There is no substitute for getting a demo bike and going and riding it. A bike that rides well for you is a bike that rides well for you, no matter how much or little it costs. I guess you have looked up reviews for the bikes you are looking at?

Personally I think your budget is fine and the lady in your club is being all high brow. Your money goes a lot further in the States then it does over here. All the bikes in that price range are going to be good bikes period. Mixture of SLX and XT is decent and the fork is fine, I have an older float series fork of a similar standard on my hardtail. No bells and whistles but it rides fine.

The Spark seems to be a fairly popular race bike and has been reviewed as a very good frame. Full XT is great and unless he's desperate to spend a shed load more cash and save like 1lb XTR isn't worth it IMO.

Kinked seat tube on both will effect how far you can put the seat post down if that's something you do. I have a dropper post so it's wouldn't be an issue for me.

There does seem to be question marks when it comes to the NUDE 2 shock though. Seems like the shock is tuned so that you "have" to use the different settings to get the most out of it and that it can be come a pain in the *kitten* when racing. I can sort of testify to this on my Orange Five. It climbs so much better with the pro-pedal setting on but when you descend you want pro-pedal off. Sure I switch it on and off as I please but I don't race on that bike and so I'm not having to remember to do it under pressure when your head is shot from exhaustion and I still forget sometimes, and only remember as I'm flying through the rocks. Some people also mentioned the extra controller on the handle bars is a pain as well.

Does your husband use anything like a remote pop lock on the fork of his current race bike? I guess he might have some really nice wheels on his current race bike that he could put on this as well?

Any chance you are willing to go with a hardtail? Your dollar will go further. I spent about $2,700 on my bike and opted for hardtail because I could get a better component package than if I went with a FS. Interesting you are leaning towards 650b...they say that 650b may end up being the replacement for 26"....Would you consider stepping up to a 29er?

Overall, Scott has a nice line of bikes. I think if you are spending between 2k-3k you will be happy with the outcome. Too be honest, if you aren't hard core racing then spending anymore might be over doing it IMO

I've never ridden a Scott, but the components look good, especially for recreational use. Have you ridden a 650b...interesting.
I second the demo ride, if you can take one out.

They make solid bikes. They've overhauled things in recent years and have made a bigger push into the market. They aren't as big as the big 4, and they don't have the following of some of the smaller US brands, so they kind of get forgotten about by a lot of people.

I'd be curious whey the woman thinks they aren't that good.

If the frame fits you and rides well, that's all that really matters. Having a good shop behind the bikes they sell is also nice, but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the norm these days. Suspension and wheelsets are expensive to upgrade, so it's worth spending a bit more money there when buying new, rather than upgrading right away. Everything else is pretty much disposable.

As you mentioned, 650s are fairly new, and while the industry is embracing them much faster than they did 29" wheels, make sure you can get the wheels, fork and tires that you want.

I also agree with the advice to demo anything you are considering.

We have plenty of friends who have ridden the Scott Scale for racing over the years (generally the pro elites getting really sharp prices), however they do tend to be a single season race frame, and friends don't let friends buy second hand Scott.. so don't be surprised it the return on the frame at the end of the season isn't what you were expecting.

With regard to the wheel size, like many other things about cycling, different strokes for different folks.. try the different sizes, 650B wheels are becoming more popular and there are now more options for tyres and support out there, 29" wheels don't suit everyone, but the lady I pit crew for at the Wembo 24hr MTB Worlds is 5'1/2" and she loves hers (on a size small Giant Trance with everything flipped to make it even smaller).. go figure

As for price, that is entirely up to you.. I have not purchased a whole bike for about 10 years, my bike was built for me as I found pretty parts that I wanted. So as long as you enjoy yourself what ever you find comfortable and feel confident on is the best bike for you :flowerforyou: