I'm going to pull the trigger on a downcountry bike (yes, I used term and I like it. Deal with it.). I've narrowed it to the new Norco Revolver 120 or the new Ripley. If I get the Ripley I will probably put a 120 Step Cast on it to make it a 120/120 bike. Both bikes are in the right ranges for me on the important geo numbers, not sure yet if I will do a custom build or stock (interesting that neither comes with a mechanical X01 build option).
These bikes are the finalists because the brands are sold at my shop, thus I'm not considering the Yeti/Trek/Salsa/Pivot/etc entries in this category. I had considered the Blur, but I don't like the geo.
This bike is going to complement my Bronson. I'm leaning toward the Norco because it's more of an XC bike that has been trail-ified, whereas the Ripley seems more like a trail bike that has been XC-ified. (I'm looking for something that is as different as possible to my Bronson in the downcountry genre).
For reference, I'm about 155 pounds, I'll be riding this bike on a variety of trails, lots of up, lots of down, lots of miles, probably some marathon races and possibly a few shorter races as well.
So which one? Any input is appreciated. Thanks.
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Any run that doesn't include pooping in someone's front yard is a win.
These bikes are the finalists because the brands are sold at my shop, thus I'm not considering the Yeti/Trek/Salsa/Pivot/etc entries in this category. I had considered the Blur, but I don't like the geo.
This bike is going to complement my Bronson. I'm leaning toward the Norco because it's more of an XC bike that has been trail-ified, whereas the Ripley seems more like a trail bike that has been XC-ified. (I'm looking for something that is as different as possible to my Bronson in the downcountry genre).
For reference, I'm about 155 pounds, I'll be riding this bike on a variety of trails, lots of up, lots of down, lots of miles, probably some marathon races and possibly a few shorter races as well.
So which one? Any input is appreciated. Thanks.
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Any run that doesn't include pooping in someone's front yard is a win.