Moutain Bike Suggestions and Support

[braves6117]

I'm looking for a new mountain bike, and would appreciate the support and knowledge of the forum. My only experience to date was with my former 2004 Trek Fuel 70 and I did enjoy it, however, the rear "rok shock" wasn't that good.



The most important factors to me, in order from highest are:

Frame strength, climbing ability, and ride comfort.

My price range at the moment is $1200 and I already have the gear associated for biking minus the shoes/pedals. I would also love a full suspension if at all possible.

What are your suggestions?
Brand experiences?
Gear vendors?

Feel free to add anything relevant as well

 

[Skaramunga]

i've been searching for a bike on ebay. the TREK Y series dual-suspension bikes are so nice. the price is great if you're good at outbidding/snipping!

they are all carbon fiber and the components range depending on what the previous owners had in mind. i've seen some that are pimped with all XTR/XT. I would pick one up on the bay for cheap and fit it with all new everything. the one i'd like is a Y-22 or Y-33. although the Y-50 is sweet as well. i've had a Y-3 & i decked it out with all XTR, that was a fun bike. i currently have a Y-5, stock XT & a few extras, but it's too small for me.

i'll link an example below, this auction is not quite what i'm looking for, too old. you really gotta watch out because these thiings can pop up quickly and disappear just as fast.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Trek-Y-22-OCLV-Full-Suspension-Mountain-Bike_W0QQitemZ150338519917QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMountain_Bikes?hash=item150338519917&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

 

[Skaramunga]

gear vendors:

http://www.universalcycles.com/index.php

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/TopCategories_10053_10052_-1

this one is for people who don't care about the value of a dollar, but it's ok i guess if you really need something. i think they are a rip off tho.

http://www.coloradocyclist.com/

couple pics of bad ass TREK Y's:

 

[Skaramunga]

these can be found for half the price on the bay & in most cases, mint condition.

i've seen quite a few go for less than a $1000 with these carbon spinergy wheels. plus for the money you save on the bike you can get upgraded components of your wildest dreams. you can make this bike less than 20 lbs easy. or you can pay $1200-1500 for ok components on a 'new' frame. bike technology really hasn't changed too much since carbon/magnesium/teflon, etc. so to buy a new carbon fiber bike now would cost you around $2000-5000 depending on brand.

 

[adriatic04]

youre looking for climbing and strength, full suspension is not the way to go. if you really want full suspension look at something with lockout, like the fox rp23 rear shock. full suspension bikes are heavy (more so) and because you lose efficiency in rear shock, suck for climbing.

for what you are doing, look for a nice hardtail with better drivetrain, don't pay for stuff you wont use.

what kind of riding are you going to be doing?

 

[Slappy]

if you really want full suspension look at something with lockout, like the fox rp23 rear shock. full suspension bikes are heavy (more so) and because you lose efficiency in rear shock, suck for climbing.

Wrong. There are many situations when rear suspension when climbing is better than a hardtail. Even the RP23 can be adjusted to where you don't need to lock it out...Also there are several full suspension bikes out there that weigh as much as hardtails.
I have several bikes and the one I ride the most is my full suspension, which doesn't have a lockout, and I can clean the more technical climbs because of the rear suspension.
Granted, for singlespeeds, a hardtail is the only way to go.

 

[Slappy]

On that note, it's 60 degrees and sunny, I'm going for a ride.........

 

[SDD2]

For frame strength and climbing ability, my titanium hardtail is tough to beat.

Guys are right in saying that a well-tuned rear suspension can maintain traction well on climbs, but for me more moving parts is not worth it.

For pure comfort, though, get the FS bike.

 

[montanablur]

I ride a Santa Cruz Blur full XTR...

Love it...

 

[adriatic04]

Wrong. There are many situations when rear suspension when climbing is better than a hardtail. Even the RP23 can be adjusted to where you don't need to lock it out...Also there are several full suspension bikes out there that weigh as much as hardtails.
I have several bikes and the one I ride the most is my full suspension, which doesn't have a lockout, and I can clean the more technical climbs because of the rear suspension.
Granted, for singlespeeds, a hardtail is the only way to go.

not wrong, and I do understand your point, but that is in certain scenarios. if its technical, and you are skilled, and have spent much more than 1200, then yes a full suspension can be just as good.

average rider a hardtail will do them much better, less moving parts, lighter (I am talking basics) and more nimble.

to each his own. I have a lot of bikes too, and a lot of money in them, and all of us bikers know in our heads that most people over buy for shit they don't need or will use appropriately. Notice how I asked what kind of riding he will be doing.

 

[adriatic04]

also, pay for stuff like drivetrain components and better wheels.

 

[Skaramunga]

it's all about the XTR man. so smooth, so fast.

yea most of the newer trek y's have a rear suspension 'on the fly' lockout. it's just 3rd switch on your handlebars.

yea i'm not into XC as i was when i was younger. maine is pretty boggy all the time in the woods. between the skeeters & swampy, rooty terrain i try and stick to the roads now.

bombing around town with full suspension is so much fun, i love launching stone walls and staircases, basically beating the piss outta the bike. it's kinda small for me which makes it great for fucking around. actually i was out a couple days ago and shattered an XT brake lever, WTF? there goes a hundo!?!

 

[jwest]

Wrong. There are many situations when rear suspension when climbing is better than a hardtail. Even the RP23 can be adjusted to where you don't need to lock it out...Also there are several full suspension bikes out there that weigh as much as hardtails.
I have several bikes and the one I ride the most is my full suspension, which doesn't have a lockout, and I can clean the more technical climbs because of the rear suspension.
Granted, for singlespeeds, a hardtail is the only way to go.

yes of course, but isn't the Y in particular more or less going to suck climbing? I suppose he should have specified climbing what type of terrain.

I ride my Klein Adept Pro most of the time but also love my Bianchi carbon hard tail, both set up fairly light. The other full suspension doesn't climb worth crap though, possibly due to the Manitou Dorado fork and lack of front derailleur ....

 

[michaels]

i'ma cannondale man myself...been riding late ninties super v's for a while and love them.

if you want good climbing, a hardtail will be better, but full is best for an all around ride.

 

[2FUELS]

The "Y" frame is severly limited and totally outdated. They WERE cutting edge. If the budget truly is $1200 there are a couple of nice bikes to be had, the Fuel is one, Giant Anthem another (et al). Get the bike and upgrade components as needed or wanted. Wheel and tire combo's are the quickest way to lose weight in the most important area, momentum. Frame shocks today are leaps and bounds more advanced than even 2 years ago, a modern fully SUS bike rides better, stops better, tracks better, and climbs better than hardtails with less beating on us older folk.

 

[Skaramunga]

yea the downhill super v's are sick too. another tough one to win on the bay.

my all time favorite cannondale of the 90's!!!

couple drinks on this thing and i'd launch a 10' wall...bwahahahha

 

[HunterAK]

Santa Cruz or Specialized. used with good components. I have an old Santa Cruz Heckler frame with 2007 XTR components and new front fork. Amazing. It's a single pivot rear suspension design, which is what you would want because it's the closest thing to a hardtail you're going to get in a full suspension bike. It climbs like a goat and bombs downhill. Light as hell and really, really fun.

Again, I would look at Santa Cruz or Specialized.

In the Santa Cruz I would look for a used Superlight.

In the Specialized, I would look for a used 05/06 FSR XC or stumpjumper....

You can't go wrong with either manufacturer here...

 

[Blue]

I had the original Cannondale full suspension, an early-90's Delta-V that I bought on the spot at a bike shop in Moab in '94:
http://mombat.org/DV1000.JPG

Talk about bobbing and weaving on climbs....

Then I bought a Mountain Cycle San Andreas frame in Sedona in the late 90's and built it up into a nice, light cross-country machine that could still bomb down the hills. Cracked a pivot point and sold off the Delta-V so I could buy some climbing gear...man I wish I had kept it...

San Andreas got ripped from my apartment along with a Jamis Dakar in 1999 while I was in Mexico and I was out of the mtn bike scene for a few years until I stole someone's Super-V off of ebay a few years ago. Yeah, the full suspension robs some power but once you learn how to use it it has it's advantages...plus it's comfortable for my old bones.

 

[WillyB]

I vote for Giant. They make the frames for a ton of different companies ( If i remember correctly both Santa Cruz and Specialized frames are made by Giant). I have an XTC hardtail that is killer on climbs and is very strong, however, its not the most comfortable thing if you want to chill and ride because its a race frame.

The full squish Giant bikes are pretty good from what I've heard and seen (Reign and Trance). The maestro suspension design they use is really good at maintaining that hardtail feel on climbs, as is the VPP used by Santa Cruz.

 

[HunterAK]

Santa Cruz uses various vendors for tubing and welding production, but the design, prototyping, final inspection, finishing and assembly of the frames are done at Santa Cruz.

It's not entirely accurate to say that SC frames are Giant frames with an SC sticker. I'm not saying you're implying that, but I just want to make that clear, because you're comment is confusing.

**I'm a die hard SC fan if you couldn't tell