School me on MTB

[benyl]

Here are some random questions:

Dual Suspension vs hard tail. I get you can go faster with DS, but if you are just cruising down trails, is DS required? Is a hard tail more fatiguing?

Best value for money bike. What components you need upgraded and what you can live without? What is this boost spacing that seems to be all the rage?

Can I get a decent bike for $2k-$3K with hydraulic brakes, decent travel and shit that won't break the first time I use it.
What components to avoid.

I am 5'10" and ride a 54 Madone / Domane. What size MTB does that translate to?

I've always liked treks. I was thinking of a Fuel EX 5. But it looks cheap. Haha. An EX8 is probably where I want to be, but don't want to spend the extra $1k.

I am also interested in the Remedy for the extra travel but don't know if it is required. Any comparables from other companies? gage was saying Giants are good value.

I want to be able to climb, but have a cush ride down. I am not trying to win races, but like a good pace that keeps the adrenaline pumping.

Whats the real advantage of rear suspension over hard tail? Should I just get a nice hard tail?

[asp integra]

Sounds to me like your looking for an enduro or all mountain type bike (around 4/5"-6" travel)
There are a lot of bike in this category, every brand will make a few that fit the bill. Best thing to do is search on pinkbike.com in the buy/sell section. I just bought a 2012 Lapierre spicy 156 with 6" travel front and back for just under $2K two weeks ago. I have been out to west bragg and moose a few times already and the bike climbs great and descends amazingly. I wanted a bike that could do anything (i.e. climb and downhill) and I definitely found it. There are others to look at in the price range including specialized enduro, santa cruz bronson or nomad, giant reign, etc. Used is not a bad way to go if you find a bike that has been well taken care of.

Things to have: dual suspension is the way to go, i find it makes climbing easier and the downs way more fun (a lot of good suspension will have adjustments so you can make the rear end stiffer if you prefer that for climbing etc). A dropper post is a great invention, not necessary, but if you can get a bike with one or add it later its a great thing to have. All bikes of this category should have hydraulic discs.

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1982319/
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1975520/
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1948953/

[Mitsu3000gt]

$2-3K is the sweet spot for bang for the buck bikes and you will easily get what you want in that range. Even more so if you can find a brand new last year's model or a gently used one. Not a lot changes in the bike world year-to-year except for the names.

The 5-6" travel full suspension XC bikes are the jack of all trades in the MTB world. The suspension geometry has got so good you barely know you're riding a FS bike until you hit the rough stuff, and the rear suspension keeps the rear tire planted during climbs. You don't lose much pedal energy to the suspension and the bikes are still light enough to climb easily. You can also lock most of them out front & rear to make a completely rigid bike for cruising on the pathways with the family.

One thing you might want to look at is the 27.5" wheel bikes, that seems to be the sweet spot for wheel size these days. The 29"ers aren't for everyone so if you look at those too make sure you can get a good test ride on one.

The Giant Trance series is good bang for the buck. Norco Fluid might be another to look at, or a Rocky Mountain Element if The Bike Shop is having any sales. I'm not as familiar with the Trek bikes, but they are all pretty similar these days with regard to the "all mountain" type bike you seem to be looking for.

I have a Giant Trance and Giant seems to always be at or near the top of the heap for maximum value proposition. They also make the frames for a lot of the other bike companies, and I believe they were the first to use the rear suspension design you now see on pretty much every bike. Looking at the boutique brands with hand made frames, lower production volume and more trail cred doesn't get you much except a higher price tag, especially for a casual rider.

[dimi]

I'll reiterate what the previous posters highlighted:
- 100% full suspension, trust me you're going to regret buying a hard tail, even though they can be a ton of fun too.
- All mountain (Remedy for ex.) is the sweet spot. Personally I find anything with 4"+ is more than enough. 6" to me is overkill and I'll rarely if ever use that last 1", but that's more my preference to XC/rolling terrain than pure DH.
- Get a dropper post. Not necessary, but it really enhances the riding experience.
- Take a few rides to get used to the bike and then jump to clip in pedals. My first time out MTB was in clip in pedals and i took a lot of hits that day.
- 27.5" wheels for your height. I could go into details, but they're just all around better in my opinion and slowly 26" wheels are becoming obsolete.

I have a 2011 Trek Remedy 8 and the bike has been flawless. 5 years of riding, I've had to replace one fork seal out of pocket ($60), so I'm partial to the brand. Personally if I was getting a new bike, I'd get the exact same one but in 29". Plus I think the remedy 8 paint this year is killer. But that can be said for any brand, so take a look around. Giant/Norco/RM/Spec etc. all make great bikes.

Most of all, enjoy yourself. I still remember my first ride :D

PS: Personally I'd suggest getting a slightly higher end model (like the EX8 you suggested vs. EX5) as the upgrades in components you get I find to be worthwhile. Yea its $1000 more but if you put enough days on the bike, it shouldn't be a big deal.

[birdman86]

Hardtails can do a lot of all-mountain type stuff, but be ready to rattle your eyeballs out when you hit those rock gardens

I've never met someone who upon switching to a full squish didn't immediately say "wtf was I thinking riding a hardtail". I've never met someone who said that about going the other direction.

If you want to do basically anything besides pure downhill, get a dropper post

All mountain 27.5 is probably your best bet

Adjustable geometry isn't a gimmick (ie. Ride-9 from Rocky Mountain)

1x11 gearing is sweet but you'd better be in good physical shape, if you're a part time beer drinker like me you really need those creeper gears that a 2x10 gives

Moose Mountain and West Bragg are da bomb

Rocky Mountain bikes are also da bomb, check pinkbike for an Altitude and you can't go wrong

If you're climbing, buy a camelback

[bigboom]

Ooops forgot to reply to your PM...here's my take on it all.


Originally posted by benyl
Here are some random questions:

Dual Suspension vs hard tail. I get you can go faster with DS, but if you are just cruising down trails, is DS required? Is a hard tail more fatiguing?

Best value for money bike. What components you need upgraded and what you can live without? What is this boost spacing that seems to be all the rage?

Can I get a decent bike for $2k-$3K with hydraulic brakes, decent travel and shit that won't break the first time I use it.

Yeah you can, but i'd look at used bikes instead in that price range. Most FS in that price range will come with a pretty shitty component spec.

What components to avoid. Avoid avid brakes like the plague, the new level/guide brakes are awesome though.

I am 5'10" and ride a 54 Madone / Domane. What size MTB does that translate to?

I've always liked treks. I was thinking of a Fuel EX 5. But it looks cheap. Haha. An EX8 is probably where I want to be, but don't want to spend the extra $1k.

I am also interested in the Remedy for the extra travel but don't know if it is required. Any comparables from other
companies? gage was saying Giants are good value.


I want to be able to climb, but have a cush ride down. I am not trying to win races, but like a good pace that keeps the adrenaline pumping.


Whats the real advantage of rear suspension over hard tail? Should I just get a nice hard tail?

No, DS is not required. Take a look at hardtail with decent geometry, 68/69 degree headtube angles. If you're starting out I would argue a hardtail will force you to learn how to ride instead of riding a FS and not developing any technique. Simple things like properly riding trail features and core strength will be developed by riding a hard tail. Then if you want to keep going get a FS and everything will be much easier.

Buy something with an XT/SLX level grouppo and nothing needs to be upgraded.

Boost spacing is a new standard, 110mm front hub spacing and 148mm rear hub spacing, used to be 100mm and 142/135. Not a big deal but adds some stiffness to your wheel builds., especially 29" wheels.

M-L depending on the reach/stack of the different bikes.

Kona Process 134/Norco Sight are awesome bang for your bucks. Giants are OK except their chain stay lengths are a little on the long side.

With FS bikes all suspension designs have their pros/cons. Ride a few at demo days and see for yourself which one tickles your fancy. DW-Link/Maestro/Horst Link Variants/VPP, they all ride differently.

[benyl]

Update:

This was released last week:

http://trek.scene7.com/is/image/TrekBicycleProducts/1164600_2017_A_1_Fuel_EX_8_275_Plus

http://www.trekbikes.com/ca/en_CA/bikes/mountain-bikes/trail-mountain-bikes/fuel-ex/fuel-ex-8-27-5-plus/p/1164600-2017

Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5+

I ordered an 18.5 and it should be here near the end of June.

Rode the 9.8 and it was awesome. Wish I could justify the dollars for it.

[Penguin_Racecar]

That's going to be a super fun bike!

[bigboom]

Originally posted by Penguin_Racecar
That's going to be a super fun bike!

Says the SS rigid mtb rider :)

[dimi]

Sweet bike, gonna love it. Good choice on the 8.

[benyl]

Picked it up today:

Got a 28T ring put on to replace the 32T. The granny is super granny. I'll see how it goes.

http://i.imgur.com/aS804wP.jpg

I didn't know plastic came on bikes that you didn't buy at Walmart.

http://i.imgur.com/diQWYG7.jpg

Matte paint with red accents. Check out the pedal strike carnage already...

http://imgur.com/WgZsr5n.jpg

The bike just floats over this pea sized gravel at a local park. I've set my tires to 20 PSI. Still have the tubes. Debating whether I should go tubeless.

http://imgur.com/Ant9sbs.jpg

I am really liking the infinitely adjustable fork.

http://imgur.com/DfU4LYt.jpg

[bigboom]

20psi is asking for pinch flats and dented rims when doing real mountain biking with tubes. Tubeless is always recommended and even then I don't think I'd run 20 psi.

Sweet bike though, and remove the dork disc :)

[benyl]

They are 27.5+ tires. Mid fats. 2.8 wide. 20 PSI still too low?

[Mitsu3000gt]

I run my tires around 35-40 PSI. Much less and we were getting pinch flats on the regular riding in rough/rocky areas especially.

[benyl]

So, went and upgraded already. I preferred that the bike be descent focused.

2017 Remedy 8.

Already thinking of increasing the fork travel to 160 from 150.

Rode up Pneuma just fine. I'm no racer so the "slackness" doesn't bother me at all. Most on people MTBR complain that it doesn't climb.

https://i.imgur.com/ntJBziC.jpg

[vengie]

Congrats on the pickup!

How much did it run you if you don't mind me asking?

I'll be in the market next spring.

[benyl]

Trek publishes their MSRP. Got a discount. I have bought 4 bikes from the same store though.

http://www.trekbikes.com/ca/en_CA/bikes/mountain-bikes/trail-mountain-bikes/remedy/remedy-8/p/1186600-2017