Help me spec out a new bike

[carboncycles]

Help me put something together and motivate me to get off my fat ass and ride. I'm seriously burnt out on road right now....

Want:
* titanium frame preferred (will probably go custom if it's available)...not crazy about carbon mtn frames
* full suspension (not sure what I'm getting into since I've ridden exclusively hard tails)
* 26 or 29...i appear to be at the cusp of a 29er being beneficial?
* can be ridden hard and put up wet (i.e. low maintenance)...this relates more to components but IMO eliminate steel (even though I love steel frames for feel)

To be ridden in mostly single-trek environment (mostly x-country with little downhill riding...body just doesn't recover as fast from a good hard crash)...looking at Colorado, Moab and country up in NE USA

Throw out some suggestions on frames and then zero in on components...

This badboy has got my attention right now:
--> MOOTS <--

 

[ravewoofer]

Help me put something together and motivate me to get off my fat ass and ride. I'm seriously burnt out on road right now....

Want:
* titanium frame preferred (will probably go custom if it's available)...not crazy about carbon mtn frames
* full suspension (not sure what I'm getting into since I've ridden exclusively hard tails)
* 26 or 29...i appear to be at the cusp of a 29er being beneficial?
* can be ridden hard and put up wet (i.e. low maintenance)...this relates more to components but IMO eliminate steel (even though I love steel frames for feel)

To be ridden in mostly single-trek environment (mostly x-country with little downhill riding...body just doesn't recover as fast from a good hard crash)...looking at Colorado, Moab and country up in NE USA

Throw out some suggestions on frames and then zero in on components...

This badboy has got my attention right now:
--> MOOTS <--

CC,

I had been a roadie from 1976-1997. Once I tried dirt, I never went back. In fact my road bike may as well be an antique!

IMO, titanium is passe. Look around you, aside from Moots, and a few custom builders the material seems to be avoided for mtbs.

I live and ride fast rocky, rooty, New England singletrack almost exclusively. I'm riding a tricked up Rocky Mountain Element with full suspension and 4" of travel. I rarely use up the travel! The bike is aluminum with a carbon fibre seat stay. The ride is firm, with just enough platform on the suspension to seemlessly become plush. Aside from cleaning off mud and gunk, the frame, pivots, bearings, etc. have needed no maintenance.

Components for me: XTR rear der.
XT Front der.
XT hydros with metal pads
Crank Bros. cobalt wheel set (tubeless)
Kenda Nevegal UST 2.1 tires front/rear
Easton seatpost
Easton Bars
Chris King headset
Chris King wheelset w/Mavic 717 rims
-now the spare set

The bike is an absolute rocket ship and completely stable through the fast, steep, tricky stuff.

I'd buy another in a heart beat!

Check out my pic on page 17 of the post up what you pedal thread.

 

[DHracer3]

Get a nice Full suspension Single pivot bike.. simple.. comfy.. great for long trips and you will have more fun on them...
I can help out infact! we own a bike company where we do custom frames. I have a Medium XC hardtail if you really want a Hard tail and I have Full sus bikes.

Check us out
Morewood Bikes

 

[tag3]

Been in the business since 83, paid anyway, check any single pivot, aluminum frame. As far as parts go the sky is the limit. Get good brakes and wheels. Think Shimano XT,LX or Sram 7,9 series, less expensive to replace when they wear out or you crash. Wheels are the easiest place to really upgrade your ride, whether you need lighter weight or heavier duty, spend here.

 

[carboncycles]

I should have given you guys a little history. I've been riding and used to race road for well over 15 years now. I just have a love for Ti frames; there is something about that material that I really appreciate. Aluminum isn't bad so I'll check out some of the suggestions you guys mentioned, but if you can steer me to a custom full suspension Ti house, that would be the bomb...carbon fiber for all intensive purposes for me is out. Since I'm not attached to a team or club, I can't justify replacing frames every year (components, not so bad), and I've seen some wicked carbon frames and components fail...very bad.

 

[tag3]

Most companies in the suspension game are aluminum. They will last for years with maintenance on the pivots, make sure they are bearing and not bushing. I myself am not a carbon MTB frame fan. Check out Yeti, Ellsworth, and even though they are mostly made in China, Santa Cruz. I always liked the Superlight, cross country 4 inch travel.

 

[2mbb]

Most companies in the suspension game are aluminum. They will last for years with maintenance on the pivots, make sure they are bearing and not bushing. I myself am not a carbon MTB frame fan. Check out Yeti, Ellsworth, and even though they are mostly made in China, Santa Cruz. I always liked the Superlight, cross country 4 inch travel.

I agree. I don't think the benefits of titanium play out for a full suspension bike. If you have to have titanium, then get a hard tail because you probably can't tell any different on a FS bike. I have a santa cruz blur, and it's a nice ride, up the hill and down.

 

[gr8ful]

I disagree with most of you. Titanium offers loads of benefits (as well as some drawbacks), just like all frame materials. I think that a lot more people would offer up Titanium frames, if it had the same cost as steel. It is just a materials that prices itself out of most buyer's ranges, so people shy away. But if money is no object, or if you can score a pro deal, TI is terrific.
If you can afford custom, and TI, then you should do a little more work on Google (or maybe MTBR.com). I can't think of the guy's name/company right now, but track down the guy that originally founded Moots. He is still in Steamboat Springs, and is love is making a bike for a specific person.... The reason he sold Moots was to go back to making that, "single person, single bike" a reality. He has licneses with the DW link, and Maverick's Monolink, and several others, so whatever type of suspension you want, he will make you the greatest bike you've ever dreamed of. But bring your checkbook...
Hope this helps.
Best,
Abe

 

[tag3]

Oh yeah, if your under 6 foot tall get a 26inch, if over 6 foot you can consider a 29er.

 

[wxm]

Checked out the Brooklyn Machine Works?

 

[carboncycles]

BMW, looks interesting, but too much of a downhill bike.

gr8ful - I think the custom TI place you were mentioning is sheepsfoot (or something like that?)

 

[MANUCHAO]

what kind of riding yah thinking of doing ?
Then go with that.....
Aluminum takes a lot of abuse.. I dont know if there are any Ti rigs that have that much suspension outthere, not to say they dont exist but I havent seen any....

Go to your local LBS and try a few demos...
Im thiking of going with a Carbon MTB hard tail that can be geared or SS by Ellsworth..they are made in the USA up in WA state I believe..

 

[mcewan13]

why "not crazy about carbon mtn frames?"

I recently picked up a new ride. It took me 18 months of researching and riding different demo bikes - which is hard to do. Once I narrowed it down to a DW link bike, it got easier. For me it came down to the Turner 5.spot and the Ibis Mojo. The Ibis was lighter, more spritely, and at least a grand cheaper.

Oh, and Lopes was winning on the Mojo for at least two full seasons before Ibis built him the DH specific Mojo HD. I was worried a bit about carbon in the mtns myself until I saw the AM built Mojos that Lopes had inspired. Spend a bit of time in the various mfr-specific forums on MTBR.

 

[carboncycles]

why "not crazy about carbon mtn frames?"

I remember when carbon just came on the scene for both road and mtn...the results were absolutely terrible. For example, bottom bracket shells cracking was a common occurrence (more for mtn than road). I've found that carbon requires a lot more attention in the form of careful inspection that frames made from metal. Carbon is incredibly light and strong but not very "tough" when it comes to impact forces (i.e., when you take a fall or crash...we all crash eventually), and since I refuse to replace frames every season because I am a rec rider (i.e., not sponsored) the cost benefits aren't there for me. Finally, after witnessing way too many carbon parts (road, auto and industrial) fail, I prefer to keep my prostate, teeth and other body parts intact.

 

[mcewan13]

I remember when carbon just came on the scene for both road and mtn...the results were absolutely terrible. For example, bottom bracket shells cracking was a common occurrence (more for mtn than road). I've found that carbon requires a lot more attention in the form of careful inspection that frames made from metal. Carbon is incredibly light and strong but not very "tough" when it comes to impact forces (i.e., when you take a fall or crash...we all crash eventually), and since I refuse to replace frames every season because I am a rec rider (i.e., not sponsored) the cost benefits aren't there for me. Finally, after witnessing way too many carbon parts (road, auto and industrial) fail, I prefer to keep my prostate, teeth and other body parts intact.

Then make sure you get a good test ride in on the Turner. I'd buy it before a Moots or Seven any day.

 

[bustanutley]

For riding in CO, there is absolutely no way I would ride a nice hardtail over a nice full suspension frame. For general purpose trail riding I would be looking at a frame with 4 to 6” travel. The DW link frames peddle awesome. As mentioned earlier, turner makes a frame that not only works awesome, but holds up much longer. For wheels, build 819s and hope hubs. I ride SRAM components because the shimano stuff I had been riding was junk, but I have not ridden their latest generation of stuff, so it may have improved.

 

[Radd Cruisers]

Carbon fibre is not a good choice, I have seen one break out of no were on a one foot drop. NASTY

For me on Vancouver island, 5 to 7 inche travel dually that pedals well.

I remember the days on my fully rigid ti team marin, it was unreal light and fast, bent a rim on every ride.

You give something up for weight and that would be durability...

We were bending a ton of rims when I was riding with Ryan Leach, lots of trials stuff...

 

[et3surge]

Get a nice Full suspension Single pivot bike.. simple.. comfy.. great for long trips and you will have more fun on them...
I can help out infact! we own a bike company where we do custom frames. I have a Medium XC hardtail if you really want a Hard tail and I have Full sus bikes.

Check us out
Morewood Bikes

These guys do nice bikes...

 

[et3surge]

If you want to go Ti, and you obviously don't mind the $$ attached to it seeing that you already like Moots, then take a look at Black Sheep. I personally ride Titus and they also make very very nice Ti bikes thus their webpage Titusti.com . I don't agree carbon is an issue anymore, but if you want to be a smart consumer go with a carbon frame manufacturer that gives lifetime warranties on their frames. Several of the big ones do.

I also agree, the most versatile, lease issues seem to lie with Aluminum bikes. If you go full suspension, please consider the Fox RP23 rear shock it is so durable and awesome, well worth the money.

Components, well I can't see wrong with an all XT package, you get the functionality of XTR with less weight than SLX and others, for a lot less money than the top end XTR or SRAM XO.

Enjoy your next bike.