Climbing on an AS-X vs. an SX Trail?
Lee-
I’m currently rocking a Yeti AS-X with a Marz 66RC2X up front. Bike is great but it pedals like poo, seat tube angle is super slack which makes seated pedaling a constant struggle, and the braking characteristics leave a lot to be desired.
I’ve been looking at the SX Trail as a replacement. The geometry is a bit lower and slacker which I like. How does the SXT pedal while standing? I’m 6’5″, 220, live in SoCal and visit Mammoth a couple times a year. My main rides are quasi shuttles up Mt. Wilson that require a fair bit of pedaling. I’ll also shuttle Cold Springs and Tunnel every so often.
Thanks
Scott
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The more you click, the more I can post. Lee Likes Groceries dot com! |
Hey Scott,
The AS-X is indeed a great bike. The single pivot is simple and does the job. But there is some inherent pedal bob and brake jack.
The SX Trail has neither. If you dial in the ProPedal and pedal smoothly, it’ll climb and sprint very well.
Cold Springs and Tunnel in Santa Barbara … YUM! … Use a bell and watch out for traps. Check this out:
https://www.leelikesbikes.com/Stories/TdC02/TdC6.html
 Jim Norman works it down Tunnel, Enduro style, circa 2002. You can rip this trail on trail or DH bike, but an AS-X or SX Trail would be ideal. |
— Lee
Adwords PS: Mountain biking improves overall fitness and health. Regular exercise is one of the keys to weight loss. The other is a moderate diet. Eat less, ride more!
Lee,
Thanks for spreading the word about the bell. Our trails need all the help they can get.
MW
Regarding the question about the SX Trail versus the ASX, I can give a little more info on these two bikes. I am currently riding an ASX, but tested an SX Trail in the process of figuring out which bike I liked better. As you can probably tell, it was the ASX. The reason is that the Yeti seemed to have a better build quality, felt better to me when climbing, and handled rough sections with a more surefooted attitude. I have my ASX set up with a Fox DHX 5.0 coil, and whenever I have to climb, which is a lot considering that my XC bike is cracked and I’m riding the ASX on 22 mile loops, I just turn the pro-pedal knob. There is absolutely no bob with the pro-pedal, and the pedal feedback in the small chainring helps to stiffen the rear even more. This may sound funky, but Yeti designed the single pivot system to have lots of feedback in the small ring and next to none in the bigger ring. It really isn’t worth trading your ASX for the Specialized, you might only need a new rear shock with the pro-pedal if you don’t have it already. Honestly though, the Yeti is a great pedaler for a freeride bike, and mine weighs in at 40 lbs.