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Question: What Type of Mountain Bike?

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Seeking advice from experienced mountain bikers!

I've been having a great time on my 29er hardtail XC, building my skills and fitness and becoming a huge fan of MTB. I recently started riding some easy/intermediate lift-served trails as well. I can't afford to keep renting downhill bikes, and for the easy stuff I do, I don't think I really need a true DH bike, anyway.

So, now it's time to start looking for a full-suspension bike with slacker geometry than the XC bike. I'd like, if such a thing exists, a trail bike that will also be suitable for downhill riding and small jumps. Am I looking for an "enduro" bike? Or am I (please say no!) looking for two different bikes?

It will take me a long time to save up the money for a full-suss bike (I imagine the 3k range is where I'd be looking?) so in the meantime I want to research and demo.

I'm hoping that those of you with more experience can help direct me toward the type of bike that i should be looking for (category, how much travel, what components to seek out/avoid, etc).

Also, do you recommend buying new? I've heard that it's not always a great idea to buy a used full-suspension bike, since they tend to be abused.

Thanks very much for any help!
 
I am interested in this also and also don't need anything too advanced since my trails are pretty easy. I just want to go downhill and have fun. The big expense for me when I go is the bike rental so eliminating this expense would be fabulous. I fell is love with the soft cushy suspension on the downhill mountain bikes at Mount Snow but can't afford the $3k ticket price or thereabouts. Snow's bike shop recommended I check out pinkbike.com for 2nd hand bikes. However, I don't know what to look for per say in what's a good bike. I love the demos at Snow and how they just bounce over the bumps and those tires just "grip" the dirt. I'd like some of that but cheaper than the expensive price tag. Looking for a compromise.

I hear Killington has a fabulous bike swap in the spring so I think that's a viable option also.
 

elemmac

Angel Diva
That's definitely a loaded question. The way I see it...yes, you can buy a "one-bike-does-it-all" bike. But...it's in a similar way that you can buy a "one-ski-does-it-all" ski. It's going to handle anything, but it definitely won't excel everywhere. If that's what you're going for, I would say an enduro or all-mountain bike is probably what you're looking for. Personally, I'd go for a Scott Genius LT (or something similar), I believe it has somewhere in the 160 or 170mm of travel (don't quote me on that). With that being said, I've ridden my Scott Spark on lift service and had a great time (120mm travel, and more XC-like than the Genius).

Your second option would be to pick up a downhill bike, and yes...have two bikes. I rode lift service a few times over the past 3-4 years and last year decided it was something I wanted to pursue further. I picked up a Scott Voltage 730 FR (I love Scott bikes), nothing fancy...just something I could throw around and not cost a fortune (by far the most reasonably priced downhill/freeride bike I could find). And I'll be honest...downhill bikes are just more fun when you're riding lift service. Not that you can't have a good time with an all-mountain, it's just more fun IMO.

If you're happy with your 29er hardtail for XC and trail riding, and you're planning on using lift service a 1/2 dozen times or more a season...I'd personally go the latter route and have 2 bikes. And after that, you can start talking about an XC full-suspension or enduro type bike to throw into the mix :wink:. If you're only planning on lift service 2-3 times a year, than maybe try something that can do it all.

Also, do you recommend buying new? I've heard that it's not always a great idea to buy a used full-suspension bike, since they tend to be abused.

I'd say used bikes are just fine, but like anything used, you need to check it out and make sure it's been taken care of. Lots of mountains with lift service will sell their demo fleets off really cheap. You may need to replace some tires or a shock, but definitely cheaper than buying new. I've heard thru word of mouth Highland in NH sells them off every year. Another option I've found to get some good options for second hand bikes is to search the word "wife" or "girlfriend" along with "bike" on Craiglist, Pinkbike, MTBR.com, etc. You come up with options from men who bought their girlfriend/wife a nice bike and they rode it once, barely left pavement, and it sat for a year or two not being used.
 
For me I think I'll likely only go 1-2 times this season and don't really have bike storage room so I might just rent and scout out for a deal if I see a really great one. If I find a killer deal I'll figure something out. Our storage unit is only 5x5 so handles skis and tall things fine but a bike would be pushing it. XC mountain biking doesn't interest me so I'd want a bike that's forte is downhill.

Great information @elemmac
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
I used to always have a true DH bike, but I sold my last one several years ago and now ride the same trails for the most part on a 6" travel trail bike. I also have a true XC bike that is way more fun to climb.

That said, I had the luxury of a 3 bike (4 if you count the hardball, 5 if you count the road bike) quiver for many years and it wasn't until I realized that even riding the whistler bike park and such I now prefer the single crown fork and lighter weight bike for virtually everything that I made that change. I'd take both bikes on these trips and sometimes the DH bike wouldn't get used at all anymore, even on challenging DH trails. So that made me decide to sell the DH and just stick with the trail bike for lift served.
That said, my husband thinks I'm crazy. And I also prefer a shorter travel fork than most people. So I may be a total outlier at this point.

I think over the years, the DH bike was a good confidence builder, but I learned more skill handling from riding my rigid 26" single speed (that I got after years of racing DH) that made me smoother and learn that I don't need a ton of travel to plow through the trails.
 

geargrrl

Angel Diva
Around here many folks do the bike parks on 5x5" or 6x6 travel all mountain/enduro bikes. 160 mm on the front and a slack head angle and you should be good to go. That will give you lots more options than a dedicated DH bike.

Just my two cents.
 
Maybe this question will help the OP also. I found this bike for sale on pinkbike. Are their mens/women's DH bikes or are the really unisex? Would something like this work and if not, why. I just don't know what I'm looking at so any experts opinions on what to look for, etc would be awesome.

2004 Specialized Big Hit SPEC
Seller: harrisonschreiner | send message | seller History | Add to My Watch List
Location:
0.gif
Newtown , Connecticut , United States
Date: Apr-27-2016 9:24:31 Views: 811 Watch Lists: 2
Category: Freeride/DH Bikes
Frame Size: M
Wheel Size: 26"
Price: $600 USD
Restrictions: Any offer, No Trades, Local pickup only

Up for sale is my 04 Specialized Big Hit Spec. I rode this bike a lot in high school, and built it as finances allowed and as I broke parts. Selling because I don't ride it much, and I realistically need a large frame. I'd love to ride mountain bikes more, but just don't have the time and money right now. I hate to see this bike collecting dust in the basement, its been a lot of fun making it into a decent FR bike, sad to see it go. If you call me, please leave me a voicemail if I do not answer.
Parts:
-Marzocchi 55RV forks (bought brand new in 2010)
-Fox Float R Air shock (bought used, blew the original vanilla)
-Hayes Hydro disc brakes
-Sram X-9 shift system, set to work on an 8X1 cassette
-TruVativ T20 stem and T30 bars
-TruVativ chain guide
-Odyssey pedals
-Sun Ringle equalizer 31 rims

Only thing I want to point out is the shifter mount is cracked, I've tried to find new ones but they always seem to be out of stock! the shifter won't go anywhere, but it can be mildly annoying when shifting down.
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
I don't think I've ever heard of a women specific downhill bike.

And that Big Hit is OLD. But they are a sturdy model. Still you'd want to examine the frame with a fine-tooth comb.
 

elemmac

Angel Diva
Another thing to keep in mind, if you're ever going to think about selling a bike you buy now...26" tires are trending out. Everyone is going to 27.5" wheels, so selling a 26" bike in the future might really hurt the value even if it's still a great bike.
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
Yeah, but 12 years of riding is going to entail some broken parts. I'd REALLY try to find something newer though.
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
Another thing to keep in mind, if you're ever going to think about selling a bike you buy now...26" tires are trending out. Everyone is going to 27.5" wheels, so selling a 26" bike in the future might really hurt the value even if it's still a great bike.
Similarly though, you should be able to get a deal on a 26" bike...
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'll throw out there - have you *tried* riding your XC bike on the downhill trails? I rode my XC bike for some pretty technical trails and probably would have continued if I hadn't been able to buy a DH rig from @altagirl . And yeah, I consider the rig super overkill for what I ride. It's like driving a Cadillac - very confidence inspiring, but it's actually kind of hard to get air because of the massive suspension - at least at my speeds and given I'm still no good at launching vs just riding along and catching some air. And the DH bike is flat-out less maneuverable unless you're riding fast. It has a longer wheel base with the slacker geometry.

My XC bike is a 26er with 4" travel and an extremely steep rake. For buff trails with big banked turns and a few kickers, it's still a better choice. It's only in the rock gardens that I want more suspension - partly because I am lazy and sit on my saddle a lot, which is really a no-no. The only thing is that with two rings, the XC bike rattles so much it freaks me out. I took the third ring out and replaced it with a bash guard - no regrets. The DH rig has a single ring up front and is much quieter.

All that being said, I've been wanting more of a trail-oriented bike rather than XC, and if I hadn't busted my knee I was planning to get one this summer. It's possible I would just take that for most of my downhill, because I have trouble finding friends who want to ride the aggressive stuff with me, although I now have a buddy who enjoys sessioning. So already I often just use the XC bike unless I think I'm going to be doing technical riding. Riding technical rocky trails without a partner, while I've done it before, isn't super smart.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Assuming I can get past DH's budget concerns, this is the bike I'm eyeing (pending actual demo) for a trail bike:

https://www.yeticycles.com/bikes/sb5c

If I were leaning more toward downhill, it would be this one:

https://www.yeticycles.com/bikes/sb6c

On paper and in reviews, these are the gold standard. Thing is, when I demo'd a Yeti a few years ago, I didn't like it as well as the bike I ended up getting. Totally different bike, of course, back then. And when I straddled a Small of the SB5C last summer, the top tube was pretty much crotch level. Guys at the LBS said this wasn't a big deal - @altagirl @geargrrl thoughts on that?
 
@bounceswoosh nice bike. Keep working on DH :smile:. I don't own a XC bike and that's not really my thing but I bet @SallyCat has some thoughts on that since she has a XC bike she's happy riding. I have to admit my DH bike was pretty confidence inspiring and I thought after I was done for the day that I want 'that' bike because it felt so good. Then I found out how much 'that' bike cost and got some heartburn. Being frugal is tough sometimes. I'd rather buy a 26" on a good discount because if I was able to buy it for cheap thinking I'd find another 'me' if I decided to sell it one day. We'l see. Not buying a bike anytime soon but keeping the ol eyes peeled. In the meantime DH has an old Cannondale road bike that needs fixing up so I might do that for a little biking around town or at the beach.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I have to admit my DH bike was pretty confidence inspiring and I thought after I was done for the day that I want 'that' bike because it felt so good. Then I found out how much 'that' bike cost and got some heartburn.

Yeah ... I would never buy a mountain bike used from a stranger, honestly*. But I had seen how AG takes care of her bikes, and trusted her not to screw me with something she knew had some hidden disaster ... and the price was more than right.

* Many moons ago, someone backed over my bike, then drove forward over it again. The only sign of trouble was bubbling paint in certain areas, which a friend mechanic showed me. But I could easily have sold it without anyone being the wiser. I wouldn't, but I know plenty of people would.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yes, standover is always an issue. There are too many awesome bikes out there to sacrifice standover.

Thank you. This is what I thought, but then I wondered. BAH. Now I have to find another superbike to drool over.
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
Yes, standover is always an issue. There are too many awesome bikes out there to sacrifice standover.

I agree - there are a lot of good bikes out there these days. I know people who manage/have managed just fine without good clearance, so you do hear conflicting guidance. But why deal with it if you don't have to? Especially at the price of top end new bikes these days - at that price, they had better be PERFECT for you.
 

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