Enduro SL vs. Enduro for trail riding?

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Hi Lee,
I’m having a bit of a dillemma in terms of chosing a bike.

I have a 2004 Enduro and love it, but i’m plowing through the travel, feeling the flex, and beating the wheels pretty hard.

I wanted a 2007 Enduro (non-SL style) then convinced myself that i should get the SL Pro.

It seems like an amazing bike but I was still a bit iffy on the more xc-orientation of it. I love to go full tilt on descents (like Santa Theresa, Braile+all of demo, and other fun bay area trails) but I also like to hammer up the climbs.

I’m now back to thinking I should get the non-SL enduro pro for the kind of riding I do, and what I’ll probably do is sell the ’06 36 that comes on it and buy an ’07 36 talas rc2 (more travel, better bottom out resistance, better talas system than last year).

I know you’ve ridden both. Once you’ve ridden the SL would you look at the heavier regular Enduro as a waste of time, or would you consider it better for certain types of riding? How noticeable is the 3-4 pound difference?

Thanks

-Colin

Hi Colin.

Now that I’ve ridden the Enduro SL, my regular Enduro will get a single ring and DH wheels. It’ll become an SX Trail Lite. (If I keep it; I haven’t had a need to ride it since the SL came.)

For extended-remix trail riding, the SL is noticeably more efficient. Imagine the weight of your 2004 Enduro, with the stiffness, slackness and travel of a 2005-7 Enduro, with almost the pedaling efficiency of a Stumpjumper.

I know those trails very well, and I know the SL was tested on those very trails. And the test crew rides harder and faster than 99.99999% of mountain bikers. I can’t imagine anyone shy of a pro DHer would push the SL harder than they do.

So here’s my point: For the kind of riding you’re describing — long climbs and pinner descents — the SL is a better fit than the classic Mighty Enduro.

— Lee

PS: A few pounds feels very different when you’re attacking a tight trail — in that situation it’s all about acceleration. On the long climb out of the Demo, the extra weight gets lost in your Camelbak, fat butt, rolling resistance and general fatigue.

7 replies
  1. Martyn says:

    I have the Enduor 06 and it is going to make way for the new SL, Lee has given me advice about the SL on these pages and I realised that the SL would be lighter on the ups a bit sharper on the singletrack and as capable on the downs, I wish I could keep the s-works enduro 06 but it has to pay towards the SL…..I love hitting rocky descents as fast as I can and mones let me, so having the newer enduro fit for that purpose as well as being lighter is icing on the cake.

  2. Woods says:

    How would you compare the SL to a Santa Cruz Nomad as far as pedal efficiency going uphill / back down the hill fun factor

  3. leelikesbikes says:

    I haven’t ridden Nomads enough to say. They’re probably pretty comparable. If you get one of the top bikes, it’ll be fun. That I can promise you.

  4. Vinterbo says:

    Any pictures to share? Here in Sweden we are still avaiting the fist demo ex of the Enduro 2007 to look, test upon…

    From your and other tests looks like it’s 99.999% sure that I’ll switch to a new Enduro’

  6. Martyn says:

    Hi Lee

    After having my SL pro for a week and letting my S-works go, I now couldnt be happier, it is 100% suited to my riding, in fact still can’t get the grin off my face, it’s one hell of a bike. Lee do you still have yours.

  7. leelikesbikes says:

    Yep. I rode my SL Pro twice last week: once was full-on DH at our OHV area; the other was mellow/rocky XC. It was awesome in both cases. … light and tight yet very capable; for DH it was amazing (but i missed the 64-degree HA on my Demo).

    I’m riding the h— out of that thing!!! Will probably race Sea Otter DH on it …

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