The Street > The Bike Shop
hardtail mountain bikes
Kinchy:
--- Quote from: jonathan on November 27, 2014, 04:24:52 PM ---
--- Quote from: Kinchy on November 27, 2014, 02:22:19 PM ---I'd probably go for gt out of the brands you listed
--- End quote ---
Any specific GT you like? I have been unimpressed with their hardtails. Zaskar Elite perhaps.
--- End quote ---
It was more that Cannondales are a bit meh and haven't seen Diamondback in ages. My friends in Whistler had been riding GT Furys and enjoying them.
Your bike definitely looks short, maybe a longer stem and flat bars would help. But at the same time, if you want something more flickable then moving away from 29 is probably the best bet
joelite44:
look into buying a niner frame. those look hella comfortable for a hardtail 29 and they also make full suspension.
http://www.jensonusa.com/Sale/Mountain-Bike-Frames/Niner-Air-9-Frame-2013
as the guys might say you are missing out with used stuff, its cheap and good just like mcdondalds. But buying peak industry geo to me is a full trend right now. It's not about how you ride, it's about the bike and making it justice in the trails. A lot of people following the new trend yeah but there is no one tying their hands down for them to excel. So might as well buy a bike adequate for your trail riding and enjoy it as much as you would any given day.
cmc4130:
--- Quote from: master on November 26, 2014, 08:49:34 AM ---I've been through this same cycle and thought process, the smaller frame is hurting your off road ability. The bmxer in you wants a tight feeling bike but for true MTB rocks and steeps you need a big enough bike to move around on.
As for wheel size, I love 29" on a hardtail. 27.5" is just marketing and is effectively the new 26". Unless you're on your game already, moving from 26" to 27.5" with all else constant won't change much of anything for you.
Find a complete for sure. $1500-$2000 will get you a nice new bike like a Kona Honzo or Explosif. You can probably still find a leftover 2014 of most brands for a discount. A slacker HT angle and lower BB will also help you feel better in the rough stuff.
Good luck!
--- End quote ---
I got into DJ mtb's in 2006, then singlespeed hardtail, then various borrowed and rented XC and AM bikes (FS and hardtail). Also have a Transition Double 4x/slope with 1X9.
I'm not sure I understand what you're saying by "For true MTB rocks and steeps you need a big enough bike to move around on."
If anything, I find that the many people in the mtb world are STILL stuck in the dirt roadie mentality. When you are stretched out over a long frame with a long stem, 29 wheels, a high seat and ultra low bb, that is the most dirt roadie position you can be in. And is NOT a help for technical riding in the sense of getting over rocks and definitely not on steep descents. The only thing it is great for is climbing, which many dirt roadies are obsessed with.
I think 29"s are sluggish. And I think 27.5 is a great compromise.
I rode two 27.5" demo bikes at Winter Park this past summer. The 27.5" DH bike felt big/awkward/non-nimble. But the 27.5" Specialized Enduro Carbon felt great.
i crank around regular xc trails on a 4x/slope bike pretty regularly (Transition Double with 1X9 gearing), and i keep up with geared-up 29'er dudes pretty well. i realize that full leg extension setup does make for more efficient riding... but i also don't like giving up some of the 4x/bmx style handling for hitting the berms rollers jumps that i have built out here, mixed in to the regular mtb trails. or even just the feeling of being able to bunnyhop a log in the way that i'm used to etc. etc. i may actually buy a true xc/am mtb soon, but i will definitely ride a size a little smaller and set it up a little more bmx/DJ-ish. probably with a 60-70mm stem, bmx platform pedals, etc.
(i know i failed to do an impressive trick here but it's one of my few riding shots on this bike)
master:
--- Quote from: cmc4130 on December 01, 2014, 11:47:55 AM ---
--- Quote from: master on November 26, 2014, 08:49:34 AM ---I've been through this same cycle and thought process, the smaller frame is hurting your off road ability. The bmxer in you wants a tight feeling bike but for true MTB rocks and steeps you need a big enough bike to move around on.
As for wheel size, I love 29" on a hardtail. 27.5" is just marketing and is effectively the new 26". Unless you're on your game already, moving from 26" to 27.5" with all else constant won't change much of anything for you.
Find a complete for sure. $1500-$2000 will get you a nice new bike like a Kona Honzo or Explosif. You can probably still find a leftover 2014 of most brands for a discount. A slacker HT angle and lower BB will also help you feel better in the rough stuff.
Good luck!
--- End quote ---
I got into DJ mtb's in 2006, then singlespeed hardtail, then various borrowed and rented XC and AM bikes (FS and hardtail). Also have a Transition Double 4x/slope with 1X9.
I'm not sure I understand what you're saying by "For true MTB rocks and steeps you need a big enough bike to move around on."
If anything, I find that the many people in the mtb world are STILL stuck in the dirt roadie mentality. When you are stretched out over a long frame with a long stem, 29 wheels, a high seat and ultra low bb, that is the most dirt roadie position you can be in. And is NOT a help for technical riding in the sense of getting over rocks and definitely not on steep descents. The only thing it is great for is climbing, which many dirt roadies are obsessed with.
I think 29"s are sluggish. And I think 27.5 is a great compromise.
I rode two 27.5" demo bikes at Winter Park this past summer. The 27.5" DH bike felt big/awkward/non-nimble. But the 27.5" Specialized Enduro Carbon felt great.
i crank around regular xc trails on a 4x/slope bike pretty regularly (Transition Double with 1X9 gearing), and i keep up with geared-up 29'er dudes pretty well. i realize that full leg extension setup does make for more efficient riding... but i also don't like giving up some of the 4x/bmx style handling for hitting the berms rollers jumps that i have built out here, mixed in to the regular mtb trails. or even just the feeling of being able to bunnyhop a log in the way that i'm used to etc. etc. i may actually buy a true xc/am mtb soon, but i will definitely ride a size a little smaller and set it up a little more bmx/DJ-ish. probably with a 60-70mm stem, bmx platform pedals, etc.
--- End quote ---
29er tires typically measure ~29.25" tall inflated. "26" tires typically measure ~26.25" tall inflated.
650b tires ("27.5" is absolutely a marketing term and nothing more) typically measure ~27"-27.25" tall when inflated. The wheel size change is minimal and makes very little difference when riding, most of the "improvements" on the new breed of 650b enduro bikes are due to changes in geometry, setup (including wide bars + short stem), and refined suspension technology.
For me, actually riding a MTB in the woods is 50% climbing and 50% descending. For that, I need a bike with enough room to get my weight forward while climbing, and then be stable while descending. Coming from bmx I used to think that a short TT was good so I can throw the bike around but that seriously hurt my MTB riding. I hated every Medium sized frame I owned due to the cramped climbing geometry, and now that I am on Larges my riding has improved as well.
DH racers, who ride 100% downhill at mach chicken speed, are even going as long as possible on their top tubes. The school of thought is progressing and geometry is changing to reflect that.
This is all my 2 cents and should not be taken as anything more than that.
jonathan:
I think all of this talk of what constitutes the ideal type of bike for anyone is highly dependent on the rider's style and terrain. most of the stuff I ride around here has absolutely no "flow" and lots of slow, grinding, twisty, rock-crawling gnar. there is one trail that is aptly named "Cheese Grater." a lot of the trail I would like to ride seem like they would be better suited for a trials bike than a trail bike. but that's my style- slowly cherry-picking my way through the rocks, taking time to enjoy the woods.
I can see how either of the newer tire sizes and bike styles might suit me better. I have found that a short chainstay length is important to me. otherwise, I might just have to get whatever is available to me in the industry, which seems to be shrinking all the time.
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