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Mountain Bike - Need help
I have really enjoyed my Specialized Roubaix Expert road bike over the last couple years. I have a strong background in motocross/trail riding and thought a nice blending of the two sports would be to get a good Mountain Bike and hit the amazing trails that surround me in Northern California.
I am 6'3" and 215lbs. What advice to you guys have for me? I don't want to start some kind of brand war but I honestly have no idea what to look for. I am excited to get started.....who wants to ride with me? lol |
First, I think you need to decide what type of riding you are going to do. I have no idea what the trails are like in your area but are you going to do long cross country stuff, crazy downhill with huge drops or something in between? There are some great all mountain bikes that aren't too huge of a pain in the butt to pedal uphill. There are a ton of good brands out their to choose from whether you want a mass produced bike or a small boutique brand. Specialized and Trek's are really popular in my area. Giant makes really nice bikes I believe. Then you have the small brands like Yeti(the 575 might be the best all mountain bike ever made from what I have read), Norco, Santa Cruz, commencecal, transition, rocky mountain, etc... I had a Diamond Back Sorite and it was an awesome bike for the short time I had it. It had a little over 5" travel front and rear but pedelled well. i also had a Jamis Dakar XAM 1.0 that was a good all around bike.
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My guess would be something in between - not the hard core downhill - more cross country. I want something I can crank up the hill but still be able to get on some more aggressive jumps. I am just getting started on my research......gotta be honest it is a little overwhelming with all of these different options.....the road bike was a lot easier.
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I am, admittedly a big specialized fan. I would look at something in the enduro line up, older models, or the newer camber, or definitely something with 4.5-5+ inches of travel, without too slack of a head tube angle. You're (no offense) a bigger guy and the more hard core race type geometry of an epic or dedicated cross country rig will not suit you well. Something that is more of an "enduro" type bike will allow for you to be comfortable on longer rides, and also allow for you to take some bigger drops and have more fun doing it. I've taken big(er) drops on my epic, but wouldn't suggest it. Do be careful, if you decide to buy used. Personally I think it is better to buy used, you get more bang for the buck. But again be careful with these enduro type bikes, because people who sometimes sell have rallied them pretty hard and are stepping up to a full on DH Rig, and so they have been abused. Here would be my idea of brand new bikes to look at by brand.
Specialized - Camber Trek - Slash or Remedy Series Santa Cruz - Blur or Blur LT. Yeti - NEW SB-66, these things are supposed to be sick Giant - Trance Niner - RIP 9 These are really the only ones that I have any familiarity with. The Gary Fisher collection from Trek may have some of what you are looking for as well. You also need to decide if you want 26" wheels or 29". Personally I ride 26ers, I'm just used to them, and I really enjoy how quick they react, it just seems to me that 29's take too long to get up to speed. You will get debates on 26 vs. 29 as debated as any boat brand and as hotly as well. Let me know if you've got questions. I spend quite a bit of time on the bike, so much in fact this year I only got behind the boat once. |
I have the Blur LT and it is perfect for trail riding around here. Climbs great and can hold its own on all the trails like Braille, Sawpit, etc in Nicene Marks.
All of my first bikes have been Giant. My buddy owns Fast Bicycle off Alum Rock in San Jose and can get you a great deal if you like the Giant. The thing I like about the Giant bikes are the components for the cost. For the same price as a baseline component Specialized, you can get a nice Giant. I would skip the 29ers and stay with a 26. Patrick gives good advice above. No reason to go with anything above 5in of travel around here. One thing to note, my main bike used to be a S-Works hardtail. I loved riding that thing around here. After my first trip to Northstar, I parked my hardtail bought my Blur LT and a Giant Glory 00. :) Going up is good, but nothing compares to DH, especially if you have a moto background. Dan |
Phat.....,
Check this out, it's a large frame and XT package; worth sizing and a test ride. 1k is bottom end pricing for a good bike that you won't blow up, right away........... http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bik/2649369473.html Good luck, we'll see you out at the Gap or Demo......... |
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Not sure of your price range but here are some really nice bikes. I would go talk to Debo's buddy though.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bik/2633984718.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/2652558812.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bik/2657642824.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/2654846869.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bik/2645766072.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/2653839582.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bik/2652523185.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/bik/2650905304.html If you want to get crazy expensive and more cross country http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/2656307505.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/2651852787.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/bik/2652554980.html |
Thanks everyone - this is exactly what I was looking for. I was a little concerned about buying used - as I am not sure what to look for from an abuse standpoint but these bikes feel pretty tough. I am going to take a look at these listings....thank you Brett. Maybe I can check out a couple of these over the weekend. Love the look of those Yeti's :)
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One thing to remember especially vs a road bike is that mtbs need a lot more service, especially the suspension parts. 100 hour rebuilds are not uncommon for shocks and forks.
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^^^^^ Thank you. I didn't think about that. Is this something I can do myself? I am pretty mechanical and do the service on most of my cars/boats/toys.
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I don't want to say you can't do it but I will say that most shops don't do suspension rebuilds. They will just send the fork back to the manufacturer. Last time I had it done it was $100 or so and a couple of weeks for a fork rebuild.
That said you can go to sram's website and download the rebuild manual to see whether it's something youd be comfortable with (and have the tools for). |
I bought 29'er hard tail last year on closeout. I dig it compared to the 26 for a hard tail. They roll really well and I haven't noticed much of a decrease in agility. They do have a fairly tall stand over, though. Short guys beware.
If I had to do it again I think I would go with a full suspension. When I stopped riding 10 years ago I was racing cross country and had yet to climb on a MX bike. Having ridden MX mainly for the last 3-4 years getting back on a hard tail bike was a eye opener. I almost died on my first descent. The MX bike just moves so much more quickly downhill with 12+" inches of travel and real knobby tires. Something maybe to consider from a MX background. Don't expect to bomb tech and down hill sections like you can on your dirtbike. Hahahaha. I'm down to ride. Unfortunately we're not real close, but if you find yourself at the base of Mt. Diablo and want to get a workout give me a shout. The hill is brutal, but the descent is a blast. |
I disagree on the price, look at an S-works Enduro right now
http://www.mybiketinley.com/2011-Spe...o_p_24248.html Has geometry changed, absolutely, has it made the bike worth $6500 more, absolutely not! That said, I wouldn't expect to pay 1k for it since CL is always suited for negotiating deals... Ride on.......:) |
I am a BIG fan of my BLT, here is a pic of her resting w/ my wife's Klein, during day 2(?) of our White Rim trip...
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/...21/Resting.jpg If I was taken from me, I'd start looking at the BLT and ride 5ish" travel bikes from Moots, Yeti, Turner....then continue to expand. |
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