Originally Posted by
topflightpro
Nice. I sold my 08 Specialized Epic last summer. It was a 26'er with XTR dual control shifters - I hated those things.
I'm looking to go with a new FS XC/trail bike. I'm looking for like 120/130 for my fork an like 100-120 in the rear with 29in wheels. That will be a massive change from my old MTB, which I think had 80mm up front.
Ya, with that amount of travel + the bigger wheel, you'll be able to "monster truck" over so many things and it shouldn't be overly heavy or burdensome either.
For complete builds, I'd recommend the Ibis Ripley. It fits your description quite well and is a highly enjoyable bike. I got to demo one extensively in 2018 and 2019 at the Mt. Laguna "Trail Fest", a demo/camping weekend that SDMBA puts on around here.