Put it on the scale yesterday. Came in at 29.4lb. Not too bad. If I guess that the XL weighed in at .5lb more than the large (total of 31.5lb) then my tinkering thus far has dropped about 2lb. Best part of that is that most of it was rotational.
I got a quick lap in yesterday. Jones ACX tires are a bit sketchy on loose sand. Climbing traction was about the same as the exiwolfs. I did clean a climb that I have only done once this year successfully on my Ventana (and it was actually raining, so the sand was laid down). Yesterday the combo of big tire and xc geometry made the task fairly easy. One thing I am noticing on the 29er wheel is that it has the ability to transform sketchy xc tires into decent performers. Kind of weird because on my 26er these tires would be the suck.
So what is the down side?
Looks like it takes more to change speed and direction with these big wheels. While pedaling it feels like I am pushing my all mountain tires when I try to accelerate. Best bet is to find a cadence and stick with it for efficiency.
Another oddity is the gear range. The standard 22-32-44 feels a bit odd. Due to the larger tire you are constantly pushing a higher gear. I haven't really found my comfort gears yet.
So what sucks about the bike?
Not much so far. The 120mm EA30 stem is flexy (gonna have to get a thomson on there). Cable actuated discs suck (little if any modulation). Cross Country geometry is not my favorite, but this is a purpose built bike for XC races and rides so nothing to really complain about there.
What's the weather like in Doug's neighborhood?
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