To you mountain bikers

[blefevre]

We are going to buy mountain bikes before spring. We really don't know much about them. We know a fair amount about road bikes, good brands, components, etc. We have never really looked at mountain bikes though.

We are looking for recommendations. If anyone has a good website that will provide us with information on what features are good or a waste of money that would be great. Of course the biggest questions is between hard tail vs soft tail. We would probably want to spend around $800-$900 per bike.

[Dj Buttchug]

what do you plan on doing with the bike you purchase...? trails, cross country, freeride??

theres a mtb thread here somewhere that might help

[gearheadE30]

The mountain bike thread is in OT somewhere.

Here's my take though. If you have $800 to $900 to spend, you're looking at a good mid-level hardtail with solid components or a pretty bottom end full suspension bike, maybe with a few nice bits, assuming that you want to buy new. Like DJ said, a lot of the choice will depend on your terrain, but it sounds like you may be new-ish to mountain biking, and for that I'd really recommend a hardtail. I'm partial to Specialized, and I rode a Hardrock Pro Comp for the last few years and it took all the abuse without a hiccup, and iirc is about in your price range. Look for 100-120 mm of fork travel, disc brakes are a wonderful thing to have once you get your speed up, and I tend to avoid bikes with the ultra-low first gear. the space between 1-2 and others using the same sprocket is an incredibly awkward gap in climbs or really technical terrain. If you ride a lot of tighter terrain, look into getting a bike that is a little shorter than you're used to. It will feel awkward in a parking lot, but shorter bikes tend to transition more quickly, sometimes to the point of being twitchy. Really, though, I think the key thing is to go to some local bike shops, as they will know local trails and what works and what doesn't, and ride as many bikes as you can. Some shops will let you demo the bikes and take them to the trail (or at least the ones local to me do) and that will help a lot. I think I rode 19 different bikes before settling on my current Specialized FSR XC haha.

[Cloudbase]

You won't get much for that price. Most of the trails near Golden are more conducive to a full suspension, but I'm perfectly happy on my 29er hard tail. Chimney / Enchanted Forest / Apex is one of my favorite Front Range rides. Colorado probably has a better used bike selection than the rest of the country. I would recommend test riding a few bikes and getting sized at a good store like Wheat Ridge Cyclery or U Bikes in Boulder, finding a brand / model you like, and looking for an older version on Craig's. For example, my wife's 29er single speed retailed for $3900, I just sold it in great condition on Craig's for $1600. At $900 a bike you'll be able to get a descent 2 year old full suspension.

[TimR]

I found that when needing the 3 ft extention, the longer the ext. pieces the better, 3-4 pieces max, the shops ive been in they have a 1 piece 3 footer for that bolt. The upper starter bolt on the ETA with the big starter is a @#$%^&* got a swivel with the socket built-in one end and the snap-on 30 degree fixed swivel to get the pressure on the bolt. We forget the pros got the majic tools.

[Cloudbase]

I found that when needing the 3 ft extention, the longer the ext. pieces the better, 3-4 pieces max, the shops ive been in they have a 1 piece 3 footer for that bolt. The upper starter bolt on the ETA with the big starter is a @#$%^&* got a swivel with the socket built-in one end and the snap-on 30 degree fixed swivel to get the pressure on the bolt. We forget the pros got the majic tools.

Let's take it up on the General Chat thread so we don't Hijack the mountain biking thread.

[blefevre]

How much do you recommend spending? I know the price goes up to pretty much any number you can think of. We can certainly spend more if we have to. I can't see us doing the *very* technical trails but we don't want the bike to limit us in the trails we can do. As most of you know, Colorado has a million trails.

So from peoples experience, hard tail is usually just fine? I would rather get an upper range hard tail then a low range soft tail.

[Bimmerman325i]

I've got a Performance M101 (hardtail), it cost ~$500 about 10 years ago now. That bike has been through hell and back, and still works. I'll admit, I've spent too little money on maintenance, usually just replacing broken components when needed. It needs a tuneup, but seriously, that bike has gone everywhere with me.

Love the damn thing. A full suspension bike would be nice, but I really like how lightweight mine is (and since I use mine for road biking half the time, a full suspension would suck).

I'd definitely recommend it. It's not the highest grade bike ever, but has good components, light weight, plenty of speeds, fits me well, and is super freaking durable.

[blefevre]

what do you plan on doing with the bike you purchase...? trails, cross country, freeride??

theres a mtb thread here somewhere that might help

Probably will stick to trails for at least this season.

[monkeytaco]

I'm no help on this topic but whatever you do, get good tires. Tires are important.

[Cloudbase]

I would ride both and decide. If you are willing to put the footwork in you can find a full suspension for the price of a new hard tail. Much like searching for E30 parts. I rode / raced a full suspension for years then switched to a 29er hard tail. It's a carbon frame and with a tubeless tire set up I get a great deal of compliance. It's light weight and therefore climbs really well. Most trails on the Front Range aren't that technical so it doesn't hold me back that much. But I'm an above average technical rider and have be surgical in my lines to be as fast as I was on the full suspension.

A full suspension will be more forgiving and probably more enjoyable to grow into the sport with. It'll also make riding trips into the mountains, Fruita, and Moab more enjoyable. I've got both types if you want to go for a ride sometime. I'm 6'2, so I ride an XL, but my wife rides a medium.

[Bimmerman325i]

^good advice. I doubt mine will fit you, but you're welcome to try it if you want. Many friends of mine growing up had full suspension bikes, and I preferred the light hardtail for my mixed 90/10% road/trail usage (used it to climb Vail Pass this fall).

[blefevre]

Yeah, I would prefer to keep the weight down and stick with a hard tail. My friends are pretty much saying the same thing, hard tail is just fine but soft tail might be more fun.

My wife has rode both hard and soft on trails and she already decided she want a hard tail.

[Cloudbase]

How tall are you guys? I would recommend going the 29er route with tubeless tires (I can set them up for you easy). The bigger tires run at lower pressure (like 20psi if you are lightweight), will give you a surprising amount of compliance which will feel similar to suspension. There are plenty of entry level 29er hardtails out there to choose between.

[Bishop]

I didn't read everything, but I'd HIGHLY suggest trolling craigslist... I waited, had patience, and ended up paying $900 for mine... and got an AWESOME deal on it.... 2005 or 2006 model year (don't remember) Specialized full-suspension stumpjumper. Fox talas front fork, fox rear shock, XT and XTR bits everywhere, cane creek, etc. etc. etc.... and It came with another set of shifting components (don't remember brand / models off hand, but still good) and brakes and a rear deraileur etc. etc.... Frame had a few scratches and the rear shock still needs to be rebuilt, but for $900... It was an AMAZING deal at the time. Needs a tune up this spring and I wanna have the rear shock rebuilt.... After I sold all the extras the bike came with, I think it ended up being about $550 spent... Head's still spinning thinking of that deal.... I wanna go ride now.. fuct