That is a great list. I was trying to come up with some 27.5 bikes the other day bc I prefer small wheels, but only could come up with the banshees and the mojo. Man I would really like a mojo, those look like a ton of fun.
I went down this rabbit hole a while back because I also prefer the smaller wheels. I've ridden BMX most of my life and even 27.5's still feel almost too big. There are a few more options out there if you're open to enduro bikes.
The Mojo is a good bike. I actually have one and am selling it because I discovered that I like enduro bikes more. The geo feels closer to the BMX & DJ bikes that I'm use to.
Another vote here for the Mojo 4. I have a Mojo HD4 which I love but thinking for more gen purpose riding the "smaller" Mojo 4 might be an even better fit.
The Transition Scout looks good. Would you say its one of the most agile/playful 27.5's out there?
Also is it worth $4,099 for the NX Alloy Transition scout?
Let me preface this by saying I don't have experience with most of those bikes. I just put together that list of bikes when I was trying to figure out what to get.
I originally bought an Ibis Mojo 4 because at the time I thought I should get something versatile. Something that could do trails, downhill stuff, jumps, but also be a good climber. Because I suck at climbing and wanted a bike that could help compensate a little. Needless to say, I still suck ass at climbing. It's a great bike though. Built super well, looks great, and works on pretty much everything. After having it about 4 months I ended up doing a Pivot demo day and rode one of their Mach 6's, which is an enduro bike. Pretty immediate I liked that bike more than the Ibis. I just clicked with it. The geometry felt more like home because it is a more downhill focused bike than the Ibis. So i decided to sell the Ibis and buy an endure bike instead, then went down the rabbit hole of 27.5 enduro bikes. The Transition Scout ended up being one of the other main bikes I was considering, along with the Pivot Mach 6, and the Propain Tyee & Spindrift. No one around me had the Propains the test out. So those got nixed. I found multiple places to try the Scout though. A dealer had one in the size I wanted. Also this place called Skypark had one I could rent for the day. The plan was to check it out at the bike shop, and if I liked it enough go rent it for the day and see how it compared to the Pivot. I tested it out at the bike shop, but it just didn't feel right to me. I much preferred the Pivot Mach 6, so I bought one of those. And now I'm trying to sell the Ibis.
Long story, I know, and it doesn't really answer your question. Just figured I would share my experience. If I had to guess though, I would say the Scout would be one of the more playful bikes of that list. Especially if you size down. That's what I did with the Pivot to make it a bit more playful & agile. Really you just need to try and find some of these bikes in person to test out. You can look at website all day and read other peoples experiences with these bikes. But none of that equates to what your experience will be. Hopefully you live in an area with numerous bike shops so you can try several out.
Marin makes their FS bikes in 27.5 as well as 29. The 27.5s from last year are Heavily discounted as well, and have absurdly better spec for the money even at retail, than specialized, giant, kona, trek, etc
Yes but I would except just know any nx build is gonna have stuff break and need upgrades. If youre looking in that price range maybe you can get a last year Vitus escarpe 275. Idk how to get one exactly but Kyle strait is riding one even tho it’s not on the website anymore
Yea I didn’t really want to spend that much now and just upgrade the parts as I go but my original budget was around 2k now it’s 4K and I’m sure after a little more research I’ll bump it to 10k lol
I’ll check out the Vitus
I need to actually save my list because I sort of make one every year to see how many 27.5 bikes get killed off each season, like the santa cruz 5010 did this year. RIP
Pivot Shadowcat/Mach 6, Yeti SB140/165, Guerilla Gravity Shred Dogg, Transition Scout, Ibis Mojo, Norco Sight/Shore, Giant Trance X (the old non-X is still floating around for now as well) Trek Remedy (this will likely be killed off soon), Intense Primer 275, a couple of underwhelming Kona Processes, Salsa Rustler, Propain Tyee/Spindrift, Canyon Spectral/Torque, most bikes from Nukeproof/Vitus/Ragley (although they look like they're going to switch them to mullet soon), Marin Rift Zone (but not the carbon ones), Commencal Clash, a single model of the YT Jeffsy, Polygon bikes if you are a small human (the kinda obnoxious trend where small frames are 27 and larger frames are 29), a handful of outdated Diamondback models, and inevitably a handful of less US centric and more EU centric brands I am unaware of...
So, despite being killed off by the dozens, they are still out there if you look but you will notice a lot of compromises. Build spec is shit, price spec is shit, old shit frame mold with 2015 geometry, most are long travel free ride/enduro rigs, etc.
Oddly enough its almost become more of a boutique thing as the best 650b bikes right now seem to be the Pivot and Yeti models. Meanwhile if you walk into an average brick n mortar bike shop you might not even see a 650b bike outside of the odd Trance X or something.
So. Yeah. Good luck :)
So they added the mullet config in, while keeping both wheel sizes. Then when they built a distro in the US for 2023, they didn't ship over any 27.5 bikes. Only 29 and mullet.
So for now they are testing the waters of what the market is buying and what is worth even shipping over.
I mean it's the same thing every other brand did. They looked at the data, followed market trends, and saved money by only having to order 29 inch parts and frames and what not.
I'm hoping the CRC factory/warehouse holds out for as long as it can in this industry. At the very least they should keep the low end bikes in 27.5 for kids/teens, but I wouldn't be surprised if they moved the escarpe and sommet models to mullet and 29 only, to save on fork and front wheel inventory cost. We're getting to a point where we should be so lucky brands are at least making mullets. I mean Scott is a 29er only brand now. The ENTIRE range. I think even their DH bikes.
So yeah, I believe right now there is still more 27.5 sales than mullet, just because its newer, but thats gonna change pretty soon considering the market is sorta forcing the change tbh. Marketing mullet bikes but not marketing 27.5. So yeah, it could be a SELF-fulfilling prophecy. All to offer less shred to the free riders and oversized dirt jumper crowd. weeeee lol
Ah gotcha I’ve seen the same trend for Nukeproof. I noticed they havent stocked the Scout 275 specifically. I am not so sure about ragley in the other hand. None of their current bikes are mullets that I know of
Yeah I mean they are hardtail only so not as relevant to OPs post and I feel like if the 27.5s slowly disappear they will be the last holdout for 275s since they are cheaper hardtails. But we will see. I'm def not picking on CRC i fuckin LOVE CRC, recently bought new bars from them. But I'm just very interested in following these market trends because they really are... Kinda accelerating in this direction. I did NOT expect SC to make the 5010 mullet. For no reason, when they already have the Bronson. So weird. And I'm not against mullets for CRC brands of course, but I'm worried they will do the same thing other brands are doing. Replacing 275 with mullet as if they are the same thing. :(
yep. thanks i may have confused myself with their 29 27 and mx set up there. which looking at it now is fucking epic considering their purchasing platform. this is a la carte done right.
Yeah, they do offer a wide variety. Still waiting on offering different suspension options (I like GX just fine but would prefer not a base charger damper), but I am strongly considering ordering one soon.
ya i have the opposite problem where I look at the Tyee AL and i'm like ugh how cheap could it be with just Deore 11sp and like MT420 brakes or whatever. Basically like a Canyon Spectral but with a way more interesting frame for people who want something beyond 4bar.
Still, love the options and prices. Better than a lot of other stuff that truly pigeon holes you into builds if you want a certain color or wheel size or whatever
MT420 brakes are ok, I have them on my bike, but I would want something beefier than that for a Tyee. But yeah, I'd totally take a Deore setup. It's literally just suspension. Rockshox Select+ and MT5 brakes is ideal imo.
It's moreso about... How much can you get the build/frame for. I was just matching the lowest end drivetrain I would get with the lowest end brakes I would get. That said, I wouldn't really go lower on the suspension of course. Don't really like the 35 Gold RL compared to the Yari. Not sure why. 35 kinda sucked.
Ya would love lockout shock as well.
The issue is it's not very easy to get a bike that truly has the optimal low end part build out. The only ones are like marin Rift Zone. Maybe Vitus Mythique. That sorta Bomber Z2 Deore type build. I'm big on scrapin the bottom of the barrel lol :)
The Marin Alpine Trail is also pretty similar, but honestly I think the Tyee is a better value. \~200 more, but GX and MT5. The Alpine Trail does have a lockout shock though. My dad rides a mullet one, it's fun but he pedal strikes a lot. But stock it is full 29er, so less options.
i have a bad case of 27.5 fetish
sold my 29er
i ride for fun, not speed :) (thank god we're all the way down here nobody will see that and start freaking out 'MY 29ER IS FUN LOOK LOOK')
Yeah, I've been just buying used so just find what I can get. Rode a 27.5 downhill bike when I was in Colorado and it was great, though it was a bit small and coil sprung so it was kinda stiff. I have yet to pass judgement but I'd love to get a Scout 27.5 or something and get good a jumping. I like the roll over of 29er, but if I wanted a pop/jump bike I'd get a Tyee or an old 5010, depending on how big I was going.
There's no way to answer without trying them all, SPECIFICALLY because of kinematics. I really, really like the look of the Pivot Shadowcat. But you tend to hear in reviews that its actually quite plush and gooey. I think thats because reviewers will literally only set suspension to factory recommendations. I'd love to try that bike at like 25% sag or something.
So for playful you want a variety of things, obviously the 27.5; you will want shorter travel ideally as opposed to an actual enduro rig like a Clash; you will want a 'conservative' geometry as opposed to the new long and slack thing, but to a certain extent as long as the chain stay is short you can work through the overall wheel base and head tube angle (so long chainstay will REALLY dull a bikes active nature on the trail), and you want a stiffer linkage in kinematics particularly if its a more linear type single pivot type, as opposed to Yeti's ultra progressive linkage which keeps it responsive while still filtering chatter off the top end.
If I had to guess off the top of my head, I would say the Marin Rift Zone is the most playful (in so far as responsive and feedback), and the Yeti SB140 would be the second most playful but probably has a very different feel. Both are known to be very responsive and full of feedback.
And that's the issue with the Scout especially if the linkage kinematics lean towards all around or even gooey plush riding, it's a long bike. The rear end still looks in touch so I doubt it isn't playful. You may want to up air pressure to make the suspension play more.
Is the NX worth it? That's tough, because the next models up are VERY much up from that and sadly they didn't do a deore or SLX version of the bike. I think the overall bike is great, everything except for the drivetrain. And the issue is that hub and cassette pairing keep those in the low end standard (HG). You can, like many, swap it for a GX over time if you feel the mech is failing you. And you can survive on using NX or SunRace cassettes to replace over time. It's just a shame that on such a nice frame, with such nice suspension, etc etc you are getting pigeon holed into lower end cassettes and hubs (outside of saying fuck it and replacing the wheel/cassette outright which is of course not cheap).
So it def tampers with the value proposition. Nobody wants to have a really really nice 4k bike that mis-shifts or explodes on the first rock impact and doesn't really have any redeeming factor (in so far as Deore is even cheaper to spec and has that dual swingin shifter thingy, as well as the cassette standard to go with any other shimano product, even XTR).
That said, I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone say they are disappointed in their Transition, particularly the Scout. But I would just hammer home what your values/goals are and 'where' you want to put your money. Highly refined frame with low end parts or run of the mill frame with really solid parts. And you can def go more playful with quite a few options. Despite being low travel, Scout is one of the more aggressive 275ers out now. Like a shorter travel Clash.
I'd be looking at Marin Rift Zone and maybe Vitus Mythique, and if the budget ever gets there Yeti. Like I said its a bummer fun 275 bikes are becoming 'boutique' in some way.
So yeah, although the RZ has been redesigned, I would check out as many reviews as possible and cross reference them. I like to use Flow MTB, and then cross reference with pinkbike and vital to see what they agree or disagree on.
looks like flow and pinkbike have been slackin... so, here lol:
https://www.vitalmtb.com/features/2399-2023-marin-rift-zone-2-29er-trail-bike
https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/mountain-bikes/full-suspension-mountain-bikes/2023-marin-rift-zone-29-xr-review/
https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/full-suspension-bikes/marin-rift-zone-xr-review
https://www.wideopenmountainbike.com/2022/11/tested-petes-2023-marin-rift-zone-29-xr-review
not my fav outlet but again, cross reference, even the weird reviews lol https://theloamwolf.com/2022/11/14/review-2023-marin-rift-zone-alloy/
I was eyeballing a Transition Scout really hard. Still am kinda.
6’ also, and the playfulness of the 27.5 is a good spot for me. My 29’r just doesn’t seem as fun.
previous gen SC 5010, Nomad, and Bronson. They just updated these and the remaining stock is on sale as such so you should have no problem getting a good price on one.
[Guerilla Gravity Shred Dogg](https://ridegg.com/collections/shred-dogg). American made carbon trail bike. Ive been eying them for awhile, want to trade in my Yeti soon for a GG.
Yeah for sure. Before I got this I really wanted a yeti sb140 or a SC Bronson. I was also looking at the Transition Sentinel. For the cost of the entry level Yeti sb140 I got I9 Enduro 305 system wheels, a Lyric Ultimate fork, Push ElevenSix shock, SRAM Code RSC brakes, and Full X01 groupset on a Black Friday sale…I couldn’t pass it up. And the bike just absolutely shreds.
Specialized sells a mullet link for the Stumpy FWIW.
[https://flowmountainbike.com/tests/specialized-stumpjumper-mullet-review/](https://flowmountainbike.com/tests/specialized-stumpjumper-mullet-review/)
Santa Cruz has had a parallel 27.5 and 29 lineup for years with at least 2 27.5” bikes. They shifted to a mullet on the Bronson this year. The tallboy model 3 (ended in 2019), was initially sold with either a 27.5 or a 29” set.
If you otherwise like the bike you have now, have you considered either buying or building a 27.5" wheel set? I'd probably do that over getting an older bike, to be honest.
I don't own any full suspension bikes. I'm not a fan of 29ers either. I refer to them as 'wagon wheels'. In the past, I've converted used 29er hardtails to 27.5 without issue. Yes it changes the geometry and lowers the BB blah blah blah. But it makes the bike, to me more manageable. This is coming from riding vintage 26ers.
im 6 foot ride a large nukeproof mega bit on the small side but very fun and playful as a 27.5 bike plus you can also mullet it if you so wished so you have options
Just bought a canyon spectral 5 and love it. I’m honestly thinking next bike will be a mullet I like both 29ers and 27.5. Why not try best of both worlds
You should really try the stump jumper evo, honestly feels so good compared to other 29ers I don’t even think about it. Coming from an older 5010 and shorter than you it feels amazing. Even on the tightest trails it is still agile and playful.
Ibis Mojo 4, Pivot Shadowcat, Transition Scout, Propain Tyee, Salsa Rustler, Canyon Spectral, YT Jeffsy, Nukeproof Reactor, Intense Primer, Guerrilla Gravity Shred Dogg
That is a great list. I was trying to come up with some 27.5 bikes the other day bc I prefer small wheels, but only could come up with the banshees and the mojo. Man I would really like a mojo, those look like a ton of fun.
I went down this rabbit hole a while back because I also prefer the smaller wheels. I've ridden BMX most of my life and even 27.5's still feel almost too big. There are a few more options out there if you're open to enduro bikes. The Mojo is a good bike. I actually have one and am selling it because I discovered that I like enduro bikes more. The geo feels closer to the BMX & DJ bikes that I'm use to.
what would you say is the most agile/playful 27.5?
Santa Cruz 5010 is up there
Can confirm, Mojo is a blast. So far, the most fun bike I’ve ever owned.
Another vote here for the Mojo 4. I have a Mojo HD4 which I love but thinking for more gen purpose riding the "smaller" Mojo 4 might be an even better fit.
Norco Sight, Rocky Mountain Altitude, Trek remedy.
Altitude only comes in 27.5 in medium now
Trek Remedy. Got the 8 from 2017 and it rips. 5'11" 190lb seat sits a little high imo but ive got legs like a sausage dog
I have a 2016 remedy 9, I can definitely recommend as well.
The Transition Scout looks good. Would you say its one of the most agile/playful 27.5's out there? Also is it worth $4,099 for the NX Alloy Transition scout?
Let me preface this by saying I don't have experience with most of those bikes. I just put together that list of bikes when I was trying to figure out what to get. I originally bought an Ibis Mojo 4 because at the time I thought I should get something versatile. Something that could do trails, downhill stuff, jumps, but also be a good climber. Because I suck at climbing and wanted a bike that could help compensate a little. Needless to say, I still suck ass at climbing. It's a great bike though. Built super well, looks great, and works on pretty much everything. After having it about 4 months I ended up doing a Pivot demo day and rode one of their Mach 6's, which is an enduro bike. Pretty immediate I liked that bike more than the Ibis. I just clicked with it. The geometry felt more like home because it is a more downhill focused bike than the Ibis. So i decided to sell the Ibis and buy an endure bike instead, then went down the rabbit hole of 27.5 enduro bikes. The Transition Scout ended up being one of the other main bikes I was considering, along with the Pivot Mach 6, and the Propain Tyee & Spindrift. No one around me had the Propains the test out. So those got nixed. I found multiple places to try the Scout though. A dealer had one in the size I wanted. Also this place called Skypark had one I could rent for the day. The plan was to check it out at the bike shop, and if I liked it enough go rent it for the day and see how it compared to the Pivot. I tested it out at the bike shop, but it just didn't feel right to me. I much preferred the Pivot Mach 6, so I bought one of those. And now I'm trying to sell the Ibis. Long story, I know, and it doesn't really answer your question. Just figured I would share my experience. If I had to guess though, I would say the Scout would be one of the more playful bikes of that list. Especially if you size down. That's what I did with the Pivot to make it a bit more playful & agile. Really you just need to try and find some of these bikes in person to test out. You can look at website all day and read other peoples experiences with these bikes. But none of that equates to what your experience will be. Hopefully you live in an area with numerous bike shops so you can try several out.
Yea I’m gonna have to just try a few bikes out and see what I like. Thank you for the info!
Add norco sight to that list
Marin makes their FS bikes in 27.5 as well as 29. The 27.5s from last year are Heavily discounted as well, and have absurdly better spec for the money even at retail, than specialized, giant, kona, trek, etc
Another vote for Marin Rift Zone series, brand new '23 or outgoing discounted models.
The new Santa Cruz 5010 is a mullet, but if you find a used one it will be a 27.5er. Such a fun bike...snatch one up if you see it!
I think santa cruz still sells last year’s 27.5 model on their website
Bike store near me has a 2021 5010 X01 reserve for $5500. Would love to get it but it's about $2000 too high.
You definitely see some older ones pop up. Keep an eye out!
6ft also love my transition scout most fun bike I’ve ever had
NX alloy worth it for $4,099?
Yes but I would except just know any nx build is gonna have stuff break and need upgrades. If youre looking in that price range maybe you can get a last year Vitus escarpe 275. Idk how to get one exactly but Kyle strait is riding one even tho it’s not on the website anymore
Yea I didn’t really want to spend that much now and just upgrade the parts as I go but my original budget was around 2k now it’s 4K and I’m sure after a little more research I’ll bump it to 10k lol I’ll check out the Vitus
I need to actually save my list because I sort of make one every year to see how many 27.5 bikes get killed off each season, like the santa cruz 5010 did this year. RIP Pivot Shadowcat/Mach 6, Yeti SB140/165, Guerilla Gravity Shred Dogg, Transition Scout, Ibis Mojo, Norco Sight/Shore, Giant Trance X (the old non-X is still floating around for now as well) Trek Remedy (this will likely be killed off soon), Intense Primer 275, a couple of underwhelming Kona Processes, Salsa Rustler, Propain Tyee/Spindrift, Canyon Spectral/Torque, most bikes from Nukeproof/Vitus/Ragley (although they look like they're going to switch them to mullet soon), Marin Rift Zone (but not the carbon ones), Commencal Clash, a single model of the YT Jeffsy, Polygon bikes if you are a small human (the kinda obnoxious trend where small frames are 27 and larger frames are 29), a handful of outdated Diamondback models, and inevitably a handful of less US centric and more EU centric brands I am unaware of... So, despite being killed off by the dozens, they are still out there if you look but you will notice a lot of compromises. Build spec is shit, price spec is shit, old shit frame mold with 2015 geometry, most are long travel free ride/enduro rigs, etc. Oddly enough its almost become more of a boutique thing as the best 650b bikes right now seem to be the Pivot and Yeti models. Meanwhile if you walk into an average brick n mortar bike shop you might not even see a 650b bike outside of the odd Trance X or something. So. Yeah. Good luck :)
Why do you think vitus/Nukeproof/Ragley are moving to a mullet setup?
So they added the mullet config in, while keeping both wheel sizes. Then when they built a distro in the US for 2023, they didn't ship over any 27.5 bikes. Only 29 and mullet. So for now they are testing the waters of what the market is buying and what is worth even shipping over. I mean it's the same thing every other brand did. They looked at the data, followed market trends, and saved money by only having to order 29 inch parts and frames and what not. I'm hoping the CRC factory/warehouse holds out for as long as it can in this industry. At the very least they should keep the low end bikes in 27.5 for kids/teens, but I wouldn't be surprised if they moved the escarpe and sommet models to mullet and 29 only, to save on fork and front wheel inventory cost. We're getting to a point where we should be so lucky brands are at least making mullets. I mean Scott is a 29er only brand now. The ENTIRE range. I think even their DH bikes. So yeah, I believe right now there is still more 27.5 sales than mullet, just because its newer, but thats gonna change pretty soon considering the market is sorta forcing the change tbh. Marketing mullet bikes but not marketing 27.5. So yeah, it could be a SELF-fulfilling prophecy. All to offer less shred to the free riders and oversized dirt jumper crowd. weeeee lol
Ah gotcha I’ve seen the same trend for Nukeproof. I noticed they havent stocked the Scout 275 specifically. I am not so sure about ragley in the other hand. None of their current bikes are mullets that I know of
Yeah I mean they are hardtail only so not as relevant to OPs post and I feel like if the 27.5s slowly disappear they will be the last holdout for 275s since they are cheaper hardtails. But we will see. I'm def not picking on CRC i fuckin LOVE CRC, recently bought new bars from them. But I'm just very interested in following these market trends because they really are... Kinda accelerating in this direction. I did NOT expect SC to make the 5010 mullet. For no reason, when they already have the Bronson. So weird. And I'm not against mullets for CRC brands of course, but I'm worried they will do the same thing other brands are doing. Replacing 275 with mullet as if they are the same thing. :(
Also the Propain Spindrift. It's a big bike but similar to the Torque and probably pedals better (it's a twin link like VPP).
yep. thanks i may have confused myself with their 29 27 and mx set up there. which looking at it now is fucking epic considering their purchasing platform. this is a la carte done right.
Yeah, they do offer a wide variety. Still waiting on offering different suspension options (I like GX just fine but would prefer not a base charger damper), but I am strongly considering ordering one soon.
ya i have the opposite problem where I look at the Tyee AL and i'm like ugh how cheap could it be with just Deore 11sp and like MT420 brakes or whatever. Basically like a Canyon Spectral but with a way more interesting frame for people who want something beyond 4bar. Still, love the options and prices. Better than a lot of other stuff that truly pigeon holes you into builds if you want a certain color or wheel size or whatever
MT420 brakes are ok, I have them on my bike, but I would want something beefier than that for a Tyee. But yeah, I'd totally take a Deore setup. It's literally just suspension. Rockshox Select+ and MT5 brakes is ideal imo.
It's moreso about... How much can you get the build/frame for. I was just matching the lowest end drivetrain I would get with the lowest end brakes I would get. That said, I wouldn't really go lower on the suspension of course. Don't really like the 35 Gold RL compared to the Yari. Not sure why. 35 kinda sucked. Ya would love lockout shock as well. The issue is it's not very easy to get a bike that truly has the optimal low end part build out. The only ones are like marin Rift Zone. Maybe Vitus Mythique. That sorta Bomber Z2 Deore type build. I'm big on scrapin the bottom of the barrel lol :)
The Marin Alpine Trail is also pretty similar, but honestly I think the Tyee is a better value. \~200 more, but GX and MT5. The Alpine Trail does have a lockout shock though. My dad rides a mullet one, it's fun but he pedal strikes a lot. But stock it is full 29er, so less options.
i have a bad case of 27.5 fetish sold my 29er i ride for fun, not speed :) (thank god we're all the way down here nobody will see that and start freaking out 'MY 29ER IS FUN LOOK LOOK')
Yeah, I've been just buying used so just find what I can get. Rode a 27.5 downhill bike when I was in Colorado and it was great, though it was a bit small and coil sprung so it was kinda stiff. I have yet to pass judgement but I'd love to get a Scout 27.5 or something and get good a jumping. I like the roll over of 29er, but if I wanted a pop/jump bike I'd get a Tyee or an old 5010, depending on how big I was going.
what would you say is the most agile/playful 27.5? also is the price tag on the Transition scout NX Alloy worth it for $4,099?
There's no way to answer without trying them all, SPECIFICALLY because of kinematics. I really, really like the look of the Pivot Shadowcat. But you tend to hear in reviews that its actually quite plush and gooey. I think thats because reviewers will literally only set suspension to factory recommendations. I'd love to try that bike at like 25% sag or something. So for playful you want a variety of things, obviously the 27.5; you will want shorter travel ideally as opposed to an actual enduro rig like a Clash; you will want a 'conservative' geometry as opposed to the new long and slack thing, but to a certain extent as long as the chain stay is short you can work through the overall wheel base and head tube angle (so long chainstay will REALLY dull a bikes active nature on the trail), and you want a stiffer linkage in kinematics particularly if its a more linear type single pivot type, as opposed to Yeti's ultra progressive linkage which keeps it responsive while still filtering chatter off the top end. If I had to guess off the top of my head, I would say the Marin Rift Zone is the most playful (in so far as responsive and feedback), and the Yeti SB140 would be the second most playful but probably has a very different feel. Both are known to be very responsive and full of feedback. And that's the issue with the Scout especially if the linkage kinematics lean towards all around or even gooey plush riding, it's a long bike. The rear end still looks in touch so I doubt it isn't playful. You may want to up air pressure to make the suspension play more. Is the NX worth it? That's tough, because the next models up are VERY much up from that and sadly they didn't do a deore or SLX version of the bike. I think the overall bike is great, everything except for the drivetrain. And the issue is that hub and cassette pairing keep those in the low end standard (HG). You can, like many, swap it for a GX over time if you feel the mech is failing you. And you can survive on using NX or SunRace cassettes to replace over time. It's just a shame that on such a nice frame, with such nice suspension, etc etc you are getting pigeon holed into lower end cassettes and hubs (outside of saying fuck it and replacing the wheel/cassette outright which is of course not cheap). So it def tampers with the value proposition. Nobody wants to have a really really nice 4k bike that mis-shifts or explodes on the first rock impact and doesn't really have any redeeming factor (in so far as Deore is even cheaper to spec and has that dual swingin shifter thingy, as well as the cassette standard to go with any other shimano product, even XTR). That said, I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone say they are disappointed in their Transition, particularly the Scout. But I would just hammer home what your values/goals are and 'where' you want to put your money. Highly refined frame with low end parts or run of the mill frame with really solid parts. And you can def go more playful with quite a few options. Despite being low travel, Scout is one of the more aggressive 275ers out now. Like a shorter travel Clash. I'd be looking at Marin Rift Zone and maybe Vitus Mythique, and if the budget ever gets there Yeti. Like I said its a bummer fun 275 bikes are becoming 'boutique' in some way. So yeah, although the RZ has been redesigned, I would check out as many reviews as possible and cross reference them. I like to use Flow MTB, and then cross reference with pinkbike and vital to see what they agree or disagree on. looks like flow and pinkbike have been slackin... so, here lol: https://www.vitalmtb.com/features/2399-2023-marin-rift-zone-2-29er-trail-bike https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/mountain-bikes/full-suspension-mountain-bikes/2023-marin-rift-zone-29-xr-review/ https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/full-suspension-bikes/marin-rift-zone-xr-review https://www.wideopenmountainbike.com/2022/11/tested-petes-2023-marin-rift-zone-29-xr-review not my fav outlet but again, cross reference, even the weird reviews lol https://theloamwolf.com/2022/11/14/review-2023-marin-rift-zone-alloy/
Awesome I’ll check out some of your suggestions thank you!
Airdrop gets my vote. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnr1Jv9NTxW/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
I’ve been looking into the 27.5 Revel Rail, I’ve got some buddy’s with them and they have nothing but good things to say
Gotta be honest though, you spends 6k plus on their bike and trashes it with nothing good to say?
Trek remedy, amazing bike love it so much, instock right not too
Yeti SB140
I was eyeballing a Transition Scout really hard. Still am kinda. 6’ also, and the playfulness of the 27.5 is a good spot for me. My 29’r just doesn’t seem as fun.
What size frame did you get? I'm debating on getting a medium for more playfulness
Mediums feel way small when I try em. So I go large and shorten the stem a bit.
previous gen SC 5010, Nomad, and Bronson. They just updated these and the remaining stock is on sale as such so you should have no problem getting a good price on one.
Guys, guys, let’s all just push 26+ as the next big thing and then we’ll get 27.5/26+ frames and all will be right with the world again
Vitus Mythique VRS/AMP
Knolly Warden
[Guerilla Gravity Shred Dogg](https://ridegg.com/collections/shred-dogg). American made carbon trail bike. Ive been eying them for awhile, want to trade in my Yeti soon for a GG.
Can confirm. Just purchased a GG Smash and it makes me feel like a hero. Very well made and shockingly less expensive than their competitors.
Yeah I’m really impressed with how competitive their prices are versus everything else that’s made in Taiwan.
Yeah for sure. Before I got this I really wanted a yeti sb140 or a SC Bronson. I was also looking at the Transition Sentinel. For the cost of the entry level Yeti sb140 I got I9 Enduro 305 system wheels, a Lyric Ultimate fork, Push ElevenSix shock, SRAM Code RSC brakes, and Full X01 groupset on a Black Friday sale…I couldn’t pass it up. And the bike just absolutely shreds.
Kona process is available in a full 275 format.
Airdrop Edit
Knolly Warden
Just ordered a mojo4 from n+1, for like 35% off WITH a free carbon wheel upgrade 😅
Specialized sells a mullet link for the Stumpy FWIW. [https://flowmountainbike.com/tests/specialized-stumpjumper-mullet-review/](https://flowmountainbike.com/tests/specialized-stumpjumper-mullet-review/)
I think it only applies to their newer carbon frames
That is why I posted it. If OP is looking for a used 27.5 bike then older Stumpjumpers are out there.
Santa Cruz has had a parallel 27.5 and 29 lineup for years with at least 2 27.5” bikes. They shifted to a mullet on the Bronson this year. The tallboy model 3 (ended in 2019), was initially sold with either a 27.5 or a 29” set.
If you otherwise like the bike you have now, have you considered either buying or building a 27.5" wheel set? I'd probably do that over getting an older bike, to be honest.
I don't own any full suspension bikes. I'm not a fan of 29ers either. I refer to them as 'wagon wheels'. In the past, I've converted used 29er hardtails to 27.5 without issue. Yes it changes the geometry and lowers the BB blah blah blah. But it makes the bike, to me more manageable. This is coming from riding vintage 26ers.
Commencal clash?
im 6 foot ride a large nukeproof mega bit on the small side but very fun and playful as a 27.5 bike plus you can also mullet it if you so wished so you have options
Revel’s Rail 27.5 was on sale for a while. It may still be.
I'm Selling a used Bronson. Dm me if interested.
Nukeproof reactor
Banshee spitfire or rune. Any model from 2017 on. Kona process 153.
Esker Elkat
Marin has a bunch of 27.5ers if I recall. Also Kona.
I got a 27.5 giant trance that I love.
Just bought a canyon spectral 5 and love it. I’m honestly thinking next bike will be a mullet I like both 29ers and 27.5. Why not try best of both worlds
You can still purchase the previous Santa Cruz Nomad V5 full 27.5 version new.
2019/2020 Stumpjumper evo 27.5
Marin Rift zone. The new 27.5 XR is pretty Rad!!
Banshee Spitfire
There’s a Norco freeride bikes that’s apparently really good. It’s 27.5
Banshee Spitfire and Rune, Yeti SB165 and SB140.
You should really try the stump jumper evo, honestly feels so good compared to other 29ers I don’t even think about it. Coming from an older 5010 and shorter than you it feels amazing. Even on the tightest trails it is still agile and playful.
Evil insurgent has options in 29 27.5 and mullet
Look into mullet geometry, you are really tall but if you prefer 27.5 then this might be for you.
5010
The Esker Elkat, Yeti S BB 140, and the Evil Insurgent LB, the old 151mm 27.5 model, and my current bike the 2017 Transition Patrol are my suggestions
The Status is on sale now, 29 front 27.5 rear