
At a whopping $7700, the Specialized S-Works Enduro SL Carbon is one heck of a bike. The only criticism that I have is that it’s a wee bit pricey. A Cannondale Scalpel is almost $2-3K cheaper.
However, the Enduro is a great all-mountain bike. It climbs well, descends well and has 6″ of travel. Another thing is that Specialized has decided to go with their own brand of shocks, seat posts, saddles, stems, tires and forks, instead of using other brands. I’ve researched this and it’s obvious that the tires are shitty. Fork looks fine, but it’s had some issues, same as the rear shock. Personally, I’d expect to get premium flawless parts on such a high-end bike. Then again, the frameset is available for purchase, so you can mount your bike the way you wish.
The carbon fiber frame alone is about $3900. You only save 3lbs over the aluminum version, which makes you wonder if it’s worth the extra two grand. Comparatively, the Cannondale carbon fiber frame Scalpel is $2500. My feeling though is that the Scalpel is an XC type of bike. The Scalpel 2007 frames are available for as low as $800 on ebay.
Just like the Scalpel, this is one good looking bike. It has beautiful lines and doesn’t compromise for bikers wanting a lot of travel for downhill racing. Fully specced out, it can weigh about 26-27lbs.
Here is a great initial review over at mtbr.
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