice
Maybe you could get a set up with a shop and start doing reviews regularly and do some light advertising for the shop that's loaning you the demo bikes. There's a guy well many guys but like yum yum on TH-cam. His reviews are pretty s***** though. I'd like to see you review Like him but your reviews are more critical and exceptional
Love the comparison! Your riding also frustrates me 😂 - incredible how this is possible on the Druid.... I put mine through a long term test, but with significantly less steez 👉🏽 th-cam.com/video/13DF3G5HUQA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=rECwqrkeUiXxcwUU
I trust a bike that’s Gaelic in origin not one taken from the harming of trees
My favorite is the Drood