[OGRipper]

It's something I struggle with all the time, but with where the technology is right now you're gonna have to make some compromises somewhere. I do lots of epic rides with long climbs, tech sections, and sketchy descents on my blur. It's a great all-around rig but there's just no way to feel as confident as I do on my big bike when it's time for the gnar, even if I stop to drop my seat and add fork travel. In the flip side I hate climbing on my vp-free but it's ridiculously sweet when gravity is helping out.

So you need to choose a weapon that will work pretty well for most things but not be great at any one thing. Check out a heckler - cheap, pretty light, can take big tires, super burly, pedals great with the right shock. You can build it xc light or freeride strong - they should have called THAT bike the chameleon.

 

[dpdsurf]

My Heckler is 35lbs and climbs really well.

The one thing that helps the most in making the bike feel noticably lighter for climbing are the tires. These UST Hutchinson Octopus' (2.5 front, 2.3 rear) made a huge improvement in the weight department over the Michelins I was running.

 

[quickneonrt]

you can never go wrong with an 03-04 enduro. I have seen them as light as 28lb and as heavy as 37lb. Great all around bike. You can put a slightly longer shock on them to raise the bb and give it close to 6" or get the 6" link from betd. Then run a new 6" sherman firefly on it and you'll have a nice 6" bike. I currently have an 03 S-works with a 5th ele air 7.85i2i and 05 fox fanilla rlc and love it. I hear the romic w/ a ti spring works really well on it but have yet to try it. this is my 2nd enduro btw.