I found your entry interesting thus I’ve added a Trackback to it on my weblog :)…

just stumbled across this in a random web search for trance x advSL 2010.

i have been doing a similiar search… background info about me:
1. ride an xl frame
2. just sold a maverick durance with Duc32
3. live on the front range of Colorado, but ride all over the west.
4. like ripping descents, but also climb and XC race the same bike
5. briefly rode a talas36 on the maverick, and it was the best headtube/ steering setup for all-around riding

my search has included many of the bikes you list here, but the conclusion is the trance x ADVsl. Buy the SL0, sell the fork, wheels, drivetrain, and seatpost. Replace that stuff with a FoxFloat36 w/ travel reduced to 130mm, sram xx drivetrain, mavic x-max sx wheels, and a crank bros joplin post. this will result in an efficient climbing bike that will weigh in at 26.5lb in an XL, and will be able to slay any superD race and all the long descents out west. also, the headtube will be adjustable by internally adjusting the fork travel. This will mean a slightly slacker headtube (68deg) but not as slack as, say, a new Spec. Enduro.

rock on.

Good to see you doing your homework. If its any concilation, I went through this myself a year plus back but nowhere near this level of detail. My choice included Ibis, Specialized, and Yeti. I eventually went with the ASR SL and LOVE the damn this. Of course I then promptly went out and had a custom single speed built up so it’s not ridden as much as it could be.