After hemming and hawing and interating with ChatGPT on various models, I bought a Specialized Levo Comp Alloy gen 3. Cycle sport had a few left in their inventory and had dropped the price to about $3,800 and built it with an upgraded drivetrain and brakes.
I took it out for its maiden voyage and am continuing to study all its settings and setup options.
I’ve started working on wheelies and moving my weight around the bike to be able to ride over obstacles. Trail riding has a lot of similarities to AutoX driving; line selection, braking and looking ahead enough to not hit a tree, rock or root. Steep drops across a ravine will get your heart pumping like it does when you start to lose grip at 70 in a sweeper.
It does fit on the rack and with the dropper, I’m no longer rubbing against Gunnar’s bike.
Ordered a mudguard and got some mega fat paw grips.
