Mountain Bikes

[riverfever]

Are you serious? Man...some of those places they took us to were ridiculous. How long ago were you out that way? I know there are tons of places to mountain bike here in CO but up here in the WP it's all straight the f up. You CAN'T get an easy ride in. That part I hate.

 

[XJ Jeepin Girl]

Not quoting you Mike but....why is anything that's a Trek good? I hate Trek. The GP likes Trek b/c of Armstrong, and Lemond. Fat City and Bontrager all went to hell after the money machine bought them up. I broke numerous Trek frames when I was racing and I am not a big guy nor did I bash things.

I've only had/have one Trek, so maybe that's not enough to justify them being "great." I've ridden about 3 Treks, my family members have owned a few, and we still have a really old one. All worked fine for me. Why do you hate Trek?

 

[riverfever]

I've only had/have one Trek, so maybe that's not enough to justify them being "great." I've ridden about 3 Treks, my family members have owned a few, and we still have a really old one. All worked fine for me. Why do you hate Trek?

Mostly because I come from a retail standpoint. Having managed a shop for about 10 years, they are an absolute bear to deal with. They left another, and different, bad taste in my mouth when I not only worked to push their product each day but rode their product on the race course. I cracked one of their OCLV frames and they replaced it and that same season I cracked it again. They told me they wouldn't warranty it. It was completely unacceptable whether I worked for a LBS or was an average consumer. It was a great deal of money for a frame. Lastly, they forever changed the style and flavor of the MTB industry by buying up Keith Bontrager and Chris Chance. Granted, it's a free enterprise. If some shoddy mom and pop bakery is for sale down the street and they are known for making crazy, one of a kind streudel and I come in with my checkbook and buy them out of their monetary despair...that's life. But...If I am a true bakery connoisseur and appreciate a quality streudel and it's changed into a mass produced donut...it's the entrepreneurs discression to do what they deem necessary based upon their practices and what the public is demanding. I just had a special place in my heart for a kick ass steel frame whose quality will only be neared by a few companies (mainly Independent Fabrications and Land Shark) again. I know I'm strange.

There was a guy that came to our shop once (Outback Bikes...probably non-existent anymore) and he brought his trailer with him. The hippy dippy neighborhood we were in was having it's annual freak festival and he came for it. He set up a tent and built a few frames. He fillet brazed everything that day. I got to fillet braze a top tube on a MTB frame and it was pretty sweet. That's how Fat City and Bontrager were...the owners, the underdogs doing most of the fabrication themselves. I see that a lot with Jeep stuff too. Those are the guys/gals I like to give my money to. Their soul goes into each piece.

Felt and Scott are the same industry giant as many others. They just haven't bought up any small operations (that arguably had for sale signs out front) yet.

 

[meatplow5150]

I had a Santa Cruz Bullit that I used for everything (recreation and commuting). Kinda heavy (mine weighed about 42lbs) but it climbed well and is built like a tank (at 250lbs, I'm too heavy for the lightweight fs bikes). Had the 5th Element shock and a Marzocchi fork with ETS (a lock-out of sorts). Used to ride Henry Coe (south of San Jose, CA) every other weekend... lots and lots of climbing with some really nice downhills afterward. Sold it after I busted up my elbow (on a downhill :skull1: )...spent the proceeds on Jeep stuff .

 

[jeepinxj01]

Thanks for all the info. I had never heard of Big Shark. I'll check the links. Thanks River.

on a side not, BGI will be having their labor day sale soon at the north store in Castleton off of 82nd. if you can hold out until then, you can usually find some good deals. don't be bashful to bargain with them either. i got a couple hundred off a bike for my wife a couple of years ago. they carry giant, cannondale, and trek. Also Gilles fitness on the south side carries specialized and trek. so, between the two stores you can test ride a large array of bikes. unfortunately in Indy, there aren't a whole lot of dealers that carry the higher end bikes like kona, santa cruz, etc.
oh, if you go to the sale at BGI as for Shawn Hawk and tell him Cameron sent you.

I was in BGI last night after I posted. I was lookin' at Trek's, but it came into the back of my head that I had cracked a weld on an old Trek I had years ago, so I don't know. Thanks for the info man. I can hold out until labor day, unless I find something else better along the way. Thanks guys!

 

[XJEEPER]

i have been in the loop for a new shop and recently ran into REI..our REI bike dept here is top notch and according to their(REI) bike shop guy, their line of bikes are equal to if not better than the current market..for the price...with my experience and knowledge it seems they do have a decent product.. i may look there for my first full susp...just a fellow area mtn bikers thoughts, i hope this helps...

Grifter

Been shopping for bikes for my wife and I, good thread here with some nice hardware links........BTW, REI supports the Sierra Club and Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, two enviro-activist groups that receive strong financial backing from the East and use the money to lobby the closure of thousands of miles of Jeep, ATV and bike trails in the Western States, in their effort to re-invent "wilderness".
They'll get none of my money..........

 

[xjcrawlr]

Go find a 29" wheeled mountain bike

.

X 100!


If you are going to stay hardtail, then 29" is the ONLY way to go. The larger wheel carries more inertia, making the bike both more stable and easier to keep you momentum going, not to mention the fact that it will roll over things easier.

Heres my favorite offering right now; (single speed for me though)

http://www.ninerbikes.com/emd9.html

My second choice would be;

http://www.fisherbikes.com/bikes/series.asp?series=trail-29er

 

[cracker]

.

X 100!


If you are going to stay hardtail, then 29" is the ONLY way to go. The larger wheel carries more inertia, making the bike both more stable and easier to keep you momentum going, not to mention the fact that it will roll over things easier.

Heres my favorite offering right now; (single speed for me though)

http://www.ninerbikes.com/emd9.html

My second choice would be;

http://www.fisherbikes.com/bikes/series.asp?series=trail-29er

You forgot to mention that with the 29" wheels it is slower to climb and a $hitty aftermarket tire selection (will be getting better shortly).

 

[jeepinxj01]

I was thinkin' that when I looked at the 29er online. Gotta be a shitty selection of tires. Oh well. I'm on bike overload right now. I've found about 50 I want and think I need. Oh well. My Fisher Joshua Z2 isn't lookin' too bad right now.

 

[xjcrawlr]

You forgot to mention that with the 29" wheels it is slower to climb and a $hitty aftermarket tire selection

Have you riden one?

I've noticed no difference, but I'm not a racer either.
I'm saving for a SS 29er, so the climbing thing doesn't much apply to me when to bike is geared properly. As for tires, while the selection is slim, its good with offerings from Bontrager, Kenda, IRC, Continental, and WTB to name some of the bigger companies.

 

[xjcrawlr]

Oh, and heres a "short" list of 29er companies;


http://speedgoat.com/product.asp?par...at=160&brand=2 -- Asylum (House branded Titus RX in Aluminum)
http://www.nishiki.com/
http://www.orbea.com/
http://www.29inch.com/
http://www.moots.com
http://chainwheel.com/site/intro.cfm (see Sofa Kings)
http://www.litespeed.com/home.aspx
http://www.sevencycles.com/
http://www.slingshotbikes.com/showro...in/bigshot.cfm
http://www.kellybike.com/
http://www.ionicbikes.com/
http://www.bti.com
http://www.deanusa.com/index2.htm
http://www.mattchester.com/
http://www.fisherbikes.com/index.asp
http://www.gunnarbikes.com/
http://www.ingliscycles.com/retrotec/
http://www.vanillabicycles.com/
http://www.sycip.com/
http://vandesselsports.com/main.html
http://www.mikkelsenframes.com/
http://www.huntercycles.com/mainpage.html
http://moots.com/home.php
http://www.vandesselsports.com/b_buzzBomb.shtml
http://www.slingshotbikes.com/
http://taylorbicycles.com/
http://www.swiftcycles.com/home.html (broken?)
http://www.vulturecycles.com/
http://chainwheel.com/site/ (Sofa King link in upper right)
http://www.strongframes.com/
http://www.quiringcycles.com/home.html
http://www.peytocycles.com/
http://www.cookbros.com/
http://www.desalvocycles.com/
http://www.davidsonbicycles.com/
http://www.anvilbikes.com/
http://www.airborne.net/
http://www.bohemianbicycles.com/ (limited I think)
http://www.curtlo.com/
http://www.tetcycles.com/
http://www.willitsbrand.com/
http://www.oxbrandbikes.com/
http://www.viciouscycles.com/
http://www.soulcraftbikes.com/
http://www.surlybikes.com/
http://www.ifbikes.com/
http://www.serotta.com/
http://spotbikes.com/
http://www.bilenky.com/index.htm
http://www.beone-bikes.com/
http://29inch.com/
http://www.duratec.cz/
http://waterfordbikes.com/ (not in thread but since they make Gunnar…)
http://www.titusti.com/ (not in thread but since we've seen 29"er Racer-x pics…)
http://www.steelmancycles.com/ (not in thread, will they do custom?)
http://www.sevencycles.com/ (not in thread, will they do custom?)
http://rivbike.com/ (not in thread, see Atlantis model)
Voodoo Cycles
http://www.wilycycles.com/
Nicolai http://www.nicolai.net http://forums13.consumerreview.com/[email protected]
DaVinci 29" Tandems http://forums13.consumerreview.com/[email protected]

 

[METAL MONKEY]

Are you serious? Man...some of those places they took us to were ridiculous. How long ago were you out that way? I know there are tons of places to mountain bike here in CO but up here in the WP it's all straight the f up. You CAN'T get an easy ride in. That part I hate.

I just moved to Fort Collins last may, so I raced in the '04 and beginning of '05 season.

Intermediate?

You mean Sport Class?

From what I remeber (mind is a little fuzzy) the classes where as follows:

youth
beginner (novice?)
intermediate (beginner?)
sport
expert

 

[cracker]

Have you riden one?

I've noticed no difference, but I'm not a racer either.
I'm saving for a SS 29er, so the climbing thing doesn't much apply to me when to bike is geared properly. As for tires, while the selection is slim, its good with offerings from Bontrager, Kenda, IRC, Continental, and WTB to name some of the bigger companies.

Unfortunately, it is my job to be 'on top' of this shit.

For the west coast, most of those tires blow ass. For 2007 there are a couple of more agresive (and some large tires up to 2.3) being offered. Right now, the mostly 'XC Race' treads offered don't have the same effect west of the missippi. There are a few that work but compared to 26", few work well (as far as tires).

29" bikes are slower on the climbs. They are faster on the flats. Descents are debatably worse. Is there a 'cult' following behind them now? YES. Does it make the bikes better? NO. Will they be around for a while? FOR THE SHORT WHILE AT LEAST AND POSSIBLY LONGER. For 2007 MANY companies are coming out with 29" single speed bikes at CRAZY low prices and even some companies are coming out with long travel Freeride-ish bikes too.

 

[cracker]

I just moved to Fort Collins last may, so I raced in the '04 and beginning of '05 season.



From what I remeber (mind is a little fuzzy) the classes where as follows:

youth
beginner (novice?)
intermediate (beginner?)
sport
expert

*FIRST TIMERS (VERY RARE)
*BEGINNERS
*SPORT
*EXPERT
*SEMI-PRO
*PRO

 

[Roxtar]

Raced sport class in Dino for a few years.
Some great courses, Logansport, Indy, Portage, and Warsaw were very sweet.
Nashville was a bitch, though. I swear I never stopped climbing the whole race.:explosion

Hardtails are dead. Put a fork in them.
Unless you're racing expert or pro, or just want an around town cruiser, there's no reason to ever buy a hardtail.
The new designs have all but eliminated the peddling or braking effects on the suspension and the weight has come way down.

I'm riding a carbonned out AMP Research B5 that weighs in at an honest 22 lbs.
BTW, it's for sale
I'm lusting after a new Intense VPP 5.5.

 

[xjcrawlr]

And that is at heart of what I was trying to say, IMHO, if hardtail is what you want.....then "I" would recommend a 29er.

By that same token, I truly love my RM Slayer!

 

[Mike1331]

So it's the bike...not the rider?

Not quoting you Mike but....why is anything that's a Trek good? I hate Trek. The GP likes Trek b/c of Armstrong, and Lemond. Fat City and Bontrager all went to hell after the money machine bought them up. I broke numerous Trek frames when I was racing and I am not a big guy nor did I bash things.

Yeah I believe the bike can play a big role in a riders style and success with vairous decents. Speed, weight, intergrity all play roles in keeping your confidence level high with your bikes abitlities, in turn helping you to be a better rider.

Never been a big fan of trek myself.

 

[cracker]

I love hard tails.

I come from the 'old school' era of bikes though.

 

[xjcrawlr]

And its a SINGLE SPEED!




I cant wait for the 07's to come out so I can get one. :thumbup:

 

[cracker]

And its a SINGLE SPEED!




I cant wait for the 07's to come out so I can get one. :thumbup:

Too bad I am not in enough shape to ride it