OT - Mt. Bikers, any here?

Jeepnut22

Jeepnut22

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Jan 17, 2007
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Been out of the scene for a while now (10 years), but have been getting back into it. My old pre-Trek Bontrager Race Lite has been updated recently and it is not surprisingly still an incredible bike. Recently got a new shock, wheels and front disk brake. The thing flies!!

But I have also been eye-ballin' the dual squishy market... The Specialized Enduro SL is stuck in my mind. I've sat on it, riden on it around the bike shop I deal with, and the feel and features are outstanding. Anyone out here Mt. Bike? Own a Dual Suspension bike? Any recommendations? Any pointers?
 
I have an older Yeti, that will knock your socks off ... that I might let go for the right Busses ;)

Forgot to say its never been ridden.

Greg
 
I absolutely HATE dual suspension unless all you want to do is go down hill. I have been on a few and for the kind of riding I do they just suck. On very steep climbs the rear end just sinks when you put a lot of pressure on the peddles and makes it very hard to keep the front end down. And even when you keep the front end down the front is so light on the dirt that the bike is not responsive to making tight maneuvers (turns). There is not enough weight on the tire to make it bite dirt and rock. Add the fact they even a light one is heavy and well they just suck! I have two young friends that race pro mt bike Xcountry and they are going back to hard tail or passive suspension.

However, most of the people I ride with are moving to Cyclo Cross bikes. They are just so much faster and more fun to ride. I do a loop from my house that is about 1/3 asphalt and the rest dirt. It has two 14-minute climbs in it and one 10-min. it takes about 2:10 on a Mt bike and on a cross bike it is 1:55!

I have been on my Mt bike once since I go the Cross bike and it felt like I was tring to peddle an oil tanker. :thumbdn: :barf: :barf:
 
I've done for about 2 years downhill. It's very hard to do in Holland because this country is as flat as a pancake. I went often to Belgium en Germany where it's outstanding to do some downhill. I'm thinking to get next year back on my bike:thumbup:
 
I'm with Tony. Hardtail is the way to go unless you're into DH. Just too much work with that tail end sucking up all your energy when you really need to get moving. I have a hardtail Cannondale that has a lockout on the front forks, which I like a lot also.
 
I still love my hardfront ( no shock ) Marin Pinemountain. Its still a great traning aid for bigginer riders and exsperienced as well. Forces you to take that line of least resistance. If i re-fork, someday, definetly want the lockout feature.
 
My bike is an "old school" Klein Attitude Race (hardtail). I replaced the horrible bontrager wheels with some Mavic Crossmax sl's and I even replaced the front shocks for a non-suspension carbon Pace fork.

The bike is now even more responsive and feels very agile (that's the way I like it). I agree with JurT that Holland is as flat as a pancake and for the rides I do here there's no suspension needed.

Ofcourse a Cyclo bike or Race bike is faster (bigger wheels, larger cranks, other aerodynamics) but I make it "my" sport to try to keep up with guys on racebikes. Unless it is very windy outside most of the time I can keep track of them fast boys...:D
 
I use to DH here and had an ironhorse DH bike as well as 3 Turner RFX's that I would do long rides with practice rockgardens. I still have one RFX left, has been sitting in my house collecting dust and has not had one ride on it since I built it. But I think I will be riding it a lot very soon.
 
My thoughts were always along the same lines with regards to Dual Suspension bikes. Downhill only. But I also know that technology has come along so far since I serisously was looking at them. Shock lock outs, and geometry that minimize the loss of power to the rear wheel while climbing as well as wheel hop are all things that have greatly improved. I see more and more riders on Dual Suspension bikes on regular single track.

Weight is still a big factor. The Specialized I mentioned above comes in at a hair under 30 lbs. which is definitely heavier than my Bontrager OR Lite which comes in around 24 lbs. (I'll be wieghing it at the bike store later today when I pick it up).

Definitely wouldn't be replacing my Bontrager, but thinking towards a complimatary bike for trails that have more aggressive downhills trails mixed in with single track, climbs and other standard Cross Country stuff...
 
I've been mountain biking for 17 years. As a cross country ride who likes to ride aggresively on the downhills I would say give the dualie a try. I've gone through 2 hardtails, c'dale and trek carbon and had 3 full suspension. Let me say this, suspension has come a long way and the industry has kind of settled on 4 inches front and rear as the standard for cross country and race, while keeping the weight reasonable. My current rig is an '06 Trek Top Fuel which comes in around 26 lbs.

If you are looking at a second bike that you can jump and really hammer descents then the Specialized will be very good to you. it really depends on the type of trails you ride. Unfortunately most of local trails are now covered in ash or are still ablaze her in Cali... I'll be a roadie for the next several months. :grumpy: But at least my house was spared. :o
 
I would simply state some of you all have NOT ridden modern dual suspensions. :D

While "mushy climbing" was an issue in the beginning of dual suspensions that hasn't been an issue in a very long time. In fact. I still use my good old Gary Fisher Sugar 3+ from 2002!! With its complete adjustable center mount shock the bike can completely lock out and behave and react just like any other hard tail..and does. I ride it 90% of the time and also own an Intense and Marin.
 
Blackwind said:
I would simply state some of you all have NOT ridden modern dual suspensions. :D
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Mine is from 2005, others I have been on in the past year are test rides from shop owners that swear modern dual suspension is the way to go.

I have about 40 years of riding behind me and I know we all like different things but if you gave me any new dual suspension Mt bike I’d sell it the next day. Some guys love them... I am not one of them.

What blew me away was a ride I went on about two years ago with a friend. He was on a cross bike and me on a dual suspension. I actually did not drop him on the descents and I couldn’t keep him in sight on the climbs.

Unless point A is at the top of a MT and B on the bottom, A to B Cross bikes are the fastest. However, they are not for an inexperience rider and in fact no matter how much you have been on any bike you’d need to relearn how to go down hill on a cross bike. But they are the most fun I have ever had on a bicycle. :D :thumbup:
 
I got into Mt. Biking a few years ago. I own a 99 Specialized FSR full suspension with Rock Shox fork and Fox Racing (float) rear gas shock. It's an amazing bike and I have never really had any complaints with it except for the rims which always seem to be bent, lol
Getting a hard tail or soft tail all comes down to what you want out of the bike. Hope this thread does not get moved...
 
I ride an Evil Imperial (small maker from northeast), 1.5" headtube, Chris King hubs, Sherman 6" fork, Evil DRS with all the goodies you could imagine. Its a Hard Tail that is built for DH....full suspension is for old fogies or wimps! Smooth is fast, fast is smooth.
 
I don't have near his experience but I agree with Tony as well. I went from an old rigid to a dual suspension and I wish I had the rigid frame back! For most types of riding its more a hinderance than it is an aid. At some point, I intend to drop several hundred dollars, at least, on a better rear shock so I'll at least have the benefit of lock out and all that but it'll still be a heavy sob!
 
Here is my old school gear:thumbup: :cool:

I wear wool shorts :eek: :eek: when I use these.











SHset.jpg
 
roughedges said:
At some point, I intend to drop several hundred dollars, at least, on a better rear shock so I'll at least have the benefit of lock out and all that but it'll still be a heavy sob!
Click to expand...

That right there is the key.

I have been riding mountain bikes since I was about 17 and I'm 35 today. I have ridden everything from Moab, Red Rock several spots in Utah, Oregon, Arkansas and some little hills in Texas, etc. :D Most dual suspensions are adjustable to taste today. One of mine has full lock out capability and it takes a second to flip that switch and WA LA....I might as well be on a hard tail. The original rear shocks were standard spring shocks. This is where all the "mushy" climbing problems come from. When manufactures finally switched over to "air shocks" it applied a world of difference to the game.

I swear buy Cane Creek air and use that on two of three bikes. The one with lockout which is on the Sugar 3 is going to be replaced soon. I'm looking at either a Cloud 9 or AD-12.
 
I have to tell you guys, I have been fortunate enough to have ridden mountain bikes in many of the best locations and with the exception of my old c dale Super V am completely satisfied with full suspension. Places like Moab and Whistler are very hard to do on rigid or front suspension only bikes. Plus most mid to high end have lockout or non lock out, but non bobbing suspension, so climbing fire roads and such is pretty easy.

Jeepnut 22, if you are looking for a good double boinger I say the Specialized is a good choice. Riding a hardtail or rigid refines your handling skills, but there are certain things that you can do so much faster on a full suspension bike. Ride your local trails and ask yourself are there enough rocks, ruts and bumps that I need more suspension? I've ridden buttery smooth single track that yes you could ride a road bike on, but that is not the typical trail around here.
 
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