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'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!