Hey guys, I'm new to this board. My name is Tony and I'm looking to get a bike. I've raced road bikes and done alot of BMX in the past but this is my first big jump into mountain bikes. Anyways. I've been looking at bikes and comparing them forever and right now I've come down to these too bikes. I live on the east coast and will be riding at Snowshoe most of the time as well as looking for big jumps and drop offs around town. So of course I want an awesome full suspension bike that can handle my 6 foot 5 self but also be nimble enough to throw around. I really like these two bikes but need some advice from those of you that know more about their components. Which bike would you guys prefer and why? And I hear most people like the juicy 7's much better than hayes crap? Also, what are your thoughts on the forks? Do I want a 200mm spring fork up front or will the 6 inch air forks suffice? Im good at maintenence but I also want something that is going to be tough and I don't mind a little bit of extra weight up front. What changes are most common and would it be worthwhile to just buy a frame and build it up with the good stuff? I like these bikes for what they offer and especially their price range. Thanks in advance. Tony
Yeti AS-X versus Specialized Enduro SX trail??
- Thread starter QuickrdenU
- Start date
Ok, I had a Yeti AS-X and currently have almost an Enduro SX Trail. My Enduro is the regular slalom SX, but with a coil spring shock on it and a 6inch fork; it's almost an SX Trail, just lower, smaller and faster.
The Yeti jumped really well, I'd say better than the Enduro does, and it pumps things really well. Supposedly John Cowan has a theory that higher bikes pump better, and after riding the Yeti, I think that has some truth to it. It could also be the short wheelbase that makes the bike pump so well. The Yeti had some horrible pedal feedback with the 22t and 32t rings, but with a 40t single ring that problem went away. The Yeti is shorter and taller, so if I was you, riding on the east coast and possibly doing more free-rideish skinny stuff, I'd go for the Yeti.
My experience with the Enduro has been the faster it gets, the more fun the bike is, and in corners of any kind, it's simply amazing. I'm all about riding wide-open trails as fast as possible, and the Specialized is a lot more stable than the Yeti for that. It's more predictable in the corners, and it pedals pretty much perfectly with the 36t ring I have on it right now, and that's without a modern platform dampening equiped shock. However, it's really low, so if you've got a lot of flat, pedally trails with rocks on them, it kinda sucks. The Yeti took bridges of all kinds a bit better since it feels steeper and is easier to balance on.
You might want to go for the AS-X. Toss on a big ole 40t ring and a 34t cassette, and you should be able to climb just about everything. I found the 6 inch setting to handle better, especially with a 7 inch fork. I also used a 6 inch fork for a long time and it was fine. For a month I had an 8 inch fork on there, and it wasn't nearly as stable as with the 7 or 6. In the end, for general purpose riding, the 7 incher was the most well suited. I have broken both bikes, and both got warrantied. The new AS-X swingarm is way stronger than the ones pre-2005. The drop outs on the old swingarm like to snap, and the new ones are way beefy, so be sure to get a new one if you're buying the bike used. The 1.5 headset is cool because you can put a zero stack E.13 adapter in there, and the bike has tons of seatpost room. Hope you enjoy it!
p.s. Yeti sells the AS-X as a great deal in a complete package, as does Specialized with the SX trail.
The Yeti jumped really well, I'd say better than the Enduro does, and it pumps things really well. Supposedly John Cowan has a theory that higher bikes pump better, and after riding the Yeti, I think that has some truth to it. It could also be the short wheelbase that makes the bike pump so well. The Yeti had some horrible pedal feedback with the 22t and 32t rings, but with a 40t single ring that problem went away. The Yeti is shorter and taller, so if I was you, riding on the east coast and possibly doing more free-rideish skinny stuff, I'd go for the Yeti.
My experience with the Enduro has been the faster it gets, the more fun the bike is, and in corners of any kind, it's simply amazing. I'm all about riding wide-open trails as fast as possible, and the Specialized is a lot more stable than the Yeti for that. It's more predictable in the corners, and it pedals pretty much perfectly with the 36t ring I have on it right now, and that's without a modern platform dampening equiped shock. However, it's really low, so if you've got a lot of flat, pedally trails with rocks on them, it kinda sucks. The Yeti took bridges of all kinds a bit better since it feels steeper and is easier to balance on.
You might want to go for the AS-X. Toss on a big ole 40t ring and a 34t cassette, and you should be able to climb just about everything. I found the 6 inch setting to handle better, especially with a 7 inch fork. I also used a 6 inch fork for a long time and it was fine. For a month I had an 8 inch fork on there, and it wasn't nearly as stable as with the 7 or 6. In the end, for general purpose riding, the 7 incher was the most well suited. I have broken both bikes, and both got warrantied. The new AS-X swingarm is way stronger than the ones pre-2005. The drop outs on the old swingarm like to snap, and the new ones are way beefy, so be sure to get a new one if you're buying the bike used. The 1.5 headset is cool because you can put a zero stack E.13 adapter in there, and the bike has tons of seatpost room. Hope you enjoy it!
p.s. Yeti sells the AS-X as a great deal in a complete package, as does Specialized with the SX trail.
If indeed you get the AS-X, don't for any reason put it in 7 inch mode. In 6 inch mode it will ride well with a 5 or 6 inch fork. I haven't tried 7, but I like my BB low.
The full seatpost feature is a HUGE advantage of the ASX. I can ride proper XC on mine and not even think about wishing I had a lighter bike.
The full seatpost feature is a HUGE advantage of the ASX. I can ride proper XC on mine and not even think about wishing I had a lighter bike.
I used the 7 inch setting on the AS-X every now and then, and I found the suspension to be WAY BETTER. The suspension worked a lot smoother and more consistently. The bike was more fun to ride in the 6 inch spot, unfortunately. The ideal set up would have the frame in the 7 inch position, but with a shorter shock to get it to the 6 inch geometry. It might not actually work to make it any smoother, but it's an idea I've had for awhile. I had the bushing rear end, not the new sealed bearing one, that might make a difference.
The Enduro has tons of seatpost space. With my stock post, the seat is above the handlebars at the highest position, and in the lowest position, it's perfect for DH (but too high for dirt jumping). Not as much as the Yeti, but it's still plenty ample.
The Enduro has tons of seatpost space. With my stock post, the seat is above the handlebars at the highest position, and in the lowest position, it's perfect for DH (but too high for dirt jumping). Not as much as the Yeti, but it's still plenty ample.
awesome. thanks guys. yeah, I really like them both. the yeti comes with a coil fork so I'm kinda leaning towards that. is it true that the hayes brakes on that bike don't adjust well and you always have to pull the levers too much even after properly bled? I know the juicy 7's have a knob on the lever to adjust that i think...
Did you ride it in 6 inch mode? So many people talk trash about the ASX and haven't ridden it in 6 inch mode. In 7 inch mode, it makes a Norco feel good by comparison.Bicyclist said:
I admit the suspension doesn't feel super active, but I assumed it was the 5th's fault. I feel like it makes me faster. If you feel it work too much, it means it's flopping around being wasteful. The suspension in 6 inch more with a 5th is an excellent match with a 6 inch TPC+ fork. Buttery smooth, but without that super floppy first inch of travel you get with a Marz.
One more thing:
I ride a butt-load of BMX all week at the skatepark and I have no problems switching back and forth between my BMX and my ASX. I would say that it's an excellent DH bike for a BMXer. Except for the high standover.
I ride a butt-load of BMX all week at the skatepark and I have no problems switching back and forth between my BMX and my ASX. I would say that it's an excellent DH bike for a BMXer. Except for the high standover.
about the brakes, you should really go and try both of them. bc it's all personal preference. and both hayes and avid feel diff. for example i love the feel of the lever of the juicy 5 and 7, however i run hayes on both my bikes. i realize that this doesn't help much, and i'm sorry. but my best piece of advice would be to go to a shop and try out both hayes and avid, and see which one you like better.
Dude, don't let the brakes change your decision, you will ride at the EXACT SAME speed with either, not one will make you faster or slower. I'm racing a world cup this weekend with stock Hayes. They all work just fine.
SX= "mini DH bike"= quasi DH geo, better at going fast
AS-X= "trail bike"= good for a wider variety of stuff, including Northshore stunts and woodsy, rocky, flat trails like those on the east coast.
SX= "mini DH bike"= quasi DH geo, better at going fast
AS-X= "trail bike"= good for a wider variety of stuff, including Northshore stunts and woodsy, rocky, flat trails like those on the east coast.