Mountain bikes continue to get longer and slacker and the 2019 Stance is no exception. However, the Stance’s geometry is more conservative than Marin’s Hawk Hill and Specialized’s giant KIDS BIKES Stumpjumper ST 27.5. The Maxxis Forekaster tires roll fast and work well in certain conditions. Some more aggressive tires would truly enhance the Stance’s performance.
Flowing over obstacles with less rolling resistance and maintaining speed just got a lot more efficient. The bikes at the bottom of the price bracket did not really impress me and would need some serious upgrading to make it at least decent. I figured I would need to spend another $700 to make the bike suited for the light to medium trail riding that we would be doing. After countless hours browsing through the interweb and going through showroom floors, we came across the Stance at a local bike shop.
We don’t think you’ll find a better full-suspension mountain bike in this price range. Its moderate modern geometry makes it impressively versatile, and this bike climbs as well as it descends. Whether cruising mellow trails or tackling more aggressive terrain, the Stance feels balanced and composed. Whether you’re just getting into the sport or looking for your full-suspension rig, the Stance 29 2 is a quality affordable option to consider.
It’s possible that you can get a better deal for the 2020 and use the savings for a dropper post. With no pedal platform settings or lockout levers, the pedalling efficiency of the Stance hinges heavily on its suspension design. Some bikes use drivetrain forces to firm up the suspension when you pedal hard—a trait generally referred to as anti-squat. When compared to their Maestro bikes, the FlexPoint system displays much less anti-squat. It’s a plush and active rear end that provides a smooth ride but it’s also quite mushy when pedalling. The rear end sinks down under hard seated pedalling and sucks your power away if you stand and crank on the pedals.
All our bikes are designed for best-in-class weight and ride quality. The lightweight, stiff and durable ALUXX SL aluminum is hand-built and engineered in-house by the world leader in alloy bicycle technology. This measurement is normally from the centre of the bottom bracket or the centre of the bolt that attached the crank arms. This differs by brand, some measure to the top of where the top tube meets the seat tube, or even the centre of the top tube. Road bikes are in centimetres or descriptive sizes where as Hybrid bikes can be any one of the three. Bikes also get longer as they go up in size but different brands can be inherently longer or shorter than others.