tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12831567.post5615590464666095052..comments2024-03-28T08:40:23.164-05:00Comments on Guitar Ted Productions: The Warmth Arrives!Guitar Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10960580677548417562noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12831567.post-79037196513918317992011-06-02T13:19:48.417-05:002011-06-02T13:19:48.417-05:00Thanks for the expertise....I want a Spearfish, bu...Thanks for the expertise....I want a Spearfish, but since they are not available, I am looking at other FS 29'ers instead for my 'serious' off-roading fun bike. Right now I have rigid SS Monkey and a 1999 GF Paragon (little wheeled, but still fun) for singletrack, and was looking for something to smoothe out the big bumps; thats why the Spearfish seemed perfect to me.MICHAELhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17602028206436161120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12831567.post-46641272299294577122011-05-31T19:52:46.542-05:002011-05-31T19:52:46.542-05:00@MICHAEL: Well, keeping in mind that the Big Mama ...@MICHAEL: Well, keeping in mind that the Big Mama is a 4" travel bike design, and in my opinion, the new Big Mama, (when it comes out), needs to be at least 5" travel, the comparison to a Spearfish is maybe a bit unfair. <br /><br />So, with the obvious- travel is completely different. next, the design intent was/is completely different. The travel on the Spearfish, (when set up to be its best, in my opinion), is "efficient feeling", not really concerned with smaller trail chatter, but only knocking down the medium and bigger hits you encounter. <br /><br />The Big Mama has a more softer approach off the top, when it is working at its best, and has a more linear, longer feeling suspension to start with which ramps up pretty hard towards the end of the stroke.<br /><br />The Spearfish feels more "racy", but if you kick the air spring down a few psi, it starts to feel more "Big Mama-like", while you can do a reverse, similar thing with a Big Mama and get a more efficient feeling, XC type of feel going on there. <br /><br />Looking at the construction of the Big Mama, you'd expect it to be able to slam big terrain, and not flinch. The Spearfish is sleeker, lighter, and by nature, not as "big" as the Big Mama. Not just in terms of travel, and suspension feel, but also in terms of chassis design, toughness, and stiffness.<br /><br />The Big Mama needs a tweaking though, and I am sure Salsa saw that once they got to seeing where the market was headed after its initial release. I would like to see a tapered head tube, a rear through axle, and as I said, at least 5" of travel. If they can do that, and shorten the chain stays,and slacken the head angle a bit- wow! That's my bike right there. <br /><br />I also look for Salsa to do a "Inbetweener" model at 4" as well.Guitar Tedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10960580677548417562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12831567.post-87321915238525997102011-05-31T18:47:09.284-05:002011-05-31T18:47:09.284-05:00Yo. Do you have any compare/contrasts between the...Yo. Do you have any compare/contrasts between the Big Mama & the Spearfish? Thanks, MikeMICHAELhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17602028206436161120noreply@blogger.com