u/siovene

I’m trying to decide between a modern XC bike and a light trail bike, and I’d like opinions from people who ride natural rocky terrain.

Current bike:
- 2019 Specialized Epic, ~100/100 mm, Brain suspension
- I love the XC feeling: light, sharp, aggressive position, clipless, Lycra, long climbs
- But on my local trails it feels sketchy and unforgiving on technical descents

Rider/context:
- 173 cm, 62 kg
- Ride mostly solo
- Terrain: natural rocky Alpine style singletrack
- Not bike parks, not jumps, not flow trails
- Long climbs are common: pavement/fire road climbs of 1h+, sometimes big days like 80-100 km and 2500-3000 m climbing
- I care more about enjoying technical descents than being 2-3 minutes faster on a climb
- But I strongly identify as an XC/marathon rider, not a baggy-shorts/enduro rider

Problem:
My descending is my weakness. I know it’s partly a skill/confidence issue, but the Epic feels so sketchy that I avoid the local technical trails, which means I practice less, which makes the problem worse. There are sections I used to ride when I practiced more, and now I sometimes walk them.

I’m hoping the right bike would make the trails feel safe/enjoyable enough that I ride them more and rebuild confidence.

Possible 2027 goal:
I’m also considering doing marathon races or even stage races in 2027, such as Appenninica / Epic-style multi-day events. I couldn’t race to win, but I would want the bike to feel appropriate for training and racing those events. This is one of the main reasons the Spark RC is so tempting.

Bikes I’m considering:

1. New Scott Spark RC
   - 120/120 mm
   - Very slack for an XC bike
   - Full XC/marathon identity
   - Light, aggressive, racey
   - Two bottles
   - Would be great for long climbs and possible marathon/stage races
   - Concern: I might spend a lot and still be afraid on the same descents, then wonder if I should have bought more bike

2. Orbea Occam SL
   - 140/140 mm
   - Fast/light trail bike
   - More travel, longer wheelbase/front-center, higher front end
   - Local Orbea dealer nearby
   - Likely much better for confidence and rebuilding descending skill
   - Concern: I’ll lose the XC magic I love: sharp acceleration, low aggressive position, race-bike feel
   - Also one bottle only, which is annoying for long days

I’m not really considering heavier all-mountain bikes like Hightower/Ripmo because they seem like too much bike for me. I don’t ride bike parks, jumps, or enduro tracks.

Question:
Given all of that, would you choose the modern XC race bike and accept that I may still need to work harder on descending skills, or would you choose the Occam SL because it is more likely to make technical trails enjoyable enough that I ride them more and rebuild confidence?

In other words: for a rider who wants both rocky Alpine singletrack confidence and possible marathon/stage racing in 2027, is the Spark RC enough bike, or is the Occam SL the smarter tool?

I’m especially interested in replies from people who:
- moved from old-school XC to modern XC
- moved from XC to a 130-140 mm light trail bike
- ride natural rocky Alpine-style trails
- do long climbs / marathon-style rides

Thanks!