2020 Stumpjumper Expert Carbon 27.5

I've owned a couple mid to higher end MTB's and the Stumpy Expert thus far has been my favorite. I'm 6'0""-187lbs, and I ride a large MTB. There's quite a bit of value in this bike, when compared to other bikes in the segment. I shopped this bike mostly against the 2020 Bronson C S. The Roval Traverse carbon rims pretty much make the bike purchase a no brainer, compared to other bikes that have similar build specs, but don't come with a carbon wheel set. I love the 2.6"" treads, they have been the perfect balance of grip, gobble, climbing agility, fun and speed. I prefer a more snappy bike, and opted against a 29er. My last bike was a 29er, and I didn't much care for the higher center of gravity. The swat storage box is genius. Previously, a water pack was mandatory, mostly to carry puncture parts. I have a tube, pump and repair kit in my bottom tube SWAT box, and it's pretty awesome to only need an electrolyte drink for rides. I would otherwise rate this bike perfect, but there are a couple things I changed. First, the rear hub. The DTSwiss 370 3-pawl is junk. The rear hub engagement will be noticeably poor when you're climbing through rocky tech. Sorry Spesh, but you did a disservice by not, at the very least, putting a 350 star ratchet as stock on the Traverse wheels. I upgraded to an i9 Hydra. Second, the saddle. I don't care the logic behind arc'd saddles for MTB. I immediately pulled the Henge off, and installed a Power Expert saddle. The stability of the Power saddle is a absolute game changer for me. It has made riding this bike, and my Tarmac, seemingly painless. Beyond that, maybe Spesh could have provided a 27.5 Stumpy Pro, but that's nit picky, as the Pro trim level is technically for racers... which I am not. At the end of the day, if you're not demo'ing the Stumpy Expert with other bikes you may be interested in, you're missing out a one heck of a MTB, for the value. It's not a completely perfect bike, but it's close. Cheers.