(Section explaining my riding will mostly be copied from my previous post here)**(The YT Jeffsy goes on sale for $2700 which is when I’d get it, and the Ripmo AF is currently on sale for $2700. My budget is $3000 max)**
Hello, I am a beginner-ish rider (a bit over 1 year of experience but didn’t start really progressing till recently) and I started looking into my first full suspension a bit ago. After a long bout of research, I’ve settled on either the Ripmo AF or a Jeffsy Core 3. However, I am not sure which one would be better for me. I live in Norcal so mostly ride Santa Cruz, HMB/Pacifica, and other bay area spots. The trails I ride have a little bit of everything, including jumps, tech, steeps, and flow. I want an all-rounder bike that can still climb decently. [This](https://youtu.be/BcLdI-Vo8qE) is an example of a tech/flow trail I ride currently. I believe it fits pretty solidly in the blue category. [This](https://youtu.be/eM8lrVu0xNw) and [this](https://youtu.be/iWx49YaTR9A) are examples of trails I’d like to get good enough to ride. On one hand, the Ripmo is readily available near me, it’s currently on sale, I would be supporting a local bike shop by buying it, and the geometry seems to be pretty good. On the other hand, the Jeffsy seems like an insane value spec, plus it’s lighter and I wouldn’t have to change stuff like the slow-rolling Assegai tires which come stock on the Ripmo.
I’m worried about the Ripmo being too much bike for my skill level, but I also get the feeling people like the Geo more on it than the Jeffsy, which is the one thing on a bike you can’t change. I’m planning on using this bike for at least 4 years. Right now, my skillset leans more towards tech and steep stuff rather than jumps, but I don’t know how much that will change. I’m a bit stumped. If it changes anything btw, my current bike is a Trek Marlin 5, which I got before I knew I wanted to MTB, and I’ve completely outgrown it.
Thank you all for your help! If you have any additional questions I’ll do my best to answer them.
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by Xenon_Ninja