I will be able to give a better review tomorrow; this afternoon I just rode my usual loop halfway up/down the mountain at the local forest. Ultimately though it is as many say: the type of bike will depend on what/where you ride. That said, the line between AM and Enduro is ever blurred. Although I ride many disciplines, my love is for DH so I am partial to the slacker geometry at 66° and my legs don't complain much no matter what.
You all have figured out that I live in the Appalachians so with the rougher, less groomed/wilder terrain and greater elevation changes, the Spartan shines, as will any Enduro-style bike without compromise on the pedalling side. However, if I was in Raleigh and the Piedmont area where most trails can be done with 140-150mm of travel, even a hardtail, then the Spartan is too much bike. Certainly all my friends in that area want a 160mm Enduro bike with a slack geometry but it is with confidence that I say you wouldn't get much out add'l benefit out of it.
