Can anyone summarize the Blur product line?

[pc]

I've been borrowing/riding a Santa Cruz Blur on trips to the west coast, and I like it enough to consider a purchase. Two questions:

** Does anyone have a handle on differences between the various Blur models? I'm interesting in XC riding/racing.

** I'm concerned that the Blur might not be a good fit for New England riding. It's great on fire roads and packed single track. But how about roots and rocks?

[Dave]

Blur XC, it's more geared towards racing and general XC riding, it's not a total XC race machine, but can still be built pretty light. The difference with the other Blurs, the 4X and the LT is geometry, travel and frame construction. The 4X frame is a bit beefier and more compact, shorter top tube and chain stays, geared towards jumping, 4X racing and dual slalom. The LT looks like a light all mountain type of setup, not really good for big drops, but looks as if it will be geared to heavier riders who want a lighter more efficient pedaling bike. I don't know a lot about the new LT, but that what it looks like to me. My wife has a Blur XC, and I would say with the travel it has, and the geometry of the frame, that's your best bet out of the 3 choices for racing and XC riding. The frame seems plenty tough to handle the roots and rocks of NE, I recommend a fox fork with adjustable travel, it's good to have the slightly longer travel for rocky areas and tune it down for racing. My wife has a Talas RLC and loves it, she sets it up with 4 inches for technical riding, and 3 inches or less for lots of climbing.