Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Ron on September 11, 2010, 11:18:48 PM
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Back in '05 I bought a MB (Trek 820) with the express purpose of getting into single track trail riding.
As it turns out, I ended up spending the majority of my time riding crushed limestone multipurpose trails, until this summer.
I finally hooked up with some folks who ride single track and have been pretty obsessed with riding single track every chance I get.
While I'm sure where I ride doesn't compare with most hotbeds of MBing activity I've found a couple places that offer some great fun. I've noticed a lot if not most are riding full suspension "all mountain" style bikes where I ride.
Not too many serious riders are using a hard tail like me where I ride. My bike is starting to show the wear and tear of being overridden by someone (me) who weighs nearly 200lbs. I'm not sure pouring money into repairing/replacing components on this bike is a good idea. I'm looking forward and thinking about upgrading for next season. The question that I'm tackling right now is "what should the next bike be?"
It will need to be versatile for all styles, downhills, technical and X country. From what I've ascertained "all mountain" is the class of bikes that would suit me. I'm intrigued by the 29ers I've seen and think I could get into a higher quality 29er than full suspension considering I'm trying to keep costs down (heh heh heh). I haven't set a budget yet but it isn't going to be a high end budget. Having said that I can pro deal a lot of different manufacturers through work so I might be able to swing something normally I couldn't.
Any mountainbikers around these parts who want to chime in?
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www.bikesdirect.com
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29ers are VERY popular here in the mid-Atlantic region. It seems every other rider has one.
That said, if they're not common near you, you might want to stick to 26" wheels for easy tire/tube/rim availability. Also, 29er wheels aren't quite as strong as 26". They're strong enough, but if you're rough on gear, the average 26" wheel is a bit stronger than the average 29" wheel. That's a generalization, but something to consider. FWIW, I ride a 650b rigid singlespeed (was previously 26") and have started accumulating parts for a geared (1x9 speed), but fully rigid 29er (this will be bike #4!).
Also, it is better to get a good hardtail rather than a poor or mediocre FS bike. Not only will it function better, it will last longer.
I'm not fully up to speed with the different marketing classifications such as "All Mountain" since I build my own bikes, but I understand it to mean a bike a bit more flexible in purpose than either a cross-country or downhill rig. They tend to be in between the other two in capability, but not quite perfect for either. Unless your trails are very technical, rocky, rooted, etc and fast or steep, you might be better off with a good X-country bike. Very little here in the Mid-Atlantic region really dictates a dedicated AM bike. Most of downhillers use AM bikes as their general purpose rigs, but XC bikes still outnumber the AM bikes. Personally, I prefer faster handling, more nimble bikes and what I've read/heard indicates AM bikes don't quite fit this because of their need to be more useful on downhill terrain. I could be wrong, but that is my perception.
Chris
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Also, it is better to get a good hardtail rather than a poor or mediocre FS bike. Not only will it function better, it will last longer.
This is why the 29ers have hit my radar screen. I'm not going to be able to afford a higher end full suspension bike.
From all accounts a hardtail 29er will eat up rocky trails and be a better downhill bike than a comparable hardtail 26. Also at 6'1 with a 34" inseam I'm thinking it may be a better fit for my body. My Trek is a 21" frame and the seat post is cranked up pretty high.
I work at REI and have a friends who work here in the Chicago burbs at a bike shop. Parts shouldn't be an issue.
Your description of the differences between cross country and all mountain mirror my understanding of the terms also. I've been running up to the John Muir mountain bike trails in Kettle Morraine State Forest, Wisconsin. There are several loops that are pretty rocky/rooty and have some nice downhill runs. Some technical runs and long sections of trails that are ideal cross country. I find myself really digging the fast downhills and the technical stuff that require finesse.
Thanks for the link Millcreek and input Chris.
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I've heard the same description of 29ers from those who ride them here. Even though it's not quite the same, I can't say I noticed a larger tendency to roll over obstacles with the 650b wheels. What I like about 29ers based on my experience is the feeling that you're "in the bike" rather than "on the bike".
If you end up getting a 29er, Niner brand bikes seem to be pretty good. A Niner Sir9 frame was on my radar until I found Performance's Access XCL 9r frame on sale for $120. The price and reviews out on the 'net were too good to let that slide by. Using parts I have on hand, I should be able to build a complete bike for just a little more than the Sir9 frame would cost by itself. :cool:
Chris
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I went to a Niner demo event a couple o weeks ago
the carbon frame is a beauty
http://www.googlepixel.com/Ninerday/
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http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&langId=-1&catalogId=10551&productId=1062473
my wife hates you
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Hey Harold, Speedgoat has a Voodoo 29er steel fork for $56...
It would be a nice addition to that frame. :D
Chris
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a pox upon your wallet:
http://info.carboncycles.cc/index.php?s=0&t=2&c=43&p=197&
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I find it interesting that I am not yet seeing a lot of 29er MTBs in the Seattle area. 26 still rules the roost out here.
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a pox upon your wallet:
http://info.carboncycles.cc/index.php?s=0&t=2&c=43&p=197&
That looks nice. I've already ordered the Voodoo fork though.
I find it interesting that I am not yet seeing a lot of 29er MTBs in the Seattle area. 26 still rules the roost out here.
It seems to be a very regional thing. When I was visiting my folks in Mobile a couple years ago, one of the shops I stopped at was just getting started with 29ers. At that time, they were already well established around NoVa.
Chris
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eh, get a rivendell (http://www.rivbike.com/products/show/bombadil/50-640) already. :laugh: :-X
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eh, get a rivendell (http://www.rivbike.com/products/show/bombadil/50-640) already. :laugh: :-X
I'm not quite pretentious enough. [popcorn]
Chris
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It will need to be versatile for all styles, downhills, technical and X country. From what I've ascertained "all mountain" is the class of bikes that would suit me. I'm intrigued by the 29ers I've seen and think I could get into a higher quality 29er than full suspension considering I'm trying to keep costs down (heh heh heh). I haven't set a budget yet but it isn't going to be a high end budget. Having said that I can pro deal a lot of different manufacturers through work so I might be able to swing something normally I couldn't.
Before I say anything I have to profess a near total ignorance of what the heck constitutes an "all mountain" class even though I just went through the process of buying a full suspension mountain bike. (This is off topic but when did mountain biking get so confusing? I STILL don't understand the difference between all mountain and XC! But you have to expect this from somebody who rode the same hardtail for the last eleven years) Why do you think all mountain would suit you best and what differentiates that class from plain old XC or cross country bikes? The reason why I am asking is that there are some pretty good XC bikes out there, like the Santa Cruz Superlight that might fit your needs. I think the Nickel is also classified as XC even though it has 5 inches of rear travel. The nice thing about the Santa Cruz line up is that you can buy just the frame or a complete bike. What is your price range? Can you test ride bikes on the trails you ride on? Does your LBS have full suspension rental bikes and would it be possible for you to buy one of those?
I do agree that a hardtail niner will be a better downhill bike than a hard tail 26, but a decent full suspension 26" bike will probably be much better than that hardtail niner. Before I stumbled into a good deal on a Gary Fisher (yeah, I know, a glorified Trek) I had narrowed my choices down to two bikes. One was the Specialized FSR. Not the highest end bike out there but for the money it seems like a pretty good bike. My other option was to buy a Santa Cruz frame and start building the bike up. That was the more attractive route because I would have been able to buy a good bike a little bit at a time and take my time putting it together. Work and school take up a lot of free time, I'd rather have spent what is left riding a bike rather than building a bike.
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I still dig on my '84 Stumpjumper, bullnose; 18sp deore xt setup.
It's all about the tires, man!
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downhill bikes are the ones you push back up the hill
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I STILL don't understand the difference between all mountain and XC!
I feel ya man, once I started researching I came to the conclusion I didn't even know all I thought I didn't know, lol.
As best I can tell "all mountain" means not as lightweight and possibly more fork and/or suspension travel than a XC bike.
Another forum describes them as "More than XC, less than FR/DH".
I'm not looking for the lightest minimalist set-up nor the most outrageous downhill setup. I guess that is what "all mountain" is, a bike that tries to do all things well but may not be the best at one particular style.
I do agree that a hardtail niner will be a better downhill bike than a hard tail 26, but a decent full suspension 26" bike will probably be much better than that hardtail niner.
That is what I've picked up in my research also. The sticking point is that I can get into a very good 29er with higher end components for the same price of an entry level full suspension. I'd rather have the hardtail 29 with better components between the two choices.
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I was debating the same thing, a higher end 29'er vs. a not so high end full suspension, right up until the day I started test riding FS bikes. Even though I spend less time riding technical stuff than a lot of riders, full suspension was a revelation to me. I could ride farther and faster with a lot less discomfort than on my hardtail. The full suspension rigs I rode were more comfortable and I lucked into a good deal on a bike. If that deal hadn't come along there would probably be a Santa Cruz frame in my garage patiently awaiting parts.
My one complaint about my bike is that the front fork is a little too squishy for me when climbing out of the saddle. I'm still playing around with the suspension settings but I may end up buying a new fork that has a lock out on it.
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downhill bikes are the ones you push back up the hill
Not always. On a bike ride in Utah, when I was in a little better shape, too...riding up one of the trails there....pass a guy riding a DH bike. Full helmet with face gaurd, shin and arm pads. It all looked pretty new, too. He was suffering something fierce. I muttered something about the bike shop seeing him coming but I'm not sure he heard me over his grunting and panting....
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Thats right, DH bikes are the ones you use the ski lift to get to the top
and drop the hill at 63 MPH and hopefully are stout enough to absorb this action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDZgOvoen5E
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engineering FAIL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLRDRzMWIsg
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I liked this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGdXcitOUzY
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Can I slide a question in here? Yeah? Ok, thanks.
What are the top brands out there today? I haven't been riding since I don't remember (my last bike was a Schwinn hard tail that didn't suck). The brands I'm familiar with are:
Cannondale
Fuji
Gary Fisher
Giant
GT
Haro
Jamis
Kona
Raleigh
Specialized
Trek
Recently heard of:
Breezer
Linus
Pacific
Santa Cruz
Surly
SE
Who's good? Who's bad?
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SE was "SE racing" but now its a china import
good/bad is determined buy the spendiness of the groupo
most of the frames are made in china
Add salsa, niner, Dean, & Ironhorse to the mix
http://www.mtbr.com/reviewscrx.aspx
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Can I slide a question in here? Yeah? Ok, thanks.
What are the top brands out there today? I haven't been riding since I don't remember (my last bike was a Schwinn hard tail that didn't suck). The brands I'm familiar with are:
Cannondale
Fuji
Gary Fisher
Giant
GT
Haro
Jamis
Kona
Raleigh
Specialized
Trek
Recently heard of:
Breezer no idea
Linus no idea
Pacific Crap. Real crap
Santa Cruz Good bikes
Surly Great bikes
SE No idea
Who's good? Who's bad?
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Pacific is Walmart level junk. Surly is a small company owned by QBP that imports frames from Taiwan. I own two. They're good frames (only recently began offering complete bikes). A bit heavy but bombproof.
If I were going to buy a complete bike, it would be Giant, Trek/Gary Fisher, Surly, Specialized, or Niner (from the list you provide). That said, I haven't purchased a complete bike since 1998. I find it cheaper and easier to build my own from parts. I typically strip parts from an old bike in my stable and/or use parts I have on hand to get the build going, then buy the other stuff I may need.
In all honesty, you can't go wrong with Giant, Trek/Gary Fisher and Specialized. They didn't get where they are today by being junk.
Chris
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There are about five or six manufacturers in Taiwan and the PRC that make about 90% of all the bike frames sold in the West. Until you start getting up to the custom or titanium bikes, I almost think of them as a commodity: the frames are all roughly the same and the groups/components are the same, depending on the spec level. They build a frame in Taiwan that wholesales for $ 60 and it sells in the States for $ 200-500, depending on what name sticker is on it.
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Any thoughts on Marin?
I can ProDeal their bikes and have been scoping out their 29ers
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one more. (http://www.brewracingframes.com/)
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Marin is another one that I've known about since I was still biking. I think they're a safe bet.
I'll add Santa Cruz and Surly to my watch list, too.
Not sure how I feel about parting a bike together. No experience doing it. Easy to pick up if you're mechanically able?
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one more. (http://www.brewracingframes.com/)
Brew's been around since I was in college in the early 90s, but I would hardly call them mainstream. Plus, they only offer frames, not complete bikes.
I don't think I've seen one outside of NC and even then they were rare.
Chris
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heh, just adding them because there kids were in my troop. =D last time i talked to them they were willing to build a complete bike, but that might have changed.
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http://www.cycleexif.com/
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heh, just adding them because there kids were in my troop. =D last time i talked to them they were willing to build a complete bike, but that might have changed.
I think most custom builders will build a complete bike if you'll pay and ask nicely, but that isn't their primary product. Speaking of which, every time I go to Brew's website, I see less and less bicycle content. How much longer are they going to make bicycles?
Chris
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My six y.o daughter rides an SE mini-ripper on the BMX track and trails. It's a decent quality ride, the aluminum frame is beefy and butted, welds aren't pristine, but are uniform and symmetrical.
Top end components - single speed, of course.
http://www.sebikes.com/Race/MiniRipper.aspx
Of course, we're talking a 45 pound girl, but when she crashes, she gets up and rides while crying.
Spiders and grasshoppers, on the other hand, bring her to a dead, screaming stop.
I'd buy another for a kid, and include them in comparison for my next bike (as if I'll ever get another bike).
eta - As far as I can tell, SE has the 29" "Big Ripper" s.sp.
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I used to ride an SE racing OM Flyer back in the 80s
OMf'nG!:
http://www.sebikes.com/Retro/DC-26--Quadangle-Looptail.aspx
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I've never ridden a 29er, but I used to have a cross-bike that had 700cc wheels/tires. It was a good commuting bike for a tall guy like me (34" inseam as well) but I tore it to hell on the mountain bike trails in eastern washington near Walla Walla, and college in Tacoma/Seattle did it in finally. It was a Diamond Back something or other that I got in the early 90's.
I replaced it for a Specialized RockHopper, on which I replaced the front suspension with a Marzocchi Bomber Z3.
That bike rocks. I still have it. I did buy the frame a bit small for my geometry because I was heavy into hard/fast singletrack back in college and I could whip the relatively little frame around tight muddy corners almost effortlessly. I'm now at the point where I want a larger frame geometry for a more comfortable casual ride (with a bit of fun thrown in, too). AZ doesn't have the mud and tight turns that made the small frame desirable anyways.
I'll probably end up finding a new hard-tail frame and transferring parts over to that, perhaps changing out the brakes for disc technology. Or a complete new build, salvaging only the excellent Bomber front shock. I think to go to disc I have to get new hubs, which means a rebuild of both rims, which means I might as well just get new rims... and so on.
I've tried FS bikes in the past. I hated 'em. Too much bouncy-ness in the pedal stroke. I love the front suspension, though.
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Az, judging by what you said above, your current bike is OLD. Don't try to transfer anything. Bikes have changed a lot in the past few years. If you liked your Bomber Z3, you'll like more current forks.
Check out current FS bikes of good quality. They're not bouncy like the old ones. Specialized makes some very nice XC and AM FS bikes.
Chris
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heres my current project bike in the stand is a Klein Mantra
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Yep, we still make bikes. I teach framebuilding classes and also do regular fab work. I know my bicycle portion of our site is down but we still build customs and completes.
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I have a Giant mountain bike that I bought 10 or 15 years ago when I was young enough to think I might actually ride it in the Colorado mountains someday -- my fantasy ride was the Schofield Pass road near Aspen that runs from Marble to Beano Vista. [I mistyped, but then thought it was funny so I left it :)] That's probably never gonna happen, but I do use the bike to commute to work a couple of times a week. It's about 5 miles each way in hilly terrain. Every once in a great while I'll ride it to church (10 miles each way) or on the local bike trails (15-20 miles.)
The bike has wide 26" wheels, and I put different handlebars on that rise up about 4", and I have to put the seat post almost all the way to the top cuz I'm really tall. There's no springs or shock in the suspension; I think the fat tires are supposed to take care of that.
Are there different tires I could put on to reduce the rolling resistance? The current tires are knobby, but they do have sort of a center rib; they are reasonably quiet. I keep about 50 to 55# of air in them.
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I used to run my urban assault bike with 65 PSI continental Grand Canyons
some of the slicker tires have good performance on the road
these are similar to the old GCs:
http://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?id=45606&page=Continental+Town+&+Country+Wire+Bead+Touring+Tire
http://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?id=92930&page=Continental+Travel+Contact+Wire+Bead+Touring+Tire
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Somebody asked about Breezers in this thread. He only makes hardtails but I would ride one.
http://www.breezerbikes.com/index.php/component/content/article/35-bike-categories/49-mountain-bikes.html
This link is to his mountain bikes, some of the other bikes are pretty cool too. I need more money and a bigger garage to hold all of the two wheeled conveyances I would like to buy.
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Joe Breeze was one of the original Marin County Klunkerz
http://charlie8060.fotopic.net/p25994418.html
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Brewdude, thanks for the info. I didn't know what was going on. Over the past several years, it seemed you were moving away from bikes and into other areas. I'm glad to hear you're still going strong in the bike biz.
Harold, my frame has arrived. I have to pick it up today. I was at Performance last night and got to check out a complete bike built on the same frame. I think I'm going to like it.
Chris
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pron:
(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fforums.mtbr.com%2Fattachment.php%3Fattachmentid%3D128755%26amp%3Bstc%3D1%26amp%3Bd%3D1136183139&hash=4811e8722ae8dbb82d63045e6e98492dbdae9918)
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I used to run my urban assault bike with 65 PSI continental Grand Canyons
some of the slicker tires have good performance on the road
these are similar to the old GCs:
http://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?id=45606&page=Continental+Town+&+Country+Wire+Bead+Touring+Tire
http://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?id=92930&page=Continental+Travel+Contact+Wire+Bead+Touring+Tire
Thanks. I will look for a slick tire for the back wheel that I can run up to 60+ psi. Will probably leave the front tire alone; I can't think of any reason they have to match. Most of the weight is on the rear (no pun intended)
BTW, I had an interesting encounter with a pickup truck yesterday. I had a green light and was halfway thru the intersection when he comes flying up the side street on my right and makes a left turn on the red light without hardly slowing down right into me. I had to stop hard and jump out of the way to keep from being run over. Well-dressed guy in his 30's in a nice looking truck, not the a-hole redneck you might expect it from. Not the first time it's happened, just the closest I've come to getting hit. I'm seriously thinking about getting a cup of 20mm ball bearings or 1" hex nuts for the frame mounted waterbottle-holder, so I can break a window next time... Leave 'em something to remember me by.
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pron:
(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cycleexif.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F08%2Ftrek-broadsider-31.jpg&hash=0a3bed3809b0f03e996ed065bb4f6693a27ddeca)
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oh yeah i had monitor nose prints on that Trek last night
it needs rear footpegs so you can bunny hop
(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbicycledesign.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F08%2FBroadSlider_details.jpg&hash=cfe21309b28885128fa51c65bda3f1bb236db54f)
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I like running a big knobby front and a strip in the back
I watched a dude break out a rear window with his U lock one morning in DC when a car turned on top of him
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BTW, I had an interesting encounter with a pickup truck yesterday. I had a green light and was halfway thru the intersection when he comes flying up the side street on my right and makes a left turn on the red light without hardly slowing down right into me. I had to stop hard and jump out of the way to keep from being run over. Well-dressed guy in his 30's in a nice looking truck, not the a-hole redneck you might expect it from. Not the first time it's happened, just the closest I've come to getting hit. I'm seriously thinking about getting a cup of 20mm ball bearings or 1" hex nuts for the frame mounted waterbottle-holder, so I can break a window next time... Leave 'em something to remember me by.
Last two times I had to change a flat in the middle of BFE, "rednecks" stopped to offer help if I needed it. Usually, its the Yuppies in BMW's, etc, that are the biggest pain in my ass riding.
I'd suggest not breaking windows for bad driving. In many states, escalating a situation is considered assault.
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Last two times I had to change a flat in the middle of BFE, "rednecks" stopped to offer help if I needed it. Usually, its the Yuppies in BMW's, etc, that are the biggest pain in my ass riding.
I'd suggest not breaking windows for bad driving. In many states, escalating a situation is considered assault.
Point taken. I am a redneck, and know that some are a-holes; I wasn't trying to imply that all of them are. I just really wasn't expecting a Yuppie to be driving a pickup.
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Back in 2004, Niner co-founder Steve Domahidy never thought that he would find himself on a mountain bike ride with a former President of the United States, but that is just what happened last week after Steve and Chris Sugai, Niner's other founder, received an interesting call from Kennebunkport Bicycle Company, a Niner Dealer in Maine.
"It turns out that Former President Bush is intrigued by 29ers, so he asked Brandon at Kennebunkport Bike Company about Niner" said Steve. Chris and Steve spent Thursday and Friday last week with Mr. Bush, fitting a new Niner Jet 9 full suspension bike in Black Anodized.
"We are glad that Mr. Bush wanted to ride a Niner. He has been an avid rider for years and helping him to make the leap to 29 inch mountain bike wheels is a privilege." said Chris. "We had the opportunity to discuss trails and trailbuilding after the ride. No matter how you weigh in politically, this is good for mountain biking," Steve added.
In addition to delivering the new bikes, the group spent two days mountain biking on the trails around Kennebunkport. Said Chris, "Mr. Bush is a very good rider, fast and with good technical skills. He certainly knew the local trails really well, and Steve and I had to work pretty hard. It was a lot of fun."
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs077/1101892244311/archive/1103623558128.html
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I'll add Santa Cruz and Surly to my watch list, too.
IIRC, somebody came up with a homebrew attachment for the Big Dummy (http://surlybikes.com/bikes/big_dummy_complete/) to put the front wheel and fork of another bike on one side of the rack so you could use it like a towing dolly to haul your MTB out to the trail. That way everybody can see that you're a real biker. :P
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Sooo, after checking out what I can get special deals on and setting a price point (that I immediately went over, lol...) this is where I'm at in the decision process:
The manufacturers I can get good deals on are Novara (REI house brand), Cannondale, GT and Marin.
Novara doesn't have a 29er at the componant level I'm gunning for and none are readily available, all the Cannondale 29ers are lefties (not interested), GT with whom it it seems you have to go to their super high end to get good components, this left Marin, who I was leaning toward anyway.
Pretty sure I'm going to pull the trigger on a '10 Marin Palisades 29er. It lists msrp for around $1300. That isn't what I'll be paying :)
http://www.rei.com/product/796963
http://www.marinbikes.com/2010/bike_specs.php?serialnum=1310
Any critiques on the components below?
Frame 6061 aluminum
Fork RockShox Tora Solo Air, 100mm with external rebound and lockout
Crankset TruVativ Five D 3.1, 44/32/22
Bottom bracket Truvativ
Shifters Shimano SLX, with 2-way release
Front derailleur Shimano Deore
Rear derailleur Shimano Shadow SLX
Rear cogs Shimano, 11-34, 9-speed
Number of gears 27
Brakes Avid Juicy 3.5 hydraulic disc
Brake levers Avid Juicy 3.5
Rims WTB SpeedDisc 29er
Front hub Shimano Deore disc, 32h
Rear hub Shimano 525 disc, 32h
Tires WTB Prowler SL, 29x2.1
Handlebar 6061 alloy double-butted
Stem FSA OS190 threadless
Seat post FSA SL-280 alloy
Saddle WTB Vigo Comp
Pedals Alloy double-sided mountain
Headset TH-888, 1 1/8'' threadless
Chain Shimano HG53
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Well-dressed guy in his 30's in a nice looking truck, not the a-hole redneck you might expect it from.
Round here, it's not the rednecks and pickemup trucks you have to worry about, it's the women driving Subaru station wagons festooned with lefty bumper stickers that'll kill you.
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Sooo, after checking out what I can get special deals on and setting a price point (that I immediately went over, lol...) this is where I'm at in the decision process:
The manufacturers I can get good deals on are Novara (REI house brand), Cannondale, GT and Marin.
Novara doesn't have a 29er at the componant level I'm gunning for and none are readily available, all the Cannondale 29ers are lefties (not interested), GT with whom it it seems you have to go to their super high end to get good components, this left Marin, who I was leaning toward anyway.
Pretty sure I'm going to pull the trigger on a '10 Marin Palisades 29er. It lists msrp for around $1300. That isn't what I'll be paying :)
http://www.rei.com/product/796963
http://www.marinbikes.com/2010/bike_specs.php?serialnum=1310
Any critiques on the components below?
Consider buying one of those other bikes with the lower components, and upgrading the important bits as needed to get back up to where you want to be.
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I think it is a pretty decent bike but I'm basing that judgment on what I would use the bike for (commuting, lots of dirt road, some singletrack). The real question is how do you feel about it? I am curious about why you don't want a lefty, they do look a little goofy but everybody I see with one says they work well.
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My restored full squish bike pron:
http://www.googlepixel.com/99Mantra/
(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.googlepixel.com%2F99Mantra%2Ffullscreen%2Fimg_0720.jpg&hash=27d99e63e04f3b9a1122977f3dc695a4cbe660ad)
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I think it is a pretty decent bike but I'm basing that judgment on what I would use the bike for (commuting, lots of dirt road, some singletrack). The real question is how do you feel about it? I am curious about why you don't want a lefty, they do look a little goofy but everybody I see with one says they work well.
This bike is for single track here in the midwest. Roots, rocks, some smaller downhill stuff with a smattering of tight technical stuff to balance out the mostly XC type trails.
The lefties are proprietary IIRC, so I would be locked into that manufacturer for replacement parts with a shallower pool of techs that are familiar with them.
Pulled the trigger on the Marin, now the wait for it to get here...
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I'm gonna ride the Klein into work today
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I'm gonna ride the Klein into work today
I just don't have the coin for a full suspension bike :(
Thats a sweet ride Harold.
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it was an ebay pickup for 435 bucks
plus a few upgrades...
ya know how that garage sale "honey it's an incredible deal" rifle
needed a Leopold scope?
yeah. its like that
;)
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Oh yeah, I "stone soup" bikes all the time.
BTW, My 29er will be finished in a few days.
Chris