Mountain Bike Advice Needed
You'll be glad to know I got back in one piece yesterday. Huh? Well, for those of you who weren't listening on Friday, I went back to Scotland for a weekend riding the Seven Stanes.
On Friday we rode the red route at Tweed Valley, the black route on Saturday and then returned to Ae on Sunday. Needless to say I'm shattered today but thoroughly enjoyed it all. The Omega Man at Ae is scream-out-loud amazing. It's a shame I had my only crash of the weekend on the 10m of "North Shore" at the end of the Omega Man and in front of the whole group. Oh, how they laughed.
On the Saturday I was lent a full-suspension bike for the day. This was the first time I'd ridden one properly and the difference between that and my ancient "hard tail" with an inch of travel left in the forks was enough to convince me I need a new bike.
Knowing that some of my readers are in to MTBing I thought I'd seek advice. What bike should I get?
Most of my riding is fairly tame but there's the occasional trips to Scotland and days out in Derbyshire. There's even talk of our next trip being to the Alps! Downhilling and freeriding aren't my bag. I just want a full-suspension bike that's a good all-rounder and fairly light. My budget is about £1,500*.
My last two bikes have been Trek and I'm quite brand-loyal so will be looking at them. Although the guys I was with, who know their stuff, recommended a Specialized Enduro. I'm a bit lost really. Whereas I know where I am with hard-tails I'm lost in the world of freeride bikes, trail bikes, XC bikes etc. What's what!?
* This post is brought to you courtesy of my wonderful wife, Karen, whose permission I had to gain for the purchase. Such is married life.
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My cars not even worth £1500 :-)
I could ship you one plated in gold for that ($3,000 Cdn). Seriously, if you're looking for a great bike at those price points, I'd go overseas to Can./US. With the season closing here is Canada, I'm sure you could get a killer bike from the east coast or just get a quality frame/suspension. A good shop on the west coast {Link}
Couldn't help but post.
I ride a Specialized Enduro and I love it. I can kick it with the big boys going down the steep, but I leave them in the dust going back up the hill. I've had it for about 4 yrs now, and although I've upgraded the forks and the shock, it is still going strong.
I think I posted it a while back, but the frame has changed a bit, so I'm not too sure if I like the new style.
However, I just saw a new Giant Reign X - it is a cross country bike that can handle a bit more of the mountain. And I have to say, it looked pretty sweet. It comes with some high end components and it peddles really well for a full suspension bike. Might be worth looking into.
Hi Jake, I've been a lurker here for some time, and I'm happy that I can now give something back...
As mentioned, for £1500 you should be able to get a killer ride. However, you do not need to break the bank on a nice full suspension mt. bike. And you really might think about finding a great deal and ordering one from overseas. BUT HERE'S THE CATCH...
If you have ridden a bunch of different bikes, then you already realize that they all have a different feel to them. For example, a Specialize bike will feel very different from a Trek. This is due to the headset angle, the amount of travel (front and back) and the distance from the seat to the headset. So basically, you need to go to your local bike shops and ask to ride a bunch of different bikes and find out which one "feels" best. From there, you can start thinking about what kind of deals you can find.
A couple more things to take into consideration... As far as shocks go, there are many styles and types on the market, from elastomer based to air and oil shocks. The oil based shocks offer a much smoother ride, can usually be dialed in to your riding conditions, but also cost quite a bit more and can tend to fail easier. I had a very expensive oil shock on the back end and ended up replacing it with a simple cheap coil design because the seal on the oil shock kept leaking, making it virtually useless. Also to note on shocks, some offer a lock mode, so you can essentially keep it from traveling and it will keep you from wasting energy on uphill climbs. The theory is that 20% to 40% of your cranking power up hill can be lost to a rear shock, especially if it is set for a lot of travel, because your bike/body basically swish side to side and up and down because of the shock. With the shock locked down, you get all of that energy back to the wheel, which is probably what you are used on a hardtail. And there are some models that allow you to lock on the fly with a finger/thumb switch much like a typical shifter.
As for how heavy the bike is, it is mostly due to the tubes - steel, aluminum, titanium, carbon fiber (basically in that order of heavy to light). Carbon fiber is nice but seems to have been faded out lately. Again, the different tubes will give the bike a different feel. For example, a titanium setup will feel much stiffer than an aluminum setup because the aluminum actually has a little give to it. Also, the components can go a long way to making a bike lighter, but also increase the cost. It's usually a pretty simple relationship: the lighter the components, the more expensive they are. You will want to go with a good component set, especially for the rear derailleur and the index shifters. Again, it's all feel - some people prefer the thumb shifters, others the grip shifters. But one thing I would suggest is that you look at a disc brake setup. They are a little heavier, but they offer some great performance trade offs. And now that I'm thinking about it, if you don't already have a set of integrated shoes/pedal clips, then look into getting some. Again, up to 20% of your cranking power can get lost with a street shoe and toe clips set up. Once you lock that shoe to the pedal, the power transfers through, although it does take some time to get used to...
Well, I hope all of that helps. Feel free to email me if you have any questions. And just so you know, I'm also a Trek fan. I've had my Y22 carbon fiber for several years and I love it!
- Skate -
Jake, you can't really go too far wrong with a Specialized. I have a Specialized Hardrock and it is the bees shoes !
I agree with Skate, take all the bikes you think you want to buy for a spin and then see which one feels the best. For that kind of bread you should get something really good.
- Val.
Elbows are the best shocks, Jake. A 29er (29" wheels) SS (single-speed) hardtail with a fixed fork is all you need ... rigid = fast ;-)
@Val: I thought the bees knees meant it was good. Are bees shoes better or worse than bees knees? :-)
Jake:
Skate has the best advice, go try some out and see what feels good when you are riding it.
But, all bikes feel different. If you are testing the one you like and it feels different from what you are used to, don't worry about it. You will get used to it - go with what your instinct is.
Try the Trek's, see what it feels like to ride, try riding down a set of stairs and see if you like it.
Good luck - let us know what you get.
Be sure to get acquainted with the front disc brakes before taking on those stairs. :)
Hey cous! how are ya! never looked at your site b4... but now i've come across it i'll keep in touch a bit more :)
Congrats on your wedding.. sorry i didn't make it :( but my thoughts were with you both..
... anyway to get to the issue... specialized enduro rock, a couple of my dh mates ride 'em and they huss down anything.. easily keeping up with any dh rig around... then they kick our ass going back up when we're all pushing! If i were looking for an all terrain.. i'd take a serious look at those.
I too am pretty brand loyal and have stuck with Giant.. DH Comp and my xc is a NRS1 fully sus.. its a great bike & would easily fit in your budget.
I have a 2004 model.. aluminium frame.. good travel.. nice and light , and no 'bob'... think i paid $4000NZ which would be about 1600quid (ha ha.. i don't have a pound sign on my keyboard.. how wierd!).. any way 2004 specs:
# frame ALUXX SL 6013 Aluminium
# fork Manitou Skareb Comp w/SPV 80mm travel
# rear shock Fox Float R AVA
# rear derailleur Shimano Deore XT
# front derailleur Shimano Deore XT
# crankset Raceface Evolve XC
# derailleurshifter Shimano Deore LX 27 speed
# bottom bracket Raceface SRX ISIS splined
# brakes/levers Hayes HFX-9 XC Hydraulic Disc
# rims Mavic X819 UST disc
# hubs Shimano Deore XT disc
If you ever find yourselves in NZ u can take it for a test ride!
Let me know what you get..
Love to you and your family.. your kiwi cous Jen xx
Thanks guys. All very useful advice.
Having spent some time online I've decided I'm going to have to go and test ride some bikes and see what I like. It's one of those things where everybody has love/hate feelings for everything and it gets to the point where it's best to ignore people's ratings of any one particular bike and see for yourself. As has been mentioned, whatever bike I choose I will get use to it ultimately. The deciding factor for me might end up being as superficial as the frame's colour. At the moment I am leaning towards the Trek Fule EX 8 '07 {Link} .
Skate. Love your website. I want to try this pond skarting malarkey. Were you a Domino dev in Bermuda? Do you know Tom and Jason?
Jen. Nice to hear from you! Did my dad get you to pop in or is it coincidence you visit on the one day I happen to mention bikes (no point visiting any other day - it's mainly inane drivel about HTML and stuff). I'll take a look at the Giants while I'm out shopping too. When I do get one I might go up to Wharncliffe {Link} for a spin. I could drop Karen and Quinn off for a cup of tea with your mum (Quinn loves it there) while I ride. Did you make it in to the woods while you were over last?
@ Mark C: Bees shoes are better than knees. It's an Irish thing :)
Hey Jake,
Also check www.mtbr.com it has component and bike reviews..
If you like going down trails fast remember that in general, the lighter the bike, the more flexi and insecure it will feel burning down the trails.
Its more fun going down the hills then up so I favour a slightly more stiffer / heavier bike.
best bike I've ever had:
{Link}
Hey, the trek fuel is a really good bike and you've done well to pick it. I must say, the best thing about that bike are the Fox Floats, they're the best shocks going around in the market and you will soon fall in love with them. Im not really a fan of trek mtbs mainly becus their lower range hardtail bikes suck! But trek put in alot of time and effort into gettin their upper range up there so u wont be let down.
Cheers,
Prawz