Long Travel VS Short Travel Bikes: What's Better?

When it comes to choosing a mountain bike there's no shortage of options these days. Most bike brands make several bikes that fall under the Trail/ Enduro Bike category and for new and veteran riders, sometimes it's hard to know which one is the right one to choose. Should you go with the Short Travel trail bike or the Longer Travel Enduro bike. Bigger is not always better, so let's talk about some of the situations where you might want to pick one over the other.

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[Alex_Abdullayev]

Can u pretty please do a vid talking about your racing career and maybe why u got out of racing? Super interesting to me your journey in the mtb game.

Love the channel and a great video for these times when lines between categories is so blurred!

[dansacco]

I took my 130mm hardtail to a DH park last year not realizing their green trails were still insane. I rode carefully and a little slow and had a great time. The best bike is the one you will ride.

[MTB_Corbin]

Modern bikes are just so dang good these days that most bikes will handle anything the average rider does. This is me saying I just ditched the 180/165 bike for something less.

I feel like a lot of us (including me) think more travel is better because it’ll unlock more potential. The reality is we’re not doing massive sends frequently..

The 160/150 is the sweet spot for me. Has some insurance for big hits, yet still lively on the after work trails. Can race enduro, bike park, and pedal all day when I want to explore some backcountry.

[rocketsocks]

All you need to say about Phil's skill level is "Phil rides Berm Peak and adds in extra difficulty on purpose just for fun."

[ShadLife]

I love short travel trail bikes. I currently have a Canyon Spectral 125 CF8. It's 125mm in the rear, 140mm up front and its geometry is pretty aggressive. Total shredder of a bike!!!

[spocony_macius]

I am shredding bikeparks with trailbike with 650b wheels and 150/140mm suspension for 4 years now and from my experience I can tell that if you want to push yoursefl go for enduro bike. Thats all. Thank u for your attention and God bless u.

[jf]

From the horse's mouth. There you have it. What I wouldn't do for a coaching session with Phil. I really like how down to earth and humble he is.

[bikeninja]

hey Phil, really good breakdown on the different bike types. You basically nailed it.

[petedog]

150/140 mm is all-mountain... ie. Long travel trail bike. I agree it is the sweet spot for most riders and terrain that most of America is... rolling hills and gullies. I have a 2023 Rocky Mountain Instinct carbon 150/140. It is good at most everything.

[prslol]

Feel like the best advice lately for mtbs is get less travel than you think you need lol. Meet so many more people that regret buying such a big bike than people wishing they bought more bike.

[tysonradcliff]

My bike is same color as your Sensor(jade), so far love it! Little bit heavier so still getting my shock set up for my weight. But damn glad i found your channel

[yungjaypee]

I’m pretty new to mtb on a 130 canyon neuron, absolutely love that bike! It’s just what I need to learn how to pick my line well without spending a gazillion dollars on a big enduro just yet (emphasis on yet ;))

[IsraelMagalit]

Fantastic video! Excellently done! I love how you explained things 👌🏼

[chax]

Phil! Do a video about your race history ✌

[Naaambo]

Hey Phil I love your vids!!! Can you do a video about suspension setup and how you set up your own suspension and what you prefer and look for when dialing in your shock and fork! Thanks bro! Keep up the good content!

[PunkRockPandaa]

im in my 40's i am somewhat serious with mountain biking, i can only afford one bike, so i got myself a santa cruz nomad v5, it just makes me happy to be overbiked

[Sam-tktt]

Phil trying to explain how awesome he is without sounding rude. You’re great Phil, we know that.

[casestudymtb]

That summery is the only thing anyone needs to know about buying a bike. It's not the info you want to hear, it's what you need to hear

[mrvwbug]

Things definitely get a bit more complicated these days too. A lot of your 160/170 travel enduro bikes pedal just as well as a 150/160 travel all mountain bike, but are dramatically better going down hill. On the other side you have a lot of 140/150 travel trail bikes that descend just as well as a 150/160 travel bike but pedal a lot better. Add in that the 3 primary 150/160 travel bikes (Ibis Ripmo, Specialized Stumpy Evo, Transition Sentinel) are getting a bit dated it's no longer the "150 travel bike as the ultimate do it all bike".

[thefullsquish]

Another amazing video! Would you say you run a linear setup or more progressive/stiff setup on the trail systems in Vermont?