Mountain Biking; School me

[TLC80&LX100]

Nothing rides like a hardtail and I never said it would. But a FS bike is very rideable and the price piont could get him into a decent FS bike, not a great one, like your turner, but a decent one.

I never said anything bad about a hardtail. Some people dig the old skool ways. I have a single speed, a hardtail, a couple road bikes, and a FS Mtn bike. Im an addict. My FS bike gets pulled 10:1 over my hardtail. I more than keep up with the gang. And the forgiveness that a FS bike would give to a guy just getting back to the sport could save him a digger when he got to the MTN.

In the end this is all just opinion. And cary and I are morons. So go to the shop, ride several bikes and get the one that makes ya smile.

 

[cary]

In the end this is all just opinion. And cary and I are morons. So go to the shop, ride several bikes and get the one that makes ya smile.

That really is the bottom line. The right bike is like the right woman, when you get on it, you will know.

 

[76BigheadFJ40]

okay, so I should be looking for a hardtail, at least until I get a good feel for things. What about length? I know mid 20's was suggested. Would a 17" bike be too small? That's what one of my buddys rides, he's a little smaller, but not that much. Thanks for all the help so far.

 

[fng55]

bighead, there are as many diferent ways to measure a frame as there are bike manufacturs (sp?) your best bet is to go to a shop and get fitted. and test ride as many as you can to find. proper, and comfortable fit is the most important ... and that cant be done on the net.
enjoy riding your bike!
-carl, former bike mechanic, now framebuilder

 

[LXCRSR]

Haven't read the entire thread so I don't know if anyone has mentioned this but for your $800, you are better off making sure that you get a good components group rather than worrying about FS or hardtail. Personally, I would get the hardtail. The frames are less expensive, don't require maintenance, and allow you to get a better group of components. Also, at $800, you are not going to be able to afford a decent FS bike. True, you can find one for the price, but the shock will be less than adequate over the long-run and you'll end up selling it and upgrading because it doesn't meet your performance needs. If you went with a hardtail, you'll probably just need to buy a new frame once you decide you need to upgrade because your components will probably be good enough just to move them onto the new frame. Plus, riding a hardtail forces you to become a better rider. In my opinion, FS's allow you to learn sloppy handling skills because the suspension makes up for a lot of mistakes.

If I were you, I'd buy a hardtail and a pair of Ritchie Tom Slicks for commuting. They are razor thin (at least for a mountain bike at 1" and 100 psi) and allow you to haul butt on the road. If you love riding it, you can always upgrade to a XC or Trail worthy FS later.

Also, you might look at brands other than Specialized, Trek, Gary Fischer, Giant, etc. Smaller name brands often have equivalent or better bikes for less money because they don't have the recognized name. The big boys make you pay more for having their name on the bike and you advertising it for them. Good Luck!

 

[red66toy]

You should look into Kona bikes, they are really cool.

 

[MJADDICTION]

You should look into Kona bikes, they are really cool.

I've been riding a Kona for 10 years. I love them. I still have my old school Kona SEX (S-uspension EX-perience... yea, right) ONE. I've replaced all the compenents, but it still does well on the trail.

If your in good shape, 10 miles with a second set of wheels with some smoothie tires, will get you there. But, you will run out of gears with a micro cassette on a true mountain bike for some serious speed... so full suspension will work on the road, just not like a road or hard tail bike would.

Konas have a long angled top tube, which gives some comfortable stretch for us taller, heavier dudes. I'm 6'1 200lbs. Specialized for example has a straight top tube and gets taller riders in the "all bunched up position".

The best advice I can give ya, is to go ride several different bikes. Most stores will let you at least ride the road with them. If your comfortable on the road, then you'll be fine off of the road.

I love full suspension, and the newer bikes are really much better, and less expensive, than they used to be (I've got about $2000 in my Kona). If you get full suspension, get a bike with simple beefy pivots for the links. Too many links, make for alot more maint., and trouble.

Go ride some bikes...