New Bike Suggestion
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patrickblo13
Posts: 831 Member
So I am in the market for a new MTB. My budget is about $2,000. Currently I have a Trek 6700. I live in WNY which is fairly rooty terrain for single track. I am debating whether to move to 26er/29er full suspension or go with 29er hardtail. Anyone have any suggestions. I am partial to Trek because I have found their frames fit me the best. I used to work at a bike shop so was fortunate enough to test Klein, GT, Gary Fisher and Jamis.
I am a weekend racer, not crazy just do it for fun. What would you get?!?
I am a weekend racer, not crazy just do it for fun. What would you get?!?
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Replies
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I was in your position and got a 29er hardtail.
I chose that route since my road bike experience would convert a TINY bit more with the wheelsize, it would roll over terrain better, and honestly the DROP in components I'd have to take in order to get a full suspension bike just wasn't worth it for me.
I got a Brodie Khan and love it. The important thing is just to research your models to make sure that users are happy with the geometry, but most of the new 29ers should have the new geometry issues pretty well worked out by now.
Good luck!0 -
Good point about the components. I would prefer to get a better component set-up than have full suspension with a lesser component set-up. I love my hardtail right now. There are times on long rides I wish I had full suspension but I think I am leaning towards a 29er hardtail.
How do you like your 29er?0 -
I love my 29er.
It has done everything I wanted to and more.
Other benefit to a hardtail, being lighter, is that I can use it as a rain bike in place of my road bike if I want
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I would check out the Giant XTC hardtail line. With your budget, you should be able to get the aluminum XTC and upgrade some of the components (wheels and brakes).
I was thinking about 29'er FS, but after an extended ride (2+ hours) on a Yeti SB95 yesterday I am not so sure. The bike was very smooth and rolled over everything with ease, but I felt too isolated. Plus the steering was a lot slower and it needed a lot of muscle in the tight stuff. I am used to very quick and lively handling bikes and every FS I have ridden is not that. I have not ridden any Treks, but Niner, Giant, and Yeti have the geometry dialed in for the 29 HT for sure.0 -
I know some would disagree with me, but I have always felt like hard tails climb better.0
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I have two full-suspension 26ers. One alloy all-mountain & one carbon XC/race bike. Even for the dumb stuff I do, I think the full-suspension is overkill. I'm also shopping for a light hard-tail 29er. Things I would focus on in that price point are weight, a better fork and (to a lesser extent) decent brakes (hydr). Don't forget to look for discounts on 2012 closeouts.0
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Sadly, Niner & Yeti are probably gonna price him out... Sweet bikes, tho.0
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After a very quick and unscientific search, I found a *fairly decent* Giant carbon 29 HT for sub-2K. Yeah, carbon. I had to look twice to make sure it actually said "composite".
Giant XTC Composite 29er 3, $1975 MSRP (methinks I was looking at a '12). For that price point you get a RockShox Recon Gold TK fork (fairly standard in this price range), 2x10-spd runnin' SRAM X.5 front X.7 rear (again, standard) w/Avid Elixir 1 brakes (woulda liked 3's). I'm guessing the tradeoff here is the wheel set... likely nothin' special (something to upgrade later!)
FYI: Just thought it was worth passing on. I don't plug for Giant. I ride Spesh & Blue.0 -
I know some would disagree with me, but I have always felt like hard tails climb better.
I would agree with this. I would also say hardtails help carry momentum a bit better. I have ridden a couple full suspension. I can't say I have ever gotten off one and said WOW that was awesome! So more and more I am leaning toward a 29er hardtail.0 -
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I might be late to the party, but here's my take.
Bikes I have or had:
hardtail 26
full sus 26
hardtail 29 (Felt Nine)
Here are my thoughts:
I love the 29. It excels in downhill and rolling over things that would throw either 26 around.
It climbs better than a full sus 26, but a 26 with rear lockout climbs better and easier than the 29. So it's kind of a draw.
Biggest drawback is cornering. The rear end of a 26 can be thrown around fast, tight turns a lot easier than a 29. It's a lot bigger of a different than I thought it would be. There are several 180 degree singletrack hairpins that I just can't get around without at least a tap down, where the 26 would just whip around it.
Overall, I'm happy with the 29, as it does most everything I want and does it well.0 -
I bought a Trek Mamba (29er hardtail) I love it, first bike I spent over $300 for and it was worth it!0
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Congrats on the new bike. I'm late to the party, but I would have suggested a full-suspension since that's what I have
Or if it was in the budget a 650 full sus.
On the flip side I'm getting my son a 29 hard-tail because I can get a used one at a decent price.0 -
I love Love LOVE my Norco full suspension. You feel like you're on a bike that will take EVERYTHING you throw at it. You should also check out Transition bikes, http://www.transitionbikes.com/2013/Home.cfm. Every time I see one I drool. :P0
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I might be late to the party, but here's my take.
Bikes I have or had:
hardtail 26
full sus 26
hardtail 29 (Felt Nine)
The FELT Nine is the bike I am looking at now. Looks like a good set-up. I agree with the cornering and it is a concern. On my bike now when I am ripping on a tight twisty downhill I feel like I have full control, leaning into the turns with limited braking. I guess it is the one downside I am finding with the 29er..0 -
Virtually all of my riding buddies have converted to 29ers, whether FS or hardtail.
It's a touch of a transition at forst of course, but they're still hammering down some of those trails pretty damn well 0 -
I live in Central NY (Binghamton area), so I'm betting we ride pretty similar trails.
I had a trail bike for a long time (Yeti 575) that I loved, until the frame cracked last season. I wanted something more responsive, that was still fun for every day riding but that could be raced a bit too. I got a Niner Air 9 (29er HR). Thing is fast as hell, but not nearly as much fun as a trail bike. I took advantage of Yeti's crash replacement this year and got an ASR 5 which is, for me, the perfect blend. Sooo much fun as a daily trail bike, but with a lighter fork and wheelset it's definitely race worthy, at least for me who only does a couple of Xterra events each year.0 -
I know some would disagree with me, but I have always felt like hard tails climb better.
I would agree with this. I would also say hardtails help carry momentum a bit better. I have ridden a couple full suspension. I can't say I have ever gotten off one and said WOW that was awesome! So more and more I am leaning toward a 29er hardtail.
I think climbing has a lot to do with technique... FS certainly gives you more leeway if your technique isn't perfect.
What type of full suspension? If it's more of an XC race bike, then no, you probably won't see a huge difference. But if it's more of a trail bike, then you should (at least when riding more aggressive trails).
The difference I see in 5" of suspension is FAR better than the little bit of rolling resistance I see in 29" wheels.0 -
***UPDATE***
I just purchased the new Trek Stache 8
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/mountain/singletrack_trail/stache/stache_8/#
I up'd my budget a bit, after looking at 5 other bikes this seems like the best fit. It is an ALL mountain bike, not just gearer for XC. It is a bit heavier than XC but the component package is really nice. Unfortuantely I won't have the bike for at least a week and the trails won't be rideable around here for a bit. So I will have to stare at it for a bit.0
