Bike Reveiw: Nomad vs Remedy

The Santa Cruz Nomad and Trek Remedy 8 are two very comparable bikes in the sense that they are intended for the same purpose, which is a free ride bike that can still take on any climb you want to throw at it. I recently test road both of these bikes and was very impressed with both of them however there was a clear winner. Firstly an overview. The Remedy is equipped with the Fox Talus which is arguably the best all mountain shock on the market, its superior technology allows you to drop the front fork 1 inch which changes the geometry of the bike.This change of geometry is incredibly easy to do and allows the bike to climb like a cross country specific bike. The Rock Shock front fork on the Nomad also has its advantages and is still a quality item but still not on the same level as the Fox Talus. It does not allow you to drop the fork which makes it uncomfortable when tacking on steep technical climbs. However I found it to take on burly rock gardens better than the talus because of their ability for absorbing large impacts; making a more stable feel. In the aspect of the front fork the edge went to the Trek Remedy's Talus fork. As for the rear shock they are an absolute tie because they are identical Fox float R23. They both tie in their weight as well; tipping the scales around 30 pounds. When these 2 bikes are compared purely on specifications alone it seems that the Remedy is the superior bike for the $3,500 price range, but this changed as soon as I test road them. Initially on the climb the Nomad felt sluggish but this was my fault for not using the lock out feature on the rear shock which prohibits "pedal bob" and I realized its importance for climbing for any significant duration. As soon as I flicked this seemingly magic switch the bike became incredibly efficient and I effortlessly coasted to the top of the hill. The Remedy also climbed admirably but when you stand up to pedal and really dig in, it tends loose it firm feel almost as if the bike can only be pushed so hard. It was on the descend the nomad flourished and as I dropped in and railed the first berm the Nomad had taken the competition. It was it's snappy, responsive handling and the tacky maxis tire clung to everything it came in contact with. It furthered itself from the competition when it took to the air, it took off lips with no awkward back tire kick ups and seemed very stable on landings using it's burly shocks to its advantage. The Remedy had little to offer in the air mostly due to the frame height and it's frame design seemed to always be in the way on the take off's of jumps making it awkward and unbalanced. This being said it was a pleasure on the high speed trail carrying tons of speed and tracking very well but did not hold its own in tight sections of trails and seemed unresponsive. Over all it was a very close comparison but the Nomad takes it because of the huge variety of terrain it is able to over come and the confidence it gives you while tackling any obstacle.