So far, I’m trying to pull a part-time job so I can afford the entry level, but still very decent version, of the bike he rides. His costs $7500 for a Specialized S-Works Enduro, while I’m looking at a much more modest $2500 for a Santa Cruz Butcher or $2400 for a Specialized Pitch Pro. The first is for people with sponsors, and the others are for the everyday guy who hits the trails hard on the weekends.
Having a hard time deciding between the Butcher and the Pitch Pro:
Butcher (Sektor 150mm taper w/ D am Spec + RP23 Rear): incredible frame and suspension, but drive-train components are just a touch out done by the Specialized.
Pitch Pro: great frame and high level components, and well reviewed by everyone to be a great trail bike.
The Butcher has some frame tech and front end components that are really top notch, but to start to equal the Pitch’s components you have to upgrade to the $3000 model (Revelation 150mm taper w/ R am Spec + RP23 Rear). However, I think the Butcher is much better looking If I could find the extra money at the time, it would be an easy choice for the Santa Cruz. This is all dependent on getting a part-time job, which I’m currently working on. Started with my local bike shop, and there’s a possibility of about 12hrs a week available thru October, but we’ll see.
Oh.. and PS: Here’s a little treat. Probably my favorite MTB video…
Nice bikes, and nice talking to you the other night – was good for the pre-hurricane jitters. What was the bike you were telling me about when we were talking? The one with “whitewalls.”
My current commuter bike has “white walls” but the stripe is actually reflective, so if, like I do every night, you are going thru an intersection in the dark with the typical “can’t see anything anyhow cause I’m an inconsiderate motorist aided by orange street lamps” lighting, you have an extra chance. They are Panaracer T-Serv PT’s, btw. Their websites says they have them available in 26×1.75″s so you can put them on a MTB, but you’ll lose a lot of off-road ability. They are designed for the urban commuter, specifically messengers.